Still not that big: this is a 9MB file

Scarab

It was against a white background. Since I work indoors, and use a photo stand I usually use a background that I hope gives the best result. This is still very much hit and miss for me: I started macrophotography just a couple of months ago and most of my time seems tone spent in finding out what not to do.

It's a 100 MB file. I am not sure I have a way to send it since my mail system won't accept files that big.

Yes, a Nikon 105 and I also used Helicon stacking software. It is still a little rough round the edges, I have to get in there with a fine erase tool.

I found this outside my kitchen: didn't even know they existed!

Its a BX. I am not really in a position to make changes to it anyway; the department lets me use it, but on sufferance. This is all new to me, I started just a couple of months ago and have virtually no background in microscopy, so I have a steep learning curve. Thanks for the link, very informative.

Yes, I can adjust the speed on the D5300, but cannot see the results of what I am doing. So, I shoot blind at different settings and look at the results.

As an alternative to DIC, I hope to try dark field illumination, as well as some vital stains. The sludge at bottom of our pond is providing a range of interesting subjects.

I am using an Olympus B40 with DIC optics. The camera may be the weak point, it is a SPOT 3MB that mounts onto the video tube and uses its own software package (does not allow Raw images). I would use my Nikon D5300 but that model cannot alter the aperture without a lens attached. I doubt if I will upgrade since the D5300 was really bought for macro work.

A good point. WHile the entire complex is on a floating foundation there may be internal vibration. The scope is sitting on a rubber pad, that should help, but I am not in a position to go to an air table. The shutter release is controlled electronically and the exposure time may be the culprit, about 1/10 of a second. Since I can't boost the lighting any further, I might try upping the ISO to get faster speeds.

This is a ciliate I shot earlier today. Something odd has happened to the color transferring to my desktop, but the level of resolution is correct. The length of the cell is about 100 microns

I know this forum is for macrophotography,, but I guess many readers will also be interested in photo microscopy. If this is not an appropriate place, please let me know.

I am using stacking software with my microscope pictures and the result is not nearly as effective as I had hoped. In many cases a single picture looks far better than the final stacked image. I think it is because, with a basically transparent object, the stack 'clutters up' the final image. Has anyone tried this, and if so, got results you are happy with.

ps I am comparing the pictures to those obtained with a confocal microscope that flattens the final stack. This may be unfair sine the confocal is using ultraviolet lasers as the light source and can achieve far better spatioal resolution.

This is true of so many things: how many of use use even a fraction of Excel or Word's capabilities. A friend described them as buying a 747 to roll down the runway and crack walnuts: there is no no doubt it will do the job, but there may be much simpler (and cheaper) solutions.

This might be a time to make use of HDR (judiciously).

This is driving me crazy, I can't think of the right term to search under.

I have some battery-powered LED lights that have a hot-shoe flash adapter. However, I don't want to mount them on my camera, but on a vertical metal pole. What I need is a doohickey that will clamp onto the pole, rotate and lock as needed, and which has a fitting for the hot-shoe adaptor to slide into.

If you know what this is called, and maybe where to get it, I would be very grateful.

For a given object I can create a stack by either changing the focus from front to back and shooting at each point, or by moving the camera on a rail. Are there advantages and disadvantages to each approach?

Thanks

The biggest problem is that everything is too red.