Dedicated

Microscope
Digital Still
Cameras:
Dedicated
microscope
digital
cameras
typically cost
more for less
resolution, but
they have the
advantage of
being directly
controlled by a
computer.
They typically
provide a
better preview
image, often
with focusing
aids, and the
ability to
acquire the
image directly
into various
imaging
software
though a
TWAIN or
plug-in
interface. At
this time, most
2MP digital
cameras
output the full
resolution
image as the
preview, while
higher MP
cameras
provide a
lower
resolution
preview than
the final still
image will be.
Consumer
Hand Held
Digital Still
Cameras: We
at Martin
Microscope
Company got
into the
consumer
camera arena
quite early
with the
development
of our MM99
adapter in
1999,
originally for
the popular
Sony Mavica
cameras. As
far as we
know, we
were the first
to make and
market a
professional
microscope
adapter for a
consumer
digital camera.
These cameras
offer high
resolution still
images for
very low cost
as compared
to dedicated
microscope
digital
cameras.
Consumer
cameras
change very
quickly with
new models
every year.
Scientific
cameras just
aren't able to
keep up. So,
consumer
hand-held
cameras are
recommended
for routine
micrography,
especially as a
replacement
for instant
film. They are
also
recommended
for their
versatility,
being useable
both on and
off of the
microscope,
and for the
ease with
which they
can be moved
from one
microscope to
another. The
images are
normally
stored on
internal
memory cards
from which
they must be
downloaded to
the computer.
This can
present a
problem if the
image files
need to be
named as they
are saved, and
also may be
inconvenient
if the images
need to be
manipulated
or measured
immediately
upon being
captured. The
exception to
this is the
Canon line of
digital
cameras that
include PC/
Mac control
software.
Digital Video
Cameras:
NEW INFO
on HD
VIDEO! For
several years
now, we have
recommend
using a DV
camcorder
with our
MM99 adapter
as the easiest
way to acquire
digital video
from a
microscope.
With the
introduction of
the Sony
HDR-HC1
High
Definition
Video
Camcorder for
around
$2,000.00,
High
Definition
video
microscopy
became
affordable for
the first time!
We've tested
our MM99
adapter with
this camcorder
and now with
the new HRD-
XR500V on
various
microscopes
with
outstanding
results. Like
other DV
camcorders
that we've
used in the
past, it can be
controlled by a
computer via
USB.
Recordings
can be made
to the internal
hard drive, or
captured
directly into a
computer.
However, we
think the
primary use of
HD video
microscopy
will be to
enhance
classroom
displays. The
move in recent
years from
classroom TV
monitors to
video
projectors has
greatly
increased
screen sizes,
and meant that
standard video
microscopy
often looks
very grainy on
a large
projection
screen. Now,
HD
compatible
projectors and
HDTV flat-
screen
monitors in
conjunction
with our
MXR500PK
G HD video
camera
package make
High
Definition
classroom
displays a
great option.
Download
sample HD
Videos!
O
T
H
ER
C
O
NS
ID
ER
AT
IO
NS
:
Senso
rs:
The
heart
of
every
digital
camer
a is
the
Sensor
,
usuall
y
either
a CCD
or a
CMO
S type.
All
 1.6" x 2.13" print size at
0.3 Megapixel 640 x 480 pixels Moticam 480
300dpi

1392 x 1040 3.2" x 4.3" print size at

1.3 Megapixel Lumenera Infinity2-1C
pixels 300dpi
 1600 x 1200 4" x 5.3" print size at
2.0 Megapixel Scion CFW-1608C
pixels 300dpi

2080 x 1542 5.1" x 6.8" print size at

3.3 Megapixel ProgRes C3
pixels 300dpi
 2580 x 1944 6.4" x 8.5" print size at
5.0 Megapixel ProgRes C5
pixels 300dpi

2816 x 2112 9.4" x 7" print size at

6.0 Megapixel Canon PowerShot S3IS
pixels 300dpi
 3264 x 2448 8" x 11" print size at
8.0 Megapixel Sony Cybershot H9
pixels 300dpi

12.5 4080 x 3072

10.24 " x 13.6" at 300dpi ProgRes C14+
Megapixel pixels
 6464 x 4864
32 Megapixel 16" x 21.5" at 300dpi Lumenera InfinityX-32
pixels

