Recommendations for linear stage for use with 10x objective

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AlisonP
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Re: Recommendations for linear stage for use with 10x objective

Post by AlisonP »

Great, thanks so much for the link, Rik. I didn’t go through every FAQ link, but I remember seeing that one and thinking it was on how to focus stack.

Caution? I am already well into several rabbit holes.
Myxomycete and tiny fungi photography is my passionate hobby.
Instagram: @marin_mushrooms

rjlittlefield
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Re: Recommendations for linear stage for use with 10x objective

Post by rjlittlefield »

Let me make your quest even longer!

Near the top of the list for the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) forum, there's a short sticky: FAQ: Example macro rigs.

It contains the link that I provided, plus links to another list and a couple of other related threads by Charlie Krebs.

--Rik

AlisonP
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Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2018 10:13 pm
Location: San Anselmo, CA USA

Re: Recommendations for linear stage for use with 10x objective

Post by AlisonP »

Please, do make my quest longer!!!

I am not surprised that there is already a list. Given this forum, I was surprised that I did not find such a list.

Caution? I am already well down into several rabbit holes!

And my taxes are due soon......
Myxomycete and tiny fungi photography is my passionate hobby.
Instagram: @marin_mushrooms

Macro_Cosmos
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Re: Recommendations for linear stage for use with 10x objective

Post by Macro_Cosmos »

AlisonP wrote:
Tue Jul 07, 2020 3:07 pm
Please, do make my quest longer!!!

I am not surprised that there is already a list. Given this forum, I was surprised that I did not find such a list.

Caution? I am already well down into several rabbit holes!

And my taxes are due soon......
I recommend using google advanced search for forum topics, or go to Pinterest (of all places) and search up the keyword photomacrography. You will see a myriad of rigs there.

myxomop
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Location: New Orleans
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Re: Recommendations for linear stage for use with 10x objective

Post by myxomop »

I have just read through this thread with great interest and renewed admiration for the forum and its invaluable membership. I came upon it after seeing the "XYR stage with specimen holder" accessory suggested on the product page for the WeMacro Rail, and began considering, for the first time, the use of such a device over my "traditional" staging equipment, which initially consisted of only a flower frog, modeling clay, and a set of sewing needles. Inspired by a setup I saw on the forum several years ago (I wish I could remember whose), I added to this a heavy steel sphere, an appropriately-sized metal ring in which the sphere rests, neodymium magnets, and a pair of both regular and featherweight forceps. The result looks like this (apologies in advance for the low resolution, blurry, cropped image; a better one will follow in some future post):

Image

The "jury rigged" setup you see before you is never used at magnifications higher than 5x, as I own no lenses that go beyond this aside from my microscope objectives, which I have not endeavored to attach to the end of a camera (except when the pictured 6D goes atop my BHS' trinocular port). My specimen staging adjustments are therefore, uh... crude, to say the least :lol: but they get the job done, more or less. Results from the use of this setup are scattered throughout the closest thing I have to a portfolio: my Instagram page (@kallampero). That being said, it sure would be nice to be able to turn this portion of my setup into something significantly more precision-oriented, so long as doing so does not cost a fortune.

I'm therefore wondering if the participants in this thread -- or any other forum members for that matter -- have any product updates on any makes/models of XYZR 4-axis stages that fit inside a ~$300-$400 budget. In particular, I'm wondering if any of those Chinese ebayers/companies that Rik mentioned withstood the test of time as ongoing providers of inexpensive, reliable, durable, well-made stages, or if those were one-offs and only expensive name brand stages can promise those characteristics. I am also thinking about how I might incorporate my old friend the flower frog into the top plate of such a stage, or any one of several other mounting mechanisms. I'm envisioning simply permanently affixing a screw of the correct threading and diameter to the underside of whatever tool/implement I choose, be it an alligator clip like in the WeMacro unit (or a "helping hands" from a soldering station), a flower frog, or something far more creative/useful I haven't thought of, but someone far savvier than me on this forum (which is most of you) surely has.

Lastly, for tabletop applications like the one pictured above, I'm wondering what to attach such a multi-axis stage to, just to keep it stable/in place when the dials are manipulated. I'm imagining something dirt simple like a weighted metal disc onto which the stage would attach by another correctly-sized screw. Such a thing seems like it may be much, much cheaper to DIY together than purchase, but perhaps a dirt simple and inexpensive item serving precisely this purpose already exists.

Any and all help is greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Yours in Spores,

-Danny


EDIT 6/6/23 440am PST: regarding the last paragraph, it looks like a nylon-jawed PanaVise would be just the thing, with either the Vacuum Base (381), Low Profile Base (302) or Standard Base (301) below, depending on the type of table surface I'm most likely to encounter.
MACRO:
Olympus OM-D E-M1X, Olympus M.Zuiko 30mm f/3.5 ED, OM SYSTEM M.Zuiko Digital ED 90mm F3.5 Macro IS PRO, Gitzo GT2540EX Tripod, Acratech GV2 Ballhead, 2x Ulanzi VL49 Rechargeable Mini LED Lights, Ulanzi LED Full-Color Photography Light Wand

MICRO:
Trinocular Olympus BHS, SPlan 4x, 10x, 20x, 40x (1.25 N.A.), SPlanApo 100x Oil (1.4 N.A.), BH2-AAC Aplanatic-Achromatic 1.4 N.A Brightfield Condenser, WHK 10x 20 L Eyepieces, NFK 2.5× LD 125 Photo Eyepiece, Diagnostic Instruments PA1-10A SLR Camera Adapter, Canon 6D

Igor
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Re: Recommendations for linear stage for use with 10x objective

Post by Igor »

Maybe it will come in handy for someone, I came across such lots on Aliexpress for the exact positioning of objects. They are not new, but judging by the reviews they are quite working:

https://aliexpress.ru/item/100500315906 ... 2851960948

https://aliexpress.ru/item/100500430721 ... 8699557553

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