Selecting a microscope

mcarroll · Jan 20, 2018

kinetic said:
I will probably never need a microscope again. Is it really required to buy $100+ microscope? Can I get away with really cheap ones? If so, what would be acceptable?

Check out post #66 where I made my pick...another link was posted on #107.

Works fine for most basic purposes....you'll want something better if you end up getting serious about it, but you won't feel back cuz you spent so little on your starter. And you don't have to spend a lot to get "better". $50 will get you a metal body, which is very nice to have. The catch is that there are LOTS of upgrades that makes sense...and most of them cost a lot. So I wanted to be a little sure of what I really needed before I make that bigger buy. I had zero scope experience when I started this. (Still have almost zero.)

kinetic · Jan 20, 2018

mcarroll said:
Check out post #66 where I made my pick...another link was posted on #107.

Works fine for most basic purposes....you'll want something better if you end up getting serious about it, but you won't feel back cuz you spent so little on your starter. And you don't have to spend a lot to get "better". $50 will get you a metal body, which is very nice to have. The catch is that there are LOTS of upgrades that makes sense...and most of them cost a lot. So I wanted to be a little sure of what I really needed before I make that bigger buy. I had zero scope experience when I started this. (Still have almost zero.)

Ah thank you for that post!

I only want the microscope to see what kind of Dinos I have. Hopefully I won't ever need to know again.

mcarroll · Feb 13, 2018

Cheap USB Microscope Review is another thread on this topic. I haven't seen too many reef-oriented reviews on this kind of scope, so it'll be interesting to see what it can do!

mcarroll · Apr 9, 2018

Seems there's a new player from India in the online microscope market called Radical.

They seem to have an extremely sensible design and competitive prices....I'm eyeballing this:

Radical 2500x High Power LED Cordless Microscope w 100x Oil SEMI PLAN Objective Movable Condenser Fine Focus 3D Stage Rechargeable Batteries & Slides Included
by Radical
$155.00$ 155 00
FREE Shipping

$155 isn't bad for semi-planar lenses, clamp-on 3D stage AND 2µ ultra-fine focus.

This is appears to be mid-range for their student line, which runs from about $90-$500.

Centerline · Apr 9, 2018

mcarroll said:
Seems there's a new player from India in the online microscope market called Radical.

They seem to have an extremely sensible design and competitive prices....I'm eyeballing this:

$155 isn't bad for semi-planar lenses, clamp-on 3D stage AND 2µ ultra-fine focus.

This is appears to be mid-range for their student line, which runs from about $90-$500.

$155 is a great deal.

jason2459 · May 3, 2018

Any scope is better then no scope.

mcarroll · May 22, 2018

Anyone think a clip-on 3D stage is as good as a built-in one?

Or at least "worth it" compared to moving the slide around by hand?

I've never used either one, so I'd like to know!

jason2459 · May 23, 2018

Never used a clip on one. I can saying not having to move the slide the slide around by hand is a huge help especially with wet slides.

hotashes · Jul 4, 2018

What do you guys think of this scope? I'm just learning how to use it.

Olympus KHC binocular microscope. @jason2459 @Bob Stohrer

A.

jason2459 · Jul 5, 2018

Olympus makes very nice microscopes.

hotashes · Jul 5, 2018

jason2459 said:
Olympus makes very nice microscopes.

So it's not a bad scope?

Can I get a eye piece camera to hook up and connect to my Mac?

Just some things I've found in my tank below,

Thanks,

A.

taricha · Jul 5, 2018

That's a nice scope. It's basically like the student scopes I use, but with 2 better features: better slide holder, and binocular.
Honestly, for me a good smartphone camera used carefully can push the optical limits of the system further than a digital camera in place of eyepiece.
But that's just me.
Nice shots of hydroid and amphipod, btw.

hotashes · Jul 5, 2018

Thanks for the feedback, I guess it's good enough for me to identify the pest algae I have. What magnification shall I use?

Thanks,

A.

taricha · Jul 5, 2018

hotashes said:
Thanks for the feedback, I guess it's good enough for me to identify the pest algae I have. What magnification shall I use?

Thanks,

A.

100x is usually plenty to distinguish between diff genus of dinos, diatoms, etc.
At 480x I can make out lots of structure within cells, and even some bacterial wiggles.
I don't actually have higher power than that.
( dinoflagellate flagellum resolved at 480x)

hotashes · Jul 5, 2018

Just grabbed this algae from my rock

X1000

X400

X100

Same sample just slide adjusted.

X400

A.

taricha · Jul 5, 2018

ooh, you've got all kinds of goodies!

hotashes said:
Just grabbed this algae from my rock

X1000

X400

X100

Same sample just slide adjusted.

X400

A.

1st pic, filamentous algae. clear segmentation, so not bryopsis or derbesia, not thin slices like a cyano, looks close to cladophora but not quite right. gonna defer to others, @Jose Mayo
2nd pic lots of small wedge-shaped epiphytic diatoms something like licmophora, etc
3rd at least 2 diff kinds of filamentous algae (see 4th pic), man, that's a lot of tiny diatoms, and a few ostreopsis dino cells.
4th great shot of ostreopsis dino cells (sesame seed shapes), good view of wedge diatoms, green filament at bottom that looks like derbesia/bryopsis, other filamentous algae in this view - by comparison - may not be a green at all, in fact this (and first pic) looks like maybe a match for ectocarpus, a brown algae. But that's just a guess.

hotashes · Jul 5, 2018

taricha said:
ooh, you've got all kinds of goodies!

1st pic, filamentous algae. clear segmentation, so not bryopsis or derbesia, not thin slices like a cyano, looks close to cladophora but not quite right. gonna defer to others, @Jose Mayo
2nd pic lots of small wedge-shaped epiphytic diatoms something like licmophora, etc
3rd at least 2 diff kinds of filamentous algae (see 4th pic), man, that's a lot of tiny diatoms, and a few ostreopsis dino cells.
4th great shot of ostreopsis dino cells (sesame seed shapes), good view of wedge diatoms, green filament at bottom that looks like derbesia/bryopsis, other filamentous algae in this view - by comparison - may not be a green at all, in fact this (and first pic) looks like maybe a match for ectocarpus, a brown algae. But that's just a guess.

Wow, now how do I go about getting rid lol. Would it be best I link my tank thread here? Then take the discussion away so this thread isn't taken over.

Thanks,

A.

taricha · Jul 5, 2018

hotashes said:
Wow, now how do I go about getting rid lol. Would it be best I link my tank thread here? Then take the discussion away so this thread isn't taken over.

Thanks,

A.

Yeah, probably so!
Also one more comment on microscope + phone pics. You may find you can adjust white balance on phone camera to account for the yellow light of the old microscope bulb, and get truer color pics - color is surprisingly helpful in putting an organism in the right identification ballpark.

mcarroll · Jul 5, 2018

hotashes said:
Wow, now how do I go about getting rid lol.

Step 1: Keep calm; don't overreact.

That's the main step, so if you get that right it'll work out!

Remember that you're the #1 CUC and that you need snail help!

We'll see you at that link when you post it.

mcarroll · Jul 5, 2018

hotashes said:

taricha said:
Also one more comment on microscope + phone pics. You may find you can adjust white balance on phone camera to account for the yellow light of the old microscope bulb, and get truer color pics - color is surprisingly helpful in putting an organism in the right identification ballpark.

I'm glad you pointed this out....I've wondered what difference tungsten lighting made aside from heat!