(Part 2) Top products from r/microscopy

I had a toy microscope as a kid -- it was a fun idea but not so good since seeing truly small things well requires more budget. I'm now in a business where microscopy is critical and have some nice hardware I can use to see truly small things, but there's a lot of fun in looking at larger objects. This can be done with cheap hardware and I use an older pen-style scope like what you posted even for "serious" business-related work (https://www.amazon.com/Supereyes-Portable-Microscope-Endoscope-Magnifier/dp/B0066H7H1Q ). These come with software a lot of the time but it's maybe not very good, so I use something called "SharpCap" which is meant for astronomy but is actually just an easy program to display USB camera images in real time so it works nicely for USB camera microscopy. I'd recommend getting this kind of setup (USB camera that plugs into a computer for display) since the display will be nicer and my instinct is that 80 dollars/euros is too little for a microscope/display/storage/stage that will work to anyone's satisfaction.

I found this one on Amazon ( https://www.amazon.com/Opti-Tekscope-Microscope-Advanced-Definition-Industrial/dp/B0184CCOY0/ref=sr_1_10?keywords=usb+microscope&qid=1567129440&s=gateway&sr=8-10 ). It has LED lighting (important for illuminating objects from the top) and looks solid, with metal construction that seems nicer than the one I have. Something like this would plug into a computer and display in real time, allowing you a large working distance from the object while being steady enough to watch the screen while focusing. There are lots of them like this for sale, some with higher magnification, but I think anything like along these lines would be a great toy microscope.

It's just an Omax. I forget which model, but nothing overly fancy. And yeah just a drop of blood on a slide with a slip. Sealed around the edges with oil to slow oxidation. The "vacuoles" appear outside the objects as well. In fact that's where i first noticed them, but i just thought them to be debris until i saw them clustered inside the structure.

I'm not really sure what causes them to grow larger. One of the problems with these sorts of morphologies is that they vary widely from one species to the next and take on so many intermediary forms i really can't keep up with it. That's why when i couldn't find a WBC that looked like it and remembered the "fried egg" description i had to wonder about it. They can be triggered by some natural compounds like lysozyme as well as their own autolysins. I think the typical view is that they're mere laboratory curiosities caused by things like penicillin but this has been challenged and they probably represent various naturally occurring developmental paths a microorganism takes in response to environmental conditions. https://www.amazon.com/Cell-Wall-Deficient-Forms-Third/dp/0849387671 Also, i should state my blood is loaded with antibacterials though they are all derived from complex plant mixtures so i couldn't tell you the mechanism of action.

I do think you're probably right though. It's probably just a WBC and due to the nature of my health the presentation is not typical. The size is pretty consistent from one object to the next which probably wouldn't be expected of organisms growing independently. I still have to wonder what those orbs are though. I wish i had switched my major to microbiology when i knew what was good for me, ha. I feel like an absolute dunce on this scope.

Dooooon’t use kimwipes. If you’re going to try and clean them, please buy actual lens tissue. Kimwipes have abrasive cotton fibers, that can scratch your lens. Lens paper is not terribly expensive. Try Thorlabs, or even just amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Tiffen-Cleaning-Paper-Tissue-Sheets/dp/B004ZZOMZ0/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1543122811&sr=8-5&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=lens+paper&dpPl=1&dpID=41CjgK6aDmL&ref=plSrch

Also, that Zeiss guide is great if you really want to get into it, but general cleaning is done well with some Sparkle lens cleaner. Do not confuse it with Sparkle glass cleaner. Not the same thing, and will leave a film on your lens. https://www.amazon.com/Sparkle-Bottle-Optical-Lens-Cleaner/dp/B00MZZYIL0

Feel free to DM me any questions!

Source: am a microscopic imaging specialist.

>How do I figure out what magnification I am getting in the view? Do I like multiply the eyepiece number by the objective number? The eye pieces say like 10X, 20X etc (what exactly does that mean? it doesn't really change the picture maybe just the FOV?) and the objectives say 4X, 10X, 40X and 100X.

Pretty much, yes. The specs here list this scope as having a magnification range of 40-1600x, which is 4x Obj 10x Eye up to 100x Obj 16x Eye. Technically your magnification will also change depending on how you resize the image digitally (e.g. you enlarge it in Microsoft Word) so scale bars, if you can add them, give you a better idea of the image scale.


