Diffuser for dissecting scope videography

[NickMDal]

Hi. I have an old Leica with 1.5, 2 and 3x plan achros. Am using a Canon T5i to shoot at 1080P/30. Have found it takes an immense amount of light to get good looking HD video, at least with this setup.

So I am using all of these at once, at full power

LED 8WD
Newer CN160 (660 lumens)
Fenix FD40 (1000 lumens) - helps the most. Used with flat diffuser

These lights at full allow the T5i to go down to 400 ISO, getting rid of most grain. The light is still specular.

Any suggestions for a dome, maybe 6 inches in diameter? I've googled for an hour and nothing satisfactory.

[Scarodactyl]

I think plastic bowls are a popular choice.
What type of microscope is this, out of curiosity? Typically a dissecting scope would be a stereo, but this doesn't sound like any Leica stereo I know (and I think I know them all). Or is it an old Leitz maybe?

[NickMDal]

Thanks. I am looking for something that is mostly transparent since so much light is needed. The minimum opacity to give good diffusion. What kind of plastic bowl?

I've tried styrofoam cups but too much light is lost. Lens paper or white tea filter paper are quite good but hard to work with.

Here is the scope with a Nikon MDC. I have a Nikon binocular head that works well in place of the c-mount,

[NickMDal]

After another 90 minutes of googling, think I'll try a dome from a Gary Fong diffuser.

[75RR]

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You might want to try with half a ping-pong ball

[Scarodactyl]

Oh, that's really cool! Looks like a custom setup based on their forensic comparison scopes, just with a single light path.

You probably want to ask this over at photomacrography as well. This is more their wheelhouse.

[NickMDal]

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You might want to try with half a ping-pong ball

Funny I seriously debated between a glow in the dark ping pong ball and an oversized 55mm ball, vs 40. I may still try them. Opted for the Gary Fong diffuser because of the wider diameter, which would allow it to sit higher over the sample so I could move the stage freely. Thanks for the suggestion!

I'll check out the other board, thanks!