MICSCAPE - Exploring the miniature world

Issue 350: May 2025 (ISSN 1365 - 070x)      Monthly, next issue June 13th 2025.

 

Contact Microscopy-UK co-webmasters,
please use this link or the green email button on the top menu.

Please do not contact the above for image permissions. Each article contributor retains the copyright to their material so should be contacted directly via the link in the relevant article. Thank you.

Comments on Micscape and contributions welcomed.
Contributions: Any modern format welcomed i.e. pdf. doc/docx with embedded images, or html + jpegs.

3D viewing and recording with a non-stereo binocular microscope - John Russell (USA) describes and illustrates the simple techniques required. PDF

Flower painting a Lady's Slipper orchid - Marco Michel (USA) shares a splendid painting inspired by a photograph shared by the late Brian Johnston (Canada).

How to observe Bacillaria motility during a total solar eclipse - Richard Gordon (USA) and Thomas Harbich (Germany) discuss and present a protocol for carrying out this important study which has been overlooked to date by diatomists.

Microscopical exploration 44. Microscopes, monarchs and money - James Stewart (UK) assesses the performance of a newly acquired 4K digital microscope with wifi by taking images of British coinage both old and modern. PDF

The inhabitants of a little pond - Jean-Marie Cavanihac (France) describes and illustrates the typical wealth of microorganisms that can be found in a small body of freshwater in a friend's garden. PDF

Microscopy, following Euplotes - Shrean Rafiq (Bangladesh) shares a video of a common protozoan found in freshwater. PDF

The con-trick of cheap Chinese digital microscopes - Mol Smith (UK) illustrates an example of a model where the use of screen magnification in listing its features can potentially be confused with optical magnification. PDF

A key to the genera of Rotifera Bdelloidea - Mol Smith (UK) compiles into a single document the multi-part key previously written by the sadly late Walter Dioni (Mexico). PDF

Roatan 19, I see the light - G. Joseph Wilhelm (Honduras) provides an update on his eye problems and eager to continue his microscopy lab project on the island of Roatan. PDF

How small can you write, part 2  - David Walker (UK) studies by epi-DIC one of the increasingly popular items of jewellery with a bible etched by photolithography onto a small silicon chip.
In Focus: My colleague and co-webmaster Mol Smith has been busy compiling two major resources. Also keep an eye out for Micscape Yearbook 3 with a selection of articles from all contributors between 2020 - 2025, compiled entirely by Mol and by liaising with contributors.
Books - a compilation of all the microscopy books Mol has published aimed primarily at the beginner, written by himself or an e-book issue of a popular public domain book.
3D flowers - the late and sadly missed Brian Johnston shared a splendid series of articles studying a given species with both macro and microscopy. Mol has selected an image from many of these articles to create an attractive pseudo-3D effect.
We are delighted to receive contributions small or large from microscopy enthusiasts whether a novice or expert. If you have an image, tip or article, why not share it, this magazine is what you make it!

 

Archive
Look for that elusive article on our site:
 Micscape Magazine past issues online (read articles online using the original illustrated index for each month).
 Article Library (browse articles by category)
 Automated Search (a search engine for keyword searches in all articles)
 Contributor index (a list of all Micscape contributors to date)
News - special notices - misc.


External links. Updated April 2020. Below are some of our favourites, which includes sites with extensive links and/or resources for the optical microscopy enthusiast.

External Microscopy forums: Places to discuss the hobby or to raise queries.
www.photomacrography.net forums, galleries, articles on macroscopy and photomicrography.

groups.io (formerly Yahoo groups):
 Amateur Microscopy
Diatom Forum
Microscopy as a hobby or profession
Wild Microscopes

Facebook groups:
Amateur Microscopy (>21000 members, very active). Also specialist groups e.g. for users of given maker's microscopes (e.g. Zeiss, Olympus, Wild, Vickers). Also try a Facebook Group search with keywords like microscope or microscopy to find these.

