{"id":258,"date":"2021-01-18T23:33:08","date_gmt":"2021-01-18T23:33:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/scopedetective.com\/?p=258"},"modified":"2021-01-24T19:52:53","modified_gmt":"2021-01-24T19:52:53","slug":"how-to-take-pictures-through-a-microscope","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/how-to-take-pictures-through-a-microscope\/","title":{"rendered":"How to take Pictures through a Microscope (Cheapest vs. Best Methods)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
About this Article:<\/b> Hi, I’m Chris – an amateur microscopist. This information is stated as personal opinion for my circumstances and does not constitute advice to you and your circumstances or guarantee quality or fit for purpose of the following products. Use of this website is governed by our Disclaimer, Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy posted in the footer of this website. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.<\/em><\/div>\n

There are three ways to take pictures through a microscope:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Use a Cell Phone (iPhone, Android, etc.)<\/li>\n
  2. Use a USB Microscope Camera<\/li>\n
  3. Use a DSLR Camera with Microscope Adaptor<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Of the above three methods, using a DSLR camera is by far the most superior for photomicography<\/a>, while a Cell Phone is clearly the cheapest \u2013 it\u2019s FREE!<\/p>\n

    When I first got into microscope, I thought I needed a dedicated USB microscope camera. But after doing my research, I realized this was not the best solution. The quality of images and the frame rate of videos is really poor compared to using a DSLR camera.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    \n

    Method<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    Price<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    Quality<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		My Favorite<\/strong><\/td>\n\n

    Downsides<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    Best For<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

    \n

    1. Cell Phone<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    Free<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    Low<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    The one in your Pocket!<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    Poor images<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    Kids\u2019 Projects<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

    \n

    2. USB Microscope Camera<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    High<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    Medium<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    Celestron 5MP<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    Poor video<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    People without a DSLR camera<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

    \n

    3. DSLR to Microscope Adaptor<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    Medium<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    High<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    CA-CAN-NIK-SLR<\/a><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    Heavy<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\n

    Videos and high quality photos<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    In this article, I\u2019ll outline all three methods and the pros and cons of each.<\/p>\n\n

    Method 1: Use a Cell Phone<\/h2>\n

    Anyone can take photos of their specimen by simply holding a cell phone\u2019s camera up against the eyepiece. It\u2019s simple, free, and generates passable amateur images.<\/p>\n

    You can see me doing this method in the below image, with the photo beside it showing the sort of quality you\u2019ll achieve from this method:<\/p>\n

    \"taking<\/p>\n

    Pros<\/h3>\n

    The clear benefit of this method is that it\u2019s free. Nearly everyone has a cell phone these days \u2013 and kids can use their parents\u2019.<\/p>\n

    The images are usually good enough for children\u2019s school assignments or hobby images for kids.<\/p>\n

    Cons<\/h3>\n

    While this is a really simple method that works well enough, the images are not of the quality you\u2019d get from either of the other two methods listed below. There is often a color haze around the edges of the circle and there\u2019s a fair amount of fiddling involved to finally get the snap you want.<\/p>\n

    Method 2: Use a USB Microscope Camera<\/h2>\n

    I used to think this was the best method. You can buy many cameras these days with dedicated USB microscope cameras. These cameras are designed to slip into the ocular tube in place of the eyepiece.<\/p>\n

    You plug the other end of the microscope into a computer via USB cord. You\u2019ll then be able to see the specimen live on your computer screen.<\/p>\n

    Of all the options available on the market, my preferred is the Amscope M500 (that said, even the M500 won\u2019t be nearly as good as a DSLR).<\/p>\n

    While this seems like a great solution, there are some big downsides which I outline in the \u2018cons\u2019 section below.<\/p>\n

    Pros<\/h3>\n

    The quality of the image will be better than an equivalent resolution cell phone. This is because the USB microscope camera is held in place, won\u2019t wobble, and is angled correctly to reduce light diffraction.<\/p>\n

    But the biggest positive of a USB microscope camera compared to a DSLR camera adapter is that they\u2019re light. You can place a USB microscope camera into the ocular tube of a binocular microscope without upsetting the balance of the microscope too much. This can\u2019t be said for a bulky DSLR camera (if you\u2019ve got a trinocular microscope, this problem is resolved because the DSLR balances on top of the microscope rather than the front.<\/p>\n

    Cons<\/h3>\n

    The cost of a good USB microscope camera is prohibitive. You can get ones for around $120, but they\u2019ve usually got the resolution of those old pixelated flip phone cameras. To get a camera with good resolution, you\u2019re looking at upwards of $500.<\/p>\n

    A USB microscope camera is also comparatively more expensive than a DSLR camera. Dollar for dollar, you\u2019re better off buying a DSLR camera and a camera to microscope adapter. You\u2019ll end up with not only a microscope camera, but also a quality everyday workhorse DSLR camera.<\/p>\n

    And if you already own a DSLR camera, the camera to microscope adapter is usually only about $120.<\/p>\n

    My other main concern is taking videos is almost impossible unless you have a USB 3.0 compatible microscope camera and <\/em>computer port. Most microscope cameras will come with only USB 2.0 which acts as a bottleneck for videography. Your frame rate will be seriously bottlenecked and quality will be poor.<\/p>\n

    Method 3: Use a DSLR Camera with Microscope Adaptor<\/h2>\n

    In my opinion a DSLR camera with a microscope adaptor is the best way to take photos with a microscope and surprisingly affordable.<\/p>\n

    This is particularly good if you:<\/p>\n