A standard compound light microscope.
Photo-microscopy using an Olympus digital SLR camera opens a new world of rarely seen images to the average photographer. Previously the domain of scientists with expensive photo-microscopes, anyone with a digital SLR camera and a close focusing macro lens can capture captivating pictures through a standard light microscope. While scientists use expensive microscopes with built-in digital sensors or with trinocular photo tubes and camera T-mounts, it is also possible to obtain good pictures with a simple microscope and digital camera using no other special equipment.
Instructions
Set Up The Microscope
1. Set up your microscope on a table or counter surface and be sure that it is placed as close to the front edge as possible. The ocular lens, or viewing eyepiece, should be positioned so that it is facing outward from the table, so that you could look through it if you were to sit at the table.
2. Place a suitable specimen on the microscope stage and, while viewing the specimen through the eyepiece, focus the image as sharply as possible.
3. If your microscope has a variable light control rheostat, be sure that the light is turned up as high as possible.
Set Up The Camera
4. Prepare your camera by attaching a close focusing, or macro lens, onto the camera's lens mount.
5. Set the camera's exposure control to the Aperture Priority setting, and dial the aperture setting to its lowest value. On the Olympus Zuiko 35mm f/3.5 E-ED macro lens, this value would be f/3.5. Set the lens to focus on infinity by turning the focusing ring. Any further focusing will be done with the microscope control, not the lens focusing control.
6. Attach your camera to a stable tripod and raise the height of the tripod so that the camera is high enough to shoot through the microscope eyepiece. Turn the camera so that the lens is aligned with, or parallel to, the microscope eyepiece. Position the lens as close as possible to the microscope eyepiece without touching it.
Taking the Picture
7. Turn the room lights off, or shield the lens from outside light by placing a black cloth over the lens and microscope eyepiece.
8. Obtain your final focus by looking through the camera's viewfinder or using the live view mode, if available. Final focus will be obtained by adjusting the microscope focus, not with the lens focus ring or automatic focus.
9. Gently press the shutter release or, better yet, use the self timer control to take your picture. Using the self timer will reduce camera shake.
Tags: microscope eyepiece, digital camera, macro lens, close focusing, close focusing macro
