Through-the-eyepiece microscope photographs

[Sam]

Today was the last day of my class in Belgium, and I noticed one of my students was busy photographing my demonstration plates. He placed them in his vise and was photographing them with a small point-and-shoot camera by hand-holding it and aiming it into one of the microscope eyepieces. I walked over and asked how it was working, and Toan replied "It's perfect!". When he showed me the photos I couldn't believe my eyes. I then tried it and got fantastic results as well. I had to fiddle with the camera a bit in order to get it positioned just right, and when I did I pressed the button and the shots below are the result. They are all hand-held and shot on full automatic mode with the flash disabled. Included are some 100% crops which show the sharpness and clarity. The camera I used is a little Canon SD790 IS ten megapixel point-and-shoot. Try it and post your results here!
You shoot directly into the eyepiece and don't need need to remove it from the microscope.
/ ~Sam

-------------- 100% crop ----------------

---------------100% crop ----------------

 

[Christopher Malouf]

Jackpot!!! WOW. This is like looking over your shoulder.


Sam, do you ever use the high resolution Meiji eyepieces. I think they take the microscope to 30 something power?

Chris

 

[Sam]

I only use 10X eyepieces, Chris. I've used 20x and found them way too powerful. Grab your camera and give this a try. Pretty cool way to shoot close-ups, eh? / ~Sam

 

[Tom Curran]

Sam, I see you have a few over-runs there. Thank God, because now I know you're human.

That is absolutely cool. I have an SLR, which is probably too big in the lens. Ah! maybe I can screw on a clear lens cover and support it on the rubber of the eye piece.

 

[Tom Curran]

You know Sam, this will be a great tool for those trying to troubleshoot their engraving (like me). Take pictures of your special purpose gravers. Uh, see how many over runs are in MY work. You will know I am not even close to god.

Thanks again.
Tom

 

[Christopher Malouf]

Thanks Sam. That one shot looked so close I couldn't believe it was taken through the 10X lenses.

ok .... here's goes ... ready to drop my drawers!!


Gotta remove the eye cups from the eye peices .... works perfectly. This is a cool idea for reviewing work and comparing details to other engravings. Side by side right on the computer.

 

[Tim Wells]

GRAVER CONTROL! That's fine work, and to think you were just goofing off.
That's what shading should look like, and a fine study piece it is...

 

[Mike Cirelli]

You said it Tim.
Sam I can't believe all the things you experiment with and you never had the urge to try it. I took this picture of a bug way back a million threads ago. Bill Zach said he seen a monster under his scope.


Beautiful work and the lettering flawless.

 

[Brian Hochstrat]

Thats a pretty cool deal, my camera has a zoom lens so its larger in diameter than a point and shoot, so it was difficult to get the camera to see into the eye piece and not focus on the surroundings, but it still worked, with a bit of jockeying around.

The image is the "Helm of Invisibility" for a Abduction of Persephone themed knife I am working on. The scroll on the helmet is as small as I have cut in a while.

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[ddushane]

Amazing stuff guys! Dwayne

 

[RT Bit and Spur]

You guys do some mind blowing things. Thanks for posting.
Rod

 

[Ray Cover]

Cool pics Sam,

My Canon camera and Sigma Lens came in the other day. Now I have to sit down and read the manuals.

Hopefully I will be up and taking pictures like this soon.

Ray

 

[monk]

workin on my second hobo tonite. decided to try your trick sam. lighting tricky to figuure out, but this aint too shabby. matter of fact, it's probably better than my average foto.

 

[pierre]

very neat shadows Sam realy beautifull work
have a nice day.
you are at Anvers?

 

[maryw]

This is totally amazing - !!! Thanks so much for sharing. Gotta try it.
Mary W

 

[jlseymour]

Great Sam a new toy to play with...
Jerry

 

[DaveH]

The only camera I have access to is a really old cheap 2.1 megapixel p.o.s. This is the lettering on the back of a cuff bracelet I'm working on. I'm open to criticism, but be gentle, I've only been engraving for 3 months. It was engraved with a 120 and a Magnum.

 

[Doc Mark]

Dave,

Your doing exceptionally well for only 3 months! The only suggestion I, also relatively new to this game (2.5 years), could see is to stipple or texture the relieved centers of the letters. It is too difficult to do brightcut relief without showing all the "ripples" in the background. A textured surface would make the monogram "pop" in my opinion. Try it on a practice plate first to see if you like the effect.

Keep cuttin'

Mark

 

[DaveH]

Actually, I was going to blacken it as the final step after setting all the stones.

 

[John B.]

Hi Sam,
Hope you had a good trip to Belgium and managed to hook up with Phil and Alain for dinner.
Thank you for posting the camera/ microscope tutorial.
From a photographly challenged individual, a question please.
I have a Canon Power Pro 1, 8 meg, 7X optical zoom.
The diameter of the lens is bigger than the diameter of the scope eyepieces.
Is this the reason that it does not just focus on the object showing through the scope?
I know many point and shoots have a smaller diameter lens. Is this what's needed?

Best, John B.