>My guess is that if I used oil it would go better

The specs also list that the 100x Obj uses oil immersion to function, which is why it doesn't appear to work without it.

Nice hair; great shot.

If interested in looking at bugs, you can purchase an 'aspirator' to vacuum up the really tiny ants and bugs and mite and whatnot into a collection tube. I usually put a small amount of ethanol in bottom of the tube to just straight-away preserve the bugs. The aspirators typically look like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Carolina-Biological-Supply-Company-Aspirator/dp/B005VDNICI

There are a lot of different options if you think the mouth operated one is too weird, as you can see here:

https://www.bioquip.com/Search/WebCatalog.asp?category=2700&prodtype=1

Also would want some tweezer to move things around, just some fine ones that you get at the pharmacy or general store will work.

Other stuff... a lot of leaves and plants with tiny features are interesting to look at (especially lit from underneath)... ferns and mosses and whatnot are cool. Sand can also be rad, very different from different beaches or areas; sometimes its just a pile of amazing, fully-formed, miniature shells.

*New user here, tried to post this text with the image but failed :D

Hi r/Microscopy new user here, but I've been a lurker for months and love this subreddit.

Trying to figure out if this is an issue with my microscope, the left bottom edge is constantly yellowish/out of alignment (lowest magnification/ abbe condenser (fully open, so appears to not be the aperture).

Link to the scope I'm using
http://www.amazon.com/AmScope-T340-DK-LED-Magnification-Illumination-Double-Layer/dp/B007LBF5BA

The condenser is correctly centered and I've tested it with darkfield/ phase contrast and all looks fine (especially on higher magnifications).

If i loosen the head of the scope, and slide it about 2mm right, it perfectly aligns and everything seems solid. My thoughts are maybe to offset it with a bit of paper to keep it in that position?

Not really even sure if this is any issue so just wanted to double check to prove I'm not going insane (if its even an issue).

Thanks for any insight!

You're arriving into microscopy at a golden age of cheap, decent microscopes. Well done!

You'll be spending some serious time at your microscope, so I like to recommend comfort and ergonomics. You need to figure out a desk (STURDY, shaky desks suck for microscopy) & chair combination that puts you at a good height & distance from your scope, but you also want a scope that you can use without too much strain and hassle. I recommend a binocular (2 eyes) compound (multiple lenses/magnification options) scope with a mechanical (use dials to move your sample around, rather than manually sliding your slide around) stage.

Here's one for $200, shipped, on amazon. I don't have this exact scope, but I use another amscope and am very very pleased with it for the price.

I assume you want to get at what causes hair to split, microfracture, etc. rather than a lower magnification look.

https://www.amazon.com/AmScope-B120C-Magnification-Illumination-Double-Layer/dp/B009JROROU/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1549556722&sr=8-10&keywords=amscope

You could consider dissolving 1 g of agar in 50 mL water, boiling it, cooling it to ca. 55C, taking a teaspoon and then before it solidifies mixing in a bit of your (hopefully well-populated) algae sample, apply it to the slide, and lower a cover slip on top. Have a coffee. Then if it's cooled, you can clean up the edges with an exacto knife or similar, and seal the cover slip to the slide using ample nail polish around the edges. If the agar behaves, you'll have mounted some algae in a clear "resin" inside, and the nail polish seals the moisture in. Since the tissue isn't fixed, I'm not sure how it lasts.

With regard to stains, you could consider to mix a tiny bit of either of these in with your algae sample before mixing it with the warm agarose, it will stain different things in your samples depending on which stain. That could be a fun experiment in itself.

Let me know if you make any progress this way!

It depends a bit on how much you want to spend. There are inexpensive 20x and 40x step stereos that might be cheap enough to test out. https://www.amazon.com/AmScope-SE306R-PZ-Microscope-Magnification-Objectives/dp/B005B1TR16/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1539852360&sr=8-1-spons&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=stereo+microscope&psc=1

If you want to take photos, or want a wider range then the standard 7x - 45x Chinese zooms can be surprisingly good. I like the ones with the transmitted and incident light sources. https://www.amazon.com/7X-45X-Dual-Trinocular-Stereo-Microscope/dp/B00X4LKO9E/ref=mp_s_a_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1539852360&sr=8-12&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=stereo+microscope

Talk to your local microscope supplier and they’ll likely let you test one out.

