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Attaching DSLR to Nikon E200

Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2019 5:26 am
by wtrv
Hello,

I'm thinking about attaching a DSLR camera (Nikon D3400) to the phototube of a Nikon E200... but I'm honestly having difficulty navigating the realm of adapters outside of C-mounts.

What must I use/purchase to connect these two devices? I have the "trinocular tube" and "Y-T TV tube" according to the Nikon product listing (also pictured, minus the camera + metal insert):
https://d33b8x22mym97j.cloudfront.net/p ... 0408074756

Quick additional question: what do I use to cover the phototube when not in use? Is it just a standard lens cap or something?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Re: Attaching DSLR to Nikon E200

Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2019 6:30 am
by MichaelG.
Interesting question ...
Given that the System Diagram appears to only reference C-mount cameras ... you will probably neeed an after-market attachment.

The [missing] dust-cap looks simple, but might well be pricey; and it may not be any use once have attached your camera adapter.
... I would search the grocery shelves for suitably-sized bottle caps !

MichaelG.

Re: Attaching DSLR to Nikon E200

Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2019 2:06 pm
by MichaelG.
I've just found the spec. for the DS-Fi3 camera that Nikon mentions:
https://www.microscope.healthcare.nikon ... ifications

Note the sensor size; which is small in comparison to your DSLR

MichaelG.

Re: Attaching DSLR to Nikon E200

Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2019 3:04 pm
by Scarodactyl
You'll need one of the CF PLI 2.5x (for full frame, 2x would be better for aps c but they're expensive) projective eyepieces mounted in the photo tube and your camera mounted above. I don't know what the right Nikon part is unfortunately that goes into that 38mm hole, accepts a 23mm projective and holds the camera the right distance above it (it does exist), but you could improvise it with third party mechanical adapters.
Not as easy as a c mount though. For the ds-fi2 on my nikom smz1500 I just needed a single reducing adapter, and could get an inexpensove used one by Diagnostic Instruments. Small sensor but a pretty nice camera, especially with the fancy tablet. I am not sure why enlarging adapters require so much more length and are so much more expensive than reducing ones.

Re: Attaching DSLR to Nikon E200

Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2019 4:42 pm
by MichaelG.
Scarodactyl wrote:You'll need ...
Good to have someone who knows the Nikon system ... I would struggle to know what was available.

MichaelG.
.

Edit: Despite that admission ^^^ I've just found this nice friendly page :!:
https://www.lmscope.com/en/nikon_eclips ... er_en.html

Re: Attaching DSLR to Nikon E200

Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2019 7:04 pm
by jfiresto
MichaelG. wrote:... I've just found this nice friendly page :!:
https://www.lmscope.com/en/nikon_eclips ... er_en.html
I am trying to understand that website's microscope camera ratings. I am presently testing a micro four-thirds, Olympus E-PL7, which promises to be a very happy addition to my microscope's ISO 38mm photoport. The site ranks the camera as the 86th best and only two out of four stars. I would give it another star just for the inexpensive, no-optics, no-fuss adapters it needed!

Re: Attaching DSLR to Nikon E200

Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2019 7:36 pm
by MichaelG.
jfiresto wrote:
MichaelG. wrote:... I've just found this nice friendly page :!:
https://www.lmscope.com/en/nikon_eclips ... er_en.html
I am trying to understand that website's microscope camera ratings.
Sorry, I can't help you there ... it makes no sense to me either.

MichaelG.

Re: Attaching DSLR to Nikon E200

Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2019 8:01 pm
by Hobbyst46
MichaelG. wrote:
jfiresto wrote:
MichaelG. wrote:... I've just found this nice friendly page :!:
https://www.lmscope.com/en/nikon_eclips ... er_en.html
I am trying to understand that website's microscope camera ratings.
Sorry, I can't help you there ... it makes no sense to me either.

MichaelG.
Out of curiosity, I went over the camera ranking list and read both "details" and camera reviews of at least 10 cameras.

IMO, the ranking, or rating, is inherently inconsistent. There are several obvious camera key properties, such as the maximum ISO, posibbility of remote-control by software, no. of MPs, etc. The reviewers weight them inconsistently, or perhaps admix in other, unspecified considerations (e.g. perhaps how they like the photos). For example, a camera without remote control still received 5 star; a camera weight of 1Kg was not considered a significant weak point; a camera of only 12 MP recived a very high score, etc. I have a feeling that each camera was rated by comparison to its predecessors or contemporaries, so the scores are implicitly influenced by the year when it was tested.

What I also dislike is that LM sells adapters for cameras that are openly disqualified (by the same reviewers!) for microphotography.

On the other hand, their "details" tables provide a quick survey of the camera's features (regretfully, except for the weight and average price).

Re: Attaching DSLR to Nikon E200

Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2019 8:08 pm
by jfiresto
MichaelG. wrote:Sorry, I can't help you there ... it makes no sense to me either....
I believe the OP's E200 is topped with an ISO-38 photo port. I was just quietly considering a Plan B in case coupling the D3400 proves too expensive or too much hassle.

Re: Attaching DSLR to Nikon E200

Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2019 9:11 pm
by MichaelG.
Using the tool on the page that I linked gets us to:
https://www.lmscope.com/en/lmscope_out2 ... mit=Search

Not exactly cheap ... but the Data Sheets contain all the relevant details.

MichaelG.

Re: Attaching DSLR to Nikon E200

Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2019 4:35 am
by Scarodactyl
I like lmscope in general. They give a bit more information than most dealers in microscopes and micrpscope accessories and I have found it helpful in understanding what was needed for configuring a few different scope's camera adapters. And even if the absolute ratings aren't always helpful their camera reviews contain lots of good information, especially for beginners or quick reference. Their recommendation of the canon eos t6 as a solid inexpensove option has worked very well for me. Like any information from a dealer (particularly a dealer being given time on expensove equipment like a leica 205c or a nikon smz25) it has to be sifted and filtered.

