Need equipment recommendations for Pediculus portraits

Starting out in microscopy? Post images and ask questions relating to the microscope and get answers from our more advanced users on the subject.

Moderators: rjlittlefield, ChrisR, Chris S., Pau

jimrees
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Mar 06, 2012 9:41 pm
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Contact:

Need equipment recommendations for Pediculus portraits

Post by jimrees »

I'm interested in taking photos of Pediculus humanus. Subject size would be in the range of about 0.2 -> 2mm. Before I go on I should say my budget is around $500.

Ok, you can stop laughing now.

At the end of this post you'll find my first attempt. This was taken with a $40 Celestron USB camera mounted to a Celestron 4050 biological scope with 4x objective. It's a focus stack of 13 images, with some despeckling and color correction because it's not a very good camera. The sensor on the camera is too small to get the entire image. Illumination is a 60 watt desk lamp placed as close as it would go to the stage.

So I think my requirements are something like this:

- approx 1mm field of view
- good, diffuse incident lighting, although brightfield could be useful in some cases
- mechanical stage would be very nice, it's hard to position these guys with my fingers
- I don't need super hi-res, 1 megapixel would be ok, 5 is plenty
- the camera must look down on the subject so I can pose them

At this point I'm just kind of overwhelmed by the options. I can get a used Nikon D50 on eBay for $200, an adaptor and a cheap objective, then some kind of stand? What about lights?

I could get a cheap trinocular microscope like a Barsca, and a better camera, or the above Nikon plus adapter. Or a compact digicam on some kind of arm attached to the eyepiece.

I could try to live with what I've got, but it's going to need better lighting at the very least.

Your suggestions would be much appreciated.

Image

rjlittlefield
Site Admin
Posts: 23564
Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:34 am
Location: Richland, Washington State, USA
Contact:

Post by rjlittlefield »

Jim, welcome aboard!

Do you have any equipment right now besides what you've mentioned? If so, what?

What level equipment and DIY skills do you have?

--Rik

jimrees
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Mar 06, 2012 9:41 pm
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Contact:

Post by jimrees »

Wow, thanks for the quick response!

I've got the Celestron 4050 I mentioned, but that's borrowed and I'll have to give it back eventually. Also a binocular, I think it's a 4040. I've got the $40 Celestron camera. I've got a couple point/shoot cameras, a Canon sd1200 and a s90. I know a bit about optics, and can build simple things, but don't have advanced machining skills or equipment. I would not be at all put off at having to assemble something, especially if it's fun and I can learn something and save some money. I do know something about photography and lighting, having worked many years ago as a news photographer, but have never done anything at this scale. I have a telescope and have taken photos with it so I know about C-mounts, relay optics, etc.

I almost bought a Celestron 44340. It's got a mechanical stage, but the lighting is poor and I suspect the camera isn't much better than the one I have. It also uses non-standard (not RMS) objectives so replacing them with something better is not an option.

rjlittlefield
Site Admin
Posts: 23564
Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:34 am
Location: Richland, Washington State, USA
Contact:

Post by rjlittlefield »

OK, first thing to do is aim those point & shoot cameras down an eyepiece of the 4040. Formally, this is known as the "afocal" method of coupling a camera to a microscope. You'll probably have some trouble with vignetting, which you can minimize but possibly not eliminate by playing with the camera's zoom and the separation between camera and eyepiece. If you're lucky, the microscope and camera will play nicely together to give you a decent image that's suitable for focus stacking.

We'll talk later about the D50 route. I need to run now.

--Rik

jimrees
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Mar 06, 2012 9:41 pm
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Contact:

Post by jimrees »

I just happen to have a photo I took through the eyepiece of the biological scope. It's the same view as the one above, but with the Canon sd1200 instead of the $40 Celestron camera. It's got several problems:

- motion blur
- room light leaking in
- hard to center
- impossible to hand hold still enough for focus stack work

But these problems could be solved with the right kind of mounting arm. One of the FAQs here pointed to an arm available on Amazon intended for telescope use but that should work on a microscope. This would certainly be the cheapest way to go, as I already have the rest of the equipment.

Image

rjlittlefield
Site Admin
Posts: 23564
Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:34 am
Location: Richland, Washington State, USA
Contact:

Post by rjlittlefield »

I have one of the Orion Steady Pix. But search for digiscoping adapter and see what else turns up too.

--Rik

Post Reply Previous topicNext topic