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Macrophotography and video head pics

I eventually got around to combining my basic digital camera and a stereo microscope. As a test i decided to try capturing the crack in a known bad video head as a good test of resolution, focus and exposure for a small black ceramic surface.

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The crack is just visible by eye through the microscope, but not in the lower of the 2 pics, vertically at the narrowest central point of the black horizontal section that is in focus, a secondary small horizontal crack at that same point is visible in the pic just to the top right of this necked central area. Assuming it is not a problem with lack of resolution , only 2Mp, any tips for such demanding situation ? The camera is in place of one of the eyepieces removed and a pre-focus torch bulb shone down the other eyepiece to get the illumination level up, as well as some overall illumination. I broke into the camera to be able to wire in a remote switch for "shutter release" to avoid camera shake. There is some manual exposure control on the camera but I've not tried that option as yet, relying on auto exposure.

Incidently for the electronics bods I assume there is no filler /fudge for such a cracked head. I seem to remember the wire for such heads has to be gold and not copper to be ductile enough to form such coils, is that still the case?

-- Diverse Devices, Southampton, England electronic hints and repair briefs

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Reply to
N Cook
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Most cameras have a self timer that can be used to reduce camera shake. In most recent cameras the time can be adjusted. Also many SLRs have a feature that lifts the mirror a half-second or so before the shutter opens which also helps withi camera shake.

Reply to
**^;

Did you use your optical zoom at all or did you just crop a wide angle image? I've tried a similar thing to you except that I used a maccano construction to support the camera but left the eyepiece in place. The point of an eyepiece in a microscope is to make the tiny hole of light right at the end of the body tube larger but keep focus so try it with it on.

Reply to
bren[at]gillatt.org

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I could not get an image on the camera viewscreen without removing an eyepiece, i never bother with optical zoom and no mechanical zoom as rock bottom camera , so no qualms about getting inside it to add remote switch option.

This is the write up that will appear on my otherwise electronics tips file

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when I get around to ftp'ing it

Macrophotography with microscope and basic digital camera

Modified the camera for remote trigger/shutter release ( see repair4.htm file) to avoid camera shake. I started with an ancient Watson Barnet stereo viewing microscope, with x5 double objective and 2 x10 eyepieces. Unscrewed one of the eyepieces and fixed over it a 35 mm film storage pot, with base cut off. Padded out with rubber pulley tyres. Did the same with padding out the boss of the camera lens at the othe rend. Fixed the camera to the microscope so it could not be knocked off. For dark subjects shine a pre-focus torch bulb through the other lens system. Put this bulb on a draughtsman's bendable curve or one of those silly pig's tail drinking straws with deformed concertina section so will take up any XYZ position. I found the camera image was a circle diameter 3/4 of the smaller axis of the frame.

-- Diverse Devices, Southampton, England electronic hints and repair briefs , schematics/manuals list on

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Reply to
N Cook

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