Microscope-related help and advice! Everything that relates to microscope hardware, microscopy as a hobby, amateur microscopy and citizen science. Videos cover also specimen preparation and other more technical aspects of microscopy.
My first name is Oliver and I have an MSc in Microbiology. My fields of interest were systematic bacteriology and also molecular biology. Currently I work as a teacher for Biology where I teach students, among many other things how to use microscopes.
My Microscopes: Olympus CH40, Olympus CHA, Olympus BX53, Euromex iScope
I want to invite you over also to my other KZread Channel, where I do observation with the microscope:
kzread.info
Visit my Affiliate Amazon Microscopy Shop: www.amazon.com/shop/microbehunter
I also have other social media pages:
Instagram: instagram.com/microbehunter_microscopy
Website: www.microbehunter.com
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Hello ❤, can we use astronomical eyepiece use with a microscope 😊
With plane microscope 🙃
If its works microscope feld of viue will astronomical 🫠
Generally not, because the diameters are different. They won't fit.
Thank you so much. This is very helpful Mr. Hunter. It looks like I'll be buying the OMAX 5MP USB 3.0 C-Mount Microscope Camera since its dynamic range and SNR are far better even than the higher MP cameras, even though its a lower price.🙏
Este é sem dúvidas um dos vídeos mais úteis de toda a internet. Obrigado Sr. MicrobeHunter
KeeP ClaM AnD TrY astro camera
I have both but can enjoy microscopy 99 times more often than astronomy because of the weather, moon, having to drive away from city lights, freezing cold winter or burning desert heat.
I just spent some time trying to find a set of prepared slides with a study guide to go along with it. I couldn't find one with us surprising since it would solve this video's problem and really enhance learning about the slides.
After 400x magnification, the image becomes too dark. The 1W LED is too weak. But can it be replaced with a more powerful LED?
I like this concept of pocket size microscopes. Now my 4 and 6 mm superplossl eyepieces are no longer useless, next to the naglers I acquired.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge. im a recent subscriber as i have a microscope arriving in a couple of days and i need to cram in a lot of information!
die Electronenmicroskopie ist wie die Lichtmicroskopie ein Verfahren der Abbildung von Strukturen mit elektromagnetischen Wellen...also was sollfdenn diese Diskussion ueber diese Fragen
ueber Interferenz kann man strukturen die nur wenige nm gross sind mit sichtbarem Licht abbilden
haben sie schon mal was von confocaler laser scanning microscopy und ihrer aufloesung gehoert......
Abbeys formula is not correvt see STED from Hell and Wichmann
Hi, is a 16× eyepiece as bad as a 25× eyepiece? Because I'm thinking of getting a microscope but I'm not sure what to get, the one with 16× is monocular and the one with 25× is binocular, so which is the better option? They both come with 10× eyepiece and they both have the same objective lenses, 4×, 10× and 40× I'd appreciate an answer and thanks
I am a qualified Darkfield Hemaview Live-blood Analyst of 19years, I also have a degree in Natural Medicine, Clinical Nutritionist, and am a Medical Herbalist. As a qualified practitioner we are never to diagnose!! NOT ever, but we can screen and perform analysis only, there are only indicators of things such as toxicity, dehydration, deficiencies, agglutinations etc., but it should only be used if / or backed up with other testing to identify the exact condition/cause/rationale. Sadly, there are too many people these days, who have no training or qualifications, just buying microscopes and self-diagnosing themselves and scaring the hell out of others. I have personally witnessed with a friend who was given a free live-blood screening and told her blood was contaminated, that she now needed to do these expensive protocols. Being an Ex-nurse she was smart enough to take photos. On citing the pictures, I asked to meet the person. I confronted him directly, asking why are you reading on the edge of a slide (you never take a reading from the edge, as blood oxidates and that's what you are seeing), when asking how he cleaned his slides I was horrified, I told him his claims made were incorrect, I did not ask anything more because I knew he was an absolute fraud and only asked what qualification he held? The answer was none.... I was just disgusted and let it be known. Unfortunately, the claims made by some other practitioners as you state in this video are incorrect, I am agreeing with you, as obviously those claims are not made by a qualified practitioner. Clients need to ask to cite qualifications. LBA when used correctly is a useful tool, it is very good to monitor improvements to dietary changes, exercise, lifestyle changes, and good quality herbs/supplements. I also believe that no one should consume more than 5 supplement products ever! As they all inter-react with each other and your body can only absorb so much. What really irritates me is over-prescription.
