Cheap scope components
Locked
|
*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy ***** I'm looking for some advice about buying or building my own low-mag brightfield microscope. I want the following capabilities: * Brightfield illumination * Cheap ccd or cmos camera with as many pixels as possible (>10 MP ideally), no eyepieces required, acquiring to a computer. * Large field of view, ~2x2 cm * Adjustable zoom would be nice, over a moderate range (maybe a factor of 4) * Resolution limited by camera pixel size rather than aberrations or diffraction (if possible) * Manual controls, no automation required in the optics * Room between the objective and the tube lens for a dichroic, which I might want to insert later, for free-space coupling of illumination beams. Is there an obvious commercial solution that is good and cheap? If not, any advice on where to buy the components is appreciated. |
|
|
*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy ***** 2x2 cm -have you thought about a commercial macro lens? Cheers On 3/03/2013, at 3:59 PM, Andrew York <[hidden email]> wrote: > ***** > To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy > ***** > > I'm looking for some advice about buying or building my own low-mag > brightfield microscope. I want the following capabilities: > > * Brightfield illumination > * Cheap ccd or cmos camera with as many pixels as possible (>10 MP > ideally), no eyepieces required, acquiring to a computer. > * Large field of view, ~2x2 cm > * Adjustable zoom would be nice, over a moderate range (maybe a factor of 4) > * Resolution limited by camera pixel size rather than aberrations or > diffraction (if possible) > * Manual controls, no automation required in the optics > * Room between the objective and the tube lens for a dichroic, which I > might want to insert later, for free-space coupling of illumination beams. > > Is there an obvious commercial solution that is good and cheap? If not, any > advice on where to buy the components is appreciated. Mark B. Cannell Ph.D. FRSNZ Professor of Cardiac Cell Biology School of Physiology& Pharmacology Medical Sciences Building University of Bristol Bristol BS8 1TD UK [hidden email] |
|
|
*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy ***** Good suggestion! A commercial macro lens might work well. Could you recommend a lens, and a monochrome sensor that can stream to a computer? On Sun, Mar 3, 2013 at 11:20 AM, Mark Cannell <[hidden email]>wrote: > ***** > To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy > ***** > > 2x2 cm -have you thought about a commercial macro lens? > Cheers > On 3/03/2013, at 3:59 PM, Andrew York < > [hidden email]> wrote: > > > ***** > > To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: > > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy > > ***** > > > > I'm looking for some advice about buying or building my own low-mag > > brightfield microscope. I want the following capabilities: > > > > * Brightfield illumination > > * Cheap ccd or cmos camera with as many pixels as possible (>10 MP > > ideally), no eyepieces required, acquiring to a computer. > > * Large field of view, ~2x2 cm > > * Adjustable zoom would be nice, over a moderate range (maybe a factor > of 4) > > * Resolution limited by camera pixel size rather than aberrations or > > diffraction (if possible) > > * Manual controls, no automation required in the optics > > * Room between the objective and the tube lens for a dichroic, which I > > might want to insert later, for free-space coupling of illumination > beams. > > > > Is there an obvious commercial solution that is good and cheap? If not, > any > > advice on where to buy the components is appreciated. > > Mark B. Cannell Ph.D. FRSNZ > Professor of Cardiac Cell Biology > School of Physiology& Pharmacology > Medical Sciences Building > University of Bristol > Bristol > BS8 1TD UK > > [hidden email] > |
|
|
*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy ***** I built a macroscope by screwing a zoom/macro lens onto a Sony CCD camera. That was a number of years ago, but the camera was a XCD-710 (looks like currently Sony’s XCD SX90 at Edmundoptics) and the lens is a Navitar Zoom 7010 lens. I mounted the camera/lens on a track stand from Howard Electronics. I use a fiber optic light source like the Dolan Jenner dual fiber optic. Works great for 1mm to multi-cm sized objects (colonies on petri dishes mostly). Micro-manger controls image acquisition. Dave On Mar 3, 2013, at 12:45 PM, Andrew York wrote: ***** To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy ***** Good suggestion! A commercial macro lens might work well. Could you recommend a lens, and a monochrome sensor that can stream to a computer? On Sun, Mar 3, 2013 at 11:20 AM, Mark Cannell <[hidden email]<mailto:[hidden email]>>wrote: ***** To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy ***** 2x2 cm -have you thought about a commercial macro lens? Cheers On 3/03/2013, at 3:59 PM, Andrew York < [hidden email]<mailto:[hidden email]>> wrote: ***** To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy ***** I'm looking for some advice about buying or building my own low-mag brightfield microscope. I want the following capabilities: * Brightfield illumination * Cheap ccd or cmos camera with as many pixels as possible (>10 MP ideally), no eyepieces required, acquiring to a computer. * Large field of view, ~2x2 cm * Adjustable zoom would be nice, over a moderate range (maybe a factor of 4) * Resolution limited by camera pixel size rather than aberrations or diffraction (if possible) * Manual controls, no automation required in the optics * Room between the objective and the tube lens for a dichroic, which I might want to insert later, for free-space coupling of illumination beams. Is there an obvious commercial solution that is good and cheap? If not, any advice on where to buy the components is appreciated. Mark B. Cannell Ph.D. FRSNZ Professor of Cardiac Cell Biology School of Physiology& Pharmacology Medical Sciences Building University of Bristol Bristol BS8 1TD UK [hidden email]<mailto:[hidden email]> David Knecht, Ph.D. Professor and Head of Microscopy Facility Department of Molecular and Cell Biology U-3125 91 N. Eagleville Rd. University of Connecticut Storrs, CT 06269 860-486-2200 860-486-4331 (fax) |
