Best way to darken a microscope barrel?

[HiddenWorlds]

Hi all, I have a problem using my microscope with some objectives due to the highly reflective nature of the microscope's exposed metal barrel. Depending on the objective used, it sometimes causes a bright central spot or area in my photos. With some objectives the effect is severe.

The microscope is a Swift 960, and it looks like this:



And the barrel looks like this:





Methods I'm considering include self adhesive black felt, black paper glued into place, matte black spray paint (with the exterior and threading taped beforehand), or possibly some kind of black plastic or rubber coating, in which I might be able to dip the entire part and then hang it up to dry (with the threading protected).

I'm wondering what would be best. I'm wondering why Swift didn't think of this, because I sometimes have a bright central spot evident even with the stock objectives and eyepiece, but I'm more interested in fixing it so I can expand on what I'm doing. Any suggestions will be appreciated, thanks.

[MicroBob]

Hi,
good idea to optimize your microscope. Often things are well made but let down by single problems. Here is an interesting comparison of methods to remove reflections: [urlhttps://www.cloudynights.com/articles/cat/artic ... ion-r82url]

Even the less perfect methods are a big improvement over a shiny surface so I would suggest something you can get hold of easily.
Don't forget to leave the upper part as it is so you can get your eyepiece in without a hammer.

Bob

[HiddenWorlds]

That link is just what I needed. Thank you!

[patta]

Yes at Cloudynights they're the world experts in DIY blackening.

A quick and effective alternative: baffles
cut a couple of disks out of black cardboard, with a like 15mm hole.
With right size you can press-fit them near the bottom of the tube and that's it.

Coating/flocking the surface is a bit tricky because the tube is narrow. Just paint it black with a sharpie, or any black color, does a noticeable improvement. Velour is the blackest but also the trickiest to glue properly; also it attract/generates a lot of dust, that will nastily settle on the lenses.

Another quick fix, a rectangle of black cardboard just rolled in a tube and tucked in, no glue.

[Chris Dee]

I was in a similar position with a diy tinocular tube. I had some clear matt lacquer and added some black printer toner from a used laser printer cartridge. It made a good blackout paint, still well adhered 3 years on.

[Chas]

Self adhesive material can be tricky... if you get it wrong you can have an annoying problem.
If you want to try something else; 2mm thick EVA foam sheet ( a sort of children's craft material ) is not too bad, the stuff I got off amazon in A4 size needed 'airing' for a day or two, due to some solvent used in making it.
After it has been rolled up it wants to uncurl and so grips inside the eyepeice-tube quite well.
It wasnt too expensive and it is somehow more generally usefull stuff than some self-adhesive telescope flocking material that I also have .

Have you considered taking the photos with the silver tube removed and placing the camera directly into /onto the threaded hole ? -I have not actually done this as I havent found a way to get my dslr adapter to match the size of the hole sufficently well.. but you might be a bit cleverer than me !

[iconoclastica]

AN easy and reversible way is by applying sooth to it. If it doesn't work, just wipe it away. If it does, make sure never to touch it.

[viktor j nilsson]

https://www.scrapbook.com/store/db-1898.html

This Doodlebug Beetle Black cardstock is what I use for flocking.. Just cut it, roll it into a tube, and put it where you need it.

It has been tested extensively and perform about as well as much more expensive options such as Protostar:

https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... hp?t=17917
https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... 87#p273487

[EYE C U]

ultra flat black spray

[HiddenWorlds]

https://www.scrapbook.com/store/db-1898.html

This Doodlebug Beetle Black cardstock is what I use for flocking.. Just cut it, roll it into a tube, and put it where you need it.

It has been tested extensively and perform about as well as much more expensive options such as Protostar:

https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... hp?t=17917
https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... 87#p273487

Added to my shopping list. This and other things like it looks like a good, non-permanent way of modifying it. Thanks!

Thanks for all of the replies and ideas. To think at first I had trouble finding clear mention of the problem, yet it seems a lot of people have been there.