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Could this solution also be reached with extension rings, which are available for Nikon, Canon and Fuji?
I hate cleaning.... So.... I use two cover slide per slide. So half the cleaning! And it's better than one large cover slide since we can have differents sample on the same slide at the same time.
May I suggest to keep the cover slide in a different container of the slides. This save time and prevent some injuries.
Can you please explain how it works with the magnification. If I use an 60x objective, and an 10x eyepiece, I have 600x magnification. How can I achieve that with a camera? I can't put the camera over the eyepiece. So how can I view 600x magnification on the monitor?
Was on the same path on whether to pick a telescope (astronomy) or microscope (biology ???) in the past for a hobby, and decided to go with a telescope. One of the major reason is exactly what you've mentioned, there's more public exposure on things related to astronomy such as space exploration by NASA and RSA. A similar big project in biology such the human genome by National Geographic around 2000 exists, but it never caught my eyes especially on its relationship to microscope use 🤷 There's also, Carl Sagan a famous popular science evangelist on cosmology, promoting the fields in television series and books which draws me into the hobby. You can watch the pale blue dot video on KZread and see how much it form you perception of mankind and it's place in the universe. I've read some of his book and he is a very good popular science writer, way more eloquent than he is in the video he make. Finally, there's more free resources for amateurs astronomers to start in the past 10 years. Especially the messier catalogue, which is the essential deep space object observation checklist for beginners. Combine with open source application Stellarium, it allows all the necessary information for a beginner to learn about the deep space object, then hunt it on the night sky. I just learn the basic of star navigation in a book I've bought, with mobile apps star chart and my telescope (or without); I'm off looking into the night skies. However I've stopped completely by selling my 8 inch Newtonian telescope primarily due to the sheer dependent on clear sky (no light pollution and non turbulent atmosphere) and the sheer weight/space it takes. Plus, I need to be a minimalist when living in rented apartment and having unpredictable work professions. Looking back, the time was well spent looking at Jupiter, Mars and moon but it way less than I have would expected. Watching few of your videos, make me realise that I'll be more well entertained if I have chosen a microscope as a hobby. For, now I'll just enjoy the amazing microscopy videos in KZread such as this...
Love
kaufen sie sich doch mal ein gebruchtes Ultramikrotom und machen Glasmesser. Die kosten etwa 300 Euro und vergessen sie diese Spielzeuge. microtome toys
kaufen sie sich doch mal ein gebruchtes Ultramikrotom und machen Glasmesser. Die kosten etwa 300 Euro und vergessen sie diese Spielzeuge. microtome toys
Right now this scope with a 5mp camera is 270 dollars. The amscope b120c is 280. Which would you choose? Is amscope reputation/quality/support worth sacrificing the trinocular? Thanks in advance
Just purchased! I’m a newbie! Appreciate your detailed unboxing! Hope to enjoy this 380-t soon!
I started microscopy after 20 years doing some pretty high end astrophotography. There are quite a few overlaps, but I see one big difference: astronomy is much easier to be a social hobby, whether viewing along with your local club at the observatory or setting up on a sidewalk to share views with neighbors. I don't see the same social opportunities with microscopy, other than online interaction. Setting aside all the benefits of each hobby, microscopy can be a solitary experience, so you have to be ok with that and not everyone is. Sure there are exceotions, such as viewing with family members, but my point is more general. Live microscopy streaming makes a dent but its not the same as a group of friends or strangers sharing views, conversation and camaraderie under the stars.
@Oliver, I do think we will be experiencing a boom in Microscopy in this generation having yourself, Journey to the Microcosmos among those who open the doors and windows of the microcosmos to the world. Thanks
Everyone can look at the moon and know: "that's the moon", the same with the stars, astronomy is more culturally know and ingrained, if I hadn't taken up microbiology as a profession, I still, probably, wouldn't be able to identify the first microorganism that I see... and it doesn't interest me that much either, all look like flea under the microscope.. or bush... microscopy is exclusive and reserved...
My one and only hypothesis is that I can see the astros with my naked eyes and awe after it, burn with desire and wonder to go beyond what my eye see... my little 3 years old niece looks at the full moon with awe almost every full moon night and invites me to sit and observe with her, I love it too... Microorganisms? What's that, I don't see anything, I have no awe, no wonder with the naked eyes... since a child I have seen and wonder at the shine, bright, pointy infinite... of course, I am now a Microbiology student with interest in Genetic Ingeneering and biotechnology... I love Microbiology...
I think astronomy is about our dreams; while microscopy is about hard reality.
As an amateur astronomer, microscopy has always been of interest to me. I have even built a microscope out of non-microscope parts, with Köhler illumination, dark field capability and visible to infrared fluorescence (requiring long exposures, IR pass + blocking filters and a modified camera). I'm planning to make it inverted and phase contrast as well. Most astronomy products are targeted to amateur astronomers. Dedicated cameras, ultra wide field eyepieces and narrowband filters are sold everywhere. Most microscopy products however are targeted to professionals that are willing to pay. As a matter of fact, it's expensive to get features that are easy to implement on the manufacturer's side. This does not allow amateur microscopy to take off like amateur astronomy did. The scary part of microscopy is an important reason why people choose the more relaxing astronomy over it. It's especially hard to deal with a monster of a creature right in your face. For me, listening to my favourite music helps a lot. On top of that, there are a lot more professional microscopists than professional astronomers. A lot of young people who are interested in microscopy are going to do it professionally, leaving the amateur community behind at some point. Astronomy is not like hubble pictures, but most people think it is. Even under dark skies, deep sky objects are just faint patches of light. I have considered buying night vision goggles to see more with the same telescope, but buying a fast GPU to render volumetric nebulae in real time is a lot more affordable, accessible and spectacular so I did that. I also went into rendering biomes, but it lacks microscopic detail and actual life so I started observing real nature with and without optics.
Dear microscope Hunter, I left some comments earlier but now they seem to have disappeared. Did I do something wrong? I was asking for help with finding a home for lots of microscopes? I should explain that he was from Hawaii. Also his wife said that he traded and sold all over the world so he's probably well known in your circles. He died about four years ago!! And again do you have any suggestions what I can do with all these microscopes? Sincerely, Normand
That was of great help .Was looking for this kind of video for long .Planning to buy binocular microscope in forthcoming amazon india sale.
I'm an extremely serious amateur astronomer and your video just popped up in my recommendations. Always had the thought of getting a small microscope, maybe this is the push i need.
Do it. I spent 20 years doing some higher end astrophotography. I have no regrets spending time and effort with microscopy.
I've spent a lot of time looking at stars while being unaware of the fantastic microscopic universe that is my pond. Now I observe both. Guess which has most aliens.
Close the petri dish with parafilm and than put it in pressure cooker? Or without parafilm? Without would result in condescation no?
Well, there is the "out there" aspect. Also, you don't need to be very knowledgeable to enjoy astronomy. It's pretty. With microscopes, there are some pretty views that reward even the ignorant, but the "out there" aspect is missing. And there really is a lot you need to learn to appreciate micro-life. It's just much harder. There is also the "keeping up with the Jones'" aspect that drives the astronomy market. Ooh, look at my cool new scope. Ooh, look at my cool new scope camera. I can make this pretty picture (shows image similar to one of NASA's worst). Ooh, my diameter is bigger than your diameter. Wow, I actually saw some color in that faint nebula. Oooooh. Microscopy doesn't reward this kind of behavior somehow. Maybe because there are such finite limits to light microscopy. Maybe because people care more about a star that might have Mr. Spock living near it than they do about something they just picked up from a local pond. Fantasy beats reality. People who are turned on by the "out there" aspect are basically trying to get some of that Star Trek feeling or Star Wars feeling, which is essentially anti-science but pro-fantasy.
When I was a kid (way before internet, but after the electricity!)... I had access to a cheap/bad telescope. We dream to look at all the planet with the same level of details as what we saw in books... We were lucky to live in a great sky area and we got a blurry saturn image and spend most of our time on the moon. But couldn't do much, so the hobby die quickly. Next year, we got a cheap microscope and no training at all. We had premade slides; it was fun for an hour or so (the high magnification was unusable, off course). So, I started my own slide. But I did not know that it require a cover slide (and we did not have any). I figured out by myself that sandwiching two regular slide around a sample help to get a better observation. We basically use the cheap/toy compound scope into a bad stereomicroscope to look at insect and other fairly large stuff. It was cool... but not enough to get hocked. I would love to have access to KZread back in the days. Getting info on how to use my toy or what to ask my parent for my next birthday... Today's kids are so lucky and most of them don't even know that. Like I was luck to get better stuff than my parents and grandparents did. Nostalgia again...
