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Shalin,

	Most color cameras have a mosaic in front of the
CCD so each pixel sees just one color.  Then an algorithm
is used to assign colors so that the final image does
have its full pixel count.  A better, but slower,
alternative is a filter-wheel in front of the camera.
The best is a 3-chip camera but these are very expensive
and difficult to make so they're quite rare.

	Problems with color cameras is that they often
will not show the fluorescence as it appears to the eye.
Violet fluorescence, for example, will appear blue.  If
there is substantial infrared fluorescence it will appear
pretty much random in color depending on the IR transmission
of the filters, so an IR filter is useful (particularly if
chlorophyll is present).  But in the end a monochrome camera
with optimised barrier filters is the best way to go.

						Guy


Shalin Mehta wrote:
> Search the CONFOCAL archive at 
> http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal Dear List,
> 
> May be a naive question -  How does color camera translate spectral 
> content coming out of the emission filter in widefield fluorescence 
> microscope to RGB vlaues? Does it have three more RGB filters before CCD?
> 
> We have a zeiss axiocam and I tried to search for its data-sheet that 
> mentions how it works, but couldn't find it. Can anyone please pass it 
> to me?
> 
> Many thanks,
> Shalin
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> My co-ordinates:
> Shalin Mehta, Graduate student
> Graduate Programme in Bioengineering, NUS, Singapore
> Email: shalin {dot} mehta {at} gmail {dot} com
> Blog: electricsbm.blogspot.com <http://electricsbm.blogspot.com>
> Mobile: +65 90694182

-- 

Optical Imaging Techniques in Cell Biology
by Guy Cox    CRC Press / Taylor & Francis
    http://www.guycox.com/optical.htm
______________________________________________
Associate Professor Guy Cox, MA, DPhil(Oxon)
Electron Microscope Unit, Madsen Building F09,
University of Sydney, NSW 2006
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Phone +61 2 9351 3176     Fax +61 2 9351 7682
Mobile 0413 281 861
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http://www.guycox.net