Hope you don't mind me showing a couple stones i just set. The pendant is a Tourmaline from Thailand that i picked up from a gem dealer years ago. The second is a CZ.... just wanted to check my steadiness before i try on a real one. I've not been very successful in taking pictures of these items and was thinking i should get a microscope with attached camera. Anyone know how micro photography works?

Thanks Steve,

Find out the focal length of your camera. I've had a few that would focus in to 1/2" from the subject.

The alternative is a massive pic file that you can crop out your pic from.

I think Macro photography is gonna do it without going to micro.

Thanks for posting!

Gary

Steve,

Funny you ask. I've been using a $20 USB pseudo microscope camera to take gun video and pictures.

I made a mount from an old dial caliper base and just fuss with the light until I'm satisfied.

The video, is a video adjusting the "focus" but it really moves a fixed focus.



Lon


Ruger 10/22 sear




Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 06/28/2017 08:50PM by Bigbore.

Thanks for the response Gary and Lon. I see some neat ideas there Lon. I have some similar fixtures that i may adapt.
I'll be looking at usb cameras soon.

BTW,

Jim and Gary gave good advice about the tripod and macro setting on the camera. It looks to my untrained eye that the camera can take very sharp pictures, you just have to get the lighting right and make sure the subject is in focus, not the lint. ;?)

Try light from the side, your photos look like the light is directly behind you.

Lon



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/29/2017 02:08AM by Bigbore.

Get a cheap tripod . . . keeps you from trying to hold it steady and will yield instantly sharper images.

Lenses . . . flat field macro is best for what you're trying to do. Something in the 100mm to 200mm range will help you stay out of your way (i.e., not block the light). Lighting it properly is most of the battle.

Penny shot with Phase One IQ 180 medium format digital back (80 megapixels) and Schneider 120mm Apo Digitar Macro lens, downscaled with no sharpness added:



Same shot, small section crop, 100% original size (with some JPEG compression added to get it small enough to post here):



-- Jim

Hi Jim,

Nice Penny! Ha!

What kind of head gear optics could I get that would give me a nice crisp ten inch working focal length. I have the often seen cheap plastic lense item.

Thanks. Gary

Gary,

This is what I use for fine work"




Lon

Love that! Where can i get one.. Ha. My younger days i could do alot of work with the naked eye and 5x. Now it's cheaters, 5x,10x head gear like Gary uses and a stereozoom.

Old school is all I got too!
Hands free

Thanks
Kurt

Does that clamp go on your eyebrow or nose Kurt? Ha.

Yeah, that rig Lon showed is good, but I don't have a Beaverskin Hat!

Fun to get old. I remember when I was about 30, I could focus at about 2 1/2" with my naked eye. Must have broke something..,, ha

Gary

Man, look who fell out of the sky.

"80 megapixels with no sharpness added", that's a joke right?

Lon

I'm gonna say no. Not a joke Lon.

Jim owns THE LAST WORD in photography.

You are in the presence ....



Gary

No joke . . . we have a 100 megapixel back too. At that point the lenses start having a harder time keeping up with all that resolution, especially in the corners, so now the manufacturers are going back and designing new glass to take advantage of all of those pixels.

[www.phaseone.com]

Hope you guys are doing great. I've been busy, but in a good way. Getting to do mostly the stuff I want to do / am interested in more days than not.

-- Jim



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/29/2017 11:08AM by admin.

Oh, I believe you. I just found it amusing that at 80 megapixels you commented that you didn't even need to sharpen it up. You could probably zoom into that photo and see individual molecules at that resolution.

Lon

Indeed, when we shoot for a certain Federal client, they give us specs based on the size of the smallest resolvable detail as measured in microns.

Back on topic . . .



-- Jim

Steve,

Here is another example of my home studio equipment:

My rig & a bullet( .22 RF).

My old Canon just won't die(probably will tomorrow now that I mentioned it). Macro setting, I simulated the frame that indicates the subject the camera will focus on. I salvaged the mount/base from an old IP WiFi camera that I had and it comes in VERY handy for still shots and video. One "click" "Smart Adjust" with my Adobe Photoshop Elements(lite version of Photoshop) and some additional light added with hand held flashlight. Took two tries.

Lon



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/30/2017 04:00AM by Bigbore.

Thanks Lon, You gave me an idea. I have an old Bulova microscope, pictured. I can lay the camera on top and these are the images of a 2.4mm wheel with, can you believe 320 teeth. Hard to believe that they could cut those and it was from about 50 years ago. Still, i believe a trade secret. From an accutron 218 btw. Not sure how to get closer to see the teeth though?

Hi Steve,

It's a depth perception issue at that magnification. The camera is focusing on your background pattern.

Use an absolutely plain background. White paper? Will better transfer light into the pic too.

That's with an auto focus. With a manual focus, you could see the teeth if adjusted correctly


Gary

Steve
That is amazing even for 50 yrs ago all them teeth AND it's only a part of something bigger . There is a whole world out there most don't get to see. I've had this stereoscope for years and it takes a good time to just get in focus but when you do don't touch anything. I'm not even sure what type it is but it's made in England!
I can't even imaging working on stuff that small ( watches) but there's a nitch for a lot of guys that like it !

Thanks
Kurt