Olympus BH2 camera suggestions given my parts/equipment

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Ryanb
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Joined: Fri Nov 25, 2022 7:54 pm

Olympus BH2 camera suggestions given my parts/equipment

#1 Post by Ryanb » Sat Nov 26, 2022 8:35 pm

So I have an Olympus BH2 BHTU and just bought the U-PMTVC, U-SPT, and the PE 2.5x as pictured here:
48F3B0A1-0683-479A-AC4F-D4FF7AFCD818.jpeg
48F3B0A1-0683-479A-AC4F-D4FF7AFCD818.jpeg (13.26 KiB) Viewed 1520 times
I need a camera to put on it and I’ve looked into a lot of options. I want to avoid the 1.67x piece due to rarity/costs but am really looking to take videos of what I see under the microscope. I have around 300-500 that I can spend on a camera and am happy to get it used on eBay for those prices. I’m very new to the field (1-2 weeks) and am happy to take all tips and suggestions. Thanks y’all!

Scarodactyl
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Re: Olympus BH2 camera suggestions given my parts/equipment

#2 Post by Scarodactyl » Sat Nov 26, 2022 10:48 pm

The PE eyepiece will unfortunately do you no good, it is the wrong size and wrong corrections for your bh2. The U-SPT is no use either, it's for BX series heads and won't mesh with your setup mechanically. The pmtvc, is that a 1x or 0.33x?
Probably the only really good option for the BH2 is an NFK 2.5x and a full frame camera. Runner up is something like a 3.3x plus an MTV 0.33x reduction lens which might(?) cover micro 4/3 (would need confirmstion on this)
There is no really good solution for aps-c (the 1.67x exists but is so expensove that if you're married to aps-c you might want to consider a different microscope instead). It could be used with the nfk 2.5x but it comes at the cost of a lot of excess magnification/cropping. But in your budget range I'd probably do it anyeay--the money covers a nice but inexpensive aps-c camera like a Canon T6/T7 and an nfk 2.5x and you can probably live with the extra crop factor.

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imkap
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Re: Olympus BH2 camera suggestions given my parts/equipment

#3 Post by imkap » Sun Nov 27, 2022 12:14 am

Depending on the size of your specimen, aps-c might even be better in some cases. As it crops the image so you can use a lower mag objective for a greater depth of field.
I used a Sony a6000 for a few years and it is a nice camera at a great price, very small, light and easy to find all sorts of adapters for it. Recently I upgraded to a7sii, but kept the small a6000. More money you spend on a camera you get more options like 4k, slow motion, higher ISO, in-body stabilization, silent shooting, better autofocus etc. (last 3 not important for microscopy) Anyway for video mirrorless is the way to go.

You'll probably use your camera for general photography too once you get it and they are built to last. Aps-c cameras are very small and portable and in good light you don't see much difference (or none) in your images.

I think you can buy a first generation Sony A7 or A7s for 500 or so, they are full frame.
Here is the comparison of Sony models:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_α7#Model_differences

Other brands like Nikon and Canon are great options too...

Tom Jones
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Re: Olympus BH2 camera suggestions given my parts/equipment

#4 Post by Tom Jones » Sun Nov 27, 2022 12:33 am

The U-PMTVC is a direct swap for the BH-2 version MTV-3 and works even better as it has the ability to parfocalize. The easy way is something like a Panasonic GH4, or other M4/3 camera, an NFK 3.3x (which with the 0.3x U-PMTVC3 give essentially direct projection with the eyepiece corrections needed). Get a Fotodiox or some other M4/3 to C-mount adapter and you're good. You can sell the PE 2.5x for more than the NFK 3.3x will cost.

I like the Panasonic GH4 for this setup as it shoots 4K video and this projection setup is a good match for the sensor size shooting 4k.

Or, for full-frame use an NFK 2.5x, plus either a Olympus OM System Photo Micro Adapter L which is pretty expensive and hard to find (2 on eBay right now for ~$245 ea), or better a Diagnostic Instruments PA1-10 adapter that comes with a t-mount top so you can mount pretty much any DSLR or mirrorless camera on it. They're a little hard to find now but work very well and are generally cheaper (none on eBay right now).

Dubious
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Re: Olympus BH2 camera suggestions given my parts/equipment

#5 Post by Dubious » Sun Nov 27, 2022 5:08 am

If you want a full-frame camera, the Canon RP is hard to beat at $999 new.

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