|
|
*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy ***** With that large a field of view you might have better luck shopping in the 'machine vision' section of most websites. A nice telecentric lens might work for you. Edmund Optics and Thorlabs are where I buy most of my parts for such things. Thor is good for frames (use their cage or rail systems) and Edmund is good for filters and the like. Edmund also sells a variety of cameras and lenses, including tube lenses. They are also good for relatively inexpensive filters. Craig On Sun, Mar 3, 2013 at 11:36 AM, Knecht, David <[hidden email]>wrote: > ***** > To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy > ***** > > I built a macroscope by screwing a zoom/macro lens onto a Sony CCD camera. > That was a number of years ago, but the camera was a XCD-710 (looks like > currently Sony’s XCD SX90 at Edmundoptics) and the lens is a Navitar Zoom > 7010 lens. I mounted the camera/lens on a track stand from Howard > Electronics. I use a fiber optic light source like the Dolan Jenner dual > fiber optic. Works great for 1mm to multi-cm sized objects (colonies on > petri dishes mostly). Micro-manger controls image acquisition. Dave > > On Mar 3, 2013, at 12:45 PM, Andrew York wrote: > > ***** > To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy > ***** > > Good suggestion! A commercial macro lens might work well. Could you > recommend a lens, and a monochrome sensor that can stream to a computer? > > On Sun, Mar 3, 2013 at 11:20 AM, Mark Cannell <[hidden email] > <mailto:[hidden email]>>wrote: > > ***** > To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy > ***** > > 2x2 cm -have you thought about a commercial macro lens? > Cheers > On 3/03/2013, at 3:59 PM, Andrew York < > [hidden email]<mailto: > [hidden email]>> wrote: > > ***** > To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy > ***** > > I'm looking for some advice about buying or building my own low-mag > brightfield microscope. I want the following capabilities: > > * Brightfield illumination > * Cheap ccd or cmos camera with as many pixels as possible (>10 MP > ideally), no eyepieces required, acquiring to a computer. > * Large field of view, ~2x2 cm > * Adjustable zoom would be nice, over a moderate range (maybe a factor > of 4) > * Resolution limited by camera pixel size rather than aberrations or > diffraction (if possible) > * Manual controls, no automation required in the optics > * Room between the objective and the tube lens for a dichroic, which I > might want to insert later, for free-space coupling of illumination > beams. > > Is there an obvious commercial solution that is good and cheap? If not, > any > advice on where to buy the components is appreciated. > > Mark B. Cannell Ph.D. FRSNZ > Professor of Cardiac Cell Biology > School of Physiology& Pharmacology > Medical Sciences Building > University of Bristol > Bristol > BS8 1TD UK > > [hidden email]<mailto:[hidden email]> > > > David Knecht, Ph.D. > Professor and Head of Microscopy Facility > Department of Molecular and Cell Biology > U-3125 > 91 N. Eagleville Rd. > University of Connecticut > Storrs, CT 06269 > 860-486-2200 > 860-486-4331 (fax) > |
|
|
In reply to this post by Andrew York
*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy ***** Have a look at astronomy CCD's… http://www.skiesunlimited.net/Astrophotography/CCD-Cameras/ Cheers On 3/03/2013, at 5:45 PM, Andrew York <[hidden email]> wrote: > ***** > To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy > ***** > > Good suggestion! A commercial macro lens might work well. Could you > recommend a lens, and a monochrome sensor that can stream to a computer? > > On Sun, Mar 3, 2013 at 11:20 AM, Mark Cannell <[hidden email]>wrote: > >> ***** >> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: >> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy >> ***** >> >> 2x2 cm -have you thought about a commercial macro lens? >> Cheers >> On 3/03/2013, at 3:59 PM, Andrew York < >> [hidden email]> wrote: >> >>> ***** >>> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: >>> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy >>> ***** >>> >>> I'm looking for some advice about buying or building my own low-mag >>> brightfield microscope. I want the following capabilities: >>> >>> * Brightfield illumination >>> * Cheap ccd or cmos camera with as many pixels as possible (>10 MP >>> ideally), no eyepieces required, acquiring to a computer. >>> * Large field of view, ~2x2 cm >>> * Adjustable zoom would be nice, over a moderate range (maybe a factor >> of 4) >>> * Resolution limited by camera pixel size rather than aberrations or >>> diffraction (if possible) >>> * Manual controls, no automation required in the optics >>> * Room between the objective and the tube lens for a dichroic, which I >>> might want to insert later, for free-space coupling of illumination >> beams. >>> >>> Is there an obvious commercial solution that is good and cheap? If not, >> any >>> advice on where to buy the components is appreciated. >> >> Mark B. Cannell Ph.D. FRSNZ >> Professor of Cardiac Cell Biology >> School of Physiology& Pharmacology >> Medical Sciences Building >> University of Bristol >> Bristol >> BS8 1TD UK >> >> [hidden email] >> Mark B. Cannell Ph.D. FRSNZ Professor of Cardiac Cell Biology School of Physiology& Pharmacology Medical Sciences Building University of Bristol Bristol BS8 1TD UK [hidden email] |
