Embarking on a Microscopic Adventure: Building DIC for My Olympus BH2

As a passionate explorer of the microscopic world, I've decided to embark on an exciting journey: setting up Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) on my Olympus BH2 microscope. This technique, renowned for its ability to reveal stunning details in transparent specimens, promises to be a thrilling addition to my microscopy toolkit.

The image above is courtesy of Faruk at the Amatuer Microscopy facebook group. He has this technique set up on a Zeiss microscope, and this is an image of fungal spores at 1000x using oil objective. His description:

"It is a pleasure to be able to see 4x6 micron fungal spores so clearly at 1,000 times magnification. The slide I prepared with Congo red. Leica DM 2500 microscope, HC Pl Fluotar 100x1.32 oil immersion lens, single photo with Risingcam 20mp camera, with DIC system."

Choosing the Right Condenser

The first step in my adventure is selecting the perfect condenser. The Olympus lineup offers two main contenders: the UDC and the standard BH2-NC. The UDC stands out with its versatility, allowing swift transitions between DIC and other methods like darkfield—a feature that's particularly appealing for its adaptability.

Selecting Appropriate Objectives

Next, I turn my attention to the objectives. I think my Olympus SPLAN objectives may be already suitable - checking this out at the moment.. with fingers crossed. The standard Olympus S Plan objectives (10, 20, 40, 60 oil, 100) come highly recommended for DIC. These objectives are not just pieces of glass; they're the heart of the DIC setup, designed to synergize with the DIC prisms to produce images of exceptional quality.

Aligning the Prisms

The soul of DIC lies in the precise alignment of the Nomarski prisms. This intricate dance of optics is crucial for achieving the characteristic image contrast that DIC is famous for. It's a delicate task that requires patience and precision, but the results are well worth the effort.

Adjusting the Polarizers

Finally, the polarizers. These aren't your average polarized light microscopy components; they're fine-tuned specifically for DIC. Proper alignment is key to ensuring optimal light transmission and image quality, setting the stage for those breathtaking DIC images.

As I delve into this project, I'll be documenting each step of the process right here on my blog. From the triumphs to the challenges, I'll share my experiences in building and investigating DIC for my beloved BH2. So stay tuned, fellow microscopy enthusiasts, for updates on this microscopic odyssey!

I will post updates here, as more information becomes available, and progress on this exciting journey is achieved :)