The links above look a lot like the ones I am familiar with.

There is a lot of microscope material online that I can't find in print, so that's the way I do most of my learning. But I agree that a book is nicer since much of this information is on old websites that haven't been updated in a decade or more (so many frames and animated gifs ugh).

I only have one microscopy related book I use regularly, A field guide to bacteria by Betsey Dexter Dyer. It's oriented toward finding bacteria without a microscope based on macroscopic clues. Since bacteria and other microorganisms are often found in association this book has given me some great ideas about where to look for samples to take home and check out under the microscope.

Amazon is selling this set:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LBGFQFU?pf_rd_p=2d1ab404-3b11-4c97-b3db-48081e145e35&pf_rd_r=TJ7T2V7E8K5P232N6BW5
So it looks like 30mm and 30.5mm are indeed 2 different standards.
I'm a bit in the same boat as you are: I'd like to order a set of 5x and 15x eyepieces from Ali but 99.9% I find are 23.2mm and 30mm, no 30.5mm.
I don't want the eyepieces to have too much play and 0.5mm is a pretty big difference in my opinion.

Sounds like a cool project! This is the one i use at home- i don't know if it's available in the US (just guessing thats where you are) but i cannot recommend it enough. They have their own site too.

This is an alternative availble in the US - i have no experience with it but it seems okay, also has a connection to your laptop to make it easier to share your results!

Thanks for the advice- I think I've found something like what I'm looking for, called a Barlow lens:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007LBD8KA?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00
It cuts magnification in half and doubles working distance.
Now I just gotta find one for my scope or make an adapter

This is probably not the quality you're looking for but a field microscope is what you're looking for like this

It has a trinocular head, the tube is to mount a camera if you choose. The opening should be capped when not in use so dust and dirt stays out. 100x objectives need immersion oil on the slide to focus. Youtube should have plenty of videos how to use the oil.

For cleaning look here http://www.well.ox.ac.uk/_asset/file/the-clean-microscope.pdf

A general tip, I recommend getting a box of these https://www.amazon.com/Kimtech-Science-KimWipes-Delicate-Wipers/dp/B0013HT2QW/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1543119000&sr=8-4&keywords=Microscope%2BWipes&th=1&psc=1. I use them to clean up glass surfaces on the scope and even sunglasses, but should be used with a lense cleaner and in proper process.

I currently have a similar scope to the first one (Older version of this), though mine has a 100x lens also. Would recommend, not had any issues with it at all.

This is with an Amscope 620C-E1 microscope. I was just wondering if this is the image quality I should expect with this scope at this magnification?


This was with plastic slide and cover, but I was getting a similar image with glass slide and cover.

It's this microscope.

http://www.amazon.com/AmScope-SE306-AZ-E2-Microscope-Magnification-Objectives/dp/B0080IGZHG/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1414797369&sr=8-11&keywords=amscope+dissecting+microscope

Looking at the description of the camera on the chart detail, it says 40x and that the camera name is MD200 (Also says this on the camera). So, I've let myself become confused over the model numbers of the microscope and the camera. My apologies.

But the label of 40x for the camera is kind of general and obscure. 40x by itself, or is it 10x and has a maximum of 40x with the 4x objective?

Sorry for throwing this on you. I'm just trying to learn.. and Amscope is pretty bad about clarity in documentation (and in microscope cameras, from what I'm reading).

I bought this one at Christmas:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004UBNIMC/

I already own a Nikon YS (Picked up on Craigslist for $100) without the trinocular port, so I knew I wanted something that was lit from the top. You can probably get just the head:

https://www.amazon.com/AmScope-SM7180T-7X-180X-Trinocular-Microscope/dp/B005MKI5NW/

The Nikon allows me to see individual red blood cells moving around, the Amscope doesn't get that kind of magnification and the lighting is wrong. You can record video through holding the phone as well and I've done video of the red blood cells moving around.

Found it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rkeCcYyCVI