A homemade microscope camera can record the specimen's image as you see it from the microscope's eyepiece.
Homemade microscope cameras provide interesting, out-of-this-world-looking photos for hobbyists. While scientists use professional equipment, amateurs and enthusiasts can definitely settle for more affordable options and still enjoy microphotography subjects. Even students who utilize homemade equipment to practice on can come up with DIY projects with cheaper used microscopes (mostly old ones sold in auctions, thrift stores, schools, laboratories and the Internet), a microscope viewfinder-camera lens adapter and either a consumer digital camera or a digital SLR.
Preparing Your Microscope
Prepare the slide and specimen on the microscope so you can readily take a shot after your camera is attached. Also check your settings early on so that you need only a few adjustments later.
Remove the eyepiece lens of your microscope, as you need to put an adapter to fit the camera onto it.
Choosing Your Camera
Decide which camera to use with your microscope. It's not a requirement to have a digital SLR for this kind of project--unless you really need high-quality photos with the resolution and other features available only from professional still cameras. But take note that you won't actually use the camera lens, as you need to replace it with a T-mount--simply an eyepiece adapter--so you can attach your D-SLR to the microscope. And just as when buying lenses, the T-mount's price is directly proportional to its quality. Moreover, being a special kind of lens, the price range of T-mounts is comparable to that of any D-SLR's specialized lenses.
Or you can use any consumer digital camera for this project. Apart from being less expensive, the advantage of a consumer camera is that it's lighter. And since your camera will be frequently placed upside down to replace the microscope's eyepiece, a smaller and lighter camera is more ideal than a heavy D-SLR. There's less risk, too, of the sensitive internal parts of the camera acquiring dirt, dust and any other physical problems.
Choosing Your Adapter
Choose a T-mount adapter that fits both the camera and the microscope well. Whether you're using a D-SLR or consumer digital camera, this adapter is crucial in making a fully functional homemade microscope camera: it should fit well and be locked well so it doesn't move from the microscope's eyepiece location and to avoid accidents like the camera falling from the microscope.
For those who are good at assembling various gadget parts, you can make a homemade T-mount-style adapter by using a PVC pipe, which you can readily buy from the hardware store. This PVC pipe can be used for either a consumer digital or a D-SLR camera. Take note that you also need to have enough knowledge in camera parts and functions to be able to open the lens part of a consumer camera when doing this process. Unlike a D-SLR that lets you readily remove the lens from the camera's body, a consumer camera's lens is fixed. Depending on the physical features of your camera, you might need to open up that circular part or even access the specific modifications from the inside of the camera--revealing its internal parts.
Attaching Adapter to Camera and Microscope
Remove the camera lens and affix the adapter to it. Make sure it fits tightly. Then attach your camera to your microscope in place of the removed eyepiece part. The camera should sit securely on the microscope.
With your equipment turned on, you should be able to see through your camera what you would see from the microscope eyepiece. Adjust any settings accordingly. Start taking your photos.
Tags: your camera, consumer digital, from microscope, microscope eyepiece, camera lens, consumer camera