Microscopes and cameras

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Bernard Peek - 14 Jan 2007 00:29 GMT

I'm looking for a digital camera that I can use on a microscope. As a
minimum I need a camera that lets me look at the image on an LCD display
but also lets me trigger picture-taking electronically, to avoid moving
things while pushing buttons. That could be using an external switch or
via a USB/Firewire link. I'm not looking for anything too specialised, a
simple 4Mp image is all I need.

Do any of the simple point-and-shoot cameras allow electronic triggering
via USB?

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Bernard Peek
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Trev - 14 Jan 2007 10:36 GMT

> I'm looking for a digital camera that I can use on a microscope. As a
> minimum I need a camera that lets me look at the image on an LCD display
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> Do any of the simple point-and-shoot cameras allow electronic triggering
> via USB?

I think canon S series can be controlled from the Canon software.
But many can use a remote control.

I have only done this with SLR's via a Microscope adapter that replaces the
camera lens and uses the Microscopes lens But I suppose the adapters for
telescopes could work

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David Littlewood - 15 Jan 2007 22:33 GMT

>I'm looking for a digital camera that I can use on a microscope. As a
>minimum I need a camera that lets me look at the image on an LCD
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>Do any of the simple point-and-shoot cameras allow electronic
>triggering via USB?

I suggest you look at some of the very comprehensive sources available
on the web. One of the best is:

http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html

Lots of stuff in there about digital photomicrography. BTW, if you are
doing a search, note that photomicrography is the correct word to use.

FWIW, the Nikon Coolpix 9xx/4500 were very popular and convenient for
use on a microscope, and others I know have high opinions of the Sony
W7. The Canon 10D (and I think 20D and 30D) come with free Remote
Capture software which allows control of the camera from the PC; I don't
know which other cameras do this., and using a DSLR is perhaps more
complicated than a simple compact camera.

David

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David Littlewood

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Bernard Peek - 16 Jan 2007 12:26 GMT

>>I'm looking for a digital camera that I can use on a microscope. As a
>>minimum I need a camera that lets me look at the image on an LCD
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
>don't know which other cameras do this., and using a DSLR is perhaps
>more complicated than a simple compact camera.

Thanks to you and Trev for the answers. At some point I'll probably
switch my SLR photography to digital, but I'm still using 35mm for now -
I have a handful of bodies and lenses from 18 to 60mm, replacing that
lot is going to be non-trivial.

I'm looking for a digital compact that I can also use on the microscope.
My Fuji compacts don't allow remote triggering. I'll investigate the
ones you suggest for my next upgrade.

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Bernard Peek
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