|
|
In reply to this post by Andrew York
*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy ***** Sounds to me like you need a camera rather than a microscope. I recently bought a Nikon Coolpix L310 which when set on macro will easily get down to 2x2 cm. It has a 21x zoom range and has 14 MP. Cost $149. Guy ---Original Message----- From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Andrew York Sent: Monday, 4 March 2013 2:59 AM To: [hidden email] Subject: Cheap scope components ***** To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy ***** I'm looking for some advice about buying or building my own low-mag brightfield microscope. I want the following capabilities: * Brightfield illumination * Cheap ccd or cmos camera with as many pixels as possible (>10 MP ideally), no eyepieces required, acquiring to a computer. * Large field of view, ~2x2 cm * Adjustable zoom would be nice, over a moderate range (maybe a factor of 4) * Resolution limited by camera pixel size rather than aberrations or diffraction (if possible) * Manual controls, no automation required in the optics * Room between the objective and the tube lens for a dichroic, which I might want to insert later, for free-space coupling of illumination beams. Is there an obvious commercial solution that is good and cheap? If not, any advice on where to buy the components is appreciated. |
|
|
In reply to this post by Knecht, David
*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy ***** Dear Dave, thank you for sharing your experience. The review of macroscope configurations is being built here: http://confocal-manawatu.pbworks.com/w/page/16346953/Macroscopes I have a feeling however that Mark is after something closer to the optical configuration close to the stereo microscopes: http://confocal-manawatu.pbworks.com/w/page/64160949/Field%20of%20View%20of%20Microscopes That is a matter of the lenses used, of course. Many thanks again, Dmitry *Advanced Knowledge Management* for *MICROSCOPY *and *Image Analysis * ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Dmitry Sokolov*, Ph.D. Mob: *+64 21 063 5382*** [hidden email] <mailto:[hidden email]> 04.03.2013 7:36, Knecht, David ?????: > ***** > To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy > ***** > > I built a macroscope by screwing a zoom/macro lens onto a Sony CCD camera. That was a number of years ago, but the camera was a XCD-710 (looks like currently Sony’s XCD SX90 at Edmundoptics) and the lens is a Navitar Zoom 7010 lens. I mounted the camera/lens on a track stand from Howard Electronics. I use a fiber optic light source like the Dolan Jenner dual fiber optic. Works great for 1mm to multi-cm sized objects (colonies on petri dishes mostly). Micro-manger controls image acquisition. Dave > > On Mar 3, 2013, at 12:45 PM, Andrew York wrote: > > ***** > To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy > ***** > > Good suggestion! A commercial macro lens might work well. Could you > recommend a lens, and a monochrome sensor that can stream to a computer? > > On Sun, Mar 3, 2013 at 11:20 AM, Mark Cannell <[hidden email]<mailto:[hidden email]>>wrote: > > ***** > To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy > ***** > > 2x2 cm -have you thought about a commercial macro lens? > Cheers > On 3/03/2013, at 3:59 PM, Andrew York < > [hidden email]<mailto:[hidden email]>> wrote: > > ***** > To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy > ***** > > I'm looking for some advice about buying or building my own low-mag > brightfield microscope. I want the following capabilities: > > * Brightfield illumination > * Cheap ccd or cmos camera with as many pixels as possible (>10 MP > ideally), no eyepieces required, acquiring to a computer. > * Large field of view, ~2x2 cm > * Adjustable zoom would be nice, over a moderate range (maybe a factor > of 4) > * Resolution limited by camera pixel size rather than aberrations or > diffraction (if possible) > * Manual controls, no automation required in the optics > * Room between the objective and the tube lens for a dichroic, which I > might want to insert later, for free-space coupling of illumination > beams. > > Is there an obvious commercial solution that is good and cheap? If not, > any > advice on where to buy the components is appreciated. > > Mark B. Cannell Ph.D. FRSNZ > Professor of Cardiac Cell Biology > School of Physiology& Pharmacology > Medical Sciences Building > University of Bristol > Bristol > BS8 1TD UK > > [hidden email]<mailto:[hidden email]> > > > David Knecht, Ph.D. > Professor and Head of Microscopy Facility > Department of Molecular and Cell Biology > U-3125 > 91 N. Eagleville Rd. > University of Connecticut > Storrs, CT 06269 > 860-486-2200 > 860-486-4331 (fax) |
|
|
In reply to this post by Guy Cox-2
*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy ***** A DSLR and some L-series glass might also do the trick, at somewhat more cost than a coolpix, but probably still less than a specialised scientific offering. Canon and Nikon both have SDKs if you want to control from the computer, although they are pretty messy and would incur a fair bit of pain before you got anything working (I had a look at the canon SDK last year, and concluded it'd be a ~ 2 week job to get it working nicely). That said, the remote control software that they come with isn't half bad, and we used one of them extensively as a sighting camera on the side port of one of our microscopes. If only they offered monochrome sensors ..., then again with 18+ Mpixels you might be able to get away with just binning. Are you looking to do fluorescence, or just brightfield/transmitted? The commercial DSLRs also tend to have IR blocking filters which make them pretty useless in the far red, although there are a couple of outfits which sell modified cameras where they've removed the