Microscope photography beginner help

[likescookies]

We are considering buying my children a microscope for Christmas. I figured if we are going to do that, we should get one that I can readily hook my K7 up to for fun.

I think my best bet is a trinocular stereo microscope. I think one with LED illumination makes sense because I worry about the heat from halogens (snowflake photography, for instance, would be fun).

I want to be sure I buy a microscope that I can readily mount my K7 to, but I'm running out of time, so I'm turning to the community to help.


I'm considering http://store.amscope.com/sm-1t-pl.html or http://www.microscopenet.com/35x90x-trinocular-zoom-stereo-microscope-with-light-p-498.html

Though open to others. In terms of mounting my K7, is this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/PENTAX-DSLR...243?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cbd91904b what I need? Or are there other, better or cheaper ways to do it?

Anything I'm not thinking about that I should be? Is LED light reasonable for photography (I can have an AF-540FGZ so I can also use wireless flash instead or to supplement)?

Thank you!

 

[hanhait]

likescookies wrote:

We are considering buying my children a microscope for Christmas. I figured if we are going to do that, we should get one that I can readily hook my K7 up to for fun.

I think my best bet is a trinocular stereo microscope. I think one with LED illumination makes sense because I worry about the heat from halogens (snowflake photography, for instance, would be fun).

I want to be sure I buy a microscope that I can readily mount my K7 to, but I'm running out of time, so I'm turning to the community to help.

I'm considering http://store.amscope.com/sm-1t-pl.html or http://www.microscopenet.com/35x90x-trinocular-zoom-stereo-microscope-with-light-p-498.html

Though open to others. In terms of mounting my K7, is this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/PENTAX-DSLR...243?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cbd91904b what I need? Or are there other, better or cheaper ways to do it?

Anything I'm not thinking about that I should be? Is LED light reasonable for photography (I can have an AF-540FGZ so I can also use wireless flash instead or to supplement)?

Thank you!

The cheapest way is just mounting a webcam behing the oculair, just where your eyes would be.

In terms of resolution, a K7 or other DSLR is overkill, even the best microscopes do not have a resolution in one image that matches the DSLR pixels. As for exposure, both LED and halogens will be ok. I don't see how a flash could properly illuminate and object under the microscope, you just might need a somewhat long exposure with the LED/halogen as a source. The adapter you found appears ok, if it really will fit is diffucult to predict or guarantee, you should just try and hope.

If things fit, fun is guaranteed, real good quality will be difficult with rather cheap microscopes.

 

[miles green]

This sounds like a cool project. Unfortunately i can be of no help regarding the microscope, but there are some cheap led "flashes" on ebay, with something like 160 leds for 30 bucks or so. I don't have any experience with these either, but i could see how they'd be nice for macro, or even your microscopy project...

 

[ScaredAmoeba]

likescookies wrote:

We are considering buying my children a microscope for Christmas. I figured if we are going to do that, we should get one that I can readily hook my K7 up to for fun.

I think my best bet is a trinocular stereo microscope. I think one with LED illumination makes sense because I worry about the heat from halogens (snowflake photography, for instance, would be fun).

I want to be sure I buy a microscope that I can readily mount my K7 to, but I'm running out of time, so I'm turning to the community to help.

I'm considering http://store.amscope.com/sm-1t-pl.html or http://www.microscopenet.com/35x90x-trinocular-zoom-stereo-microscope-with-light-p-498.html

Though open to others. In terms of mounting my K7, is this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/PENTAX-DSLR...243?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cbd91904b what I need? Or are there other, better or cheaper ways to do it?

Anything I'm not thinking about that I should be? Is LED light reasonable for photography (I can have an AF-540FGZ so I can also use wireless flash instead or to supplement)?

Thank you!

I'm sorry that I can't (and won't) help with specific advice, because I'm just getting started myself and I don't want to mislead you.

My recommendatory is to join one or more microscopy user groups they're all over the .net and you will be amazed at the professionalism and expertise of the members, many are amateur, but very knowledgeable and some who are professionals and clearly extremely knowledgeable. They are very helpful and eager to encourage newcomers.

There are also numerous websites dedicated to microscopy and photomicrography.

I believe you will find these links interesting and useful:

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/ - Non-commercial amateur (but very informative) ste, just search to your heart's content.

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www.bbka.org.uk

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www.bbka.org.uk

Good luck!

 

[viking79]

I would find one that doesn't have dual eyepieces (binocular) if you are using it for photography, unless you are trying to take 3d pictures with two K-7's and merging the photos in software A monocular microscope will likely be cheaper too.

Eric

 

[Joseph S Wisniewski]

viking79 wrote:

I would find one that doesn't have dual eyepieces (binocular) if you are using it for photography, unless you are trying to take 3d pictures with two K-7's and merging the photos in software A monocular microscope will likely be cheaper too.

