Meredith,
I have been working on the same question because I wanted to know the
relationship between the depth of field and the optimum z-axis step to
choose for collecting a z-series.  Please find attached  a couple of web
pages I am currently putting the finishing touches on that addresses this
issue and lateral resolution.  These will be included on our web site
http://www.mcb.arizona.edu/IPC/whole_site.htm when they are done and will
include the ability to calculate DOF for objectives/wavelengths not
represented in the chart.  As you can see, my approach is strictly
mathmatical, different than Martin's, and may provide a general answer that
doesn't take into account the idiosyncrancies of your particluar objectives.
However, for my purposes, I think that it is sufficient to answer my
question.
Hope this helps.

Carl

Carl A. Boswell
Dept. of Mol. Cell. Biology
Univ. of Arizona
(520) 626-8469
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Meredith Wallwork" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, April 29, 2002 9:31 PM
Subject: thickness of optical sections


> Search the CONFOCAL archive at
> http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal
>
> I need to calculate the thickness of an optical section in the confocal
> microscope at a particular magnification. Is there an easy to go about
> this?
>
> Meredith
> --
> Dr. Meredith Wallwork
>
> Senior Electron Microscopist
> CEMMSA
> (Centre for Electron Microscopy & MicroStructure Analysis)
> University of Adelaide
> Ph: (61 8) 8303 4692 (Office 8303 5855)
> Fax: (61 8) 8303 4356
> http://www.adelaide.edu.au/CEMMSA
>
> Manager, Confocal Microscope Facility
> Department of Horticulture, Viticulture and Oenology
> Waite Campus, University of Adelaide
> Ph  (61 8) 8303 6523
> Fax (61 8) 8303 7116
> http://www.waite.adelaide.edu.au/HVO/confocal