Chaetogaster, full stomach

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 12:18 pm

Well since I asked for this

allow me the first post. It is kind of like baiting the tip jar at the end of the bar or on the piano.

Two images here of an aquatic worm, a chaetogaster, which has had quite a bit to eat from the looks of things.

Chaetogaster (A)
Sony DSC P200 program mode
1/125 sec. @ f/2.8 ISO 100 EV +0.7
Ziess Axiostar @ 50X
Halogen illumination w/blue diffuser

Chaetogaster (B)
Sony DSC P200 program mode
1/200 sec. @ f/2.8 ISO 100 EV +0.7
Zeiss Axiostar @ 100X
Halogen illumination w/blue diffuser

Both of these images were taken through an eyepiece mounted in the photo tube of the microscope. If you do not have a photo tube then shooting through the existing eyepiece will give you approximately the same results. This is a very simple and easy way to take photographs through ones microscope. Most any small digital camera will work for this and some may need a homemade spacer between the camera lens and the eyepiece to get satisfactory results.

Red Seven · Post by **Red Seven** » Sun Apr 30, 2006 7:54 pm

Great Photo Ken!
When I first began to see all these amazing things under the microscope I quickly figured out the facination everyone has with photographing it. Not knowing what I'm doing and not having equipment other than my regular Digital camera (Canon G2 Powershot) I got desperate and just started holding the camera up to the eyepiece and what do you know, I actually have been able to get a few decent shots! Nothing like what the experts on here are getting of course (I think I saw a Charles Kreb photo as the winner of a Nikon contest!) but very satisfying none the less.
I think I have figured out that for a very small amount (something around $40) I can get a mount meant for a telescope that will hold the camera and get better shots. In time of course I will get better equipment but for now this is tons of fun. Any tips for how to get better images with next to no equipment?

This image is of some very green creature inside the tail of a copepod(?) I suspect having dinner! A short while later it exited and swam away.

I think this is where I saw my first eyespot

Not sure yet what this green creature was.

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Mon May 01, 2006 2:50 am

The first one appears to be a Euglena foraging around inside the broken off tail of a Cyclops, the seconds the naupli (larvae) of a Cyclops, a diatom and what appears to be a dinoflagellate of some kind, a nice group of Vorticella and last but not least a Nematode. A nice series of shots. However remember that we have a three image limit a day per-forum guideline

The telescope adapter you maybe refering to is the Orion SteadyPix or a similar product. This is what I use and is the most economical for small consumer type digital cameras. It also allows one to get more than satisfactory results with "through the eyepiece" shooting. The same was used to photograph the Chaetogaster with a Sony DSC-P200

Red Seven · Post by **Red Seven** » Mon May 01, 2006 6:45 am

Thanks for the clarification on the creatures Ken! ...and sorry about exceeding the 3 image limit. Thanks for that heads up on that as well.
Yes, I believe it was the SteadyPix. I think this might be worthwhile investment!

Ken Ramos · Post by **Ken Ramos** » Mon May 01, 2006 2:39 pm

I have two SteadyPix adapters, one on my compound and the other on my stereomicroscope. They work extreamly well and it is money well spent, compared to those $300 so called microscope camera adapters, if you are using commercially available small digital cameras, like the Nikon CoolPix, Fuji FinePix, Canon SureShot or the Sony DSC series cameras.