Would this be possible? Advice needed!

Howdy all,

Basically all I have is a microscope and a camera. I take my pictures by putting the camera up to the eyepiece. I'm wondering if, without purchasing any additional equipment, there is any way I can improve this set-up. Is there a way to forge a tube to attach the camera to the eyepiece? Reading posts on here has given me the idea that this would be possible. The key is "without buying equipment!" Way too broke right now. A piece of PVC pipe or something, of course, would be doable.

The main reason I would want this is so I can start learning how to work with Combine-Z. I would really, really appreciate hearing if anyone has done anything similar to this, what kind of problems to avoid or things to look for, ideas, tips, advice. Really would appreciate it! I will make it worth your while by sharing great new mineral photos:)

Thanks for any input everyone!

Ben Kirchner

By the time you bought the materials to make an adapter you could just buy a ~$29 shipped digiscoping adapter to use and it would perform far better and be more stable and produce higher image quality.

Hey that sounds good! Do you have any links?

Pardon my naivety but I assumed for a while that it couldn't be done and I was stuck until I could afford some decent equipment, then for some reason I realized today that I was most likely being completely ignorant.

Thanks! I'll look into it; any specific ones you like?

Ben Kirchner

Hi Ben,
best way is the simplest.
90% of its own macro I made reverse-lens system. On attach file you see power reverse-lense ;)
( First picture show size aquamarine and finger show detail for reverse-lense - second picture is result)

[www.strahlen.org] -here much and much information about Combine ZM, Combine ZP etc. - here I learned a great deal.
You can find here many tips on the photo-setup and much photographic processes.


[www.strahlen.org] - here link on topic Amateur photo over microscope

[www.mindat.org] - and for example here is some result with my setup .

Vita



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 10/20/2009 07:01AM by Vítězslav Snášel.

Hi,

Yes Ben, it's possible to fix your camera to the eyepiece of the microscope.
What you do is you take a PVC tube that neatly fits around the eyepiece, make three tapered holes in it at a 180 degree angle, put three fitting screws in those, glue the plastic ring covering the bayonet of your camera on the other side and you're ready.
Here are a few photos of the set-up, first the home made tube, then the set-up. Third photo is my other set-up with an "official" factory made phototube on my other microscope.

Cheers

Harjo

Here ya go:
[cgi.ebay.com]

Just make sure your zoom does NOT hit the adapter, can jam camera. Adapter works well with most all cameras, just a few with lenses that extend very far may not work.

Vita Harjo and Jamey, thank you so much!

I sincerely appreciate your input. I am going to consider all your advice but it definitely seems that with all three options I will be able to come up with something workable. Wow!!! Hopefully soon I will be able to start working with Combine-Z and have some fine depth-enhanced photos. Thank you so much everyone!

Ben Kirchner

These were all taken with a cheapo Sony DSC-S750 + the digiscoping adapter on my scope using darkfield and/or combo of darkfield and overhead lighting, didn't have my fiber optic lighting at the time. Click to see full image and details.
[www.flickr.com]
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Jamey,

Thanks for sharing those. They look great - I would be pleased to be getting those kinds of results. Is that the exact same adapter that is on eBay? If you look at my pictures on here, you can see why I want to upgrade my equipment! Are those all single shots, or combined with Combine-Z or such? I think my pictures would improve tremendously with just a perfectly stable shot - I'm just holding my camera, so obviously it moves a little and adds blurriness. At 112.5x any extra blur is not appreciated!

I'm kind of having trouble visualizing how that adapter works - I'm kind of oblivious to these things until I try them out myself. However, if I could get guaranteed assurance (or as close as you can do personally, obviously not gonna hold you to a contract!) that it would work, I'll probably go ahead and order one. I'm just using a Canon Powershot and a Chinese-made stereo scope. The eyepieces are slightly smaller than the tip of the camera when it's extended. If you could give me some insight to how it works then I'd greatly appreciate it.

Thanks a lot for your help - if it all works out I'll be really, really happy!

Ben Kirchner

What model Canon?

Yes, that is the exact adapter I use with my Sony and scope to get the above results.

Yes, most are single shots, no stacking involved. When shooting inclusions I seldom ever find the need to stack, only when shooting more 3D type subjects do I find it necessary and even then 2-3 shots max tends to be enough, unlike with a dSLR where I need to stack 4-5 instead to cover same focal range.

How the adapter works is the flat part is where the camera mounts to the plate like on a tripod and it is adjustable up/down and front to back. Then you place the clamp part over the ocular on your scope or trinoc port/eyepiece and adjust the platform up/down & front/back for your camera to focus properly in macro mode. There is typically a bit of vignetting, but that is going to happen when digiscoping. The main thing to be careful of is that when focusing your lens does NOT smack into the mount, so you need to make sure it is back far enough that when you zoom and/or focus the lens has clearance between it and the mount so as not to damage your camera lens, but that is common sense really.

Hope this answers your questions.