Microscope & camera for home use - recommendations?

[shireen]

hi ... i love looking at little critters under the microscope. There are so many interesting little things in my reef tank, and my friend's pond that i'd love to learn about.

i've spent days hunting for a decent affordable compound microscope. For the microscope portion, I like the National Optical intro and high school models (like this one: http://www.microscopesfromnational.com/product/131-LED ).

But finding an affordable camera that attaches to the eyepiece, one that's compatible with a mac operating system, has been near impossible! One I really like is the Moticam 1000 (http://www.carolina.com/product/591305.do ) but the price tag is a bit hard to deal with. There are other less expensive cameras but none are mac-compatible. Getting a built-in camera microscope is not a good idea because, while well-maintained optics and mechanical parts will last for decades, the camera technology will change quite rapidly. So I'd like to get a good low-cost camera that i can replace in 5 years or so with a more advanced model.

[BlooInBloo]

1. I'd email my local university biology prof. Or grad student might be even better.

[shireen]

6. thanks, will check that out. nt

[Vilis Veritas]

2. Whatever you get...buy this.

http://www.microscope-depot.com/digadapt.asp

Then you have hundreds of options.

saddlesore

[shireen]

4. cool website but

They have some nice digital bundles, i got all excited about it till I read the camera was not compatible with macs. Their digital camera attachment only does windows. :(

[Vilis Veritas]

7. Hmm...the adapter I linked to is only an adapter

it appears to be able to connect any camera (based on model) to any microscope. I think my intention was that the camera is independant of the adapter and microscope so therefore your link to a mac would go through the camera and not the microscope.

From their site on the page linked:

Shown with the included 1.25" telescope eyetube adapter.



Clearshot 600 shown mounting a digital camera to the eyetube of a binocular compound microscope using the 23mm adapter (left). It also works just as good on a monocular (single eyetube) microscope. Also shown mounted on a trinocular stereo (dissecting) microscope using the C-mount adapter (right).

[Vilis Veritas]

8. Using this adapter and the microscope you linked to

and the digital camera of your choice, would work for a mac as well as a PC...as long as the camera could connect to a Mac...I think it would work.

Give them a call at least it is toll-free...

saddlesore

[Clovis Sangrail]

3. might be a bit pricey but a good durable scope

I picked up a number of Olympus SZ61 bench scopes for a lab not long ago and a got camera attachments for a few of them.

Good optics and you can prolly find refurb ones for a lot less than new.
The camera attachment worked on a fairly wide range of Olympus (surprise surprise) cameras.

http://www.olympusamerica.com/seg_section/product.asp?product=1005

[shireen]

5. mmmm ... very very nice but i can't afford them! nt

[SnowGoose]

9. Since it sounds like budget is a consideration for you,

you might want to consider university surplus. Every major university I've been with has had a crappy old depot building that sells surplus and discarded equipment. It's how I bought my microscope (monocular, but decent optics up to 1000x oil immersion = 25 bucks). Early summer is a good time for it too, since that's when stuff tends to be discarded. It can be so cheap that you can think of it as a trial run while you're shopping for an upgrade (one that's not as old and ugly).

You could decide on things like how much magnification you really want ~ since you mentioned aquatic critters, you might not even want to mag all the way up to 1000x. You might find that dual illumination is more important than some other features.

Before our lab got a new Nikon last year, we would actually put a consumer digital snapshot camera up to the eyepiece and got surprisingly good results. You could brew something at home that saves you a lot of money and gives you a big sense of satisfaction from making it yourself.

Good luck.

[shireen]

10. thanks, will check that out. nt

wow, $25 sounds really good! I'll check into it.

[scubadude]

11. Here's a great find!

Follow this link to a site chock full of the things you are looking for:

http://www.labx.com/v2/adsearch/detail3.cfm?adnumb=359917

Best,

Scuba

[scubadude]

12. This one goes directly to your request.

http://www.labx.com/v2/adsearch/detail3.cfm?adnumb=354483

If you could swing this one you would not only get
a microscope, but the capability to interface it with a
computer and the software to do it.

Best,
Scuba

[shireen]

13. oh that's pretty .... :-)

but i'm trying to avoid built-in cameras

the optical components of a good microscope will last a long time.

but the technology for the camera changes quite rapidly.

in about 10 years, i'll still have a good functioning optical microscope but a very outdated camera. so, i'm looking for a separate detachable camera that can be upgraded independent of the microscope.

[scubadude]

14. On this site is everything you need.

You just have to dig. I found adapters, microscopes with and without digital cameras, software, camera adapters....

Best, Scuba