Other:
Microbe hunter the website ably run by Oliver Kim has built up a popular and valuable forum with help for both the beginner and more advanced user.

Listservers:
Algae-L 'Forum for marine, freshwater and terrestrial algae'. Access to Archives possible for non-subscribers.
Diatom-L 'Research on the diatom algae.' Access to Archives for subscribers only. Link was current March 2016. Many online diatom resources point to an outdated Indiana Univ. listserver. (With thanks to Rob Kimmich for the current link.)

Mikroskopie-Treff.de (Extensive German microscopy forum; some English categories.)
 Mikrobiologische Vereinigung München e. V. Wide range of articles and resources in German.
Le Naturaliste French based forum and image gallery for micro / macro but open to non French speaking international contributors.

The Amateur Diatomist archive This magazine resource ably created and administered by Steve Gill has now been ported to the Microscopy-UK site with Steve's permission as the former host server is now not available.
As well as all the issues in pdf format there are a wealth of other resources in the Downloads section including by noted workers such as Barber and the complete 532 page book 'An Introduction to the Microscopical Study of Diatoms' by Robert B. McLaughlin.

Diatoms of the Arid South West Originally hosted on the website of New Mexico State University, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Services. Archived with permission from Dave Richman, resource editor, and C. Scott Bundy of the NMSU.

Other sites (also see Societies and Clubs page.)
Royal Microscopy Society Journal, 'infocus' and other resources for members and the community.
Quekett Microscopical Club Journal, Bulletin and meetings for members.
 Light Microscopy Forum links and articles
Little Imp Publications public domain books collated by Steve Gill formerly on CD and now free on Micscape.
Mikroskop Museum German website with resources on microscopes / makers .
Molecular Expressions awesome optical microscopy resources
Dennis Kunkel's SEM images stunning images
Diatoms Ireland - resource site by Leszek Wolnik
Leitz museum an illustrated resource compiled by Robert Allen
Microbe hunter microscopy enthusiast website, forum and magazine edited by Oliver Kim
Forum for French speakers
Micrographia articles, projects for the enthusiast
Microscopy Today journal with online archive
Modern Microscopy online journal by McCrone Group
Fun Science Gallery projects, articles on optics in English and Italian. Link to March 2020 mirror on the Internet Archive site. 
Independent Generation of Research (IGoR) - Wiki style resource for citizen scientists to share their work.
Lens On Leeuwenhoek extensive resource online by Douglas Anderson
Collected Letters of Antoni van Leeuwenhoek ('Alle de Brieven ..') transcribed and free online at DBNL.
A Cabinet of Curiosities a resource on Victorian microscope slides by Howard Lynk
Historical makers of microscopes and microscope slides Brian Stevenson's extensive resource on Victorian slide makers.
www.willemsmicroscope.com Dutch enthusiast Willem Cramer's website
David Jackson's Better Microscopy blog. Regularly updated free resources extending from his 'Better Microscopy' series of books.
Stefano Barone's Diatom Shop sale of his own prepared and arranged slides of diatoms, radiolaria, forams and scales.
www.testslides.com website devoted to Stefano Barone's Diatom Lab test slides.
Darwin Biological a UK company for 'biological education' supplies. Including live cultures of protozoa and algae.
Microscopie van de Natuur Dutch microscopy resource site by Rolf Vossen.
Dotcom-Monitor, LoadView Testing, Web Hosting Buddy, and Find My Electric are tech/science companies that believe in and foster UK Microscopy and STEM education.
Best Ants UK - a shop offering live ants with 'Starter Kits' for building various and studying ant colonies.
Mikro-Foto - Frank Fox's striking macro and micro imagery.


 

Microscopy-UK
 parent site coordinator:
Maurice Smith

Microscopy-UK and Micscape - established 1995
Micscape is a free magazine for enthusiasts funded by Microscopy-UK and dedicated to non-commercial microscopy.
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