filter. There are also a few tales on the web of people removing the bayer mask from a DSLR to get a monochrome chip, but you unfortunately have to remove the microlenses first to get there. If you have a good light budget, and are prepared to sacrifice one camera to experience it might just work. Best wishes, David ________________________________ From: Guy Cox <[hidden email]> To: [hidden email] Sent: Sunday, 3 March 2013 8:51 PM Subject: Re: Cheap scope components ***** To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy ***** Sounds to me like you need a camera rather than a microscope. I recently bought a Nikon Coolpix L310 which when set on macro will easily get down to 2x2 cm. It has a 21x zoom range and has 14 MP. Cost $149. Guy ---Original Message----- From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Andrew York Sent: Monday, 4 March 2013 2:59 AM To: [hidden email] Subject: Cheap scope components ***** To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy ***** I'm looking for some advice about buying or building my own low-mag brightfield microscope. I want the following capabilities: * Brightfield illumination * Cheap ccd or cmos camera with as many pixels as possible (>10 MP ideally), no eyepieces required, acquiring to a computer. * Large field of view, ~2x2 cm * Adjustable zoom would be nice, over a moderate range (maybe a factor of 4) * Resolution limited by camera pixel size rather than aberrations or diffraction (if possible) * Manual controls, no automation required in the optics * Room between the objective and the tube lens for a dichroic, which I might want to insert later, for free-space coupling of illumination beams. Is there an obvious commercial solution that is good and cheap? If not, any advice on where to buy the components is appreciated. |
|
|
In reply to this post by Dmitry Sokolov
*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy ***** Leica makes a monochrome sensor version of its M body. However, the red 'Leica' badge adds a jaw-dropping price premium. Sigma sells a DSLR with a non-Bayer 'Foveon' sensor that may provide the best alternative; in that case buy a SD15 (~$1k) rather than the overpriced SD1. If not picky then you can get used 10+ MP DSLRs for a song. Whichever way you go interchangeable lenses let you put a very cheap/very good 50mm/1.8 'standard' lens on hollow extension tubes and get a powerful and adjustable macro effect (mag power depends on tube length) for almost no money. Take a look at 'extreme macro' groups on Flickr and elsewhere to see how people do this. However, things get silly if you need a dichroic. You could machine the hollow extension tubes and jerryrig it (maybe), but at that point you'd spend less time and money on an old inverted scope base and parts from Edmund. cheers, TF Timothy Feinstein, PhD Visiting Research Associate Laboratory for GPCR Biology Dept. of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine BST W1301, 200 Lothrop St. Pittsburgh, PA 15261 On Mar 3, 2013, at 9:15 PM, Dmitry Sokolov wrote: > ***** > To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy > ***** > > Dear Dave, > > thank you for sharing your experience. The review of macroscope configurations is being built here: > http://confocal-manawatu.pbworks.com/w/page/16346953/Macroscopes > > I have a feeling however that Mark is after something closer to the optical configuration close to the stereo microscopes: > http://confocal-manawatu.pbworks.com/w/page/64160949/Field%20of%20View%20of%20Microscopes > That is a matter of the lenses used, of course. > > Many thanks again, > Dmitry > *Advanced Knowledge Management* > for *MICROSCOPY *and *Image Analysis * > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > *Dmitry Sokolov*, Ph.D. > Mob: *+64 21 063 5382*** > [hidden email] <mailto:[hidden email]> > > 04.03.2013 7:36, Knecht, David ?????: >> ***** >> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: >> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy >> ***** >> >> I built a macroscope by screwing a zoom/macro lens onto a Sony CCD camera. That was a number of years ago, but the camera was a XCD-710 (looks like currently Sony’s XCD SX90 at Edmundoptics) and the lens is a Navitar Zoom 7010 lens. I mounted the camera/lens on a track stand from Howard Electronics. I use a fiber optic light source like the Dolan Jenner dual fiber optic. Works great for 1mm to multi-cm sized objects (colonies on petri dishes mostly). Micro-manger controls image acquisition. Dave >> >> On Mar 3, 2013, at 12:45 PM, Andrew York wrote: >> >> ***** >> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: >> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy >> ***** >> >> Good suggestion! A commercial macro lens might work well. Could you >> recommend a lens, and a monochrome sensor that can stream to a computer? >> >> On Sun, Mar 3, 2013 at 11:20 AM, Mark Cannell <[hidden email]<mailto:[hidden email]>>wrote: >> >> ***** >> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: >> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy >> ***** >> >> 2x2 cm -have you thought about a commercial macro lens? >> Cheers >> On 3/03/2013, at 3:59 PM, Andrew York < >> [hidden email]<mailto:[hidden email]>> wrote: >> >> ***** >> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: >> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy >> ***** >> >> I'm looking for some advice about buying or building my own low-mag >> brightfield microscope. I want the following capabilities: >> >> * Brightfield illumination >> * Cheap ccd or cmos camera with as many pixels as possible (>10 MP >> ideally), no eyepieces required, acquiring to a computer. >> * Large field of view, ~2x2 cm >> * Adjustable zoom would be nice, over a moderate range (maybe a factor >> of 4) >> * Resolution limited by camera pixel size rather than aberrations or >> diffraction (if possible) >> * Manual controls, no automation required in the optics >> * Room between the objective and the tube lens for a dichroic, which I >> might want to insert later, for free-space coupling of illumination >> beams. >> >> Is there an obvious commercial solution that is good and cheap? If not, >> any >> advice on where to buy the components is appreciated. >> >> Mark B. Cannell Ph.D. FRSNZ >> Professor of Cardiac Cell Biology >> School of Physiology& Pharmacology >> Medical Sciences Building >> University of Bristol >> Bristol >> BS8 1TD UK >> >> [hidden email]<mailto:[hidden email]> >> >> >> David Knecht, Ph.D. >> Professor and Head of Microscopy Facility >> Department of Molecular and Cell Biology >> U-3125 >> 91 N. Eagleville Rd. >> University of Connecticut >> Storrs, CT 06269 >> 860-486-2200 >> 860-486-4331 (fax) |
|
|
In reply to this post by David Baddeley
*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy ***** Hi David, I'd like to point out that Micro-Manager has device adapters for both Nikon and Canon's DSLR cameras. Best, Pedro Almada On 4 March 2013 16:00, David Baddeley <[hidden email]> wrote: > ***** > To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy > ***** > > A DSLR and some L-series glass might also do the trick, at somewhat more > cost than a coolpix, but probably still less than a specialised scientific > offering. Canon and Nikon both have SDKs if you want to control from the > computer, although they are pretty messy and would incur a fair bit of pain > before you got anything working (I had a look at the canon SDK last year, > and concluded it'd be a ~ 2 week job to get it working nicely). That said, > the remote control software that they come with isn't half bad, and we used > one of them extensively as a sighting camera on the side port of one of our > microscopes. If only they offered monochrome sensors ..., then again with > 18+ Mpixels you might be able to get away with just binning. Are you > looking to do fluorescence, or just brightfield/transmitted? The commercial > DSLRs also tend to have IR blocking filters which make them pretty useless > in the far red, although there are a couple of outfits which sell modified > cameras where they've removed the filter. There are also a few tales on > the web of people removing the bayer mask from a DSLR to get a monochrome > chip, but you unfortunately have to remove the microlenses first to get > there. If you have a good light budget, and are prepared to sacrifice one > camera to experience it might just work. > > Best wishes, > David > > > ________________________________ > From: Guy Cox <[hidden email]> > To: [hidden email] > Sent: Sunday, 3 March 2013 8:51 PM > Subject: Re: Cheap scope components > > ***** > To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy > ***** > > Sounds to me like you need a camera rather than a microscope. I recently > bought a Nikon Coolpix L310 which when set on macro will easily get down to > 2x2 cm. It has a 21x zoom range and has 14 MP. Cost $149. > > Guy > > > > ---Original Message----- > From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]] > On Behalf Of Andrew York > Sent: Monday, 4 March 2013 2:59 AM > To: [hidden email] > Subject: Cheap scope components > > ***** > To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy > ***** > > I'm looking for some advice about buying or building my own low-mag > brightfield microscope. I want the following capabilities: > > * Brightfield illumination > * Cheap ccd or cmos camera with as many pixels as possible (>10 MP > ideally), no eyepieces required, acquiring to a computer. > * Large field of view, ~2x2 cm > * Adjustable zoom would be nice, over a moderate range (maybe a factor of > 4) > * Resolution limited by camera pixel size rather than aberrations or > diffraction (if possible) > * Manual controls, no automation required in the optics > * Room between the objective and the tube lens for a dichroic, which I > might want to insert later, for free-space coupling of illumination beams. > > Is there an obvious commercial solution that is good and cheap? If not, > any advice on where to buy the components is appreciated. > |
|
|
*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy ***** Tons of good information here, much appreciated. Individual responses below: David Knecht - good leads regarding Howard Electronics and Dolan Jenner. Craig Brideau - "Machine vision" was definitely a helpful search term, which lead me to this camera: http://www.theimagingsource.com/en_US/products/cameras/gige-cmos-ccd-mono/dmk23gp031/ $500 for 5 MP seems like a good balance of low price and lots of monochrome pixels. We'd pay more for more pixels, but this is my "camera to beat" for the moment. Mark Cannell - Good lead! This camera jumped out at me: http://www.skiesunlimited.net/atik/Atik-383L-Plus.htm $1.8k for 8 MP is pretty attractive, but the frames-per-second seems too slow (~10 s per frame). Anyone use one of these? Is there a similar version that goes faster? Guy Cox - The Coolpix is an excellent suggestion, the price/pixel is off the charts. I'm worried that using a color sensor will cut my "effective" resolution, though. Am I right in my suspicion that the effective pixel density for a color sensor is about 2x lower in each direction, for 4x fewer effective pixels? David Baddeley - On the phone, Nikon tech support suggested that the Coolpix couldn't be computer-controlled, but a Nikon DSLR could be. I'm not sure they're right (see here for example: http://www.nikon.com/news/2005/1101_04.htm but Nikon's DSLRs are definitely supported by an SDK: https://sdk.nikonimaging.com/apply/ If using a color sensor as a monochrome sensor really does reduce effective pixel density by 4, I might be better off with a 5 MP monochrome and GigE transfer. I found a place that does B&W conversion: http://www.maxmax.com/b&w_conversion.htm Does anyone have experience with this vendor? $1.8k for 15 MP is pretty appealing. Tim Feinstein - That Leica monochrome is good to know about, but yeah, price/performance is weird there. The sensor in the SD15 is very interesting though! Although it looks like for monochrome operation, it's about 5 MP, whereas the SD1 is more like 15 MP for ~$2-3k. Regarding the dichroic, I was thinking about placing it between the lens and the sample. This'll cause astigmatism, but maybe a tolerable amount? Thanks again, everyone. This was extremely helpful, glad y'all are here. |
