New to the forum

[kimberlymp7]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to the forum and also new to microscopy. I just wanted to introduce myself and share a couple of images.

Also, I've been looking for microscopy classes and after spending 30 minutes on this forum I'm going to suspend my search. I've already tried a couple of the ideas: placing my Sony Cybershot against the eyepiece and my first venture into dark field.

I have an I-4 Infinity with the Minivid camera but I think I like the results of the Sony experiment just as much (maybe even better). I have a trinocular head on the scope so can go that route as well but I haven't tried it yet.

Thanks for all of the ideas.

Kimberly

[kimberlymp7]

Here are my "experiments":

1) Sony against eyepiece photographing a piece of dried flower petal-no cover slip.

2) Another piece of dried flower petal.

3) First dark field attempt.

[icecilliate123]

Nice images, Kimberly ( I just visted your images today). I also enjoy a 'handheld' Sony cybershot(DSC-W170/10.1 megapixels)...held up to my trinoc microscope vertical tube. The fun is that same camera fits in a shirt pocket, so you capture images of the field trip ( outdoor hikes in most cases for me), then close up images of your collection jar, and actual microhabitat your intending to observe at home with your microscope...and the delightful images ( such as your protist image of algae: Pediastrum species, Kimberly. Sometime, please put a picture in this thread of your actual microscope and the bench you do your observing at !!? charlie guevara, fingerlakes?US

[kimberlymp7]

Hi Charlie! I just came in today from a vacation in MI last week. Thanks for your response to my post. I will take a photo today of my set-up and post some other photos. I just bought a Canon T1i with the adapter to hook up to the vertical. It got here right before I went to MI so I didn't have a chance to try it.

[g2b2]

Kimberly,
Welcome to the group. It's been a while since I've been here and it's nice to see new posts. Like Charlie, I would like to see your microscope set up. As for the classes, the best source of information is on groups like this one. Beyond sharing day-to-day experiences the web has more information than you can believe. Google your question or phrase and see what pops up. Post your specific questions and maybe someone here can answer.

Your photos look pretty good. Share your techniques.

g2b2

[icecilliate123]

Keep that microscopy bench upgrade (your new Cannon camera+ adaptor) sending our forum an image now and then! In one of my 'microscopy adventures, Kimberly,I have pictures of my Cannon rebel xt + adaptor...the images are in this forum in some thread I called: 'my new camera adaptor'.

My simple headache was I have a speck of lint (shaped like a stick-image of a shore bird in flight!) on my Cannon adaptor units lens. That 'sea bird' lint speck shows up in so many images I captured...and as I enjoy freshwater wetmount microscopy...the unique images of an evenings 'adventure'..all have that marker...aaggh! Mypoint and shoot Sony never (knock on wood) seems to have a lint image obstruction,even though I hold it up to the vertical eyepiece 'quick and dirty'!

You take your time with your new upgrade,and I hope you enjoyed watchingsome of the winter olympics (vaction in MI!). Ta ta for now, Kimberly. charlie guevara, fingerlakes/US

[kimberlymp7]

Charlie, are you able to get the speck of lint off of the adaptor lens? That would drive me crazy!

I just last night got the Canon and adaptor ready to use. I spent most of my time trying to figure out how it attaches to the trinocular head. I knew something was missing and after a couple of hours I thought about checking the original box that my microscope came in. There it was. Then a couple of more hours before I figured out how to change the c-mount. Lots of google searches. No images from that yet though. I did get my darkfield condenser and have taken some photos using that (with my Sony and Minivid).

This photo I'm posting though is taken with my homemade darkfield condenser-a quarter wrapped in aluminum foil placed over the base condenser (clearly a fraction of the cost of the darkfield condenser:-)) It is one of my favorite photos too!

The second is a photo of the stamen of a fairy duster plant. I used the darkfield condenser for that although I think the quarter would have worked fine:-) Also taken with the Sony.

The third is a crushed lantana petal. I took that with the Minivid and like the "sun and planet" thing going on there-just one of those crazy shots that happen once in a while.

[icecilliate123]

Yup, Kimberly...I did get to clean my relay-lens/camera adaptor.

I enjoy capture of microscopy 'world views' from specimens collected during a simple hike. So the very same 'point&shoot' digital camera which fits in my shirt pocket ( smaller than a grilled-cheese sandwich I like to say!) on the hike...I hand-hold that camera up at the vertical tube of my tri-nocular scope at my microscope bench.

Sort of like a 'quick and dirty' means of collecting data...themes I can then share in a microscope forum, Kimberly!

Take for instance this past (Memorial Day wknd, this side of the pond) wknd...I decided to sample a tree stump near the forest leaf-litter floor. One eye-droper collected from the water surface, a second sample fro the stump side wall,and third sample eyedropper of fluid from the stump water bottom (transport back to my home was a little tricky).

So with my Sony Cyber-Shot, I imaged that stump with standing water, I imaged my transport setup, and at my microscope I imaged wetmount samples of the collection...enjoyable, relaxing , and inter-net shareable.

Thanks for shareing your microscopy....this notice that you replied..just reached my e-mail this 6/2010...yet you kind comments seem to have been posted quite a while ago!!?? I hope to again have home internet within two weeks ( I use our public libraries for e-mail until then...here here for public libraries). charlie guevara fingerlakes/US