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Kathryn Spencer <[log in to unmask]> writes:

> Search the CONFOCAL archive at
> http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal
>
> Hello all;
> 	We are leaning toward the purchase of the Hamamatsu EMCCD
> camera. Would anyone be able to share their experience/recommendations
> for this camera? We do long-term live-cell timelapse microscopy,
> Yokogawa spinning disk, one frame/ 10 min, usually at 60-100x with 1.5x
> Optovar, looking at very tiny dendritic spines, labeled with eGFP and
> mCherry. However, we also look at lower magnification (10-20x) cell
> migration and cell spreading, one frame every 5 seconds or so. Nothing
> really fast (less than 1 second). We like the small(ish) pixel size, but
> also the ability to keep our exposure times short to keep the cells
> happy.

From your descriptions you are not trying to go fast so why go for a
EMCCD. Yes you will be able to fill its dynamic range with short
exposures but you will end up with noisy pictures. For the types of
experiments you specify you would be better off with a back-thinned
conventional CCD and not worry about the fact that your data only
takes up 1/5 or 1/10th of the cameras full dynamic range. You will
actually end up with less noisy data, see James Pawley's stuff at 
http://www.springer.com/cda/content/document/cda_downloaddocument/55_918to932.pdf?SGWID=0-0-45-359899-p81055696
Sorry about the long URL. This solution is also likely cheaper!

Ian