|
|
*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy ***** > On the phone, Nikon tech support suggested that the >Coolpix couldn't be computer-controlled, but a Nikon DSLR could be Both can be: http://www.gphoto.org/doc/remote/ Michael [http://www.rvc.ac.uk/cf_images/button_rvc.png]<http://www.rvc.ac.uk> [http://www.rvc.ac.uk/cf_images/button_twitter.png] <http://twitter.com/RoyalVetCollege> [http://www.rvc.ac.uk/cf_images/button_facebook.png] <http://www.facebook.com/theRVC> This message, together with any attachments, is intended for the stated addressee(s) only and may contain privileged or confidential information. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the Royal Veterinary College (RVC). If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender and be advised that you have received this message in error and that any use, dissemination, forwarding, printing, or copying is strictly prohibited. Unless stated expressly in this email, this email does not create, form part of, or vary any contractual or unilateral obligation. Email communication cannot be guaranteed to be secure or error free as information could be intercepted, corrupted, amended, lost, destroyed, incomplete or contain viruses. Therefore, we do not accept liability for any such matters or their consequences. Communication with us by email will be taken as acceptance of the risks inherent in doing so. |
 
|
Peter Gabriel Pitrone |
Re: Cheap scope components
|
|
In reply to this post by David Baddeley
*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy ***** For instance: http://www.baader-planetarium.de/sektion/s45/canon_astroupgrade-english.htm -- Peter Gabriel Pitrone - TechRMS Microscopy/Imaging Specialist Prof. Dr. Pavel Tomancak group Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biology and Genetics Pfotenhauerstr. 108 01307 Dresden "If a straight line fit is required, obtain only two data points." - Anon. On Mon, March 4, 2013 5:00 pm, David Baddeley wrote: <|> ***** <|> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: <|> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy <|> ***** <|> <|> A DSLR and some L-series glass might also do the trick, at somewhat more cost than a coolpix, but <|> probably still less than a specialised scientific offering. Canon and Nikon both have SDKs if you <|> want to control from the computer, although they are pretty messy and would incur a fair bit of <|> pain before you got anything working (I had a look at the canon SDK last year, and concluded it'd <|> be a ~ 2 week job to get it working nicely). That said, the remote control software that they come <|> with isn't half bad, and we used one of them extensively as a sighting camera on the side port of <|> one of our microscopes. If only they offered monochrome sensors ..., then again with 18+ Mpixels <|> you might be able to get away with just binning. Are you looking to do fluorescence, or just <|> brightfield/transmitted? The commercial DSLRs also tend to have IR blocking filters which make <|> them pretty useless in the far red, although there are a couple of outfits which sell modified <|> cameras where they've removed the filter. There are also a few tales on the web of people <|> removing the bayer mask from a DSLR to get a monochrome chip, but you unfortunately have to <|> remove the microlenses first to get there. If you have a good light budget, and are prepared to <|> sacrifice one camera to experience it might just work. <|> <|> Best wishes, <|> David <|> <|> <|> ________________________________ <|> From: Guy Cox <[hidden email]> <|> To: [hidden email] <|> Sent: Sunday, 3 March 2013 8:51 PM <|> Subject: Re: Cheap scope components <|> <|> ***** <|> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: <|> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy <|> ***** <|> <|> Sounds to me like you need a camera rather than a microscope. I recently bought a Nikon Coolpix <|> L310 which when set on macro will easily get down to 2x2 cm. It has a 21x zoom range and has 14 <|> MP. Cost $149. <|> <|> Guy <|> <|> <|> <|> ---Original Message----- <|> From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Andrew York <|> Sent: Monday, 4 March 2013 2:59 AM <|> To: [hidden email] <|> Subject: Cheap scope components <|> <|> ***** <|> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: <|> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy <|> ***** <|> <|> I'm looking for some advice about buying or building my own low-mag brightfield microscope. I want <|> the following capabilities: <|> <|> * Brightfield illumination <|> * Cheap ccd or cmos camera with as many pixels as possible (>10 MP ideally), no eyepieces <|> required, acquiring to a computer. <|> * Large field of view, ~2x2 cm <|> * Adjustable zoom would be nice, over a moderate range (maybe a factor of 4) <|> * Resolution limited by camera pixel size rather than aberrations or diffraction (if possible) <|> * Manual controls, no automation required in the optics <|> * Room between the objective and the tube lens for a dichroic, which I might want to insert later, <|> for free-space coupling of illumination beams. <|> <|> Is there an obvious commercial solution that is good and cheap? If not, any advice on where to buy <|> the components is appreciated. <|> |
