Re: Advice for low-mag, long-term imaging of live beasties?

On Dec 20, 5:16 pm, Zach <zpin...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hi Kevin,

Thanks for your suggestions!

Zach, You might want to take a look at the Infinity or Tech-spec
single tube 'scopes from Edmund, you just don't need two tubes. A
simple camera on top (see Diagnostics), mini-LED ring light, barrier
filter, stand and focusing system. These units are very easy to
remake when you either succeed or fail and want to try something new.
The other advantage is its easy to poise this kind of unit over a
motor drive stage.

I definitely was looking at the "infinitube" systems. (Haven't found
any tech-spec scopes, per se, on the catalog, though.)

I'm not clear on what the infinitube systems are giving you, though --
a tube with threads on each end (one for an objective, one for a c-
mount camera)? I presume there's a tube lens in there? Any aperture
controls at all (doesn't look like it...)? The price of the infinitube
systems seems kind of high, but perhaps I'm missing what the important
features are.

It seems one would have the most flexibility just getting various
loose c-mount tubes, filter-cube, and lens holders, and aperture
controls as needed from edmunds, and screwing them together as needed?
Is this basically what you were suggesting, or were you thinking
something more pre-assembled like the infinitube systems, would be
better? And if I went with the loose components route, any thoughts
about how to select an appropriate tube lens to go with an infinity-
corrected long working distance objective? (Obviously, getting the
right focal length to project the proper-size image on the CCD
detector is key, but how corrected does the lens need to be, wrt
spherical/chromatic/etc. abberation? I assume it needs to be as
corrected as the objective, but perhaps I'm wrong, since the tube lens
isn't doing such serious light-bending.)

I'd probably eventually want some sort of sub-stage illumination
(basic collector/condenser system?), and a collector in front of my
LED fluorescence illumination LED, to get a basic Kolher set-up. I
wonder if that's easy to build from scratch, too, or this starts
getting into the "complicated" realm... I do like the idea of building
everything ad hoc out of simple parts.

Anyhow, thanks for the advice and suggestions: this is all very
helpful.

Zach

Zach, A couple of points. Techspec is the name that Edmund uses for
their own branded stuff, its actually well made, probably by
infinity. Take a look at their most recent catalog, mine is numbered
NO78C, or look on the Edumunds web site for product VZM 200i or VZM
300, they have a bunch of charts and specifications to get you
started. For instance you would probably want to change the
illuminator and the and the camera.

If the object your looking at is 1mm average size then you don't need
a whole lot of magnification. You don't need transmitted light. If
you aren't using two eyes you may not need a stereo. What you need is
a ton of room to mount the stage. Another place to look for these
specs is an industrial microscope like the Olympus BXFM
(www.olympusmicroimaging.com/index.cfm/page/products.index.cfm/cid/450/
navid/173/parentid/7)

The Edmund system is far cheaper , approximately $2,600, the Olympus
works beautifully if you need it.

Let me know how it goes!

Kevin Cunningham
SMS

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Zeiss objectives - which oculars
    ... E. Leitz's NPL series of objectives were great! ... An infinity corrected microscope has an objective designed to produce an imaging beam in which the light is parallel. ... A positive tube lens, sometimes called a Telan lens, is imposed in the microscope tube to bring the beam to a focus at the intermediate image position. ...
    (sci.techniques.microscopy)
  • Re: Advice for low-mag, long-term imaging of live beasties?
    ... single tube 'scopes from Edmund, you just don't need two tubes. ... filter, stand and focusing system. ... I'm not clear on what the infinitube systems are giving you, ... I presume there's a tube lens in there? ...
    (sci.techniques.microscopy)
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