Question: Binocular or Trinocular Microscope

[Harpuahound]

Hi guys, Im ordering equipment for my shop at home. One step closer to self employment. Right now im debating between a binocular and trinocular microscope. Binocular scope benifet is its much cheaper. Trinocular benifet being that i can connect to a tv screen. I think that this would be most benificial for doing gun and knife shows eventually. But ive never done them and am wondering if thats even feasible. I dont want to spend hundreds of dollars or thousands and end up with the wrong piece of equipment or pay extra for something i dont need. Any suggestions or uses i havent thought of for trinocular? Thanks.

 

[Sam]

Johnny: Trinocular scopes are convenient for attaching a camera. My setup is the GRS camera mount which adapts to the scope stand and this system requires a lens for the camera. Figure the cost of a lens plus the cost of the mount, and it might be less expensive to buy a trinoc, but I'm not sure what they sell for.

Be sure that if you get a trinocular, that you get the newer type that doesn't require you to lose one eyepiece when you use the camera tube. Some older models of Meiji (and other brand) scopes were like that. I'm pretty sure the newer ones are not, and cost more as a result. The old ones have a sliding lever and redirects one eyepiece tube to the camera tube, so you lose one eye.

Get some opinions on this for sure. I know some engravers prefer the trinocular for video. I like the fact that my camera is at an angle as opposed to looking straight down through the scope. I'm not saying it's better, just different.

~Sam

 

[fegarex]

I thought the trinocular microscope would be the best for teaching but what I found out was what the camera would capture was a lot smaller than what I was seeing in the scope. You really couldn't get a 2X2 plate in full screen. The advantage of a trinocular scope is you can zoom both the lens and camera at the same time. If you are doing small stuff such as jewelry it might work fine but I seemed to like the set-up like Sam mentioned. There is a trade off there as well. You need to zoom the camera separate from the scope and also the camera is at an "angle". This is no big deal for showing demos but if you are trying to show how to cut a certain cut, the angle of the graver will appear slightly different on the camera. I just compromise by watching the monitor to make sure it looks like what I am trying to show.
All that said, both have advantages and disadvantages. It depends on what you want or like.
Rex

 

[Marcus Hunt]

The trinocular works best if you mask the eye pieces so you see the same as what's on the screen. It really is a limited field of view and hard to work with all day but as a teaching aid it's fantastic; no more frustrated shouts of "You're off the screen again!" from the class. Wonderful!

I must admit, when I did a demo at The Game Fair a few years ago, we didn't use a trinocular scope and it's hard to keep on the screen all the time.

 

[Harpuahound]

Thanks guys, its all valuable advice and it was enough to alter my already waivering decision. I dont like the idea of such a small field of vision. If i need video
in the future I think I'll opt for the seperate camera.

 

[Marcus Hunt]

The thing is Johnny, you don't have to mask the eye pieces all the time, just for when you're doing a show. You could even make up a set of lens caps as the mask so you just slip them on when you're giving a demo. Just a thought but I know what I'm happier with when teaching.