Whether you’re gathering academic images, reporting on high-quality microscopes for your students, keeping personal records for reference, teaching microscope use to your kids, or sharing discoveries on social media, capturing specimens is essential. This can be achieved in numerous ways: through a digital microscope, integrating a camera compatible with microscopes, or even positioning a smartphone camera through an eyepiece.
Options for using a microscope to take photos
Microscopic imaging serves many purposes. Besides documenting and sharing research findings for educational use, photographing specimens is valuable for those with vision impairments as well as for creative individuals who capture vibrant living specimens for artistic projects. If you’re considering light photography as a hobby, it’s wise to consider this while selecting a microscope.
Choosing a digital microscope such as the Pentaview LCD from Celestron Labs ensures that your device comes equipped with software, AV/TV cables, and SD cards, enabling you to capture high-resolution still images and videos right out of the box. You can then transfer these digital images to your laptop or computer for further interaction, adding filters, colors, highlights, and annotations.
(Image credit: Heather Barker)
If you already own a composite light microscope and wish to photograph with it, you can invest in an eyepiece camera. These small cameras fit into the microscope’s eyepiece tube, allowing you to send digital images directly to a monitor or computer and capture an enlarged image of your specimen. The SW380T model from SWIFT features a trinocular design with a third eyepiece tube specifically for accommodating an EC5R microscope camera.
The simplest and most cost-effective method of capturing images through a microscope involves positioning the camera of your smartphone or tablet above the positive eyepiece. This requires steadiness and patience, but you can utilize the typical focus and zoom functions on your device.
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Note that the image presents the full field of view and the body tube casing before cropping. To aid in micrograph capture on your smartphone, a universal smartphone mount can be considered.
In addition, attaching a high-quality camera to the microscope can produce specialized, high-resolution results. A DSLR is often the preferred choice for capturing optimal resolution micrographs, enhancing detail in low-light conditions, and offering a wider range of lens options.
In this case, trinocular microscopes are preferable due to their stability, as the cameras are mounted vertically from above. When using an angled body to accommodate a DSLR, a clamp may be necessary to prevent the microscope from tipping. If the camera and microscope are from the same brand, a single T-adapter can connect to a smaller eyepiece tube with a larger DSLR lens aperture. For different brands, a second conversion adapter is required. Ensuring compatibility is crucial; proceed with caution here.
Photography for a specific subject
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When arranging specimens for imaging, remember to use conditions that promote optimal visibility. Generating clear, high-resolution images that are often contrasted, juxtaposed, and focused will yield the best results. These images can be processed digitally; some microscopes even have various color filters integrated into their condensers, which can enhance specific cellular structures and colors—definitely worth exploring.
To capture micrographs of cells, a compound microscope with an adjustable low-light source that magnifies beyond 400x is recommended to reveal internal subcellular structures. Proper brightness is vital for accurate exposure times. Modifying the light source is a helpful start; using ground glass for diffusion can assist as well. Alternatively, neutral density (ND) filters can be employed to reduce intensity without changing the color.
Unfortunately, many standard stains used in cell microscopes can produce murky images. Employing a Didymium filter to block orange/yellow wavelengths yields more vibrant micrographs of the cells. Furthermore, if you observe a blue cast in the background, utilizing an ultraviolet absorbing filter can enhance contrast and result in a cleaner backdrop.
(Image credit: Heather Barker)
Opaque specimens like pollen grains and seeds can’t transmit light; hence, select a microscope equipped with an upper light source to reflect light onto the specimen. Setting up separate side spotlights can illuminate specific areas and enhance colors. Some microscopes come with interchangeable stage plates for various contrasts—black, white, and matte plates are common. You might also consider creating your own using colored cards or acetate.
Photographing single-cell organisms follows similar principles to capturing cell micrographs unless you choose to treat the specimen beforehand. Easily found in water samples, the organisms won’t obstruct light, revealing their internal structures. For instance, you can observe the digestive contents or internal organs of small water fleas.
(Image credit: Heather Barker)
Examining the anatomy and behavior of organisms is not only informative but also engaging. Nonetheless, it presents its own challenges! Mobile organisms, such as those found in the environment, can easily evade your gaze. Capturing video samples at low magnification is a superb method to explore movement patterns in these organisms. Digital microscopes excel in this respect; alternatively, using a smartphone mount and the video feature can also work, allowing you to select a still image from the subsequent digital video.
Ultimately, if you possess a very steady hand or a stable camera mount, you can lower the focal plane and create a focus stack in Photoshop, capturing a series of images in succession. This simulates depth and produces a final image with a three-dimensional appearance.
Source: www.livescience.com