Question: Exploring different methods for Capturing a Video while engraving

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

This is another video I captured using the life Microsoft Life Cam Ciné by mounting it on one eyepiece of the microscope, using the other eyepiece to see what I'm cutting

The diameter of the Life Cam fits perfectly to the rubber eyepiece of my scope, so I only need a rubber band to keep it in place

Sure it is hard to see clearly what you are doing using only one eye, but for demonstrating purposes this makes the best video result so far but not my best engraving.

arnaud



[video=youtube;HKOdRR3jX3E]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKOdRR3jX3E[/video]

 

[mrthe]

Arnaud, this camera have the autofocus function? and please , you can tell me wich is the external diameter ? i'm interested in try one of this , for the type of setup that i have is very interrsting that csn fit in the eyepiece

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

Paolo, I'm not in my studio now, I will let you know about the diameter of the cam. It is a USB cam made by Microsoft and the software that comes with it makes it possible to use auto focus or manually focus.
The cam makes great recordings with only a bit of light.

Here you find some details about the cam, I'm pretty sure it can be mounted on any microscope eyepiece

http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/en-us/p/lifecam-cinema#overview

arnaud

 

[mitch]

interesting possibilities for $70. so, Arnaud, do you prefer using your right or left eye to work when the camera is occupying the other eyepiece?

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

Mitch, I use my left eye, the same eye I use when using a loupe. So I was thinking a bit of practicing might work to feel more comfortable when engraving with one eye.
I have seen engravers using a loupe to do Bulino scenes as well.
I will make a photo ASAP of this setup. Might be useful for others

arnaud

 

[don hicks]

I have trouble cutting shade lines that close together with both eyes open. Doesn't looking with one eye affect your depth perception?
Cheers
Don

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

Don, I don't think looking with one eye, having only 2 fingers and one arm, being deaf or whatever does affect the quality of engraving. It is just a matter of practice and feeling comfortable using the tools.
The main difference when looking true the scope with one ore two eyes is the view field.

arnaud

 

[mitch]

I have seen engravers using a loupe to do Bulino scenes as well.
arnaud

an excellent point. i'm probably one of the very few engravers in the world who have rigged up a microscope just to do bulino work. many, even most, still use a loupe.

 

[Artemiss]

I bought the same webcam about a month ago, with the intention to use it with my Meiji Trinoc at shows, as the Trinoc has the extra hole for a camera.

The issue I found was that it didn't focus on the object at the end of the tube, but instead, it focused on the inside of the tube.
I also tried doing the same with a Logitech webcam, and got the same results.

Maybe I need to try again.

Paolo, the Microsoft one is Auto focus, and the diameter is 26mm.

Jo

 

[Brian Marshall]

26mm is why it fits the 1 inch and 25mm with just a little electrical tape...

Joanne, I don't have that particular model cam, but I have seen end tube lenses that are supposed to correct for that.

Try it on just the one eyepiece instead and let us know how it focuses.


B.

 

[Artemiss]

Brian, do you mean try it 'in' one of the eyepiece sockets, or do you mean put one of the lenses into the Trinoc hole and tape the webcam to that?

I'll try both I guess, and see what happens.

Thanks for the suggestion,

Jo

 

[Brian Marshall]

I meant tape it right to the eyepiece while it's IN the socket - not the empty eyepiece tube.

See whether it will focus through the eyepiece lens? (Make sure the scope is in focus first)


B.

 

[mrthe]

Jo wich scope do you use?
This is my setup , the quadrascope head give me two more eyepiece ( a double head) i have attached my logitech cam to one eyepiece with tape , yes look crappy but work perfect like a top end digital camera fir microscope, logitech c910 is a full hd camera with carl zeiss lenses

 

[Artemiss]

Thanks Brian, I'll try that in the morning.

Paolo, looks perfectly fine to me! My everyday scope is a normal Meiji EMZ-5, but I also have a Meiji Trinoc (TR-8??) which has the extra hole specifically for a camera, I think.

I bought a Logitech c910 last year, but again, could never get it working through the spare hole. I ended up having to tape it under the scope. But then I kept losing it of the edge of the view screen.

Jo

 

[mrthe]

If i'm not wrong , you need a coupler or an adapter for the third eye port if you use a ccd camera you need a specific coupler for the sensor of your camera , if you want use the webcam you will need a coupler for the eyepiece and after adapt the webcam in some way to the eyepiece, if i'm not wrong Sam have this scope or use it in the pastaybe he can help you more.
Real trinocular scopes are very expensive and should be less bright than a regular scope, for this reason i have bought an Opmi-1 this types of scopes are very good and have a lot of accessory to configure they like you want, for example in my extra head i have two more eyepiece ports and at the side of each eyepiece y have two extra beam slitter to attach a camera or a observer tube at the same time

 

[Christian DeCamillis]

Jo,

For a trinocular scope you need a lens where the camera mounts. the camera alone won't work. It will however work as Arnaud is using it. the Microsoft will easily tape to a Meiji eyepiece and focus automatically. I have been using this camera for many years now. You can zoom in normally and the camera will continue to give a great image.

You can also place a 10x loupe in front of it and use it off the microscope . The issue is that the camera has to be real close to your object.

Chris

 

[mitch]

ok, so if i'm following this correctly, one does not replace the ocular (eyepiece) lens with the camera, the camera is added on/attached to (tape, clamping sleeve*, whatever) the ocular lens, which is necessary for the camera to focus & operate properly, right?

*very sturdy, serviceable clamping sleeve adaptors can usually be made from a variety of commonly available sections of tubing. take your camera & an ocular lens to the local Lowes, Home Depot, Ace, home center, or hardware store and go through the plumbing, electrical (conduit- plastic & metallic), shop vac accessories, etc., until you find something with an internal diameter closely matching (can even be a bit too small) the external diameters of the lens & camera (which don't have to be identical, either). buy as little/much as you need, plus a couple hose clamps that will fit over the pipe/tube. saw/slit the tube along its length and use the hose clamps to tighten it onto the lens & camera. if they are not the same external diameter, then you also need to make a horizontal slit about 2/3rds of the way thru the sleeve adaptor so that each end can be tightened to a different diameter. below are photos of a couple of the several i've made for dust collection on woodworking eqpt. those are big -4" dia., but this trick works beautifully for small stuff, too.

 

[Artemiss]

Hi Guys,

Well, I finally finished up a job today, so had a bit of time to play with the camera settings that you were all suggesting.

YESSSSSS... it worked!!! I placed one of the eyepieces from my other Meiji scope into the Tri-noc's camera hole, then 'stuck' the webcam to the eyepiece. After adjusting the focal length with the supplied extension tube, we have a very useable picture! Woohooo!

I think I'll now just make a 'cover-up' sleeve to hide all the various tubes and tape, but apart from that, I'm pretty damn happy!

Thank you everyone who made suggestions. And apologies to Arnaud for kind of hijacking his thread!

Cheers,

Jo

 

[Brian Marshall]

Jo,

Who's gonna see or inspect it? Look at what Paolo did, all that matters is that it works!


Brian

 

[Artemiss]

Brian,

Ha, I've only just worked out where Paolos other eye pieces are, where the camera's attached. That looks really good.

I wanted to get this camera setup working for when I'm doing demos at shows, so keeping it all neat & tidy would be quite nice.

Jo