Comparison Images/Videos | $8 Phone Adapter | $110 NDPL Adapter | $450 NDPL Adapter

[Sir]

Hi All,

Wanted to share the results of an image comparison I did with several adapters with my AmScope T-490B, and at the same time I'd love to get some suggestions on how to further improve quality.

I tested a total of three set ups, using a Canon M50 with the NDPL adapters, and a Samsung Galaxy S10 with the phone adapter and 10x eyepiece:


Method
This was just a quick test, the only controls were that the objective used would be the same for each comparison, and the slide would not be moved. No editing or cropping was done, but exposure values did vary. After changing out the adapters the subject was re-focused to allow for the sharpest image possible.

Image Comparison
Subject: Bacopa Leaf under 10x Obective
1) $450 NDPL-1(2X) Adapter | Canon M50, 1/10, iso 800
2) $110 NDPL-2(2X) Adapter | Canon M50, 1/5, iso 800
3) $8 Phone Adapter | Samsung Glaxy S10, Full Auto, 2x Digital Zoom

The $450 adapter appears to be somewhat sharper than the $110 one, capturing a bit more detail and also cropping out less of the subject. The phone with the 10x eyepiece has a clear need of manual cropping and the center of the image was of acceptable quality given the low cost of the adapter.I found the colours were more accurate with the S10, though this can easily be resolved by adjusting the white balance on the M50 as needed, or editing it in post.

Video Comparison
Subject: Vorticella under 40x Obective
1) $450 NDPL-1(2X) Adapter | Canon M50, 1/15, iso Auto
2) $110 NDPL-2(2X) Adapter | Canon M50, 1/15, iso Auto
3) $8 Phone Adapter | Samsung Glaxy S10, Full Auto, no zoom

Again, the $450 appears to be a little bit sharper that the $110 one, but overall the quality of the video is disappointing when compared to the results from my phone. The video from my S10 was much sharper, but one thing to note was that when filming with the Canon M50, I had to slightly widen the iris diaphragm on the condenser since not enough light was reaching the camera sensor. The lower contrast did contribute to the lack of sharpness to some extent, but when I later compared it with different camera settings I still found the phone's image to be sharper.

Summary & Questions
I think the most cost-effective method by far is a cheap phone adapter. While there is a slight improvement in image quality when comparing the $450 adapter to the $110 one, I don't think it's worth the additional cost (in my case my microscope was cheaper!) That being said, I'm determined to use my M50 to take better quality images and video. I'd like to figure out how to improve on quality but I'm unsure on how to proceed, so any input would be appreciated.

- What other photographic methods could I try to improve image & video quality?
- Would using a photo-eyepiece & photo-tube likely produce better images than the adapters used?
- Is a compatible photo-tube even be available for the AmScope T-490B? I'm unsure on how it would mount
- Would a dedicated microscope camera produce better quality videos?

Hopefully my comparison also helps others looking to purchase a similar set-up.

Cheers.

[geo_man]

Interesting, I'm still confused about the difference between these 2 adapters. I also purchased the $450 one and then returned it because I thought it was (almost?) identical to the less expensive one. Interested what others think. Thanks for the post and comparison!

[Hobbyst46]

- What other photographic methods could I try to improve image & video quality?
- Would using a photo-eyepiece & photo-tube likely produce better images than the adapters used?
- Is a compatible photo-tube even be available for the AmScope T-490B? I'm unsure on how it would mount
- Would a dedicated microscope camera produce better quality videos?
Hopefully my comparison also helps others looking to purchase a similar set-up.

Thank you for posting this. It is an interesting comparison.
IMO as well, the central area of the phone camera image is better than that of the M50 images. However, the smartphone is not very convenient for photomicrography.
I think that afocal setup of the M50 might yield somewhat better performance, but that requires:
1) a different adapter, from the camera lens filter thread (see below) to the eyepiece tube, including the eyepiece,
2) a 40mm lens on the camera - that is, either an EOS-M zoom lens (there are several models), or a fixed 40mm (50mm will catch a smaller part of the FOV) EF prime lens, with an EOS-M to EF adapter.
Doubt if it is all worth the investment.
On the other hand, the difference in performance between the two M50 adapters does not justify a price tag of $450 - just my opinion.
The lack of end-to-end sharpness in all images is IMO not because of any of the cameras and camera adapters, more likely due to the limitations of the microscope objective.

[MichaelG.]

Thanks for starting this discussion, Sir
... I think it will become a useful reference for many.


I am not familiar with either of the NDPL adapters ... so I did a little of browsing, and found this interesting note:
https://www.reddit.com/r/microscopy/com ... out_cheap/

Unfortunately the link to : https://2k-manufacturing.com/2kccd1.php is dead

Further investigation required !

MichaelG.

[Marco68]

I have made a similar comparison :

1) Smarthphone (Samsung S8):
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1_zXMd ... b8PXYRxtT9

2) Fuji X2 Mirroless camera with 18mm lens and Microscope (infinity corrected) with eyepiece 10x:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1NnBcd ... MrikV_A7Tw

3) Fuji XE2 Mirroless camera WITHOUT lens and Microscope (infinity corrected) with eyepiece 10x:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1awrMC ... 2xPRlMtV7W

Wth the Smartphone, the details in the the dark/black area are lost, while are still pretty much evident with the Mirrorless.

I have a post here of few days ago where I describe what I am doing to build the adaptor for solution 3

[Scarodactyl]

It is very interesting to read that there are two distinct versions of this adapter. That said, this from the reddit thread
"Of course NDPL-1 is a 2X adapter. However, NDPL-2 is actually a 7X adapter, despite being commonly sold as a 2X adapter for Canon cameras! I tested both adapters with my used Sony NEX-5N and OMAX trinocular microscope, and the NDPL-2 adapter produced a zoomed/cropped image closely matching what one sees through the eyepieces."
Is very puzzling. There's no way a 7x would give you a pleasing result on a dslr. I wonder if that was a typo.
I need to do some comparisons showing how variable these adapters are from system to system.
Edit:mine is an ndpl2. Definitely not a 7x, though I did see thr ndpl 1 lsbeled '9.3x' so it could be some wacky metric. Quick preview testing indicates it seems to do better than I expected unless there is any tilt at all. If it is even a little tilted you get awful results. I recently sold my smz-10 which had the worst results so I can't really rerun those tests. I'll try on my smz-1 later. It really does deserve some careful testing though since people seem to frequently have problems with this type of adapter.

[MichaelG.]

Is very puzzling. There's no way a 7x would give you a pleasing result on a dslr. I wonder if that was a typo.
I need to do some comparisons showing how variable these adapters are from system to system.
Edit:mine is an ndpl2. Definitely not a 7x, though I did see thr ndpl 1 lsbeled '9.3x' so it could be some wacky metric.

Quite so ... Which is why I commented:

Further investigation required !

They seem to be very poorly documented, and I suspect that almost no-one [buyer or seller] currently understands how to optimise these adapters.

MichaelG.

.
Here, for starters is a listing on ebay.uk
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NDPL-2X-9-6X ... 2886397319

[Sir]

Thank you all for the thoughtful replies.

After comparing both adapters I have decided to return the NDPL-1(2X). In my opinion, at $450 it is not worth the price when comparable adapters produce similar quality images as a much lower price. There was also dust in between the lenses on the one I ordered, and these adapters can't be easily disassembled. Fortunately the place I bought it from has excellent customer service and does accept returns. Here are a couple more pictures of the adapters side by side in case anyone finds it useful when making a purchase decision.