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Radiolaria

Posted: 28.05.2008 02:21
by Charles Krebs
The fossil skeletons of radiolarians are very three dimensional, making them a tough subject to photograph with a microscope. Stacking with Helicon Focus allows for some nice looks at these structures.

Canon 350D above an Olympus BHS microscope. Olympus 20X S Plan Apo objective with DIC illumination.

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Image

Posted: 03.06.2008 15:22
by Dan Kozub
Charles,

Thanks for sharing your latest images!

I can see there is kind of aberration on the images? I think they can be improved by shifting blue channel up and red channel down. What is the reason for this aberration?

Posted: 04.06.2008 07:06
by Charles Krebs
Dan,
I can see there is kind of aberration on the images? I think they can be improved by shifting blue channel up and red channel down. What is the reason for this aberration?
Not really. These were done with DIC (Differential Interference Contrast) illumination. When used "normally" with a subject like this the results are shades of a uniform color (there is no real color in these silica "skeletons" at all). By changing the relative positions of the upper an lower Nomarski prisms you can get some very weird and colorful ("DisneyChrome", I call it :wink: ) renditions. I use DIC this way infrequently, but sometimes it is fun to try with otherwise colorless subjects. A more proper name for this is "Optical Staining" and it can be studied in more detail here:
http://www.olympusmicro.com/primer/java ... index.html

Here's another stacked radiolarian image so you can see what the DIC effect would be without adjusting it into this "optical staining" range.

Heliodiscus asteriscus

Posted: 10.08.2008 10:38
by Mike Guwak
I Make the same with Helicon Focus.
I use Apo. 16x with 3,2 Projectiv. I have a Carl Zeiss Standart 14 Microscope.

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Astractura ordinata

Posted: 10.08.2008 10:38
by Mike Guwak
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Petalospyris decapus

Posted: 10.08.2008 10:39
by Mike Guwak
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Rhopalatractus ornatus

Posted: 10.08.2008 10:40
by Mike Guwak
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Posted: 18.02.2009 15:09
by cybermystic
Some stunning results there guys - very nice indeed!!
Greg

Very Star Trek!

Posted: 23.02.2009 14:20
by BrianS
Charles/Mike,

nice work, I can see that you have a similar challenge with these 'transparent' object that I do with shooting jewellery, especially diamond rings etc.

Maintaining the clarity and 'life' in such object is tricky.

Another observation - I'm constantly challenged by fixing the 'imperfections' in the work of man, as we assume there will be perfection.

Bit deep I guess! :)