Did I make a mistake? AmScope T120?

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wakeful_dreamer
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Did I make a mistake? AmScope T120?

#1 Post by wakeful_dreamer » Thu Apr 15, 2021 11:29 pm

I bought an AmScope T120, mostly for playing around and for homeschooling my 6 kids. I am satisfied with the scope itself, but in regards to the camera (MU900 with FMA050 adapter) I have no idea what I'm doing or even what half these parts are.

1) I have the threaded end of the adapter screwed to the camera. It looks like the other end of the adapter just drops down inside the trinocular tube. Is this correct? It seems awfully wobbly and loose. I'm trying to imagine why the trinocular tube is threaded inside if nothing is supposed to actually screw into it. The eyepieces just drop in as well, which seems strange.

2) The camera kit came with 2 adapter rings. They are completely smooth/nonthreaded. They fit over the bottom of the adapter but they don't fit the trinocular tube at all, with or without the tube screwed on. Am I supposed to be using these in some way?

3) I have a 9mp camera but the pictures (using the lower objective) are extremely poor quality. At higher powers, I can't even get the picture in focus at all. Is this normal or am I using it incorrectly?

4) I understand why the camera view doesn't match the view through the eyepieces. And I'm cool with the usb 2.0 being laggy as I change focus (slowly!) on the scope. But I'd hoped to use the camera for school, because waiting for 6 kids to individually look through the eyepieces can take a while, and now I can't seem to get anything in focus enough for them to see it. Did I make a mistake buying this combo kit? Should I try to sell this and buy something else? Or are there other accessories I didn't realize I needed? If so, what?

I'm a chemist (with a biology degree that predates digital photography, yikes!) and I would like to look at the usual stuff - pond life, bacteria, pollen, etc.

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SilverWolf
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Re: Did I make a mistake? AmScope T120?

#2 Post by SilverWolf » Fri Apr 16, 2021 2:46 am

A photo would be helpful maybe of your set-up. It sounds as though you may be missing a small eyepiece tube/adapter for the camera port if you can see the threaded part exposed. That's a C mount size fitting for screwing a camera directly to the camera port. Normally there's a small tube threaded one end that screws on there that reduces to eyepiece size which should be the size of the FMA50 reduction lens.

The way most fit is this: Reduction lens screws to camera's C mount, eyepiece adapter screws to top of the end of the camera port and then you fit camera with reduction lens by just sliding the end of the reduction lens into the camera port. Then you need to set/adjust correct focus for the camera port to be par-focal with your eyepieces/objectives or as close to them as can be. The camera port tube has a long threaded center so you just turn/twist it for adjustment which in turns raises or lowers the camera's position, but if you don't adjust/calibrate it yes it will focus at different points to the eyepieces and some levels will not focus at all.

There's many different cameras and port options for ways to fit camera etc to the 3rd port, sometimes it takes a bit of experimenting to find what works best for your individual set-up. As I said to see your set-up with a photo would help explain better maybe as I don't have that model of microscope, but they are all similar.
Cheers
Wolf :ugeek:

PeteM
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Re: Did I make a mistake? AmScope T120?

#3 Post by PeteM » Fri Apr 16, 2021 3:48 am

A modern cell phone camera takes surprisingly good photos. Some models will have USB-c or Bluetooth output to monitors. Most will take decent pictures and movies.

The trick to getting them to work is to buy a $15 cell phone holder meant for microscopes and telescopes. If you happen to have a previous generation cell phone or about to trade up - the old one could be used in WiFi mode and dept permanently attached to an eyepiece. You'd likely have a better match of image sizes.

The trinocular port on your scope should take a standard 23mm eyepiece. Your relay lens should fit inside - and then fit the camera. The extra adapters will be reducing sleeves to fit the camera to stereo and other microscopes with 30.5 or 30mm eyepiece sizes.

Greg Howald
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Re: Did I make a mistake? AmScope T120?

#4 Post by Greg Howald » Fri Apr 16, 2021 10:52 am

Nope. No mistake. Nada. Fairly good scope and excellent choice for the purpose you mention.
1.
Yes, the Eyepieces just drop in and so does the camera.
Those two smooth adaptor rings you can't find a purpose for are eyepiece tube adaptors. Dependent upon design, eyepieces may be 23mm, 30mm or 30.5mm in diameter. Looking at the adaptor, the size will be printed on it. You don't need the adaptors.
2.
Camera focal length is not automatic. Looking through the eyepieces, focus on a specimen. Then adjust the camera tube length until the camera is in Focus or slowly lift the camera out of the tube to see how focus changes. Then you'll understand what you need to do to focus the camera.
3.
Learn how to use the camera program. Once the camera is in focus, first adjust white balance/ color temperature to best see closely to what colors you see in the eyepiece.
4.
Have fun.
Greg

wakeful_dreamer
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Re: Did I make a mistake? AmScope T120?

#5 Post by wakeful_dreamer » Fri Apr 16, 2021 9:24 pm

Thanks, everyone! I appreciate the helpful replies. It sounds like I'm missing a part somewhere. I'm also going to look into the cell phone mount and possibly one for my DSLR as well.

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SilverWolf
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Re: Did I make a mistake? AmScope T120?

#6 Post by SilverWolf » Fri Apr 16, 2021 10:59 pm

wakeful_dreamer wrote:
Fri Apr 16, 2021 9:24 pm
Thanks, everyone! I appreciate the helpful replies. It sounds like I'm missing a part somewhere. I'm also going to look into the cell phone mount and possibly one for my DSLR as well.
I don't know if your missing a part or not, just sounds like you might be. Really just depends on your set-up, I have several different scopes all with differing types of trinocular/camera ports. Yours sound like one I have, I'll show pictures if it makes it easier.

complete port config :
IMG_20210417_081311c.jpg
IMG_20210417_081311c.jpg (73.18 KiB) Viewed 1965 times
incomplete/without eyepiece extension if using a reduction lens on camera. If fitting camera directly to port without a reduction lens you don;t need the eyepiece extension but rather just screw the camera to the C mount on the trinocular tube. If using reduction optics you will need the little bit I'm talking about lol.
IMG_20210417_081201c.jpg
IMG_20210417_081201c.jpg (68.16 KiB) Viewed 1965 times
Finished set-up with camera inserted (green arrow shows knurled ring where you raise/lower the port/camera for par-focal adjustment/calibration)
IMG_20210417_081321c.jpg
IMG_20210417_081321c.jpg (95.38 KiB) Viewed 1964 times
Camera with reduction lens fitted and eyepiece fitting (part of trincoular tube/camera port that I thought may be missing)
IMG_20210417_081239c.jpg
IMG_20210417_081239c.jpg (111.14 KiB) Viewed 1965 times
Cheers
Wolf :ugeek:

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