I like to STOP THE VIDEO, answer the question and then watch the rest of the video! (EDIT very long answer, I hope some will get inspired by it) So... I a nutshell, I think people think astronomy is easier/intuitive and microscopy is too sciency/complicated and too expensive if you want more than a toy. Astronomy: point at celestial object, make focus and enjoy the enhanced image. Want a better image: buy a better scope. Microscopy is intimidating: what sample should I take? How to prepare the sample? If I buy premade slide, it's cost me $ for each observation. Buuuuuuuuuuuut reality is different: Astronomy need proper sky: no cloud and low light pollution. The best observation time is when you need to go to bed. You might get bug, cold and humidity. So, you end up with the sky and timing greatly limiting your accessibility to your hobby. If you have a large scope (not cheap and not easy to store/move), it might be heavy and long to adjust before observation... Another reasons to limit your activity. And when you get an image.. Well... they pretty much all look the same: star: a dot, planet: a color dot with some details, moon: lot of detail, but less then a pizza. And nothing is moving. Microscopy: Sure, you need to educate yourself first. Maybe start with stereomicroscope to get an AMAZING new views of insect, flowers, rock, fabrics and most common item around the house. Unlimited observation for free. Some are moving, some have outstanding color and surprising fine structure and they all look very different from what you expect. And you get a 3D image that you never seen before on tv. If you go with compound scope, you'll need another +2 hours of KZread trainning or book reading on how to prepare a slide and adjust condenser. From there, you need to know what sample is interesting and how to get the most of them. You will learn how to store living biological sample (pound water) for years and get winter observation of living fresh sample. The setup take very little time and you can access your hobby 24/7 for almost free in the best conditions. Easy DIY samples for compound microscope (this should be a video topic!!!): Garden soil diluted with water Pound water Moss mixed with water to find tardigrade 3.25% Milk Vs Cream Vs 1% milk (easy to see fat molecule) Various fine sand Animal fur, feather, insect parts Experiment with diluted alcohol/vinegar/bleach/peroxide solution with living organism Lifestyle: When you travel, you can get some sample to look back at home (just beware of regulation and destroy sample with bleach before you discard them at home) You can bring your microscope with you. Observe glowing plankton/bug at night! Explore various new insect/plants/aquatic animals with stereomicroscope with kids (or without kids!) Advance sample preparation: Using various stain (flame a culture on a slide) to improve the look or identified a type of organism Easy Microtome use; slice various plant, meat, frozen stuff Complex Microtome: turning sample into a paraffin block to create proper high quality permanent slide Make your own permanent slide collection Learn on michorisation and evaluate your roots in your garden under blue light and DIY fluorescence (excitation/emission filter) Learn different science project (making bread, alcohol, culture organism, etc) and use the microscope to monitor your experiment. Get a 3D printer and custom stuff for your hobby (dark field filter, slide holder, diy tweezer, slide washing station, phone holder, xyz motorization, eyepiece cover, etc) Learn on various microscopy technology, maybe upgrade your scope for a specific project. Ok... now I'll watch the rest of the video!
Ok, I just finish the video... I agree, marketing (or lack of marketing) play a large role on the number of people who will get involved with the hobby. Teacher have access to microscope and might be boring or too academic. They don't have access to telescope because the class is in the day and inside. So, people are expose to the boring aspect of microscope at school and get the entertaining aspect of space dream on tv. Buy why there is not a lot of microscopic related content on TV? Probably because it's not as glamour/spectacular as an ISS, rocket launching, etc. And people get confuse with space hobby vs microscope hobby.
This may be a bit of an odd thought, but I think an element of microscopy is actually quite popular. There are a lot of people in the world who are interested in macro-photography. Although the instruments are different, they allow people to see the same things; extreme close-ups of objects. That's the very reason why I bought a macro lens for my DSLR. I think there are several reasons why microscopy isn't as popular as astronomy. First, astronomy can be done in different locations, alone or with other people. Microscopy is probably a more solitary endeavor that is stationary. Second, at least with my generation, our first exposure to microscopy was in high-school biology classes where we looked at cells and micro-organisms. We were not exposed to stereo microscopes, which certainly would have captured my younger mind. In any event, I think microscopy's day in the sunlight has arrived. The introduction of the internet and recorded and real-time streaming events like yours will expose more people to this wonderful hobby. Regardless of which camp you're in, it's all about being curious and looking for answers.
In microscopy it's easier to find evidence of life.
