Thanks, its encouraging that H2B-GFP worked for you, I will try it.

If needed I will search for Incucyte or Cell-IQ.

I also heard of the plasmids like Fucci etc, but I think they mostly focus on G0/1 and I want to  focus on  the mitotic stages.

I would suggest DIC (Nomarski) optics. No fluorescence, not any kind of interference with cell cycle and very clear imaging of chromatin condensation, nuclear envelope rim and cell shape. If your microscope is equipped with DIC you need nothing more!

I'm completely agree with previous colleague Emmanuel Panteris suggested only DIC(or Nomarski) if you need to identify just mitotic phases, chromatin condnsation and cell shape. However, to see more details in living/fixed cells, say if you need to identify specific chromosomal domains in the same cell before and after live cell imaging, for example, such as NOR's, using postfixation immunolabeling,  it would be beter to apply parallel acquisitionin in both DIC and fluorescent regimes. To me, the best solution for living cells progression trough mitotic phases and target post fixation immunolabeling of same cells is LCM imaging using visualisation (simultaneous) by DIC  and fluorescence regimes of histone H2B-GFP parmanently/transiently transfected cells. Basing on my own experience He-La cells stably transfected with histone H2B-GFP are  good enough to distinguish all mitotic stages as well as some more details if necessary. Just merge DIC and fluorescent images afterwards! Please, take in account that for target immunolabeling if desired you need to seed working culture in grided boxes!

Good luck!

it is quite painstaking to follow cell-cycle with high resolution for details on a microscope. albeight DIC sounds a cheap solution considering illumination, do you have equipment to manage a 24-36 hours detection cycle with multiple fileds and automatized detection in situ? i would suggest to synchronize the cells, albeight your treating unknown for me. i mean those two are not compatible probably. 

Although certainly not as sexy as the others, phase contrast will certainly show condensation of chromosomes and progression through mitosis. Also for time lapse, phase is a little more forgiving than DIC as far as the plan of focus goes.  DIC will give better resolution however.

http://www.lifetechnologies.com/uk/en/home/life-science/cell-analysis/cell-viability-and-regulation/cell-cycle/live-cell-imaging-of-cell-cycle-and-division.html

thanks everyone.

You can also combine a phase-contrast microscope with a computer...

Best regards

Robert