Udo,

If zoomed to the same size, the resolution and all other aspects of image
quality, including pixellation, should be the same.

Dave Beebe

Udo Friedrich wrote:

> Thanks to everyone for the comments.
>
> I imply from the statements obtained that a 63x lens satisfies
> most applications because its high NA brings us very high
> resolution. Beside the physical resolution the magnification seems to
> be important to enable a given detector to record all resolvable
> details. Would Mark Auty's 100/1.4 thus resolve better than a
> 63/1.4? Would (image) pixelation of a given bacterial cell
> obtained by the x100 lens thus appear less grainy if both
> images were zoomed to the same size?
>
> Udo Friedrich
>
> > While eveyone (including myself) has pointed out that the 63x lens is
> > (likely) the best for the job on resolution criteria or on cost/benefit
> > analyses, another point needs to be mentioned.  While it is clearly
> > advantageous to have high mag for examining little things (like bacteria),
> > many microbial ecology studies require analysis of many cells or the
> > spatial relationship between groups of cells.  Thus, the size of the
> > field-of-view becomes quite important.  Until confocal manufacturers design
> > an electronic "shrink"  - the counterpart of zoom :) ;) - a low mag lens is
> > often necessary to see these relationships.  The strategy is to show
> > clearly that the phenomenon in fact occurs at the level of the single cell
> > (the ground-truthing procedure), then take to the air (low mag lens) for
> > the satellite confirmation of large scale activity.
> > Rob Palmer
> > CEB/UT
> >
> > >Dear Udo
> > >
> > >I have used the x63 Apochromat to look at bacteria in cheese using
> > >and LSM 310 - I can see the smaller bugs (eg lactococci) but I agree
> > >that it is not satisfactory. We ended up buying a Zeiss plan-
> > >Apochromat x100 (NA1.4) lens - this lens is excellent, but then it
> > >should be since it cost £3,500! Using this oil immersion lens we can
> > >visualise small coccoid orgamisms,spores,  cross walls between
> > >dividing bacteria as well as some internal structures. I haven't
> > >tried a specific probe yet - we are just want to see the general
> > >distribution of bacteria. I think you need to get a x100 lens of some
> > >description in order to get a decent view of bacterial cells.
> > >
> > >Hope this helps
> > >Mark Auty
> > >Dairy Products Research Centre
> > >Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland.
> > >[log in to unmask]
> > >tel 00353 2542447
> > >fax 00353 2542340
> >
> _____________________________
> Udo Friedrich
> AG. Microbiology
> Faculty of Biology/Chemistry
> University of Osnabrueck
> D-49076 Osnabrueck
> Germany
> _____________________________



--
David C. Beebe, Ph.D.,  Cataract Research Center
Jules and Doris Stein RPB Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington Univ. Sch. Med.
Campus Box 8096, 660 S. Euclid Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63110 USA
314.362.1621 (office); 314.747.1588 (lab); 314.747.1405(fax)