|
|
In reply to this post by Andrew York
*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy ***** Hello All, We are looking to buy a stage top incubator. However, one of the questions which has come up is whether the gases are running continuously to maintain levels since it is open near the objective. Are there gaskets to seal around slides/petri dishes so that a feedback on the levels can be provided and the gas flow can be upregulated or downregulated depending on the need. Finally, most of them have a bottle of water for humidifying the chamber. Only Tokai Hit has tray with water in the insert itself. Any thoughts on the pros/cons is appreciated. Any other feedback to help us make a sound decision will be great. Thanks, -Prabhakar |
|
|
*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy ***** We have two Pathology Devices stage top incubators (http://www.pathologydevices.com). Dishes and chambers sit into the device so there is little loss of atmosphere around the objective. They read out the gas concentration inside the chamber and feedback regulate. The humidity is from a heated water holder. When we tested a few years ago, it was the only device we tested that actually maintained volume over many hours to overnight incubation. Dave On Mar 13, 2013, at 1:32 PM, B. Prabhakar Pandian wrote: ***** To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy ***** Hello All, We are looking to buy a stage top incubator. However, one of the questions which has come up is whether the gases are running continuously to maintain levels since it is open near the objective. Are there gaskets to seal around slides/petri dishes so that a feedback on the levels can be provided and the gas flow can be upregulated or downregulated depending on the need. Finally, most of them have a bottle of water for humidifying the chamber. Only Tokai Hit has tray with water in the insert itself. Any thoughts on the pros/cons is appreciated. Any other feedback to help us make a sound decision will be great. Thanks, -Prabhakar David Knecht, Ph.D. Professor and Head of Microscopy Facility Department of Molecular and Cell Biology U-3125 91 N. Eagleville Rd. University of Connecticut Storrs, CT 06269 860-486-2200 860-486-4331 (fax) |
|
|
*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy ***** We have a couple of "Chamlide" stage-top incubators from LCI (Distributed by Quorum), and they have worked well for us. We have imaged cells and other specimens for up to 3 days. System is probably quite similar to the one from Pathology Devices. They offer CO2 mixers, and CO2-O2-N2 mixers. Chamber is quite small and equilibrates quickly. For samples with very small amounts of liquid (e.g. yeasts on agarose pads), we add a couple of moist tissues inside the chamber. No commercial interest. Julio Vazquez Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Knecht" <[hidden email]> To: [hidden email] Sent: Wednesday, March 13, 2013 12:17:15 PM Subject: Re: Stage Top Incubator ***** To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy ***** We have two Pathology Devices stage top incubators (http://www.pathologydevices.com). Dishes and chambers sit into the device so there is little loss of atmosphere around the objective. They read out the gas concentration inside the chamber and feedback regulate. The humidity is from a heated water holder. When we tested a few years ago, it was the only device we tested that actually maintained volume over many hours to overnight incubation. Dave On Mar 13, 2013, at 1:32 PM, B. Prabhakar Pandian wrote: ***** To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy ***** Hello All, We are looking to buy a stage top incubator. However, one of the questions which has come up is whether the gases are running continuously to maintain levels since it is open near the objective. Are there gaskets to seal around slides/petri dishes so that a feedback on the levels can be provided and the gas flow can be upregulated or downregulated depending on the need. Finally, most of them have a bottle of water for humidifying the chamber. Only Tokai Hit has tray with water in the insert itself. Any thoughts on the pros/cons is appreciated. Any other feedback to help us make a sound decision will be great. Thanks, -Prabhakar David Knecht, Ph.D. Professor and Head of Microscopy Facility Department of Molecular and Cell Biology U-3125 91 N. Eagleville Rd. University of Connecticut Storrs, CT 06269 860-486-2200 860-486-4331 (fax) |
|
|
In reply to this post by B. Prabhakar Pandian
*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy ***** We have a Tokai and a Chamlide stage incubators. I strongly recommend the water column over the Tokai moat. The CO2 air mix is still very dry when it gets into the tokai and it get humidified from both the moat and the samples. There is also issues when it's time to clean up. The chamber is permanently fixed to the controller, so you basically have to pour the water into a beaker while standing over your microscope. As for gas, i haven't seen a system that mesure the amount of gas inside the chamber itself. An air mixer will mix it for you from a 100% CO2 cylindre but most of the time I saw people buying the pre-mixed gas. Our chamlide have a very smoth thick wall compare to the cheap plastic of the Tokai. This has an impact on our gas consumption by about 60-75 %. Sincerely, *Gabriel Lapointe, M.Sc.* Lab Manager / Microscopy Specialist Concordia University, Biology Department 7141 Sherbrooke St. West SP 534 Montréal QC H4B 1R6 Canada Lab : (514) 848-2424 x5988 Office : (514) 848-2424 x3008 Fax : (514) 848-2881 Cell : (514) 278-0247 [hidden email] cmac.concordia.ca http://gabriellapointe.ca 2013/3/13 B. Prabhakar Pandian <[hidden email]> > ***** > To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/**wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy<http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy> > ***** > > Hello All, > We are looking to buy a stage top incubator. However, > one of the questions which has come up is whether the gases are running > continuously to maintain levels since it is open near the objective. > Are there gaskets to seal around slides/petri dishes so that a feedback on > the levels can be provided and the gas flow can be upregulated or > downregulated depending on the need. Finally, most of them > have a bottle of water for humidifying the chamber. Only Tokai Hit has > tray with water in the insert itself. Any thoughts on the pros/cons is > appreciated. > > Any other feedback to help us make a sound decision will be great. > > Thanks, > > -Prabhakar > |
