CURRENT ISSUE: Micscape Magazine, exploring the miniature world for enthusiasts of amateur microscopy

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.

Plant hairs (trichomes) - Walter Machielsen (Netherlands) presents an illustrated essay on these often striking forms. PDF

Adding a 3D-printed dark-field illuminator to your stereomicroscope - Leonardo M. Roccatano and Danilo Roccatano (UK) share this project.

Microscopical exploration thirty four. Microscopical exploration 32 reprised a less colourful close-up of amino acids - James Stewart (UK). PDF

Roatan - 11 First, two things I just have to say ... - G. Joseph Wilhelm (Honduras) continues building a home lab and starts to unpack. PDF

Pioneers in Microscopy: The interconnected contributions of Josef von Gerlach and John Goodsir to histology - an essay by Michael Tracy (USA) who is a descendant of John Goodsir. PDF

Caught in the light, part 3 - Christina Brodie (UK) shares further pencil drawing studies and water colour paintings of the insects she has found attracted to a skylight.

Notes on the Zeiss Plan-Neofluar multi-immersion objectives for 160 mm tube length microscopes. Exploring the 16/0.5 Ph Imm and 40/0.9 Ph Imm examples - David Walker (UK)

From the Archives. An issue twenty years ago in July 2004.

Desmid eaters. Desmids in the food web - Peter Coesel (the Netherlands) presents a fascinating overview of the role desmids can play in the food chain, illustrated with microorganisms that had eaten or were in the process of eating desmids.

Science and art - Howard Webb (USA) shares images of the moults of the exoskeleton of a water flea and reflects on how such subjects can have both scientific and aesthetic appeal.

Series in marine phytoplankton: The genus Pseudo-nitzschia - Rene van Wezel (UK) presents an illustrated overview of one group of the diatoms, a beautiful type of algae with silica 'shells'.

Coccoloba uvifera. The leaves and a parasite - (the now sadly late) Walter Dioni (Mexico) explores the sea grape tree on the macro and micoscopic scale, making good use of the simple plant slicer he has described before. He discusses the possible identity of the parasite that has infected it.

A gallery of l-asparagine photomicrographs (using a variety of illumination techniques) - (the now sadly late) Brian Johnston (Canada) shares a splendid selection of images of this chemical showing how different lighting techniques can give a range of effects.

Russian LOMO microscopes. Notes on refurbishing and the use of Nye special lubricants - Ian Walker (UK) suggests methods and materials for renovating secondhand examples of the Biolam, a popular microscope. His experiences with the lubricants used and black paint for the stage may be of interest to readers renovating other microscopes.

Topical tips 14. Using computer monitor stands for microscopes - David Walker (UK) tries an adjustable height and sturdy monitor stand as a useful means of setting a comfortable viewing height.

Other articles - contributors sharing their wider interests in nature, the landscape and photography:

Images from the South Pennines with the Canon Ixus 400 (Powershot S400) digicam - Ian Walker (UK) shares a selection of images to illustrate the changing summer moods of this range of hills in northern England where he lives.

Images of 'Constable country' - David Walker (UK) reflects on a visit to an area associated with the famous landscape artist John Constable when staying at one of the UK's most attractive field study centres.

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.

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.