New Gear Suggestions

[bradon]

I'm looking to get some gear for micro / macro style imaging. I'm more interested in creating abstract images, which look more like abstract expressionism paintings than biological images. Painterly Fluid like forms, and dimensional worlds of caverns and 3D spaces.

I need the subjects to be abstract enough where you can't really identify what they are. I realize I might need a few different techniques both micro and macro to create all the types of imagery I'm talking about.

Here is a few links to some images I hope to create:
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/135459901265702905/
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/135459901265723883/
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/135459901265724264/
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/135459901265702898/
Of course electron microscope is nice, out of the price range but I like the dimension of SEM
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/135459901265704499/

For one setup I'm looking at getting something like this, cheep scope and cheep converter. well within my budget:

http://www.amazon.com/AmScope-Professio ... s_indust_1
http://www.amazon.com/AmScope-Canon-Cam ... cope+canon

Does this seem like a good setup? I'm wondering if there would be a significant difference in image quality if I went with the Olympus BH2 (I've seen this scope used with some great results), instead of the AmScope?

Since I would be looking to create some images with dimension, I have seen some lower objectives in the 10-20X range that create some nice dimensional images of insects. I don't want to shoot an insect but maybe an abstract surface like the inside of a walnut. A focus stack is a must, I was looking at the StackShot, but this is more for macro on a tripod? can you hook one of these autofocus to the scope and shoot dimensional things on a scope?

http://www.cognisys-inc.com/stackshot/s ... aa5ad28beb


any advice for the new guy?

[ray_parkhurst]

Based on the images you provided I'd personally suggest a photomacrographic setup rather than photomicrographic. I view a micro setup as advantageous for transparent subjects (due to substage lighting) or higher magnifications. None of the images you provided are transparent, nor do they appear to be taken at high magnification, so a macro setup may work best for you, even at 10x.

Given your choice of adapter, I assume you already have a Canon camera, which is a good start if it is a later version with Live View capability.

Image quality will ultimately be determined by the objectives/lenses you choose more than any other factor.

A photomacrogrphy setup like I've built for coin photography may be very useful for you. It works well for mag ranges from 0.3:1 up to about 20:1.

If you use a camera mount with a fine focus capability you can do manual focus stacking.

[rjlittlefield]

I need the subjects to be abstract enough where you can't really identify what they are.

This will be true for pretty much anything that is sufficiently small, for example 10X and above on an APS-C sensor = 2 mm field width. Most people have no experience looking in that size regime so unless you take care to make something be recognizable, it probably won't be.

See Diamonds and Nickel for an illustration of what I'm talking about.

I agree with Ray's suggestion to consider a photomacrographic setup. It doesn't really affect the magnifications you can use. The main tradeoff is that an "open" setup gives you a lot more flexibility than trying to work within the frame of a microscope, while making it somewhat more difficult to control vibrations.

Information about using microscope objectives can be found in our FAQ: How can I hook a microscope objective to my camera?.

Links to a wide variety of setups can be found at http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... 5311#55311.

The StackShot rail is excellent for this sort of use. If you do want to work with a microscope, then the StackShot can also be adapted for that by simply connecting one of their motors to the fine focus knob of the scope. See for example Fine focusing a microscope using StackShot.

I hope this helps. The number of options can be sort of daunting.

--Rik

[bradon]

Great thanks, You guys confirmed what I was thinking

Ill dig through that FAQ how to hook up an objective.

[rjlittlefield]

I need the subjects to be abstract enough where you can't really identify what they are.

I forgot to mention that periodically folks here will post pieces that were specifically chosen to be challenging to ID even though they're often common things that we've all seen before. You can find some of them by searching the forum for the word "puzzle".

Some examples of my own offerings are these:
http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... php?t=6816
http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... hp?t=18782
http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... hp?t=15910
http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... hp?t=14561

--Rik