Smartphone adapter

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ivangallego24
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Smartphone adapter

#1 Post by ivangallego24 » Sat Aug 31, 2019 9:58 am

Someone who has one of these could tell me if they are a good idea and what would be the best brands, since I am looking for one for my smartphone to take pictures with the microscope and with the telescope.

geo_man
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Re: Smartphone adapter

#2 Post by geo_man » Sat Aug 31, 2019 4:11 pm

Oliver posted a recommendation:
http://www.microbehunter.com/finally-a- ... icroscope/

I used a Magnifi 2 for iPhoneX which was great but phone-specific and a bit pricey.

Good luck!

Hobbyst46
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Re: Smartphone adapter

#3 Post by Hobbyst46 » Sat Aug 31, 2019 4:31 pm

I bought adapter and had to modify it because it was difficult to align the phones camera and scope eyepiece. I posted it about 2 years ago. Cant look for it now. Later next week i can try.

MikeBradley
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Re: Smartphone adapter

#4 Post by MikeBradley » Sat Aug 31, 2019 7:48 pm

I recently invested in this device and I'm very happy with it. The casing is customised for each phone model and it comes with a 10x lens installed making the installation as simple as changing an eyepiece. The unit comes with a set of adapters for different tube widths, including telescopes.

https://www.ilabcam.com/products/labcam-for-iphone

Michael
Olympus BH2,
AO110
Carl Zeiss Standard WL
Canon 90D

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Roldorf
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Re: Smartphone adapter

#5 Post by Roldorf » Sun Sep 01, 2019 8:12 am

MikeBradley wrote: The casing is customised for each phone model
As long as your smartphone is made by 'Apple'
Location: Northern Germany

Unknown Brand: Optika SFX 91: Bresser Science Infinity: Canon 4000d
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ivangallego24
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Re: Smartphone adapter

#6 Post by ivangallego24 » Sun Sep 01, 2019 12:53 pm

This has convinced me enough that you think of him?
https://www.bresser.de/es/Astronom-a-br ... ersal.html

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75RR
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Re: Smartphone adapter

#7 Post by 75RR » Sun Sep 01, 2019 1:34 pm

Well, for a start the seller has no idea how to use it. Clue: Best when flat!

One of the nice things about Amazon are the customer reviews: https://www.amazon.es/Bresser-Adaptador ... way&sr=8-1

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MicroBob
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Re: Smartphone adapter

#8 Post by MicroBob » Sun Sep 01, 2019 4:07 pm

Hi together,
our colleagues from Bonn have written an honest review of a smartphone adapter: http://www.mikroskopie-bonn.de/biblioth ... k/274.html
It is quite expensive but Jörg writes that it works well. It even has coaxial xy-controls to place the camera exactly over the eyepiece - high tech gadget.

Such a bicycle holder might be a good basis for a DIY solution: https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B07F6C ... UTF8&psc=1

Bob

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Re: Smartphone adapter

#9 Post by jfiresto » Sun Sep 01, 2019 7:01 pm

MicroBob wrote:Hi together,
our colleagues from Bonn have written an honest review of a smartphone adapter: http://www.mikroskopie-bonn.de/biblioth ... k/274.html

It is quite expensive....
Is this the one? I would not grumble if all my photo adapters cost that much.
-John

MicroBob
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Re: Smartphone adapter

#10 Post by MicroBob » Mon Sep 02, 2019 5:18 am

jfiresto wrote:
Sun Sep 01, 2019 7:01 pm
Is this the one?
Hi John,
I think this is the same adapter.
I saw it offered for 60-80€. A lot of money, but if all you do is arranged around your smartphone you might want your pictures on it too to carry around and send away. And the cameras of expensive smartphones are quite excellent as a microscope camera.


Bob

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Re: Smartphone adapter

#11 Post by jfiresto » Mon Sep 02, 2019 8:01 pm

I think I may pick up a Celestron NexYZ camera adapter the next time I am in the U.S. I have an AO series 40, student microscope to use it on, once I regrease the focus rack and pinion. The microscope has fixed, high eyepoint eyepieces, is quite sturdy and should have no problem supporting a cell phone. The seller demonstrated the microscope's sturdiness, by shipping it from Berlin, in a shoe box inside a wine box, with a couple sheets of crumpled newspaper in between for cushioning. The seller wrote that he collects and fixes up old microscopes for classroom use. I wonder how he tests them.
-John

MicroBob
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Re: Smartphone adapter

#12 Post by MicroBob » Tue Sep 03, 2019 6:06 am

I think it is not especially convenient to mount and dismount the whole smartphone adater to the microscope to change between observing and photography. It would be better to have an adapter fixed to the microscope where the smartphone holder locates in a self centering way. The other way would be to have a holder that includes an eyepiece and do the swap by exchaniging observation eyepiece agains smartphoneholder-eyepiece.
I regularily use a small mirrorless camera this way (Pentax Q7/Nikon 1J5). For use with the smartphone I think about building one myself that just fits my momentrary smartphone model and avoids unnecessary clutter.

Bob

Hobbyst46
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Re: Smartphone adapter

#13 Post by Hobbyst46 » Tue Sep 03, 2019 11:32 am

MicroBob wrote:
Tue Sep 03, 2019 6:06 am
I think it is not especially convenient to mount and dismount the whole smartphone adater to the microscope to change between observing and photography. It would be better to have an adapter fixed to the microscope where the smartphone holder locates in a self centering way. The other way would be to have a holder that includes an eyepiece and do the swap by exchaniging observation eyepiece agains smartphoneholder-eyepiece.
I regularily use a small mirrorless camera this way (Pentax Q7/Nikon 1J5). For use with the smartphone I think about building one myself that just fits my momentrary smartphone model and avoids unnecessary clutter.

Bob
When I used a smartphone adapter back in 2017 the major difficulty was alignment of the phone camera lens with the optical axis of the microscope. So I fitted the adapter with strong Nd magnets so that the phone is magnetically fixed in place, and can be gently pushed sideways for optimal alignment. I described it in a post on this forum.
Nevertheless, for a serious amateur, I think that the way to go is either an eyepiece camera or a camera (not a phone. A camera) on top of a phototube.

Update: link to a post that shows the magnetic coupling of the phone to the adapter and scope:
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=5518&p=49821&hilit=neodymium#p49813

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janvangastel
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Re: Smartphone adapter

#14 Post by janvangastel » Wed Jan 08, 2020 8:10 am

Recently I bought this smartphone adapter [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQUxmHl4xf0[/youtube] to use it on my Leitz Orthoplan, but alas, it does not work. Looks as if I can't get my iphone close enough to the eyepiece with this adapter. With more then 1 (one) Volt I only see a very bright white blob. Using even less Volts I can see the specimen, but it looks awfull and even at full zoom it's very small. I am sure I pushed the eyepiece all the way into the adapter as advised in the short manual. Don't know if it is an iphone problem, an adapter problem or an Orthopolan problem.

MicroBob
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Re: Smartphone adapter

#15 Post by MicroBob » Wed Jan 08, 2020 1:22 pm

The smartphone camera has a wide angle objective, usually wide that the image the eyepiece offers. This leads to a black border around a circular image, again influencing the exposure the camera app chooses. A negative exposure compensation will be needed. In many cases the smartphone has to be held a couple of mm away from the eyepiece. This value will be higher for "for glasses" high eyepoint eyepieces.

Bob

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