From static images to moving images, microphotography not only allows scientists to capture fleeting microscopic phenomena, but also allows ordinary people to glimpse the marvellous rhythms of life. The core of this technology lies in combining the optical path of the microscope with imaging devices (e.g., cameras, camcorders) to record dynamic changes in the sample in real time.
Optical microscopes convert optical signals in the eyepiece into electronic signals through an external digital camera or webcam; electron microscopes scan the sample using an electron beam, which is received by a detector and generates an image sequence. However, micrography also faces a balance between resolution and frame rate - high resolution requires long exposure times, which can lead to video jams; and the maintenance of sample activity - when observing living samples (e.g., cells), a constant temperature and humidity environment needs to be maintained to avoid the sample dying or deformation.
In terms of equipment selection, the basic model of optical microscope only requires a mobile phone holder with a smartphone, aligning the mobile phone lens with the eyepiece, and recording with the native camera APP, which is suitable for teaching demonstrations, such as observing the swimming of lacewings; the professional model requires a dedicated camera for the microscope, with a resolution of more than 5 megapixels, a frame rate of ≥30fps, and support for real-time transmission to the computer for analysis. In contrast, traditional electron microscopes can only capture static images because they require a vacuum environment, which can easily damage biological samples; while environmental scanning electron microscopes (ESEM) allow for a low vacuum environment, which allows for short-term recording of dynamic processes in moisture-containing samples, such as insect respiration and plant transpiration.
In medical research, scientists are assisting in the development of antibiotics by recording immune cells hunting down bacteria, or filming sperm movement for sperm screening in IVF. With a microscope and an inquisitive mind, you too can become a 'director' of the microscopic world. Try using a led light microscope, digital microscope amazon, 1600x microscope, etc. to film a drop of water in a pond, and you may be able to capture the wonderful image of a flea jumping like a slow-motion ballet.
