Search the CONFOCAL archive at
http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

If you remove the pinhole the microscope will approximate a true wide
field instrument. However, there may be other apertures in the system
that may act as (very) wide pinholes and produce a low level of
confocality. The simplest way to test the wide field performance is to
take a thin fluorescent sample an see how much the signal drops as you
focus through it.

Hope this helps.

Regards Mark

David Knecht wrote:

> Search the CONFOCAL archive at
> http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal
>
> Is the excitation spot size for a laser scanning confocal microscope
> the same as that of an epifluorescence widefield microscope (same
> objective, etc.)?  Put another way, if I removed the PMT pinhole,
> would I get an image comparable to a widefield image?  Thanks- Dave
> --
>
> Dr. David Knecht
> Department of Molecular and Cell Biology
> University of Connecticut
> 91 N. Eagleville Rd.   U-3125
> Storrs, CT 06269-3125
> [log in to unmask]
> 860-486-2200      860-486-4331 (fax)
> home page: http://www.sp.uconn.edu/~mcbstaff/knecht/knecht.html