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Foraminifera Microscope - Please Help


Angela V

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Hi,

I am trying to purchase a microscope which will allow the study of small foraminifera (around 100 micron in size).

I've just received an Amscope, 3.5x-180x dissecting zoom stereo microscope and, after trying it out, I have the feeling this is not the winner. I can only use it at maximum power (180x) and this magnification is....ok but not enough. The image at this magnification is not very sharp either. It would be a struggle to identify my smallest specimens. Taking photos of them is almost an impossible task (I don't have a trilocular, I am just trying to take photos with a camera, through the eye piece).

Could you please help and recommend what would be best to use for 100 micron size fossil? And I need to see them well enough to identify small morphology details.

I am considering returning this and ordering a 3.5x-225x, which seems to be the highest magnification for a stereo microscope you can get from Amscope. That could probably do the job but still not make me extremely happy. Any ideas where I could find more powerful stereo microscopes which don't cost a fortune?

Is it worth considering getting a compound microscope from Amscope? These have magnification ranges between 40x and 2000x but...are they the tools to use for foraminifera? I've only used stereo microscopes in university so far, nobody seemed to use compound ones for foraminifera.

Also, any ideas if these things are any good: http://www.amscope.com/stereo-microscopes/500x-2mp-digital-usb-zoom-8-led-3d-microscope.html ?

Sorry to throw so many questions at you. Any help would be much appreciated.

Regards,

Angela

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You might try adding a 2X Barlow lens; that might add enough horsepower for the job.

"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

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Thank you Auspex. Yes, I will add barlow lenses.

So I could use two barlow lenses in the same time (each of 2x)? (probably a silly question but I am a beginner in microscopy)

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The Barlow goes on the objective lens; a 2X will double your magnification, and halve the exit pupil, field of view, and working distance, so assure yourself that it will still do the job you intend (it should).

"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

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Auspex is dead on with his advice. The addition of different Barlow lenses and/or different eyepieces can turn your existing scope into a workhorse at both ends of the magnification spectrum.

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I just looked at your link to the digital scope. My advice is no. I've tried a number of these both in my home lab and in my school classroom lab. There are almost always driver issues and limited to zero tech support. Some of the new models are wireless and not OS dependent, but are vastly overpriced. I'd stick with your optical setup.

What type of camera are you using--DSLR, point and shoot, or cell phone? Are you using a mount or trying to go hand held? A mount makes a huge difference. Even if it's as simple as something knocked together from a toilet paper tube and duct tape.

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Thank you all for your posts. Sorry for the late reply.

I am considering adding extra barlow lenses or/and eye pieces. But I am already using a 2x barlow lense to get to my maximum magnification and the Amscope website specifies that Barlow lenses can't be staked because they would cancel each other. So maybe more powerful eye pieces would be better.

After working for a while with the microscope, it looks like it's good enough to do the job but I could always do with improvements. Probably I've been used to the powerful microscopes they have in the university but those are certainly too expensive for me. Probably what I have is one of the best options in this price range so I should stop complaining. :) The small working distance (about 3 cm at full magnification) bothers me a bit but I could live with it.

Mikecable, I am using some microslides to mount my forams.

I've tried taking photos with an iphone and with a point and shoot digital camera. The camera is better but the results are quite...pitiful. Maybe I am asking too much considering the size of these creatures...

I am considering buying one of the cameras advertised on Amscope, maybe being properly mounted to the microscope would help. Something like this maybe: http://www.amscope.com/accessories/camera/3-0-mega-pixel-usb-still-photo-live-video-microscope-imager-digital-camera-3mp.html

Thank you for your advice regarding the digital scope, I will take that off the list of options.

Syed Azharuddin, your microscope looks amazing, I had a look on-line. But unfortunately is out of my league when is comes about costs. Nevertheless, I will keep it in mind for future, you never know.

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In continuation to my previous post, I am attaching two images showing the photo quality I manage right now and an image of the slides I am using.post-19031-0-95832700-1437924323.jpgpost-19031-0-64371700-1437924324.jpgpost-19031-0-33727400-1437924548.jpg

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Angela

That looks exactly like the Celestron digital imager 44421 I reviewed some time ago on TFF. Just search topics for 44421. It's about half that price from Amazon.

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Angela,I have a 5mp camera like the one in your link and it works pretty well.

"Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence"_ Carl Sagen

No trees were killed in this posting......however, many innocent electrons were diverted from where they originally intended to go.

" I think, therefore I collect fossils." _ Me

"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."__S. Holmes

"can't we all just get along?" Jack Nicholson from Mars Attacks

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