International Review of Educational Cinematography (Jan-Dec 1931)

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— IOOI — of magnification are obtained by the use of certain types of objectives employed without eye-pieces. The use of the term « faults » so often applied to microscope objectives seems singularly inappropriate when one has in mind the achievements of some of the world's leading producers of these optical gems. We will remark, instead, that microscope lenses have certain inherent qualities concerning definition, flatness of field, depth of focus and so on which taken together make the production of the photomicrographs a much more complex business than it might at first appear. The necessity for a great deal of careful consideration becomes apparent when we discover that in aiming at a definite result one may have the choice of half a dozen different methods of procedure, each with its particular advantages and drawbacks ; and the value of expereince becomes equally evident when we are faced with the chance of filming some priceless irrepeatable episode — the hatching of some tiny egg or what not — and have a painfully precarious five minutes in which to assemble an outfit of camera, microscope and illuminant. At the period of my introduction to films I had acquired a certain amount of experience in the production of still photomicrographs of living creatures, sufficient to enable me to judge at any rate, that my usual methods would be quite useless for the new field of activity. Appliances with which I experienced considerable difficulty in getting a picture of a living organism on a quarter-plate were obviously not likely to be much use in the case of a film less than an inch square. Endeavouring to avoid unnecessary outlay by the utilisation of oddments in stock the following outfit was devised. A Russian iron lantern containing a very imposing battery of acetylene burners was sealed up to prevent the emission of any stray light. An abnormal number of condensers were employed, the inner one of which, promptly cracking, protected the remainder. In the centre of the front condenser was placed a sphere of plasticine, which, in conjunction with one's thumb, formed an excellent adjustable stop. A crude microscope was built in front of the lantern, with a mechanical stage for the object. Low power objectives only were used, without eyepieces. Light excluding devices connected the front of the condensers with the underside of the stage. The outfit was now a projecting microscope of quite reasonable efficiency and would throw a brilliant dark-ground picture upon a suitable screen. The whole was mounted upon a heavy mechanical tripod. The camera was placed facing this apparatus. Its front was removed and an area around the gate opening painted blue.. The method of working was quite simple. Pond organisms in cells or tanks were placed upon the stage, focussed upon the film visible in the gate opening, centred approximately by the mechanical stage and then, as an assistant turned the handle, kept in the picture by the tripod mechanism. The blue patch