Piggy-backing a camera on a monocular microscope

Here you can discuss DIY adaptations to the microscope.
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Chas
Posts: 422
Joined: Tue Jan 19, 2021 3:11 pm

Piggy-backing a camera on a monocular microscope

#1 Post by Chas » Sat Jun 05, 2021 10:22 pm

I have had a lot of fun with this :-)
There is a cheap (~£7) but strong clamp that will fit onto most medium-sized monoular tubes (up to about 42mm diameter) onto this one can attach an Arca style camera tripod plate once the clamp's 3/8 inch reducing bush is removed.
Clamp and washer and generic Arca plate.jpg
Clamp and washer and generic Arca plate.jpg (50 KiB) Viewed 2869 times
A thick washer needs placing between the two to allow the jaws to open fully [and if that isnt enough to allow it to open around the tube, a small amount can be filed off the edge of the mounting plate].

To get as little wobble/droop as possible it seems that the rubber pads inside the jaws need to be removed.

Then one can use the microscope as a combined tripod and focusing rail:-)

I have used this with the microscope set vertical and the camera looking straight down at a petri dish ... if the stage has simple clips then a sheet of plastic or similar can be pushed underneath them to make make an extension to the stage to rest things on.
The current iteration is a bit of 2mm roofing lead bolted to the stage this has a a chinese overstage on the end of it to give a bit of x-y adjustment.
To get a bit of Z adjustment I am trying yet another bit of lead attached to the front of the overstage (to make this easy to bend this has been cut into with a pair of scissors.)
A few pics:
Dandelion on Beck 29 135 on table.jpg
Dandelion on Beck 29 135 on table.jpg (69.28 KiB) Viewed 2869 times
With 35mm macro lens capturing the dandelion heads diameter:
The whole dandelion with 35mm efs.jpg
The whole dandelion with 35mm efs.jpg (114.23 KiB) Viewed 2869 times
and with an objective on a cone:
With RMS cone.jpg
With RMS cone.jpg (111.81 KiB) Viewed 2869 times
Here is detail of the z axis adjuster bodge :-)
cut lead strip attached to chinese overstage.jpg
cut lead strip attached to chinese overstage.jpg (56.41 KiB) Viewed 2869 times
Using lead sheet nearly means that no forethought/design is required ;-)

MichaelG.
Posts: 3976
Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2017 8:24 am
Location: North Wales

Re: Piggy-backing a camera on a monocular microscope

#2 Post by MichaelG. » Sun Jun 06, 2021 8:46 am

Very ingenious !!

MichaelG.
Too many 'projects'

Chas
Posts: 422
Joined: Tue Jan 19, 2021 3:11 pm

Re: Piggy-backing a camera on a monocular microscope

#3 Post by Chas » Sun Jun 06, 2021 9:56 pm

Maybe it is now a bit over-developed.
It started life like this:
60mm lens clamped on watson frame cropped.jpg
60mm lens clamped on watson frame cropped.jpg (48.97 KiB) Viewed 2803 times
which was handy enough.



Here is a pic of how the back of the Utebit quick-release plate was filed away to let the tube-clamp jaws fully open:

arca mount part filed away.jpg
arca mount part filed away.jpg (35.2 KiB) Viewed 2803 times

I have had many fights in the past with the inbuilt tripod quick release plates and so using the Arca style quick-release was a revelation:-)

Chas
Posts: 422
Joined: Tue Jan 19, 2021 3:11 pm

Re: Piggy-backing a camera on a monocular microscope

#4 Post by Chas » Wed Jun 09, 2021 12:01 pm

A couple of other simple arrangments that work
Lead sheet under stage clip simple1.jpg
Lead sheet under stage clip simple1.jpg (56.21 KiB) Viewed 2752 times
A bit of Acrylic sheet held by stage clips.jpg
A bit of Acrylic sheet held by stage clips.jpg (81.01 KiB) Viewed 2752 times

And a photo:
2021-06-03 a couple of other capsules 640 480.jpg
2021-06-03 a couple of other capsules 640 480.jpg (32.52 KiB) Viewed 1424 times
[Stacked with Zerene]

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