|
|
In reply to this post by B. Prabhakar Pandian
*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy ***** Prabhakar: Just one more comment: As was pointed out by Gabriel, the Chamlide incubator does not monitor CO2 inside the chamber, as far as I know (no evidence of any sensor in there). It probably just mixes CO2 and Air and delivers that to the chamber. The chamber is small and engineered pretty tight though, and we use very little CO2 (2-3 sbps, or "small bubbles per second"). I don't know if the system from Pathology Devices monitors CO2 or not. On the other hand, In Vivo scientific does have an incubator system where CO2 is monitored right inside the incubation chamber: http://www.invivoscientific.com/Peripherals.htm I believe this system though is designed to work with the larger type of incubator (that wraps around the scope) for temperature control. There is a second chamber that fits inside and holds the specimen. The CO2 probe goes in there. I think the key is to have a chamber that is well sealed, otherwise there is too much exchange of gas with the outside and CO2 control will be erratic. You may want to check the exact specs with the vendor if interested. -- Julio Vazquez, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center On Mar 13, 2013, at 10:32 AM, B. Prabhakar Pandian wrote: > ***** > To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy > ***** > > Hello All, > We are looking to buy a stage top incubator. However, one of the questions which has come up is whether the gases are running continuously to maintain levels since it is open near the objective. > Are there gaskets to seal around slides/petri dishes so that a feedback on the levels can be provided and the gas flow can be upregulated or downregulated depending on the need. Finally, most of them > have a bottle of water for humidifying the chamber. Only Tokai Hit has tray with water in the insert itself. Any thoughts on the pros/cons is appreciated. > > Any other feedback to help us make a sound decision will be great. > > Thanks, > > -Prabhakar |
|
|
Mike Buchin |
Re: Stage Top Incubator no commercial interest
|
|
*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy ***** No commercial interest, just FYI: We just saw a new stage (15 in the field so far) top from In Vivo Scientific yesterday. It can hold a full well plate format and I believe it has most of the optimal features being discussed in this email chain. Barney Boyce sent us a full up manual but I am pretty sure that it would be blocked as an attachment if I tried to send it. Request the manual for the controller(ECU) and stage top environment(STEV) from Invivo: [hidden email] Good luck, Mike Michael Buchin Stanford Photonics, Inc. Ph: 650-969-5991 -----Original Message----- From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Julio Vazquez Sent: Thursday, March 14, 2013 12:46 PM To: [hidden email] Subject: Re: Stage Top Incubator ***** To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy ***** Prabhakar: Just one more comment: As was pointed out by Gabriel, the Chamlide incubator does not monitor CO2 inside the chamber, as far as I know (no evidence of any sensor in there). It probably just mixes CO2 and Air and delivers that to the chamber. The chamber is small and engineered pretty tight though, and we use very little CO2 (2-3 sbps, or "small bubbles per second"). I don't know if the system from Pathology Devices monitors CO2 or not. On the other hand, In Vivo scientific does have an incubator system where CO2 is monitored right inside the incubation chamber: http://www.invivoscientific.com/Peripherals.htm I believe this system though is designed to work with the larger type of incubator (that wraps around the scope) for temperature control. There is a second chamber that fits inside and holds the specimen. The CO2 probe goes in there. I think the key is to have a chamber that is well sealed, otherwise there is too much exchange of gas with the outside and CO2 control will be erratic. You may want to check the exact specs with the vendor if interested. -- Julio Vazquez, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center On Mar 13, 2013, at 10:32 AM, B. Prabhakar Pandian wrote: > ***** > To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to: > http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy > ***** > > Hello All, > We are looking to buy a stage top incubator. However, one of the questions which has come up is whether the gases are running continuously to maintain levels since it is open near the objective. > Are there gaskets to seal around slides/petri dishes so that a feedback on the levels can be provided and the gas flow can be upregulated or downregulated depending on the need. Finally, most of them > have a bottle of water for humidifying the chamber. Only Tokai Hit has tray with water in the insert itself. Any thoughts on the pros/cons is appreciated. > > Any other feedback to help us make a sound decision will be great. > > Thanks, > > -Prabhakar |
«
Return to Confocal Microscopy List
|
1 view|%1 views
| Free forum by Nabble | Edit this page |