{"id":8488,"date":"2024-03-24T17:09:31","date_gmt":"2024-03-24T17:09:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pmstudios.co.uk\/blog\/?p=8488"},"modified":"2024-03-24T17:09:31","modified_gmt":"2024-03-24T17:09:31","slug":"trying-extreme-macro-photography-with-microscope-objectives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pmstudios.co.uk\/blog\/?p=8488","title":{"rendered":"Trying extreme macro photography with microscope objectives:"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I have started experimenting with, and learning about, extreme macro photography using microscope objectives – I have an old but little used Russian microscope that has 3 removable lenses: I used 2 of them for this session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have used a ‘focus stacking’ technique to provide adequate depth of field (amount of the image from front to back that is in focus). I also include photos of the setups so that I can refresh my memory of what I have done. The subject matter is a dry, decaying daffodil flower!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First though, I have set a benchmark using vintage enlarger lens on some old bellows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
A 15-image focus stacked view of the subject using the enlarger lens on the bellows<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
This shows the subject, lens, bellows and camera for the previous image<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Using the setup to photograph a steel rule to estimate the magnification.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

From the above image I estimate the magnification of the subject is about 2.4x (each mark is 1mm).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below I show a single image from the set used for focus stacking so that you can see the difference in the amount in focus:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
A single image showing the limited depth of field<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The next set is using an 8x microscope objective:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
23-image focus stacked view of the subject using a x8 microscope objectives on the bellows<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
This shows the subject and lens for the previous image<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
This view is of the steel ruler showing an estimated magnification of about 10x<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
A single image showing the limited depth of field<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Finally, I tried the x40 microscope lens. Hmm, not a good choice for a subject with depth:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Even with focus stacking there is limited depth of field and resolution<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The above image shows several problems: The depth of field is limited because the lens is so close to the subject that as I tried to change the focus the lens was pushing the subject away; The resolution is poor so there is not much detail; and microscopic dust marks that were not showing at lower magnifications are very noticeable and the focus stacking has ‘tracked’ them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
This view shows the lens pushing into the flower<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
This shows how close the lens is to a flat subject like the steel rule<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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This shows the greatly enlarged markings of the steel ruler<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

From the above photo I estimate the magnification to be about x50.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, I found this to be a useful exercise. I think there is scope for using the x8 microscope lens but not the more powerful ones. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I have started experimenting with, and learning about, extreme macro photography using microscope objectives – I have an old but little used Russian microscope that has 3 removable lenses: I used 2 of them for this session. I have used a ‘focus stacking’ technique to provide adequate depth of field (amount of the image from … Continue reading “Trying extreme macro photography with microscope objectives:”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,86,22,3,131],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8488","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-close-up","category-focus-stacking","category-macro","category-photography","category-tests-and-trials"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pmstudios.co.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8488","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pmstudios.co.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pmstudios.co.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pmstudios.co.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pmstudios.co.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8488"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.pmstudios.co.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8488\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8502,"href":"https:\/\/www.pmstudios.co.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8488\/revisions\/8502"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pmstudios.co.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8488"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pmstudios.co.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8488"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pmstudios.co.uk\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8488"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}