Most of my samples come from a pond 30 feet behind my backyard.

Backyard pond



Olympus BX51

This is my main transmitted light microscope. It can do standard brightfield (BF), darkfield (DF), polarized, and oblique illumination. It is partially converted to transmitted DIC with a mix of apo and fluorite objectives.

Olympus BX51 microscope



illumination
A very lonely flagellate under polarized light.



Olympus BH2 BHS

This is my main reflected light setup. It can do epi DIC and fluorescence. It also accepts most of my finite Nikon, Zeiss, and Leica objectives.

Olympus BH2 BHS microscope



illumination
Epsom (magnesium sulfate) crystals under parallel polarized light.
illumination
Same crystals under Berek retardation.



Rescued Microscopes

Wild Heerbrugg M12

This one is from the 1960s. It can do epi illumination and phase contrast.

Flatworm under oblique illumination
Flatworm under oblique illumination.
Flatworm under darkfield illumination
Flatworm under darkfield illumination.



Wild Heerbrugg M5

This is one of my two stereo microscopes made in the late 1950s. I use it mostly for electronics repair work.



Olympus BH2 BHTU

This is a trash rescue. It is standard with Kohler illumination.