Ever wondered what pond scum really looked like under a microscope? Nasty stuff if you ask me, as it often is clogging my nylon hosepipe (because light can pass through it, and so Algae can grow). Anyway, I bought a microscope a few days ago. So one of the first things that I decided to look at, is this - My number one enemy when it comes to experimenting with Hydroponics! Posting these pictures over here, as technically Algae too is a plant. Algae at 450x magnification ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Algae at 900x magnification ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden )
Very cool. I have a microscope I never use anymore. I should get it out again. I can't take pictures with it but it would be fun and could be useful in the future. Barb in Pa.
Actually, you can (with today's technology) take pictures and video from just about any microscope! For example, I took these photographs by sticking my cell phone camera over the eyepiece of the microscope - The same principle will work with a high definition multi-megapixel webcam too.
Do please share the pictures with us over here too! By the way, I had originally thought of buying a digital microscope, that could be connected to the PC via a USB cable. But all the models that I found online were barely 200x magnification (except for 1 that was almost 600x). And their cost was also very high (250 US$+). Other serious research grade microscopes that could also be connected to the PC, and also had an LCD screen of their own (of about 900x magnification) would have cost me over a 1000 US$! Now I could have easily spent that amount of money (as a good scientific instrument never goes to waste in my house) - But I decided to buy a single eye 900x microscope, made in China. Which cost me around 45 US$ (believe it or not)... I now have to buy 2 more things, the polarizing filters and some other color filters too, plus a more powerful eyepiece, that would take it's power to about 1200x magnification. I figured, that digital technology is constantly being updated and improved at a phenomenal rate. So even if I buy a 1000+ US$ digital microscope - It too will eventually become obsolete within a few years. So I bought a simple solidly built "old-school" style of a microscope (the kind with which nearly all the Nobel Laureates had made discoveries from in the last century) - At the end of which I can simply stick any type of a modern digital camera - Because no matter how fast digital technology improves, the principles governing optics have remained the same since the last 200 years (and will continue to remain the same for a very long time)! So I got something that had great optics, on top of which, I can attach any small camera... Therefore with just under 50 US$, I can now consider doing something related to plant propagation by tissue culture also - As well as quickly be able to identify most plant diseases. Microscope ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden )
Well, a high quality webcam can be easily attached on the eyepiece with some hot-melt glue. I use hot-melt glue because it is very forgiving (and does not give off any vapor when it sets, so nothing fogs up the lenses). And the beauty of hot-melt glue is that even if you make a mistake, it can easily be pulled apart also (without causing any damage). The actual trick however is to place the camera at the correct focus point. So I suggest you cut off a small ring off a PVC pipe, and then continue to file it down until to read the proper focus distance. Once it is all working as you'd like it to - Simply lock everything down with some hot-melt glue. The pictures I posted above, I did not even bother to attach the camera. I simply held the cell phone camera at the right place, and just went click! The whole idea is actually easier then you think - Most of all, it is fun! I personally find this very comfortable to do, to keep looking at whatever I'll have on the glass slide (without using any power, totally "old school"). And whenever I find something interesting - I quickly take a snap from my cell phone camera... The thing to note over here, is to use small cameras (with a tiny lens). The Digital SLRs simply will not work over this, as they are way too big. That's why I am suggesting a webcam, or a cell phone camera... Strange brown colored Algae ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden ) Another strange clump of Algae ( photo / image / picture from S-H's Garden )
