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Hi Kate,

Yes. Even high resolution confocal microscopes benefit from a serious 
air table. Thick table, big legs. Table somewhat larger area than 
absolutely necessary. For the STED proposals we submitted last September 
(my thanks to the NIH S10 HEI and DoD DURIP reviewers for any nice 
comments), TMC table, 300 mm thick, Gimbal piston isolators (aka "fat 
legs"), 2x2 meter table (two 2x1 meter modules, to be joined  on site).  
The table Leica shipped in for the CW-STED demo was a joke (see 2009 
table thinness at 
http://www.leica-microsystems.com/products/confocal-microscopes/configurable-confocal-leica-tcs-sp8/innovation/  
).

As David pointed out, you should still plan to register the data.

On the positive side, my Leica confocal/STED salesperson told me good 
things about the new model:

http://www.leica-microsystems.com/products/confocal-microscopes/configurable-confocal-leica-tcs-sp8/details/product/leica-tcs-sp8-sted/ 


though I am baffled why Leica is pushing a CW depletion laser(s) with 
time gated detection.

Also odd that they have no connection between "STED" and "SMD"

http://www.leica-microsystems.com/products/confocal-microscopes/configurable-confocal-leica-tcs-sp8/details/product/leica-tcs-sp8-smd/


I am curious to see how much (if at all) motCORR helps my users 
(assuming we ever find money for upgrade or trade-in)

http://www.leica-microsystems.com/products/confocal-microscopes/configurable-confocal-leica-tcs-sp8/details/product/leica-motcorr/

George
p.s. I have STED proposal stuff posted at
http://works.bepress.com/gmcnamara/3/
http://works.bepress.com/gmcnamara/13/

See also the new Ikataki and Bokor fluorescence depletion paper at  
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.optcom.2012.04.028
and     
http://projectreporter.nih.gov/project_info_description.cfm?aid=8344866&icde=12760271&ddparam=&ddvalue=&ddsub=&cr=3&csb=default&cs=ASC 


Not nanoscopy, but I hope anyone who has - or is thinking of buying - a 
Leica FDC495 color camera will find useful the web page text and 
download tips at
http://works.bepress.com/gmcnamara/17/
If someone knows a (software only please) "Leica hack" to adjust the 
dark current so that the camera reads above zero intensity level (at 
gain of 1, gamma of 1, saturation 1, and exposure time <2 seconds) - say 
something like the Canon Hack Development Kit whose URL was recently 
posted (thanks to whoever did that) - would be great.


On 6/7/2012 4:18 PM, Kate Luby-Phelps wrote:
> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> *****
>
> I am interested people's practical experience regarding the level of vibration
> isolation required for single molecule imaging and super-resolution imaging.
>
> Specifically,  our new building has a z-axis vibration spike that reaches VC-A at
> a single frequency (below VC-C in x,y and z for all other frequencies).  If they
> are unsuccessful at remediating the spike, would we need active air tables for
> high-end instruments?   Most of the scopes in question would be inverted.
>
> Putting the question another way, would we need to reach VC-E or lower for
> single molecule and super-resolution imaging?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Kate L-P
>
>