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 Replies: 9 / Views: 1,846 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4038 Posts |
All, I'm working on a new type of stand that combines the functionality of a Stereo Microscope with a Photomacrographic stand. Most of the stands I've built for folks have been based on the Bausch & Lomb A-Stand, a nice compact stand with precise focus capability. I remove the ring mount for the Stereo Pod and replace it with a 1/4" bar of varying height depending on the magnification needs of the user. But this takes away its original purpose as a Stereo Microscope stand, and I got to thinking I might be able to keep both functions... I recently found some small, high quality bellows that fit nicely inside the ring mount on the A-stand (with a little modification to the stand...). The result is Nitoku, a Dual-Use stand. Here are some pics of the first one I've built: Nitoku configured as a Stereo Microscope Stand:  Nitoku configured as a Photomacrographic Stand:  The stand is not tall enough to image Dollars or Halves sitting on the stage plate with a 75mm EL-Nikkor lens as shown in the picture. You can remove the stage plate and raise the stand a bit and image Dollars or Halves through the stand. Not too convenient, so I would not recommend this for folks who want to mostly image Dollars. But for Quarters or smaller this stand will work great. And for high mag imaging of varieties, this should be a great setup. Now what's different about this from previous stands I've built is you can easily remove the bellows and install the Stereo Microscope pod. With the wide range of Bausch & Lomb pods and eyepieces you have a lot of flexibility for magnification and field of view. Am I on the right track? Anyone care to offer suggestions? Ray |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4132 Posts |
My suggestion is to do all your inventing before I get one! I've only had my stand for a few weeks and it's already obsolete.  |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4038 Posts |
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My suggestion is to do all your inventing before I get one! I've only had my stand for a few weeks and it's already obsolete. I can offer a workaround for folks with the more heavily-modified stands that don't have Stereo Microscope mounting ring. I can drill and tap a mounting ring such that it will mount to the bellows mounting rail. I need to try it but I think it should work well. It might have a bit too much height and require a 0.5x objective but that's not a huge inconvenience as the extra working distance is good for lighting flexibility. Any interest in my testing this concept? It's also easy to replace the bellows mounting rail with the original Microscope mounting ring, modified to allow bellows mounting (that's a mouthful!). So...you have options if you like the idea of using the stand with a Stereo Microscope pod...Ray Contact me for photographic equipment or visit my home page at: http://macrocoins.comEdited by rmpsrpms
08/15/2012 12:23 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4132 Posts |
Heh, probably I won't be able to help - it's going to be quite a while before a microscope pod is in my budget.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3076 Posts |
"One must appreciate Rays efforts an honesty in all his endevors"....I have never met any one who helps every one with there long range or such short microscopic needs as RAY has done.......and along with this he images its benifites or detriments to everyone..... TRUE this setup which won't do dollars as he says...I'm a dollar guy...but for those of you who don't do dollars, he's on a tract for YOUR benifit...as well as experimenting with all the known and unknown...... I have to say......for you who haven't been here in the past 2 years.. .....Ray has SHATTERED......and exemplified our previously known boundaries of what CAN BE ACHEIEVED with semi old and ancient glass.......His ideas are very well worth investigating...  Gene |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4038 Posts |
Thanks Gene! I love using the "old" to build the "new", especially when it results in something far better than is being produced today. There's so much surplus stuff out there of very high quality that is going unused. It does take a bit of thought and effort to cobble things together in useful ways but the results are worth it.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4038 Posts |
Quote:
Heh, probably I won't be able to help - it's going to be quite a while before a microscope pod is in my budget. You'd be surprised, Captain. I've seen pods on ebay go for great prices. 1x and 2x pods are totally unpopular yet are perfect for this application. StereoZooms cost a bit more, but the older gray-painted ones are often very affordable. Eyepieces will cost you a bit, though occasionally you can find a pod with eyepieces for little more than the price of the eyepieces themselves! You do run the risk on the pods of them being out of alignment, but they are not that tough to align with a little instruction. Contact me for photographic equipment or visit my home page at: http://macrocoins.com |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7840 Posts |
rmpsrpms, what are you considering "very affordable"?  Edited by oih82w8
08/16/2012 3:32 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4132 Posts |
Well, the next thing on my wishlist is a new monitor. Then a calibration dodad. Then the last few Mercury dimes I'm missing, then I will probably be looking at other toys like microscopes and additional camera gear. |
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Moderator
United States
23522 Posts |
"Very affordable," in this circumstance, would likely mean a bit of luck will snag you one for around the price of a typical "decent" USB microscope. And for that, you get a multi-use instrument which, in conjunction with a dSLR, will provide results that no USB 'scope under $1000 can ever hope to duplicate. 2x plus a dSLR sensor is all the magnification you'll ever need; that will fill the sensor with less than half a Lincoln Cent. |
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Replies: 9 / Views: 1,846 |
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Posted 08/15/2012 12:22 am
