The Canon EOS-M as a microscope camera.

[The QCC]

I recently brought my old Bauch & Lomb monocular microscope back into service and needed a camera to take snaps of the specimens.

I purchased a used Canon EOS-M body with the intent of using extension tubes and the Nikon 2.5x projection eyepiece..
I knew the EOS-M used a different lens mount and ordered the EOS-M to EF converter at the same time.

The camera and adapter arrived safely and I assembled the extension tubes. With the camera mounted on the B & L viewing tube and a USB cable plugged into the computer, I turned the camera on.

The Canon EOS Utilites dutifully started, but the Remote shooting menu was missing. I had just assumed all recent Canon EOS branded cameras supported remote shooting. They do, but not the EOS-M. Apparently something to do with the moon phases of Jupiter.

The EOS Utilities will download the images to the computer, so all was not lost.

EOS-M_Top.jpg (68.71 KiB) Viewed 4213 times

The EOS-M has an 18MP APS-C sensor with a reasonably wide noise free ISO range and full control of the shooting options via its touch sensitive LCD screen.
The camera is mirrorless and there is no movement of the camera when the shutter is tripped. A light tap on the touch screen is all that is required to take a photo.

EOS_M_LCD.jpg (76.08 KiB) Viewed 4213 times

Almost all photo taking actions are done using the touch screen including a 5x and 10x zoom permitting very accurate focusing.

The touch screen is quite useful when the camera is used on a microscope, but I am not convinced it would be a desired feature for normal photography.

As a microscope camera candidate all of the boxes can be checked off with the exception of Remote Shooting. The camera is sturdy, has a good sized sensor, full control of the shooting process, and if purchased used is reasonably priced.

Dry flower leaf 10x obj.

DryFlowerLeafCanon_EOS-M__33_10x.jpg (79.57 KiB) Viewed 4213 times

Fried Liebfraumich wine on my DIY heater. A $19.00 inverted steam iron. 10x obj. Darkfield stop 12mm

Liebfraumilch_MNB__005_10x_DF12.jpg (79 KiB) Viewed 4213 times

[gekko]

Congratulations! To my eyes, those images look among the sharpest you've posted.

[The QCC]

They are sharper, but only because the thin section mineral slides I normally photograph tend to be less defined.

[75RR]

I remember Liebfraumilch as a rather inoffensive white wine.
You seem to have found a stronger vintage. Hope you managed to rescue your steam iron.
Agree with gekko, they are sharper. There are a lot of interesting alga out there waiting for you to take their picture.