digital compact photomicrography
This page deals with digital still compact cameras that are not SLR. CCTV cameras and camcorders are dealt with on other pages and are more straight forward. Taking photographs with a microscope and a digital compact camera is not quite as straight forward as a standard 35 mm SLR camera.
There are a large number of digital compact cameras and most, but not all, can be
used for microscopy. Unlike SLR types the lenses of compact cameras cannot be removed.
There are many different styles and designs of this type of camera -
In simple terms compact digital cameras can be divided into those that have a screw thread on (or around) the lens housing, and those without screw threads. Brunel Microscopes manufacture to our own design two adapters that can attach most digital cameras to most microscopes.
Our own adapter the ‘Unilink’ will fit into standard compound microscope eye tubes or, using an insert adapter, into the 30 or 30.5 mm eye tubes of stereomicroscopes. The Unilink has an integral lens and a 37 mm male screw thread. Cameras with a lens screw thread can be attached to the Unilink via suitable step rings. Cameras with a lens thread diameter greater than 52 mm will tend to produce vignetting of the image and are therefore not recommended.
A number of cameras that have telescopic retractable lenses also have a screw thread,
or in some cases, a bayonet fitting at the base of the lens housing. There is an
ever increasing number of camera adapters that are made to enable cameras to have
various wide angle lenses or coloured filters etc. -
For information bout the Unilink and Linkarm -
Many of these cameras can be fitted with a tube adapter with a screw thread at the end. This allows the telescopic lens to zoom within it and the screw thread allows direct attachment to the Unilink. This website contains information about what is required for most cameras, and we try to keep it as up to date as possible. If you cannot locate your camera model then please email us for advice at mail@brunelmicroscopes.co.uk
Cameras without a lens screw thread can be attached to the Unilink by its ‘Linkarm’ accessory. This is a stainless steel framework that attaches to the camera via its tripod bush (all but the smallest cameras have these) and screws into the Unilink. Digital camcorders commonly have lens screw threads and will fit either directly onto the Unilink or via step rings.
single lens reflex cameras non slr compact cameras
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digital photomicrography