Taking photographs with a microscope is relatively straight forward providing a few basic principles are recognised. Traditionally photomicrography was confined to the use of SLR cameras as these have removable lenses, and the view finder looks through the lens system.
If the lens is removed and the camera back attached to a microscope this then in effect becomes the lens system for the camera back. The view finder will then look through the microscope which can be focused and the camera exposure control will look after the picture. This applies to both film and digital SLR cameras. The only exception being that some digital SLR cameras need electronic feedback from the lens system in order for the shutter to fire, and these will not work with microscopes. We have a number of photomicrography attachments that will fit all the microscopes in our range. Most can be used with the standard eyepieces supplied with your microscope however they will produce some vignetting that will leave the periphery of the image out of focus. photoeyepieces are designed to prevent this problem and can be provided with our photography attachments.
Almost all SLR cameras have heavily frosted viewing screens that can make focusing problematic when they are attached to a microscope, the parallax photography system overcomes this allowing the specimen and the camera to be focused through a forward facing periscope. This is only suitable for trinocular microscopes.
Compact digital cameras on the other hand have lenses that cannot be removed and
provide therefore two problems. Firstly, how to physically attach them to a microscope,
and secondly, how the camera lens marries optically with the microscope lenses. There
are many different types of these cameras and not all can be attached to microscopes.
However we have a number of adaptors developed by ourselves that will enable most
types to be used. Please email details of your camera and we will advise the best
adapter for you -
photomicrography
Parallax focusing system