Re: Attaching DSLR to Nikon E200

Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2019 4:44 am
by 75RR
MichaelG. wrote: Not exactly cheap ...
I was frankly shocked when I looked up the connection that would fit my setup and saw the price. Even by Institutional standards I can't see anyway to justify those prices.

Re: Attaching DSLR to Nikon E200

Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2019 6:54 am
by MichaelG.
75RR wrote:
MichaelG. wrote: Not exactly cheap ...
I was frankly shocked when I looked up the connection that would fit my setup and saw the price. Even by Institutional standards I can't see anyway to justify those prices.
And there lies the importance of the words that you didn't include when you quoted me ;)
... but the Data Sheets contain all the relevant details.
MichaelG.

Re: Attaching DSLR to Nikon E200

Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2019 8:40 pm
by Scarodactyl
I've spent a little more time looking at my equipment and doing some searching (sort of a follow-up to work I did on my SMZ-1500 before the nikon camera system was sort of dropped in my lap).
This is the missing link here, picture from the SMZ-1500 manual:
Image
That "photomicrographic equipment adapter", no part number. Funnily if you zoom way in you can see it says "SMZ-10A" on the side. That has the correct diameter hole to accept the projective eyepiece, and then opens up into a 42mm hole at the top which you can mount the camera on.
That might be a pain to track down. I haven't seen one (not that I've been actively looking though). If you do you might find one used for a decent price, or it may be way overpriced.
Or you can try this instead:
Image
Image
One 38mm to m42 adapter from eBay, m42 spacers and one old bausch and lomb stereo microscope ocular (maybe a pain to find one loose, but b&l parts and parts units are ubiquitous and inexpensive--way easier and cheaper than tracking down the nikon part). The b&l ocular fits snugly inside those spacers and will stay put even when tilted. Put the 2.5x pli projective into the ocular, add more m42 spacers above and adapt your camera with a standard m42 adapter. It may take some experimentation to get the spacing just right, both in positioning the eyepiece and the camera above it, so it might make sense to use m42 helicoids. This is definitely what I will do if I ever sell that Nikon camera setup and put my dslr onto my smz-1500.

Re: Attaching DSLR to Nikon E200

Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2019 6:44 pm
by Scarodactyl
Just as a quick followup, I tried the above setup on my SMZ-1500 (actually the above setup with a different ocular, looks like that one is a touch too wide and would need sandpapering) with a non-infinite 2.5x PL projective and couldn't get it to work. Not sure if the PLI is mandatory, or if the objective sits too high, or if it sits too low or what. I suspect both that the PLI is mandatory and possibly also that the objective sits too high (it does not form an image to my eye at the lowest in-mount configuration, but does form an image if held lower inside the trinoc port). I may track down a PLI to try it with.
It might be a good idea to contact Nikon to see if that part is available, though. It seems like it was used across a range of different scopes. I may attempt that myself later this week.

Re: Attaching DSLR to Nikon E200

Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2019 10:56 pm
by Scarodactyl
wtrv wrote:Hello,

I'm thinking about attaching a DSLR camera (Nikon D3400) to the phototube of a Nikon E200... but I'm honestly having difficulty navigating the realm of adapters outside of C-mounts...
I just stumbled across what is probably the necessary adapter for your system while looking for a beamsplitter. I actually bid on it thinking it was a beamsplitter, but I only bid the minimum amount. If you are interested any bid over that should likely guarantee you win it. Otherwise I'll use it on my SMZ-1500, so no sweat either way.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/303190908673

Re: Attaching DSLR to Nikon E200

Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2019 5:00 am
by Scarodactyl
While looking for something unrelated I found this post: https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... 0348#90348
It looks like for your system you just need a y-TV mount (I think you already have this) and a V-T mount, plus a PLI 2x or 2.5x projective lens, and probably a 42mm adapter tube for your dslr. I have seen both the y-tv and v-t mounts on eBay, though they aren't insanely cheap. Given the spacing on the V-t tube I suspect that my home-made solution posted above would actually work just fine, as long as you had the right PLI projective.

Re: Attaching DSLR to Nikon E200

Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2019 4:48 am
by wtrv
Thanks for the info everyone! Yeah it looks like professional solutions will cost upwards of $1000, just crazy. So it looks like in terms of cheaper solutions, just attaching the camera to the eyepieces would be way less expensive probably. A shame since I have a trinocular setup with YT-TV tube already.

On the other hand, I did some searching of my own and found this aftermarket adapter: https://www.ebay.com/itm/264285357957
but based on the posts I've read here it might need a reducing lens still? Not sure how this adapter would work with it exactly. I'm guessing the image quality would be reduced without it. For those with camera experience, is this a good buy for a working solution?

Re: Attaching DSLR to Nikon E200

Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2019 5:50 am
by Scarodactyl
Not quite 1000 to have the full Nikon solution if you buy used parts.
You just need the V-T tube, the PLI projective lens inside it, and then the part you linked above slides into the top.
Here is a V-t on eBay, 108usd obo: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Nikon-Stereo-P ... 2964448872
This is the cheapest 2.5x PLI I know of for sale. I have not bought from dealcorner but have seen them recommended. 125usd https://www.dealcorner.com/Nikon-Accessories/
The 2.5x crops a bit on aps-c but I don't mind on mine.
Not mega-cheap but, aside from potential sensor size mismatch if you don't use full frame, pretty much the ideal solution.