HELP: Microscope Photographers; I have a serious problem here!!

joefro · July 5, 2005 1:02PM

Hello everyone,

My wonderful girlfriend surprised me for my birthday with a brand new microscope to photograph my coins with. She had asked how some people get such great pictures and I said using a microscope and the next thing I know...

However, this is not a stereo microscope but a very nice normal microscope. In some of the material I have read everyone always talks about how a stereo microscope is a must. I would imagine this is so you can bring out the 3D aspects of the image??? However, everyone always says they just "hold the camera up to the eyepiece and shoot". Do you just pick one eyepiece? How do you utilize both eyepieces of the stereoscope? I know some people have fancy adapters that may do something special but how do the other people do it who just hold the camera up?

I haven't opened the box yet because the company she bought it from will give a full refund including shipping and I can pitch up some of my own money and get a stereoscope. Before I go through that lengthy return process... I just want to make sure that I really can't use what she got me. Any help/links on this subject would be GREAT. Thanks as always for your great educational assistance everyone, I am very thankful!!!

Joe

numonebuyer · July 5, 2005 1:23PM

I have a trinocular stereo microscope. It has two view ports for your eyes one one for your camera.

joefro · July 5, 2005 1:41PM

Nice. I am looking to spend 300-400. I bet yours was more?? How do people take pictures through a stereoscope with 2 eyepieces???

numonebuyer · July 5, 2005 1:44PM

Take a look at the picture I provided. Just above and behind the left adjustment knob is a lever. You pull the lever out and it shuts the left most view port and redirects the optics to go to the camera. You can still look at the coin through the right most view port.

My camera cost more than $400.

Please PM me and I will send you a picture as an example of what you can do with one of these microscopes.

joefro · July 5, 2005 10:32PM

TTT

Is this how all people with stereo microscopes take pics? You just block out one of the eyepieces basically? Doesn't this defeat the point of having the stereo feature? Can someone please tell my WHY a plain microscope will not work so I can stop fiending to rip this package open?

Danegeld · July 5, 2005 10:42PM

<< <i>TTT

Is this how all people with stereo microscopes take pics? You just block out one of the eyepieces basically? Doesn't this defeat the point of having the stereo feature? Can someone please tell my WHY a plain microscope will not work so I can stop fiending to rip this package open? >>

Just a WAG here, but I'd say you would knock it out of focus while putting all the mountings associated with the camera lens. Then you would take bad pics.

Ben

Murphy · July 5, 2005 11:28PM

I use a monocular - single eyepiece - microscope.

The only thing special about a good coin scope is that it should be capable of zooming in close enough to get the photo you want. And the wider the eyepiece, the better. Your lighting is going to be the most critical part though. There are many photo threads for you to read through and get ideas from if you want to search for them. I use an adjustable table lamp with a 75-W Reveal bulb and another table lamp, a Tensor Halogen. I have one of those white cube shaped 2x2 photo tents on order. I'm hoping all this light will do well outside the tent to light it up without melting it or catching it on fire.

Shamika · July 5, 2005 11:47PM

<< <i> My wonderful girlfriend surprised me for my birthday with a brand new microscope to photograph my coins with >>

That makes you one lucky dog.

joefro · July 6, 2005 1:31AM

Murphy: Wow, that might be great news after all! Pretty much everywhere I've read, (including searching the archives here) all I see is everyone screaming about how you need to buy a stereo microscope and not to waste your money on a normal one. Your picture looks great though!! I always thought you needed stereo to bring out vivid 3D details, but I guess not?? I was thinking maybe a monocular is only good for viewing slides and other 2D objects. Lighting will definitely be important once I get a good scope setup.

So the bottom line question is (and I think you just answered it Murphy): Will the microscope she got me work? Should I rip it out of the box when I get home from work today? I will get the exact make/model and post it here if anyone thinks that will make a difference.

Shamika: Youre telling me!!!

She's the best!

JrGMan2004 · July 6, 2005 1:52AM

joefro · July 6, 2005 2:16AM

Here is the website with the specific model she bought me. This is the first time I have known exactly what make/model she got me. I see now that the magnifications are 40x, 100x, and 400x !! This is way more than I need right? I typically want about 20x to photograph an entire coin right? Here is a pic of the microscope sitting in a box at home:

Looks like it's going to be getting shipped back after all? PLEASE HELP? Does anyone know if this is good or not??? Thanks,

Joe

messydesk · July 6, 2005 3:28AM

The reason you want a stereo microscope is not for taking pictures, but for looking at the coin.

When I take pictures using mine, I simply point my camera (Canon A80) through one of the eyepieces. I can use the zoom on the camera as well as the zoom on the microscope to frame the picture.

What you need in a microscope is:
- Stereo eyepieces for viewing the coin, which is much more comfortable than looking through a monocular microscope.
- Decent optics so that the edges of the image are as sharp as the center and free of chromatic distortion at all magnification. Beware of many eBay no-brand scopes that are cheap, but apparently feature laden. They may have crappy optics.
- At least dual magnification (1x, 3x)
- Sharp, widefield eyepieces, typically 10x, giving your scope magnification of 10x and 30x using the dual magnification example above
- Plenty of light. I use fluorescent because it doesn't get as hot as a little halogen lamp. If you're taking pictures, use the white balance of the camera to compensate for whatever light source you are using. Fiber optic lights are really nice, but you can always buy that later if you decide you need it.