It's not a problem, a trinocular stereoscope like the one pictured only sends the image from one objective to the camera port.

 

[Joseph S Wisniewski]

likescookies wrote:

We are considering buying my children a microscope for Christmas. I figured if we are going to do that, we should get one that I can readily hook my K7 up to for fun.

I think my best bet is a trinocular stereo microscope.

Have your kids mentioned what they want to look at through the scope?

Stereoscopes

• Have the right magnification range (1-50x) for crystals, insects, watch parts, etc.
• Are easy for kids to maneuver, because they have inverting prisms, so the image moves in the same dimension you move the subject.
• Have huge working distances between the subject and lenses, so the kids can't hurt the subject or lens.

Compound (aka biological or universal) scopes

• Have the right magnification range (25-1000x, although 600x is a more practical limit) for cells, microelectronics, etc.
• Can be a bit harder to work.

I do most of my own work with a Nikon Optiphot, a heavy duty universal (metallurgical or biological, at whim) scope, and I use it mostly to entertain my inner child, LOL.

I think one with LED illumination makes sense because I worry about the heat from halogens (snowflake photography, for instance, would be fun).

Now that's a good job for a low power scope.

I want to be sure I buy a microscope that I can readily mount my K7 to, but I'm running out of time, so I'm turning to the community to help.

I'm considering http://store.amscope.com/sm-1t-pl.html or http://www.microscopenet.com/35x90x-trinocular-zoom-stereo-microscope-with-light-p-498.html


Though open to others. In terms of mounting my K7, is this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/PENTAX-DSLR...243?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cbd91904b what I need? Or are there other, better or cheaper ways to do it?

There's no "cheaper" way to do it. The photo port on a trinocular scope can't project directly on film or sensor, you need a projection lens. That adapter has exactly the magnification you need, 2x, to compliment the 10x eyepieces in the scope. (it's a bargain, just the 2.5x projection lens for my Nikon Optiphot scope cost about $120, used).

Anything I'm not thinking about that I should be? Is LED light reasonable for photography (I can have an AF-540FGZ so I can also use wireless flash instead or to supplement)?

Flash is very hard to set up. I can do that on my Optiphot, but it's a complicated setup with beamsplitters. If you want supplemental light, IKEA JANSJÖ gooseneck LED lamps are very popular for this kind of work.

 

[Joseph S Wisniewski]

hanhait wrote:

likescookies wrote:

We are considering buying my children a microscope for Christmas. I figured if we are going to do that, we should get one that I can readily hook my K7 up to for fun.

I think my best bet is a trinocular stereo microscope. I think one with LED illumination makes sense because I worry about the heat from halogens (snowflake photography, for instance, would be fun).

The cheapest way is just mounting a webcam behing the oculair, just where your eyes would be.

Not all that "cheap", considering you have to build a mount. But that's not the real issue...

In terms of resolution, a K7 or other DSLR is overkill, even the best microscopes do not have a resolution in one image that matches the DSLR pixels.

They come pretty close, LOL.


Take the resolution equation R = /(2NA).

For a Nikon 10x NA 0.30 (an objective you can typically find on eBay in the $200 range, hardly a criterion for "the best microscopes") you have.

• R = 560nm/(2*0.3) = 930nm.

That's a 10x eyepiece, used with a 2x projection occular on an APS DSLR, so the resolution on the sensor is 20x the above R, or

• 18.7um.

Doesn't sound like much, but that's not the pixel pitch on the sensor, it's the the resolution where you can distinguish two objects of the same color, so you need to park a pixel between them to distinguish that they're separate, so that objective and oracular match a 9.33um sensor. On a 24x16mm APS sensor, that's (24,000um / 9.33um) x (16,000um / 9.33um) =

• 2572x1714

That's bigger than 1080P HD. Got a webcam like that? 4.4mp?


(some people do the math based on the distance between green pixels, not any adjacent pixel regardless of color. In that case, you've got 5144x3428. 17.6mp, perfect match to a DSLR).

As for exposure, both LED and halogens will be ok. I don't see how a flash could properly illuminate and object under the microscope,

Position an LED source very near the flash, so you can use the LED to compose, the flash to expose. Kills a lot of the vibration problems you have with Pentax cameras on scopes.


Or, get fancy, and make the flash and LED coaxial by using semitransparent mirrors, although that's a bit tricky.

you just might need a somewhat long exposure with the LED/halogen as a source. The adapter you found appears ok, if it really will fit is diffucult to predict or guarantee, you should just try and hope.

If things fit, fun is guaranteed, real good quality will be difficult with rather cheap microscopes.

Agreed.

Although I've handled the Amscope in question, and it's surprisingly sturdy. Hate the stock lighting, though.


--
Rahon Klavanian 1912-2008. Armenian genocide survivor, amazing cook, scrabble master, and loving grandmother. You will be missed. Ciao! Joseph www.swissarmyfork.com