The "MagRig": My New High Magnification Rig

[rjlittlefield]

davikokar, welcome aboard!

Noah has not posted for over 6 months, so let me take the liberty of responding to your questions.

Does that mean that you physically move the camera towards the subject with steps of 0.01mm. I wonder: what does give you that precision ? Is the focus block ?

Yes to both. Typical microscope focus blocks are calibrated with tick marks every 0.002 mm, sometimes 0.001 mm. With such devices a step size of 0.010 mm is very easy to make.

I have another question concerning the subject holder part of your rig.

The subject holder in Noah's rig is unusual and I do not know exactly what parts he used to assemble it.

Numerous other solutions to the problem are described in the various links at http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... 5311#55311. My current setup uses a Proxxon KT-70 mounted vertically so as to provide two axes of screw drive for framing.

--Rik

[bendecamp]

Rik, are a lot of forum members using the turret style? This is the first one I've seen on a horizontal rig. I absolutely love the concept, but wonder if you have to change the amount of extension tubes based on using a 4x, 10x, or 20x objective to vary the distance between objective and the camera sensor?

Ben

[rjlittlefield]

I believe that turrets are very unusual. They look great in concept, but they have the drawback of limiting your options for mechanical setup and illumination.

If the system is set up properly and the objectives are all of the same type, then no, you do not have to change extensions. Objectives are designed to be "parfocal" when used in their intended focus arrangement. This means that when simply swapped into position, they focus at the same distance or very close to it (a fraction of a turn of the microscope's fine focus knob).

--Rik

[bendecamp]

I see a lot of glue or JB weld and I'm assuming there's not a step up/down ring for this kind of setup...

[rjlittlefield]

I see a lot of glue or JB weld and I'm assuming there's not a step up/down ring for this kind of setup...

The top sides of microscope turrets come in several configurations, none of which fit any standard adapters that I know of. However, custom adapters are not difficult to assemble or make by machining. I'm not sure exactly what approach Noah took. In the first couple of pictures it looks like there's a lot of gray stuff distributed unevenly around the ring of the turret, but in his followup post HERE that same area looks like a shiny machined ring. I have no idea why the different appearance.

--Rik

[ChrisR]

Topside of the turret is usually a clamp designed for a male dovetail. There are recently more adapters, to M42 and T2, for these appearing on eBay. In Spain I think was one, then rafcamera (E. Europe/Russia?) started doing better-looking versions.
Adapting a microscope like this, with a turret, can be a good way to get going with a precision stacking frame, though as Rik says, several people have commented that the other parts can get in the way.

[rjlittlefield]

Thanks -- I had missed that rafcamera had started making dovetail adapters. Good reputation. I believe his location is Belarus.

--Rik