Photomicroscopy

This normally colorless, 1 mm long worm was photographed with a technique called Rheinberg illumination. Differences in the refractive index between protoplasm and the surrounding medium result in the artificial coloration. In some cases, it can reveal more than phase contrast or even DIC ( Nomarski ) techniques.

The Nikon Microphot FXA microscope excels in combined Color / Nomarski DIC techniques for immunohistochemical localization in neuronal structures. This 20 micron cryosection was photographed on Kodak Ektar 25 film, halogen illumination with NCB11 filter.

A 20 X objective was used for this H&E (Hematoxylin / Eosin) stained cryosection of a structure about which there is much controversy.   Some comparisons with 20X (air), 40X (air) & 100X (oil) objectives on the same anatomical structure.

These microglia were purified from a culture of primary adult rodent astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. Photographs made with a Nikon Diaphot microscope using phase contrast Nikon LWD 40 X (air) objective through the bottom of a plastic T-75 tissue culture flask. Note the "phase bright" outline of the "phase dark" cell soma, this can be minimized by using the objective's correction collar. The film was Kodak Tech Pan exposed at ISO 25 developed in HC110 dilution F.

Unseen, yet all around us in nature, the tiny water bear or Tardigrade is the sole member of its phylum Tardigrada. It feeds on algae, moss, detritus, or nematodes in vernal pools or on the bark of trees or in the soil during rainy season.
False color and contour effects applied to a B/W film (ILFORD XP1 400) taken on an Olympus BX Microscope.

Remember, Ektachrome 400 is a good film for fluoresence photomicrographs in cell biology. It's usually possible to over ride the DX coding of a film or to set a +2 exposure compensation factor or to purposely set the ISO speed to a slower setting i.e., from 400 to ISO 200. I often get good results when exposures are around two minutes. Be sure the microscope is in a darkened room. Light leaks are a concern when using such long exposures.