Khyssa Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 I've searched through quite a bit of matrix from a number of different locations now and have plenty to show for my efforts. The problem I'm having is in trying to photograph my finds. I ordered a digital microscope/camera thing that hooks up to my laptop online but it's not working all that well. The thing ended up coming from China, took seemingly forever to get here, and just won't work right. It doesn't help that it doesn't have a printed manual and the instructions on the disk leave a lot to be desired. Now that I'm back to square one I thought I'd ask here what you all are using to take such great photos of your micros. Any suggestions as to what I should buy? Preferably something that costs around a $100 or less although I may be able to go higher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnBrewer Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 You can a scanner, you can really high quality images with a reasonable priced scanner. Image below was done with a £70 scanner. You need to scan at the highest optical resolution NOT interpolated resolution and crop after the preview or the scan will take ages and the file will be size unmanageable. If you don't have Photoshop to clean up the background look at imaging software called GIMP which is free. There's a support forum and they'll walk you through it I'm sure. If if you wanted to go down the camera route Olof @LordTrilobite uses a great camera which can be bought very cheaply. Check his gallery for examples of his work 3 John Map of UK fossil sites Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snolly50 Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 (edited) LINK Edit: Sorry this did not provide an active link when I dropped the address line from the desired post. It must be a result of the new site software. Perhaps someone will add an instruction for making a live link to Forum posts. The post I was trying for may be found in the "Collecting Gear" topic posted on August 11th. You may enjoy this recent Forum post. You can compare some of your finds to a US $20 to get an idea of the scale of the photos in relation to your intended subjects. You can directly compare the output of my $2500 Nikon rig with a $400 Olympus. I think the less expensive camera is superior - for this application. I believe it is due to the on board focus-stacking that device is capable of providing. In addition, I believe JohnBrewer's tip above about scanners is a worthy option. Edited August 31, 2016 by JohnJ Link added 1 Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, also are remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. - Douglas Adams, Last Chance to See Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlauriajr Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 I use something like this http://www.amscope.com/200x-2mp-8-led-zoom-usb-digital-microscope-endoscope-xp-vista-7-8-mac.html 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Troodon Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 I use a digital scope for my ultra high magnifications. There are a lot in the market. This one is from AmpScope and under $100.00 0 Here is a nice one from Celestron $120 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missourian Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 I've had good luck holding my iPhone camera up to the eyepiece of my binocular microscope: It takes a bit of practice to get the orientation, focus and lighting just right. Context is critical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnJ Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 1 hour ago, snolly50 said: LINK Edit: Sorry this did not provide an active link when I dropped the address line from the desired post. It must be a result of the new site software. Perhaps someone will add an instruction for making a live link to Forum posts. The post I was trying for may be found in the "Collecting Gear" topic posted on August 11th. You may enjoy this recent Forum post. You can compare some of your finds to a US $20 to get an idea of the scale of the photos in relation to your intended subjects. You can directly compare the output of my $2500 Nikon rig with a $400 Olympus. I think the less expensive camera is superior - for this application. I believe it is due to the on board focus-stacking that device is capable of providing. In addition, I believe JohnBrewer's tip above about scanners is a worthy option. (Copy the link location. Highlight the text in your post that you want to have the link. Click the 'chainlink' icon [left of quotation marks] in the text box tool bar. Paste the copied link into the following URL box. ) 2 The human mind has the ability to believe anything is true. - JJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevonianDigger Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 I just use one of these for taking basic pictures to help with IDs. I have a Nikon DSLR with a macro lens that I use for higher quality images, but for $6.95 you can't really beat having one of these in your bag. (Comes with a light built in as well!) Cell Phone Microscope Adapter Here's a a few samples. (Mind you these are taken on a rather inadequate 8MP camera phone.) Jay A. Wollin Lead Fossil Educator - Penn Dixie Fossil Park and Nature Reserve Hamburg, New York, USA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevonianDigger Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 7 hours ago, jlauriajr said: I use something like this http://www.amscope.com/200x-2mp-8-led-zoom-usb-digital-microscope-endoscope-xp-vista-7-8-mac.html I didn't see this one before I posted about the $7 one. Spend the extra couple bucks and get this one instead. Nice find! Jay A. Wollin Lead Fossil Educator - Penn Dixie Fossil Park and Nature Reserve Hamburg, New York, USA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khyssa Posted September 1, 2016 Author Share Posted September 1, 2016 17 hours ago, Troodon said: I use a digital scope for my ultra high magnifications. There are a lot in the market. This one is from AmpScope and under $100.00 0 Here is a nice one from Celestron $120 What I had bought looks similar to those but not as nice. Thank you for the manufacturers names. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khyssa Posted September 1, 2016 Author Share Posted September 1, 2016 (edited) John, I'll have to do some research into scanners. We have a nice big Cannon one at work but I doubt they'd like me bringing in a bunch of fossils to try it out! Missourian, I don't own a microscope but I have been using a desk lamp with a magnifying lens in conjunction with my Galaxy 6 phone. It helps some but the pictures are still coming out slightly blurry. It's strange but this phone doesn't seem to take as clear of pictures as my Galaxy 3 did. Devoniandigger, I actually own a cell phone adapter and it worked great with my Galaxy 3 but my newer Galaxy 6 just doesn't work well with it. It's very frustrating! Thank you for all the information, everyone! This gives me some new options to investigate. Kara Edited September 1, 2016 by Khyssa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khyssa Posted September 2, 2016 Author Share Posted September 2, 2016 On 8/31/2016 at 5:19 PM, snolly50 said: LINK Edit: Sorry this did not provide an active link when I dropped the address line from the desired post. It must be a result of the new site software. Perhaps someone will add an instruction for making a live link to Forum posts. The post I was trying for may be found in the "Collecting Gear" topic posted on August 11th. You may enjoy this recent Forum post. You can compare some of your finds to a US $20 to get an idea of the scale of the photos in relation to your intended subjects. You can directly compare the output of my $2500 Nikon rig with a $400 Olympus. I think the less expensive camera is superior - for this application. I believe it is due to the on board focus-stacking that device is capable of providing. In addition, I believe JohnBrewer's tip above about scanners is a worthy option. You're mention of the cameras has got me thinking about the new Canon Rebel that I bought earlier this year. I need to look at what macro lenses are available for it. My problem with using the camera mostly has to do with the fact that my hands often shake when taking pictures. Are there any tricks to holding the camera steady or some kind of stand that can be used? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ynot Posted September 2, 2016 Share Posted September 2, 2016 You can get a "tripod" to hold the camera steady while taking pictures. It helps with the macro shots also. Tony Darwin said: " Man sprang from monkeys." Will Rogers said: " Some of them didn't spring far enough." My Fossil collection - My Mineral collection My favorite thread on TFF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khyssa Posted September 2, 2016 Author Share Posted September 2, 2016 Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snolly50 Posted September 2, 2016 Share Posted September 2, 2016 1 hour ago, Khyssa said: You're mention of the cameras has got me thinking about the new Canon Rebel that I bought earlier this year. I need to look at what macro lenses are available for it. My problem with using the camera mostly has to do with the fact that my hands often shake when taking pictures. Are there any tricks to holding the camera steady or some kind of stand that can be used? A tripod as ynot suggests is almost a requirement for serious macro photography. In addition a focusing rail may be added to the tripods head to provide even more precision of focus. The contributing factor to the need for exact focus is the paper thin depth of field caused by the close focusing. The slightest movement can make for a blurry outcome. The focus stacking built in to the Olympus I mentioned appears to be a real advantage in this area. Since you already own a DSLR, that may be the route that will provide the most satisfaction and versatility. I am not familiar with Canon cameras, but they certainly enjoy an excellent reputation. I note your model has a 18mp sensor. This is an advantage as it captures a large amount of data and therefore images can be tightly cropped to enlarge a small segment and you still have decent resolution. The bad news is that a dedicated macro lens by Canon will be costly. Popular wisdom asserts that a macro lens less than 100mm is undesirable. I forget why this is. I don't know what additional lenses you already have, but a 100mm macro would also make a very nice "portrait lens." I would recommend, if you have an interest, to go take your Rebel to a Canon dealer and try the Canon macro lenses. In this manner you can readily assess if a given lens will meet your needs for magnification. You could bring in the smallest fossil you have an interest in imaging and then see what the lens can produce. In addition you can explore the lens' usefulness for apps beyond macro. It is possible, depending on the fossils you wish to photograph, that a macro lens may not provide adequate magnification. In that case some of the "microscope" options may prove superior. Good luck and most of all have fun. 1 Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, also are remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. - Douglas Adams, Last Chance to See Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The QCC Posted December 3, 2016 Share Posted December 3, 2016 My solution to macro/micro fossil photos is to use a Zeiss 305edu with a used Canon 1000D as the camera. It is not the least expensive solution, but certainly one of the most flexible. The 305edu has three independently controlled LED light sources, a .8 to 4x optical zoom lens, both reflected and transmitted light sources plus a Dark Field stop. The Canon 1000D comes with free image recording software with live view. When mounted on the 305edu with the 10x eyepiece, magnifications up to 40x are possible. I glued an inexpensive mechanical stage to the base of the microscope with a 58mm UV filter as the specimen holder. This setup permits vertical, side angle and below lighting of the specimen. Adding inexpensive polarizing filters turns the microscope into a even more versatile polarizing scope. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdsnl Posted December 5, 2016 Share Posted December 5, 2016 On 9/1/2016 at 4:52 AM, Khyssa said: I've searched through quite a bit of matrix from a number of different locations now and have plenty to show for my efforts. The problem I'm having is in trying to photograph my finds. I ordered a digital microscope/camera thing that hooks up to my laptop online but it's not working all that well. The thing ended up coming from China, took seemingly forever to get here, and just won't work right. It doesn't help that it doesn't have a printed manual and the instructions on the disk leave a lot to be desired. Now that I'm back to square one I thought I'd ask here what you all are using to take such great photos of your micros. Any suggestions as to what I should buy? Preferably something that costs around a $100 or less although I may be able to go higher. The Chinese digital microscope is not bad if you get it from a good source, however there are many counterfeit versions that look exactly the same. If your microscope is not recognized, the software may have some weird problem during installation. I had one that I had to uninstall and reinstall about 10 times before it would behave . If you have multiple microscopes installed on the same computer they may interfere with each other and cause one to not be recognized. The program may also take pictures from your webcam instead of the microscope, in which case you would have to go to devices and choose the microscope. If you have successfully installed the program and the microscope but the resolution is low, the program may have a low resolution default and you have to change it probably each time you open it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yvie Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 (edited) Oasis also have freeware for digital microscopes I found it works really well.I can focus down on forma in flints and also use Picolay (free) for stacking photos as the depth of field is obviously lacking.You need to open the program then plug in the microscope! Edited January 17, 2017 by Yvie Extra info 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yvie Posted January 17, 2017 Share Posted January 17, 2017 Windos updates also messed mine up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdsnl Posted January 20, 2017 Share Posted January 20, 2017 On 1/18/2017 at 7:22 AM, Yvie said: Oasis also have freeware for digital microscopes I found it works really well.I can focus down on forma in flints and also use Picolay (free) for stacking photos as the depth of field is obviously lacking.You need to open the program then plug in the microscope! Does Oasis' software work for microscopes of other brands? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yvie Posted January 20, 2017 Share Posted January 20, 2017 Windows updates also messed mine up! Oasis do various programs for microscopes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdsnl Posted February 10, 2017 Share Posted February 10, 2017 On 1/18/2017 at 7:22 AM, Yvie said: Oasis also have freeware for digital microscopes I found it works really well.I can focus down on forma in flints and also use Picolay (free) for stacking photos as the depth of field is obviously lacking.You need to open the program then plug in the microscope! I just tried oasis.exe and smart_camera.exe and found that they take pictures and videos in low resolution (640x480 and 320x240). Do you know if it is possible to switch to a higher resolution? My microscope is capable of up to 1600x1200, and the software it comes with allows me to change the resolution, but it has a problem with video recording, so I hope to find a better replacement Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yvie Posted February 10, 2017 Share Posted February 10, 2017 25 minutes ago, sdsnl said: I just tried oasis.exe and smart_camera.exe and found that they take pictures and videos in low resolution (640x480 and 320x240). Do you know if it is possible to switch to a higher resolution? My microscope is capable of up to 1600x1200, and the software it comes with allows me to change the resolution, but it has a problem with video recording, so I hope to find a better replacement Hi my Micro capture pro started to work again after I uninstalled reinstalled and then messed about with different settings.I think you need to save the pictures outside the active programme and the delete.Camera assignment also changed so I had to find that, but I think that was a Windows update. I now have the following:- 1.3mp 1280 x 960 2mp 1600 x 1200 3mp 1536 x 2048 5mp 2592 x 1944 which I can get I went through some sand attached to the inside of a pile of fossil shells,found a lovely one size of a fullstop.Took photos of one side,then the cat accidentally made me do the fatal PING! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdsnl Posted February 11, 2017 Share Posted February 11, 2017 On 2/11/2017 at 0:42 AM, Yvie said: Hi my Micro capture pro started to work again after I uninstalled reinstalled and then messed about with different settings.I think you need to save the pictures outside the active programme and the delete.Camera assignment also changed so I had to find that, but I think that was a Windows update. I now have the following:- 1.3mp 1280 x 960 2mp 1600 x 1200 3mp 1536 x 2048 5mp 2592 x 1944 which I can get I went through some sand attached to the inside of a pile of fossil shells,found a lovely one size of a fullstop.Took photos of one side,then the cat accidentally made me do the fatal PING! Do you mean the Celestron one? I installed it, but it seems it cannot recognise devices which aren't from Celestron. Guess I'll stick with my current one for now and be careful when I take videos! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yvie Posted February 12, 2017 Share Posted February 12, 2017 I've got a Crenova,Celestron didn't work for me I'll try and find the link for you tomorrow,when I have time. Just back from a charity fund raising too late now. Yvie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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