Piggy-backing a camera on a monocular microscope
Posted: Sat Jun 05, 2021 10:22 pm
I have had a lot of fun with this ![Smile :-)](./images/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif)
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. 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: With 35mm macro lens capturing the dandelion heads diameter:
and with an objective on a cone: Here is detail of the z axis adjuster bodge
Using lead sheet nearly means that no forethought/design is required ![Wink ;-)](./images/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif)
![Smile :-)](./images/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif)
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. 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: With 35mm macro lens capturing the dandelion heads diameter:
and with an objective on a cone: Here is detail of the z axis adjuster bodge
![Smile :-)](./images/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif)
![Wink ;-)](./images/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif)