The images below compare performance of the Intel Play QX3 Computer Microscope with and without the aid of an organized cone of illumination from a substage condenser containing an aperture diaphragm. The digital images are unretouched and were captured with the QX3 interactive software.
Daphnia are microscopic crustaceans that populate lakes and ponds throughout the world.
Most species are found in freshwater habitats, but a few occur in marine environments. Daphnia are an important part of the food chain, feeding on microscopic particles and providing food for fish. In the Great Lakes of North America, water fleas are the basic food of nearly all commercial fish species. Semi-transparent and lightly stained specimens are often very difficult to image using unaided brightfield optical microscopy. The images presented here were recorded using the Intel Play QX3 microscope in transmitted brightfield mode.