USB Microscopes

[Stuart]

Good on you there Jo just shows what an education can do for you 


Stuart

[Bezalel]

Hi Jo




Should be a lot easier than trying focus a camera down a normal microscope eye piece 


So I'm looking forward to seeing some sample images


Cheers


Bez

[Ian S C]

I tried the web cam in one lens of my binocular microscope, its not easy,  but could be useful perhaps.  Ian S C

[Alan Haisley]

Further feedback:

I have just had a clockmaker respond to this question via the Cowells yahoo group. His advice is to try to work with a Optivisor. I have one of these, it wins all the prizes for being one of the most uncomfortable things going to wear.

As I have one I will give it a go before I put my hand in my pocket.

Jo

Jo,
I have an Optivisor (maybe knockoff.) My problem with it is that the headband won't stay put. What I think it needs is a round tuit to make some kind of over the top additional strap so at least the thing will stay on my head where I put it. I also have incandescent lighting that I can add to the overhead fluorescents to not only take out any visual flutter but also to increase task lighting. I'm using two old photoflood clamp-ons (really need to improve their mounting though.)
Alan

[Jo]

Report on the Optivisor:

It is comfortable to use over time and stays put where ever I position it

For me the focal length is slightly shorter than the claimed 10", this is due to my slight short sightness, when I put my glasses on the focal length is ideal . However  my glasses don't allow me to see anything clearly under about 3ft so when I raise the optivisor to reach beyond the lathe for something I have no focus due to the effect of my glasses .

So... the problem with my glasses is going to annoy me. I may need to go see an optician to sort it. The visor helped no end doing the 12BAs today.

I am now trying a halogen light to increase work lighting.

Jo

[Jo]

I have an Optivisor (maybe knockoff.) My problem with it is that the headband won't stay put.

Alan: I have that problem with my copy. The leather headband on the real optivisor helps no end with the comfort and the way it clamps on the head is miles better than the cheapy which you can only adjust off the head and it is not flexible enough to fit close to the head.

Jo

[ScroungerLee]

Here are some images from my USB Microscope and my modified webcam.

USB Microscope, less than one inch from object:


USB Microscope three inches from object:


USB Microscope 6 inches from object, might have been able to focus better.

[ScroungerLee]

And here are images from my web cam.  I removed the plastic housing around the front of the camera so that the focus ring can be screwed in much farther for close ups.

Web Cam one inch away.


Web Cam three inches away.


Web Cam 5 inches away.



You can see that both with the USB Microscope and the modified WebCam the area that is in focus is very small, and the lens has to be really really close to what you are working on.  Also the slightest movement of either type of camera or of the object makes the view scroll away from where you want it.  Even small vibrations make the image impossible to see.

I hope these help.


Lee

[Jo]

Thanks Lee,

I had thought that USB microscopes could be mounted further back but clearly not. I recall one advert for one of these where they zoomed in on a spider and went so close that it killed the luckless creature  .

The web cam seems to be giving a better view, the idea distance to keep it out of the machining operations would be around 6". 

Jo

[ScroungerLee]

Those image sizes are just the default in the software that came with each camera.  Both do video too of course.  I am sure the video can be displayed larger.

Lee