microscope conversion - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: p.larner
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 17, 2024, 05:06:54 pm
content: can a microscope like this be fitted with a camera to display on a monitor,if so any recomendations how to do it,ie focal length etc. i have access to a lath+ milling machine etc.

author: jmelson
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 17, 2024, 05:32:21 pm
content: There are microscope cameras that are designed to plug in to the tube that the eyepiece fits into. Check the diameter of this tube to make sure the camera will fit it.Jon

author: p.larner
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 17, 2024, 05:44:27 pm
content: have you a link etc?

author: jpanhalt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 17, 2024, 08:31:35 pm
content: The simple answer is yes. Look up "camera microscope adapter." (https://amscope.com/products/ca-nik-slr)I used to use my CoolPix 900 that way. With its macro ability, all you needed was to hold it about 1" from the eyepiece. I made an adapter from PVC pipe. However, unless you have through the lense focusing, it is not easy to focus. I don't know how more modern cameras with autofocus work. A cell phone camera probably would work too.You probably will have better luck with the lowest power lenses for electronics. The microscope you show uses transmitted light and with higher powers, getting enough light on the subject is very hard to do.

author: magic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 18, 2024, 02:41:36 pm
content: This is a projection eyepiece which goes instead of normal eyepiece and works with interchangeable lens cameras.Placing a camera with built-in lens above a normal eyepiece is another technique.I see no point even thinking about any of that unless OP actually intends to observe biological slides and needs the camera for some reason.

author: jpanhalt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 18, 2024, 03:00:00 pm
content: I agree, a transmission scope like that is not usually used for electronics. A 10X or 3X objective might be usable in unusual circumstances. The attached images were done that way with transmitted light to illustrate using a dry erase ("white board") marker to darken a laser-printed transparency used as a mask for making PCB's. That was years ago. My main use was for histologic materials when my scope did not have a camera port.

author: p.larner
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2024, 11:08:36 am
content: well ive ordered these to tryhttps://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000059347771.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.11.30331802jGDJvChttps://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004170067253.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.5.21ef1802jKGXYnhope it works.

author: jpanhalt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2024, 01:20:13 pm
content: It looks like your microscope may have only 3 objectives. If the lowest power is 10X, which is common for that configuration, you might be well served to get a much lower power (e.g., 2X or 3X) and replace the oil immersion objective. Do save the latter in case you ever want to use the scope as a transmission microscope again for such specimens as blood smears.How do you plan to get that ring lamp fitted to that scope?

author: magic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2024, 06:23:36 pm
content: It's a small microscope for kids and the usual configuration is 4x/5x, 10x and 40x. No way there's oil immersion on such a thing.The front objective is labeled 10x0.25 so the right one is prolly 5x0.12 and that's the least hopelessly useless one.

author: jpanhalt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2024, 06:51:30 pm
content: @MagicYou are probably right. I could not read the objective on the left. This link did not help, although it did not mention oil:https://www.qsl.net/g6pje/OPAX.htmlUnfortunately, I originally did not blow up the original image enough.However, if the poster can get a 2X cheaply, it would still be an advantage as getting sufficient light on the subject will be easier than with either of the two longer lenses. A lot of inexpensive microscopes advertise 1000X magnification (or more), which is usually useless.

author: magic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 26, 2024, 07:04:16 pm
content: Note that it seems to use short barrel objectives. Another problem with some small microscopes is that they may use non-RMS thread.There are so many things wrong with the whole idea it's not even funny. For instance, any cheap eyepiece camera has terrible crop factor.