Amcsope B120B

lilewis · Post by **lilewis** » Sat Aug 30, 2014 9:50 am

I just bought an Amscope B120B and although I'm happy with the microscope (I don't know any better because I have no experience with any others, but I did enjoy watching some tiny pond life), I am not happy with the 1.3 mpx camera that came with it. What I see with the eyepiece is very different than what I see on the laptop using the camera. It's almost like someone put a soft filter over the lens)

I have an Olympus DSLR E5 and would like to use it for captures and recording.
Amscope told me thier Olympus adapters don't work well and don't recommend them. I'm about to buy one on eBay but have some questions in the meantime.

1 Does anyone know if the Amscope software will recognize my camera?
I tried it (sans microscope) and I couldn't get it to work. Maybe I hooked it up wrong.

2. Is anyone here using an E5 for microscopy? If so how have you attached it to the camera?

The eBay auction I'm interested in ends tomorrow so I'm hoping to recieve a reply to this post soon, if possible. Link here:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Olympus-SLR-DSL ... 1385713093

Admin edit [Rik]: to fix page formatting problems caused by overly long link that included tracking info

Pau · Post by **Pau** » Sat Aug 30, 2014 11:00 am

Don't buy that adapter, at least without a clear no asking return policy. The only experience with it posted here was very negative:
http://photomacrography.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=22597

Likely you can do better (but not simpler) with the afocal method: a 30mm prime lens over a high eyepoint 10X eyepiece. Search afocal setup in the forum posts.

lilewis · Post by **lilewis** » Sat Aug 30, 2014 2:39 pm

Hi Pau,
I just read your discussion with Kai and I am willing to try the same method
but am confused because I don't understand even the basics of the parts involved.

I have an Oly E5 with a Zuiko 50mm 2.8 prime lens. I believe I understand
that I would have to support the camera and lens on a tripod and attempt to
get a precise alignment with the 30 deg angle of barrel of the microscope
while using some kind of interface/adapter between the two. I use that
camera almost daily so if I am correct in my understanding, I'd have to
re-align it each time I used the microscope.

I also have an older Olympus C5050 (non DSLR) 5 mpx that I do not use as
often so that is also an option, I suppose but again I'm not clear on how to adapt it.

I'd need some guidance on exactly what (and where) I'd need to buy to get a working interface, and the best way to assemble it all.

I'm not a technical guy and has assumed when I bought this microscope that a basic adapter would be a no brainer. I see now that there's a lot more to it.

lilewis · Post by **lilewis** » Sat Aug 30, 2014 4:20 pm

Pau,
I did some more thinking about this and if I understand you correctly, I need to buy this: http://www.microscopenet.com/high-eyepo ... ArQ98P8HAQ

I am unsure about whether I can use my Olympus 50mm Zuiko 2.8.
I believe Oly 4/3 has a 2X crop factor and don't know how that relates to this topic.

if so, I would affix the camera on the tripod with my 50mm aiming directly into the high eyepoint eyepiece, Is that correct? Would I need a collar of some kind to block ambient light between the camera lens and the high eyepoint?

enricosavazzi · Post by **enricosavazzi** » Sun Aug 31, 2014 12:38 am

I believe Oly 4/3 has a 2X crop factor and don't know how that relates to this topic.

That is correct. The practical implication is that you need to use a lens of proportionally shorter focal length for an afocal setup with a camera of smaller sensor.

I used with success a Sigma 30 mm f/2.8 to mount Micro 4/3 cameras on a Zeiss Photomicroscope with a 10x eyepiece in the photo tube, because of the 2x crop factor. I made a post about it months ago, but I cannot find it now. The focal length used in original Zeiss "relay lenses" is around 60 mm. An APS-C sensor requires approximately 45 mm.

Edit: Found my post: http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... ight=micro

Ichthyophthirius · Post by **Ichthyophthirius** » Sun Aug 31, 2014 5:07 am

lilewis wrote:Would I need a collar of some kind to block ambient light between the camera lens and the high eyepoint?

Good advice to try afocal! The $90 adapter would have been a waste of money.

Although pricey, the F-adapter is a suitable connector between eyepiece and camera: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261199415724 An additional step-up ring might be needed. Outer diameter of the eyepiece must but min. 24 mm.

Buy a spare eyepiece, clamp it into the F-adapter and screw the F-adapter into the filter thread of your objective taking care so it doesn't touch the front lens. Then mount your camera on a mini tripod. To remove the camera, you then just have to take the whole assembly out and put the normal eyepiece in. It's unlikely that the binoculars can support the weight of the camera, so you will have to use the tripod all the time.

Now for a suitable eyepiece: I saw that AmScope doesn't sell compensating eyepieces ... they don't sell high eyepoint 10x eyepieces with 23.2 mm barrel either.

