Fritillary wing section

[Ken Ramos]

Zeiss Axiostar A Plan 2.5X/0.06 and 5X/0.10 respectively Canon Powershot G9X Mk II 10mm f/2.0 @ 1/40 sec. ISO 125 LED Illumination 6.5W 3k PSE 14 processing

[Lou Jost]

This looks nice but the crop looks grainy. This could be from over-sharpening or lack of light diffusion.

[Ken Ramos]

This looks nice but the crop looks grainy. This could be from over-sharpening or lack of light diffusion.

The first one was sharpened once and the second twice, giving it that old school ASA 400 grainy appearance. Not that it was intentional to replicate the standard, it just turned out that away.

Thanks Lou

[WalterD]

Nice detail, thanks for sharing.

[Ken Ramos]

Nice detail, thanks for sharing.

Thanks Walter

[Olympusman]

Very nice Ken. Are you using a gooseneck lamp illuminator?

Mike

[Ken Ramos]

Very nice Ken. Are you using a gooseneck lamp illuminator?

Mike

I experiment with a number of different lighting fixtures, this one was with a gooseneck and an 6.5W LED a 50W equiv. Usually I use a dual pipe 150W halogen to illuminate the microscope stage on the Axiostar. Some configurations are softer, some are a bit more harsh, and filters provide different levels of each at times. Thanks Mike

[Lou Jost]

Those gooseneck lights often cause the kind of graininess seen here.

[Ken Ramos]

Those gooseneck lights often cause the kind of graininess seen here.

I have used gooseneck lights for years and have gotten good results using them, depending on the lamp that I use but to satisfy my curiosity, the "gooseneck" light that you are referring too, is it like a gooseneck desk lamp or are you referring to the dual pipe halogen gooseneck illuminators? I use both among others and depending on the angle at which the light hits the subject the results do vary. Some marginally, while others are really wild at times depending on the reflectivity of the subject, in which case the angle of illumination may need adjusting. Thanks Lou



This is my current set up.

[Lou Jost]

I had found that the Janso gooseneck lamps were prone to cause graininess. I could eliminate it by adding a tracing paper cylinder around the subject, to diffuse the lamp light. Of course I don't know if that is going on with your image, I just suggest it in case that is causing some of the grain. It would be easy to check by adding the tracing paper cylinder close to the subject.

[Ken Ramos]

Thanks Lou If I am not mistaken, a ping pong ball will also work as a diffuser.

[Lou Jost]

Sure, anything could work. If you used any kind of diffuser between the lamps and subject, then the lamps had nothing to do with the graininess.

[nanometer]

Butterfly wing scales never disappoint--really nice.

[Ken Ramos]

Butterfly wing scales never disappoint--really nice.

Thanks nanometer