I have a Bausch & Lomb StereoZoom 4 with 10x eyepieces and a fluorescent ringlight on a boom stand I bought off eBay for about what you want to spend. If you aren't in a big hurry, keep your eyes open and you should be able to find something good by B&L, Leica, Nikon, Olympus, or Swift. Keyword spammers will often list those brands in their sales. Be aware that sometimes microscopes are sold without eyepieces, meaning you'd have to pick up the eyepieces separately.

Murphy · July 6, 2005 4:00AM

Check these out:

Photo Help @ Coppercoins.com

A PCGS Forum Thread

joefro · July 6, 2005 4:19AM

Messydesk: Thanks thats the clarification I was looking for

Murphy: I have been checking out coppercoins.com's forums as well (Im joefro there too, in case it's not obvious

) The QX5 looks interesting from that post, but I have always been a scientist and there are other uses I can find for a microscope... so I'm going to go all out so I won't want to upgrade later. I have found this stereo microscope at amberdepot.com Link to microscope

The price is about $325 one all the S&H and insurance are taken care of. Tell me what you all think. I really like the continuous 7.5x-35x magnification so I am not limited to a couple mag levels. Seems to come with all the bells and whistles as well, including a 5-year warranty. I would REALLY REALLY appreciate any comments you all have on this before I go spending my own and my GF's money on such an expensive piece of equipment. Here's a pic for fun:

messydesk · July 6, 2005 4:49AM

I would rather have the Nikon SMZ-1 currently on eBay. The one you show falls into the "may contain optics of dubious origin" category. Another thing to watch on zoom scopes is whether or not the object stays in focus as you zoom. A new $325 stereo zoom with no brand would be something I'd only purchase after trying it out.

joefro · July 6, 2005 5:03AM

Good advice messydesk. As I know from using my telescopes, optics are everything. Thanks for the heads up.

Joe

MrSpud · July 6, 2005 8:59AM

Here are a couple of pictures I took by just holding up the digital camera to a normal microscope using a flashlight as the light source. The microscope is an antique single lens microscope. The pictures aren't great or anything but taking pics this way is pretty easy and more than adequate for me.

Conder101 · July 6, 2005 12:25PM

Collectors like stereoscopes because there is often less eyestrain in using them. It takes some practice to use a monocular scope without squinting andkeeping both eyes open to reduce tension and strain. Stereoscopes are easier for many people to use without developing headaches or fatigue. The camera on the other hand has no use for a stereoscope because it can't "see" in stereo. (In fact neither can your eyes. Each eye sees a 2 dimentional image from slightly different angles. The three dimentional stereo image is created by processing inside the brain.) So the camera works just fine with a monocular scope, either side of a stereoscope, or the camera adapter on a scope.

numonebuyer · July 6, 2005 1:50PM

I posted this in the past, but here is an example of mine...

mrdq · July 6, 2005 3:28PM

Stereo scope pictures but holding a 70 dollar camera up to the lens and snapping a pic. Not real technical or fancy.. but... it works. Don't discount what you can do with some good old yankee know-how.

joefro · July 7, 2005 1:02AM

Thanks for all your help everyone. I am going to continue looking around for a good deal on a name brand stereomicroscope and I'll post here before I make any purchases. These forums are really great and I bet hundreds of newbies have been stopped from wasting thousands of dollars thanks to the knowledgeable advice given here for free.

Joe

numonebuyer · July 7, 2005 2:45AM

dorancoins · July 7, 2005 4:15AM

<< <i>Hello everyone, My wonderful girlfriend surprised me for my birthday with a brand new microscope to photograph my coins with. She had asked how some people get such great pictures and I said using a microscope and the next thing I know... However, this is not a stereo microscope but a very nice normal microscope. In some of the material I have read everyone always talks about how a stereo microscope is a must. I would imagine this is so you can bring out the 3D aspects of the image??? However, everyone always says they just "hold the camera up to the eyepiece and shoot". Do you just pick one eyepiece? How do you utilize both eyepieces of the stereoscope? I know some people have fancy adapters that may do something special but how do the other people do it who just hold the camera up? I haven't opened the box yet because the company she bought it from will give a full refund including shipping and I can pitch up some of my own money and get a stereoscope. Before I go through that lengthy return process... I just want to make sure that I really can't use what she got me. Any help/links on this subject would be GREAT. Thanks as always for your great educational assistance everyone, I am very thankful!!! Joe >>

Well, a trinocular works best. I got mine at www.bargainmicroscopes.com. With everything (including carrying case) , it can to about $700. Mine has a range of 7.5-45X. Had it since March and not a problem. Also, check eBay as there are some deals.

onlylincolns · July 7, 2005 7:34AM

A couple of years ago I purchased a microscope from the ANA money store for the purpose of photography. I was using a Canon 10D digital SLR. The microscope worked great for taking close up shots of very fine detail in the coins. Unfortunatly, because of the 1.6x multiplier on the digital camera I could not get a diopter wide enough to photograph the full coin. I worked on this with the ANA and then the actual manufacturer to find a solution so that I could get a wider view. I finally had to return the scope to the ANA and they refunded my money.

After much research and trial/error, I would recommend a microscope primarily for viewing closeups of your coins. For photography, I simply purchased a macro lens and attached the camera to a copy stand. At 6mb+ the pictures are crystal clear and one can zoom into all the necessary detail without the use of a microscope.

HELP: Microscope Photographers; I have a serious problem here!!

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