Nikon Diaphot: "direct" captures? Imagesizes?

[typestar]

@ Charles,
(and all of you highly appreciated professsionals here !) I would like to have some technical explainations on a Nikon Diaphot.

Dear Charles, I came across your famous site and the explainations on Microscope-photography there a few month ago now. This is my very first posting in this finest group and I am a totally newbie in Microscope-Photography.
(And: sorry for my bad English ...)

Whithin about 14 days, I will receive a realy very good conditioned Nikon Diaphot -- http://www.microscopyu.com/museum/diaphot.html-- It comes from a collector here in Austria and really looks "mint" and was not used very much. (The objectives were the last with 160-millimeter tube length), Nikon lenses are 4x, 10x, 20x). The Diaphot was - as far as I have read for now - one of the rare microscopes with "DIRECT" 35 mm - connection possibility. It is equipped with the classic Nikon F-mount, so there I can attach my Nikon D700 (24x36, full frame). The camera attaches directly onto the "F" bayonet-mount at the front of the Microscope-body.

This is the official statement from Nikon: "The Diaphot microscope was designed for photomicrography, with photographic capability built into the optical system. ... Focusing and composition of the photomicrographs is conveniently accomplished through the binocular head. A lever just below the head is utilized to bring the photomask reticle into the optical path, which is then used to bring the image into focus with the film plane."

My Questions (concerning your nice explaination-picture here: http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... php?t=8699 -- about Eypieces, field number, enlargement and effective capable picture size), to understand some basic things - are:

1) Will I (with the Nikon Diaphot -- they have Nikon 10x eyepieces -- ) be able to receive an image in the size of 20 mm on the 24x36 Nikon sensor of the Nikon D700 (will a Nikon D300s be "better" on the microscope, as they share the same MP, but D300 is a DX cam with a smaller sensor)
And: which part of your nice explaination photograph will be captured: the white, red or only the blue one -- or is it totally different with the Diaphot...?

2) Is there a difference in the image-capture with this NIkon TMD Diaphot Microscope - as far as parfocal testing is concerned -- when I see the image sharp in the eyepiece - is it - with my microscope then "sharp" on the captured picture (beside all necessaryly focusing etc. of course) ?

3) As there are a lot of adapters available for Canon EOS or even the new micro 3/4 for the Nikon F-Mount , I could attach a lot of other cameras to the microscope - will a "direct" capture be possible with this cameras +adapter as with the Nikon cameras?

I hope NOT to ask too silly questions here - but as far as I have read on these pages here - the most of the users work with the camera attached NOT directly through a dedicated mount for 35 mm cameras but they have to use adapters and adaptations on their microscopes...

Thankyouvery much for your helpout and advices! All your informations are very much appreciated!

Christian,
Austria

[Charles Krebs]

Greetings Christian,

While I don't own a Nikon Diaphot (wish I did!), I have a little familiarity with it and can answer some basic questions...

1) The front photo-port of the Diaphot has, "built-in", a 2.5X magnification. This is just right for a "full-frame" (24x36mm) DSLR. If you're using the 10X eyepieces you would record the area illustrated by the red box seen in the diagram at:
http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... php?t=8699.

2) This is a really nice feature on this microscope! When you are setting it up there is a "photo mask" that is moved into the view by pulling on a knob. You then adjust the individual focus of each eyepiece so that the mask is sharp. Then you should be "parfocal" between viewing and the camera attached to the front photo port. It should be quite accurate, but even if some testing shows a little "error" it should be easy to make the needed adjustment. (This is especially true with a magnified live-view DSLR. First you focus very accurately in the camera by looking at the magnified live-view. Then without changing the microscope focus, you finely adjust the eyepieces until the view is also in perfect focus).

3) You should be able to use some other cameras with adapters. This is not actually "direct view" since there is a 2.5X magnification built into the front port (I don't think this can be changed). You must remember that a Nikon body has a mounting flange-to-sensor/film distance (some call it "register") of 46.5mm. So some camera bodies with shorter "registers" can be adapted with no change in focus. (If the camera you want to adapt has a longer register then you will have problems). Canon EOS (44mm register) and Pentax (45.65mm register) are a couple I am aware of that could be "adapted" with little difficulty. (I use one of my Nikon lenses on my Canon body with accurate "infinity" focus).

Since the front camera port has a 2.5X magnification, you need to keep in mind that you will be recording less of the field seen through the eyepieces (and the built-in photo mask) if the sensor is smaller than 24x26mm. The "recorded" magnification (on sensor) will be the objective power multiplied by 2.5X.

Regards... and be sure to let us know how it all works out!

Charlie

[typestar]

Dear Charles,

THANKYOU VERY MUCH for your fast response!

You give me very important informations and I am happy, soon to have a Microscope, which you also wished to have
About the possible imagesize and the capability of attaching cameras with a shorter "register" (most of the interesting cameras have shorter registers than Nikon) - makes the Diaphot a "nice device".

Despite the fact that I will face a real steep learning curve in this special kind of photography, I hope to receive good results then.

It will last a few weeks, but I will report, if the setup works.
I hope, I may ask further questions here - as far as the capturing details
is concerned...

Thankyou again, your help is very much appreciated!

Best regards from Austria:

christian

[Cactusdave]

I have the good fortune of owning a Nikon Diaphot inverted microscope with X10 and X40 DIC and X20 phase. The microscope arrived via Ebay in broken condition, but has been restored with some professional help. Although very large and space-hungry the microscope is a pleasure to use and quite easy to set up. Long working distance objectives were made by Nikon specifically to exploit this plarform. I have used the front mounting camera option with an adapter and a Canon EOS 400D, though not extensively. Parfocality was good, but I found over exposure a problem and neutral density filters may be helpful. Several different incarnations of the Diaphot were produced, with significant changes. Mine is one of the earliest I think. I have some literature on the earlier models if you want to contact me by personal message. I attach an example photograph taken through the front mount with the X2.5 magnification factor and the X40 LWD DIC objective.

[typestar]

@Cactusdave,

thankyou for your reply -- and I am glad to know you as an already user of this nice microscope. As I am a totally newbie on the microscope (and my knowledge in physics and optical physics should be refreshed...) I think I will have a steep learning curve...
As I have to handle here a huge and difficult project in my normal work, I hope I will find the time in order to be with it as a ZEN buddhistic workflow... ;-
If you can help me out with further literature, this would be very nice from you and great! thankyou for your offer. Which lenses would you prefer on the Diaphot...?
Please feel free to mail me directly, I will PN you my email-adress...

Thankyou ain advance and the best wishes: christian