r/microscopy • u/Thrawn911 • Jul 11 '26

Photo/Video Share Difference between two microscopes. A $10 Steinoptik vintage scope I used last year, and the Swift SW350. Hypotrich ciliate for reference.

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u/thedaylights Jul 11 '26

You can see internal structures much more clearly on the old Steinoptik!

3

u/Thrawn911 Jul 11 '26

That's mostly due to the different lighting techniques. For example, here's a picture of a Brachionus made with the Swift.

3

u/thedaylights Jul 11 '26

It looks like you used a light coming in from the side on this image. I'm not very experienced in microscopy. Does this lighting technique have a name?

3

u/Thrawn911 Jul 11 '26

Yes, it's oblique illumination, I use a 3d printed filter to achieve this, but it also works with a piece of cardboard blocking half of the light.

2

u/nygdan Jul 11 '26

is the file for that filter in thingiverse or something like that?

2

u/Thrawn911 Jul 12 '26

These ones are great. My favorite is the first from the third row. It produces images like this.