Connecting dslr camera to trinocular tube

[Tartigrade]

Ok, I’ve got some very basic questions that show my inexperience, but here goes.

1. Why don’t you need a lens attached to your DSLR in order to take pictures of images under the microscope?

2. Do you need an eyepiece in the trinocular tube to take pictures? How does the camera get connected to the trinocular port on the scope? I have a Nikon d5300 camera - do I simply need a c-mount to f-mount adapter?

The microscope - a Nikon Eclipse E200 - is arriving Friday, and I’m basically clueless.

Best.

[jfiresto]

If the it ends with a c-mount, the photo tube already has a lens that should project a real image, 17.526 mm above the flange. The crux is then: what is the diameter of that image and does it need correction?

You will need a relay lens between the c-mount and a DSLR camera, to enlarge the image and re-project it, further above the flange, onto the camera's image sensor – if you want to go that route.

[MichaelG.]

1. because the [appropriate] eyepiece can project a real image directly onto the sensor.
2a. very probably
2b. probably not

Sorry, it's nearly bedtime here so I can't explain at length tonight.

Have a look around the forum and you will find numerous discussions about this.
... and also about 'afocal' set-ups, where you do use a camera lens.

MichaelG.

.

P.S. ... jfiresto beat me to a response

[jfiresto]

The E200 brochure shows the pieces that can go into the phototube to attach a camera:

nikon_e200_c_mount.gif (10.93 KiB) Viewed 4337 times

They provide the C-mount. This page has component drawings. I better stop there as I am not a Nikon guy.

[Scarodactyl]

You need a few pieces, but it isn't so bad on nikons.
I don't think that directly adapting an aps-c camera with no intervening optics is typically an option on these, though I haven't worked on an eclipse so it might be worth exploring. That being said, Nikon's own solutions for dslrs all use projective eyepieces.
For the Nikon solution, as illustrated above, first you need a Y-T tube (this is probably already attached). The Y-T tube ends in a 38mm smooth female barrel with a set screw.
Into this, you'll want to put a 38mm camera adapter that accepts a photo eyepiece (in this case a Nikon PLI projective eyepiece), called a "V-T" adapter (not pictured in the diagram above). You need to put a PLI projective eyepiece into it. 2.5x PLI eyepieces are somewhat available at semi-reasonable prices and are good for full frame photography, and not that bad for aps-c either. They come in 30mm and 23mm variants, and the camera adapters do as well. The camera adapters end in a 42mm smooth bore with a set screw, and you'll need to get a spacer of appropriate length that will go into the 42mm hole at one end and attach to your camera at the other. My typical solution for this would be to buy a 42mm to m42 adapter, which you can get on eBay, and build up the length with M42 spacers and an m42 helicoid for fine adjustments, but you can also get purpose-specific adapters for this from companies like Diagnostic Instruments. It's just a tube, though, so don't spend big money on a brand name unless you find a cheap one used.
I actually have an extra V-T tube (with a 30mm bore). I also have a Nikon clone stereoscope fully set up for a DSLR (so, V-T tube, 2.5 pli eyepiece, diagonostic instruments spacer and canon adapter attached, though it can attach to anything with an m42 adapter), but not currently in use. The adapters are all the same as for the eclipse series as far as I can tell (the projective eyepiece definitely is). I could be persuaded to part with either of these if you have difficulty finding the appropriate parts.

[Tartigrade]

I actually have an extra V-T tube (with a 30mm bore). I also have a Nikon clone stereoscope fully set up for a DSLR (so, V-T tube, 2.5 pli eyepiece, diagonostic instruments spacer and canon adapter attached, though it can attach to anything with an m42 adapter), but not currently in use. The adapters are all the same as for the eclipse series as far as I can tell (the projective eyepiece definitely is). I could be persuaded to part with either of these if you have difficulty finding the appropriate parts.

Interesting idea! I'll keep it in mind as I proceed with my research.

All of the replies here have been very(!!!!) helpful. Thank you.

[Dave S]

Have a look at my 'thread[ at viewtopic.php?f=9&t=7628&start=150

It follows my journey through the trials and tribulations along the road to being able to successfully image via the 'photo tube' of a Trioc microscope.

Its a very long 'thread', but the solution appears at Page 6.