Frequently asked Questions

Scanning problems: bad images

Q: My confocal fluorescence scans show some blur and are not sharp at all!

Check DIC prism settings. Since DIC imaging is sometimes performed with the confocal (and widefield) microscopes, it is essential for everybody to check the correct positions of the polarizer and the DIC prism wheels.

People sometimes forget to set the DIC turret positions back to the brightfield position (generally labeled BF or HF). Colleagues using the microscope afterwards may not be aware of the change in settings and perform standard fluorescence scans with the prisms inserted. Especially at high magnifications/zoom factors, however, artifacts may be produced by the prisms (visible as blur, or as doubling of fine structures). Therefore, please:

1. Check the prism and polarizer settings at the beginning and the end of your session
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2. At the end of your session: set prism turrets and polarizers to their default (non-DIC) position. This will help to avoid both waste of time and bad scans.