Darned difficult diatom dotting, decisively done!

[Lou Jost]

Smokedaddy: IMO, once you get your regular photomicrography chops up to scratch (which I believe you have) the main barrier to using UV is having or getting the kit. Expertise, not so much - and you can develop that "on the job". UV imaging has it's foibles of course, some quite tricky, but what doesn't?

My biggest concern would be buying the proper parts to be able to image at 365nm and not wasting money collecting parts that I don't need. I don't mind going down another rabbit hole but don't want it to turn into another experience like I am having with the Leica DMIRB/E.

-JW:

With care, 365nm is not an issue. Especially with Fluor objectives and simple (or no) tube lenses. You really don't need much special stuff except for a few filters that you would have anyway if you did fluorescence photography. Ordinary enlarger lenses and Apo-Nikkors are corrected to 380nm. Beyond 365nm things do start to get hard.

[Smokedaddy]

With care, 365nm is not an issue. Especially with Fluor objectives and simple (or no) tube lenses. You really don't need much special stuff except for a few filters that you would have anyway if you did fluorescence photography. Ordinary enlarger lenses and Apo-Nikkors are corrected to 380nm. Beyond 365nm things do start to get hard.

Would you mind explaining what sort of 'specific stuff' would be required for a 365nm microscope setup, perhaps for a Nikon Optiphot, Zetopan, PZO, or a Leica DMIRB/E?

-JW:

[Lou Jost]

Well, you need a 365nm light source, and you'll need a filter in the optical train somewhere to cut the non-UV. You also would need a modified camera with its sensor filter pack removed. I suppose that's the major expense.

[Smokedaddy]

I have a couple of old Convoy Type S2+ 365nm that I only used a couple of times. They each came with a filter. Probably a UV bandpass filter (doesn't say on the plastic bag). I used them for photographing fluorescent minerals, like a septarian nodule with calcite crystal growths surrounded by aragonite. I haven't touched the flashlights in two years.

-JW:

[Lou Jost]

I have a couple of old Convoy Type S2+ 365nm that I only used a couple of times. They each came with a filter. Probably a UV bandpass filter (doesn't say on the plastic bag). I used them for photographing fluorescent minerals, like a septarian nodule with calcite crystal growths surrounded by aragonite. I haven't touched the flashlights in two years.

-JW:

Those are pretty good, though the newer C8 and relatives are much brighter. The UV filter that comes with them is ok for visual work but not clean enough for photography. Much better filters exist. See the UltravioletPhotography forum I mentioned above for lots of discussion about this.

[Smokedaddy]

Thanks Lou. I've been there and was trying to find out more detailed information about the actual 'setup' of the monochrome Raspberry Pi camera mentioned there by dabateman. Seems to be a less expensive way of getting into this.

https://maxmax.com/maincamerapage/uvcam ... pi-hq-12mp

-JW:

[Lou Jost]

I don't think the Raspberry Pi camera is the way to go for 365nm, though it is probably the best solution for very deep UV, and I have started to think about getting one for that purpose. But for regular 365nm photography all you need to do is find an old camera (you may have one laying around) and send it in to a place like Kolari for a Full Spectrum modification. That will cost a couple hundred dollars and it is a "plug-and-play" solution, no script writing or electronics. That is good enough for 365nm

[Smokedaddy]

Isn't the code already done via Github (except for a few end-user modifications) for the Pi?

https://github.com/Gordon999/Pi-Camera-GUI

-JW: