My Setup

Have questions about the equipment used for macro- or micro- photography? Post those questions in this forum.

Moderators: rjlittlefield, ChrisR, Chris S., Pau

marc
Posts: 22
Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2010 12:36 pm
Location: Germany

My Setup

Post by marc »

Hi,

here are some pictures of the setup I used to make these pictures: http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... php?t=9239

Cheers,

Marc

Image

1. Schott KL 1500 fiber optics light source
2. a 35kg block of Greek marble :shock:
3. 2x 10kg handle weights
4. Sorbothane bumbers to isolate the setup from vibrations

Image

1. Novoflex Universal bellows BALPRO 1 with CANON EOS adapter
2. RMS->M42 and M42->EOS adapter to mount microscope objectives
3. Novoflex CASTEL-L focusing rack for coarse movement along the X-axis
4. Novoflex CASTEL-Q focusing rack for coarse movement along the Z-axis
5. DIY adapter steel plates
6. Newport M-433 translation stage with SM-25 actuator
7. a mirror of polished metal for convenient reading of the micrometer scale
8. an additional stand for mounting flash lights, diffusors and backgrounds

Image
1. Thorlabs 1.5" post P200/M
2+3. Thorlabs mounting clamp C1501/M
4. Thorlabs dovetail optical rail RLA150/M
5. Thorlabs rail carrier RC1 for coarse movement along the Y-axis
6. Thorlabs mounting post base PB2/M
7. Thorlabs dovetail translation stage DT12XZ/M for fine movement along the X- and Y-axis
8. DIY adpater steel plate
9. Thorlabs rotation platform MSRP01/M for Y-rotation
10. Thorlabs dual-axis goniometer for X-Z-rotation
11. DIY steel plate with a mounted object slide
12. small magnet with a glued pin to hold the specimen
[/img]

AndrewC
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Post by AndrewC »

Very elegant :)

How did you attach to the marble slab ? Drill holes and insert plugs or epoxy to the surface ?

Andrew

rjlittlefield
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Location: Richland, Washington State, USA
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Post by rjlittlefield »

An elegant and sophisticated setup, to say the least!

Your results speak for themselves, but I'm curious to know how it feels to adjust an SM-25 actuator with a 2 µm increment.

Here is my thinking... The SM-25 is described as having a vernier reading of 1 µm, but the screw pitch is 0.5 mm. 2 µm is only 1/250 of a full turn, and the scale diameter appears to be only 1.5 cm or so. Contrast this with an Olympus CH microscope focus block, where 2 µm is 1/100 turn and the scale diameter is 5 cm. On the surface, it seems like the focus block should be "over 8 times easier to set!" (written as advertising hype for amusement).

But I have not had hands-on an SM-25, so I don't know what it feels like.

What are your thoughts?

--Rik

marc
Posts: 22
Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2010 12:36 pm
Location: Germany

Post by marc »

Andrew, I drilled holes using a drill stand and inserted metal dowles for the screws.
Rik, moving the stage in steps of 1µm is a really hard job. But 2µm will be possible if you have a steady hand. What you say about the microscope block sounds much more convenient. I already started thinking about a motorized stage which is capable of much smaller increments :)

AndrewC
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Post by AndrewC »

marc wrote:.. I already started thinking about a motorized stage which is capable of much smaller increments :)....
Do it - it makes life a lot more fun !

Andrew

DQE
Posts: 1653
Joined: Tue Jul 08, 2008 1:33 pm
Location: near Portland, Maine, USA

Post by DQE »

Thanks for posting the photos of your rig.

It is aesthetically very appealing and these rig photographs were very well done.

The blue colored parts of the Novoflex components really blend in nicely with the rest of the rig's colors. To my eyes, it creates a nice, high-tech, high-precision look that I personally enjoy. It's always nice when the appearance of one's equipment is enjoyable.

I very much look forward to seeing more of your photos!
-Phil

"Diffraction never sleeps"

Chris S.
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Post by Chris S. »

Marc, beautiful setup and documentation!

Am I missing something, or does it appear that you are impossibly shooting through the vertical post that holds the subject stage? Surely you're turning the subject stage around to the camera side of the vertical post, right?

Cheers, and thanks much for sharing.

--Chris

bklein
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Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2010 8:04 am
Location: Trabuco Canyon, CA

Post by bklein »

Ok now show us the rig used to take THESE photos. Very cool.

rjlittlefield
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Post by rjlittlefield »

bklein wrote:Ok now show us the rig used to take THESE photos.
:lol: :lol:

I confess, I had exactly the same thought! Java developer by day, industrial photographer by night?

--Rik

marc
Posts: 22
Joined: Tue Mar 16, 2010 12:36 pm
Location: Germany

Post by marc »

Thanks for your comments.
Am I missing something, or does it appear that you are impossibly shooting through the vertical post that holds the subject stage?
Chris, I have to admit that this might not be clearly visible. When you look at the second photo you will find the post behind the camera. The camera is mounted in the middle of the marble block and the post is mounted at the edge. This is visible on the third photo where the specimen pin is roughly in the line of the optical axis of the camera.
Ok now show us the rig used to take THESE photos. Very cool.
Just a tripod an two diffused flashes :D
If I can spend six hours to photograph a bug's eye, I can easily spend one little hour to shoot my rig. I just noticed that I did not very well. My living room table is visible at the lower right corner on the first image.

stevekale
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Location: London, UK

Post by stevekale »

Very impressive, and I assume expensive! One question: how do you get fine adjustment of the vertical axis?

rjlittlefield
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Post by rjlittlefield »

One question: how do you get fine adjustment of the vertical axis?
In the third image, see component 7, the "Thorlabs dovetail translation stage DT12XZ/M". This component consists of two linear slides mounted at right angles. The lowest silver-colored handle controls the vertical axis (Y, in marc's notation), while the upper silver-colored handle (between the labels 7 and 8 ) controls the horizontal X-axis. The manufacturer describes this part as an XZ Dovetail Translation Stage and shows it in a different orientation with a different labeling of the axes.

--Rik

g4lab
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Post by g4lab »

I never get tired of looking at list members' setups.
Beautiful rig, and beautifully photographed!

rjlittlefield
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Post by rjlittlefield »

Yes, and this one is spectacular. Marc hasn't been around lately. I wonder what he's doing?

--Rik

stevekale
Posts: 172
Joined: Wed May 11, 2011 2:40 pm
Location: London, UK

Post by stevekale »

Paying off his tab at Thorlabs! :D

(Somewhere here I saw a step by step of someone making either this or a very similar setup. I can't find the thread now. If someone could PM me the link I'd appreciate it.)

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