The safest bet is to use exactly the same 10x eyepiece as on your microscope so it fits with the remaining optics.

An alternative is using the AmScope 5x eyepiece: http://www.amscope.com/accessories/eyep ... -23mm.html 5x eyepieces usually have higher eyepoints than 10x eyepieces, which will avoid vignetting. It also means that you don't have to buy a 30mm camera objective. The Zuiko 50/2.8 you already have should in theory give you good coverage. I haven't tested this particular eyepiece, but from experience with other 4x and 5x eyepieces, there is a good chance it will work.

Ichthy

lilewis · Post by **lilewis** » Sun Aug 31, 2014 6:17 am

Ichthyophthirius

I just ordered the F adapter from your eBay link. It will be a few weeks before it arrives. $50 seems a bit high but it's useful for binoculars also, I guess.

All I need to do now is order either the 10X high eyepiece from my link above, or the 5X from Amscope, (or maybe one of each?) and I will have everything I need?

The one thing I don't understand is your comment regarding the filter thread of the objective. Am I supposed to take the objective lens off? I assume all of the attaching was from the eyepiece up to the camera.

Ichthyophthirius · Post by **Ichthyophthirius** » Sun Aug 31, 2014 6:33 am

Hi, I cannot find a Zuiko 50/2.8. Do you mean 1.8? http://www.mir.com.my/rb/photography/ha ... 50mm1a.htm

According to the Ebay listing, the F-adapter has an M52 male thread. If your Olympus camera objective has an M49 filter thread, you need an additional 49-52 step up ring (Ebay!) to make the connexion between F-adapter and camera objective (the listing also offers step rings for £2).

10x or 5x? Depends how much the postage will cost you. If you're in the US, I'd buy the 5x only and try it out. If it doesn't work, you can test the 10x and 30mm objective on your own eyepieces before you buy a third.

Ichthy

lilewis · Post by **lilewis** » Sun Aug 31, 2014 6:46 am

Hi Ichthy,
I mis-typed. It's the Zuiko 50mm 1:2 with a 52mm thread.

Ichthyophthirius · Post by **Ichthyophthirius** » Sun Aug 31, 2014 6:55 am

OK. Then you don't need an additional step ring.

lilewis · Post by **lilewis** » Sun Aug 31, 2014 7:03 am

"clamp it into the F-adapter and screw the F-adapter into the filter thread of your objective taking care so it doesn't touch the front lens."

Ahhh you were referring to the camera lens :-)

Pau · Post by **Pau** » Sun Aug 31, 2014 11:29 am

lilewis,
I see you're getting the best advice from expert members, so no need at the moment of more explanations from me

Any further questions?

lilewis · Post by **lilewis** » Sun Aug 31, 2014 11:45 am

Hi Pau,

Yes as you see I have ordered an F adapter as it has lots of potential uses for me. When it arrives I'll give it a go. If I'm happy with the results, I may order some new eyepieces for it. I may also try a couple of different cameras.

I'll probably have more questions as I continue, but at this point I think I won't know what they are until I attempt to make it all work.

I've got your afocal setup thread open on a Firefox tab right next to this one, and will be referring to it as I progress deeper into the afocal method.

Please keep your eye on me... if you see me doing something that doesn't make sense, please tell me!

lilewis · Post by **lilewis** » Sun Aug 31, 2014 2:24 pm

I just prepared a slide of a drop of water I took from a scummy pond 2 days ago.

I then, just for the heck of it put my older non DSLR Olympus C5050 with a homemade macro lens onto macro rail and tripod. I lined them up as best I could and took a few shots of a tiny insect in the drop using a wireless shutter release.. After 2 days in the container he was pretty tired and not active so there wasn't much movement on the slide. The insect (by placing the slide with him on it, next to a metric ruler, was about 1 mm in total diameter, including his legs.

Because he was not translucent, I aimed one of those very small flashlights that also has a laser (didn't use the laser) function on him. I wanted to see if I could capture the facets on his eyes.

I used the 20x objective.

I then had to do a lot of post processing, using Shadow Illuminator plug-in to lighten him up, unsharp mask, etc. but in the end, I was able to acually capture some of the facets of his eye. So for my first shot at it, just using what was available, I was somewhat successful.

I don't know what you experienced guys think but I'm now psyched but hoping the adapter and E5 will give me a better image than this one

lilewis · Post by **lilewis** » Sun Aug 31, 2014 2:37 pm

http://www.shutterfly.com/lightbox/view ... 9dbf2f35f7

Actually I see that Shutterfly must have resized/compressed because the facets on the outer edge of the right side eye are more defined in my original and I can see the hair on his legs in the original.