Oliver, I am into astronomy, and I just picked up my first two microscopes. I think the main issue is the astronomy community at large. There are clubs, outreaches and star parties. This is a community of people that get together not online but in person and share a like interest in astronomy. I have made some real good friends from around the world that I have met in person at a star party, and I think the human connection is the key. Could microscopy get as popular as astronomy? I say yes, but there would have to be clubs where people actually gather and share. My venture into microscopy happened due to an issue with my back and also, I wanted something to do on those nights where the weather was not favorable for observing outside. I would like to see a club for people into microscopy, but I don't think it would ever happen which is unfortunate because there is so much that we can learn from each other about our equipment and compare it with others equipment.
I wonder is it because microscopy is a little too 'in your face'? Too up close and personal? You have possibly dangerous bacteria a few inches from your face when observing a sample. With astronomy, everything is so remote, even a supernova doesn't affect us. I got into astronomy at 18. I got into microscopy at 75.
Eu comecei como astronomo amador e amo microscopia da mesma forma, não tem de ser rivais e sim complementares, com certeza todos devem ser motivados a terem ambos como hobby, sempre fui muito curioso e vou fazer meu canal de microscópio e astronomia para provar que ambos podem ter nosso amor e paixão. quando estiver pronto e vai ser breve, vou editar esse cometário e enviar o link, viva a microscópio e o seu mundo.
Je vous encourage à créer cette chaine KZread sur ces deux sujets, c'est une très bonne idée et le monde hispanophone a besoin de modèles scientifique.
I've really been an astronomy person since i was 12, and didnt get my first telescope till i was 13. At 61, i have a few ones now. Although the first optical instrument i ever owned, was a very small microscope i chose from a department store. It did come with a few prepared slides with specimens that somewhat stirred my imagination. I am on the "Cloudy Nights" forum, which has a microscopy subforum that i read a few times. So about two years ago, finally bought an old used one for when the skies were cloudy. These past 2 years, i have had 2 more classic microscopes, not just for overcast skies, but for plain fun ! Your youtube channel has certainly brought back the wonder i had as a child. Thanks so much !
I started with microscopy and got into astronomy later. I have been using my telescope more than my microscope the last year. I disliked the hunt for certain micro-organisms that I was never able to find, whereas the predictability of astronomy was a relief for me, I guess I'm just to impatient. The disadvantage of having to have good sky conditions for astronomy was actually quite an advantage for me, it forced me get outside and use my telescope when possible, whereas always having my microscope available actually led to me using it less. Both subjects are fascinating though, and microscopy is definitely more accesible, both in terms of the technical aspects as well as the equipment cost.
I really enjoy my telescopes but, if I had to choose between my telescopes and my microscopes, I would stick with my microscopes. With the telescope, it is weather permitting, late at night in the summer, more involved set-up and I already know what I will be looking at. With the microscope, none of that applies. With a good sample of pond scum, you never know what you are going to find. The microscopic world is just as vast as the heavens.
and waaaay more exciting, accessible. just ANITIME you feel like it. and so many different things
I started with Astronomy. I bought an 8 inch Newtonian telescope, against the shop owners advice. He warned me about set up fatigue with a big instrument and he was right. Used to hate setting up the weights, and it was always a nervous tube to dovetail moment to release my hold on it. I soon learned that clouds or fog loooove astronomical events even more than I do. I bought a few more telescopes, but having to drive to dark skies alone and be in desolate areas soon got too nerve wracking. Last observing I did out there some Kangaroo hunters drove up the track drunkenly blasting away at anything that moved. I bought microscope equipment, and found the microverse just as fascinating. One day I hope to return to Astronomy if I get to return to dark skies. Anyone want to buy an 8inch Newtonian 😆
I had virtually the same experience. Rained out eclipses argh.
Less space to store them too
Astronomy is something that is accessible to anyone, anywhere as long as it's dark. People get interested simply being out on a camping trip where it's really dark, or with their parents in the back yard. It makes the news constantly with things like eclipses, meteor showers, planetary groupings, etc. And as you mentioned, in this day and age you have non-stop news about SpaceX, etc. Microscopes are a bit more associated with school, and most people once they're out of high school might never have any casual exposure to one again in the same way. I have sunk lots of money into my astronomy hobby, but I certainly would love to get a very nice microscope, also! I can say with no exaggeration that your channel has been the greatest inspiration toward that, Oliver. You've been great and very candid about explaining what to expect from various pieces of gear and what may or may not be worth forking out a huge additional amount of money on. It's just something I want to buy once and not regret later that I didn't go for just a bit more.
Having microscopy cafes and meet ups might be an idea :)
yes, i'm planning one here in whangarei new zealand. watching MH episodes and thentrying it out together with a few @@TheUntypicals
To cold for the best viewing nights