i need help cleaning a microscope, i think there is something wrong with mine, im getting a weird "foggy window" effect when i use my 60x and 100x objectives, im also noticing some "wipe" marks on my eye pieces at the 100x objective that is making it insanely hard to see anything even with immersion oil. what do you guys do to clean and maintain your microscopes?
im trying to link my twitch to show a video i recorded through my microscope but this image broad has turned to complete shit and wont let me post it
/omfjames/v/53709047
just put that at the end of twitch url
and go to like 32min in
>>7925060
Nice picture of an alga called pediastrum in the first pic op. You're not really giving much info about the issues you are having. Best to try one thing at a time and check if it made the difference. As for wipe marks... did you mean the eyepieces or the actual lens of the 100x objective. For eyepieces use a cotton swab and swirl it outwards from the centre. If on the objective, most likely not removing the immersion oil properly - use good grade wipes like kimwipes not regular tissues and a bit of ethanol if you got some.
>>7925474
thank you for the help and knowledge, for the eye piece do i clean both inside and outside? im starting to think my eye pieces might just be faulty, ive been q-tipping the shit out of this but i still see like a brown wipe looking smudge thing at higher optic levels, it isnt noticeable on my "4/0.1 160/0.17" and my "10/0.25 160/0.17" it becomes a little noticeable on the "40/0.65 160/0.17" and is very noticeable on the "100/1.25 OIL" its tricky to describe, and i cant seem to take a picture of it with my PC which is leading me to believe it is the eye piece themselves, my 2 eye pieces are (wf20x) and (wf10x/18) and the microscope itself is an OMAX MD827S30L
also, is there a brand of Objectives/Eye pieces that are renown for being amazing quality?
>>7925503
I would never (very rarely and only when it is needed) clean the insides of the eyepieces as you are more likely to introduce dust and other particles in the microscope and the back of the eyepieces which is a pain and time consuming to get rid of.
Based on your trouble shooting it may be the eyepieces. Yes, it is hard to describe, just play around with all the parts and inspect them and you will learn a lot.
Good quality objectives are extremely expensive, into the thousands of dollars and are the most expensive part of the microscope. You are getting some pretty nice pictures from your current setup (that gif is some naviculoid diatoms moving btw). Names brands are indeed better quality and of course cost more. Olympus and Nikon are good and the most I'm familiar with. Zies is also very good but have not used them much.
>>7925572
thanks man, Telescope eyepieces seems so cheap in comparison to microscope ones lol, so ill prob have to tough it out for a while, i was planning on saving up for one of those phase contrast kits or Black field kits, this is just a hobby to me though not using it for professional use. you know the best use for the light filters i have? ive been using the blue one for water related things, and the green one for Botanical things, mostly just using no light filter though since im not too sure how to properly use them
>>7925592
phase contrast for you would be best for mainly visualising see-thru objects and structures like mucilage and flagella from organisms from water samples. I am familiar with blue filters, the blue light acts as "real" light in nature giving you a "realisitic colour" of the chloroplasts, etc within the organisms. Microscopes is a bit of a hobby for me too but I also work with them. Good luck there's a lot amazing diversity that people don't get to appreciate.
>>7925631
well you've been helpful so thanks man! gl with your discoveries