Includ
ed
interf
ace
softwa
re and
comp
atibili
ty:
This is
an
area
that
can
play a
very
import
ant
role in
selecti
ng the
proper
camer
a for a
specifi
c
applic
ation.
This
aspect
will
mainly
impact
dedica
ted
micros
cope
camer
as
since
consu
mer
camer
as
usuall
y do
not
directl
y
interfa
ce
with a
compu
ter
(other
than to
downl
oad
captur
ed
image
s;
Canon
camer
as are
the
except
ion -
see
below)
. All
dedica
ted
micros
cope
camer
as will
includ
e
some
softwa
re for
drivin
g the
camer
a. This
will
allow
a
previe
w
image
to be
viewe
d on
the
compu
ter
monit
or
which
may
be of
the
full
camer
a
resolut
ion or
may
be a
reduce
d
resolut
ion for
a
faster
refresh
rate.
The
higher
the
camer
a's
pixel
resolut
ion,
the
more
likely
that it
will
have a
reduce
d
resolut
ion
previe
w. We
might
consid
er this
the
camer
a's
video
output
capabi
lity,
althou
gh the
rate at
which
the
previe
w is
output
will
depen
d
primar
ily on
the
expos
ure
time
set for
a
given
image,
but
also
on the
speed
of the
compu
ter
proces
sor,
and
the
type
of
conne
ction
to the
compu
ter (ie:
Firewi
re,
USB2,
etc).
Most
higher
megap
ixel
camer
as,
becaus
e of
their
lower
resolut
ion
previe
ws,
will
offer
focusi
ng
aids
such
as a
small
portio
n of
the
image
(user
define
d) at
full
resolut
ion, or
a
focus
indicat
or bar.
Comm
on
menu
contro
ls
includ
e
expos
ure
time,
gain,
color
balanc
e, and
possib
ly
time
lapse
feature
s. In
many
cases
the
camer
a can
autom
aticall
y
adjust
expos
ure
time,
color
balanc
e, etc,
but a
manua
l
overri
de is
critical
for
many
micros
copy
challe
nges.
Other
softwa
re
feature
s
might
includ
e basic
screen
calibra
tion
and
measu
ring,
more
comm
only
on the
captur
ed
image,
but
someti
mes
on the
"live"
previe
w
image
as
well.
Some
camer
as are
compa
tible
only
with
PC's,
but
most
will
suppor
t
Macs.
Finall
y,
basic
TWAI
N
compa
tibility
is
desire
d (for
PCs)
so that
other
softwa
re like
Adobe
Photos
hop
can
access
the
camer
a
interfa
ce
softwa
re and
acquir
e
image
s
directl
y.
Many
camer
as also
includ
e
plug-
ins for
popula
r
image
analys
is
softwa
re.
Our
curren
t
recom
mende
d IA
softwa
re is
IMT i-
Soluti
on
which
is
compa
tible
with
our
best
dedica
ted
micros
copy
camer
as.
FREQ
 UENT
LY
ASKE
D
QUES
TION
:
What
is the
magni
ficatio
n of
the
captu
red
image
?
ANS
WER.
..

FEATU
RED
CAMER
AS:
DEDICATED
MICROSCOP
E CAMERAS:
Camera lists
below do not
include the full
product ranges of
each
manufacturer.
Please visit the
manufacturers'
websites linked
below for more
information on
their full offerings
of digital
microscope
cameras.
Jenoptik
ProgRes
Professio
nal
Color
CCD
Firewire
Cameras
:
- Made in
Germany
by
Jenoptik
Laser.Opt
ic.System
e, GmbH
- Include
ProgRes
CaptureP
ro
software
for
Win/Mac

- Accept
standard
C-mount
microsco
pe
adapters
Please visit the
Jenoptik website
for more
information on
 these and
additional
models, or click
the model name
for more on that
specific model
from Jenoptik.
Recommended
Model Megapixels Sensor Pixel Size Output Price
C-mount
1/2" CMOS
CT3 3.2 0.5x or 0.63x 3.2um2 Firewire
2048x1536
1/2" CCD
C3 Cooled 3.3 0.5x or 0.63x 3.45um2 Firewire
2080x1542
2/3" CCD
C5 Cooled 5.0 0.63x 3.40um2 Firewire
2580x1944 Rec
12.5 2/3" 9x Scanning
CF-Scan Cooled 0.63x 6.45um2 Firewire
(4080x3072) CCD 1360x1024
2/3" 36x
C14Plus Cooled 12.5
Scanning CCD 0.63x 6.45um2 Firewire
with True Color (4080x3072)
1360x1024

Lumener
a Infinity
Color
CCD or
CMOS
USB-2
Cameras
:
- Made in
Canada
by
Lumener
a
Corporati
on
- Include
Infinity
Capture
and
 Infinity
Analyze
for
Windows
only
- Accept
standard
C-mount
microsco
pe
adapters
(except
for 4-11)
Please visit
http://www.lume
nera.com/scientif
ic/index.php for
more
information, or
click the model
name for more
on that specific
model from
Lumenera.
Recommended
Model Megapixels Sensor Pixel Size Output Price
C-mount
1/2.5" CMOS
Infinity Lite 1.5 0.5x or 0.63x 4.2um2 USB-2
1440x1080
1/2.5" CMOS
Infinity1-5 5.0 0.5x or 0.63x 2.2um2 USB-2
2592x1944
1/2" CCD
Infinity2-1C 1.4 0.5x or 0.63x 4.65um2 USB-2
1392x1040 Rec
1/2" CCD
Infinity2-2C 2.0 0.5x or 0.63x 4.4um2 USB-2
1616x1216
1/1.8" CCD
Infinity2-3C 3.3 0.5x or 0.63x 3.45um2 USB-2
2080x1536
2, 4, 8, or 32 1/1/8" Scanning
InfinityX-32 0.5x or 0.63x 4.4um2 USB-2
(6464x4864) CCD 1616x1216 Rec
Infinity4-11 10.7 35mm Large N/A 9um2 USB-2
Nikon F-mount Format CCD
 4008x2672

Scion
CFW
Color
CCD
Firewire
Cameras
:
- Made in
USA by
Scion
Corporati
on
- Include
Scion
VisiCapt
ure and
ImageJ
Software
for
Win/Mac
- Accept
standard
C-mount
microsco
pe
adapters
Recommended
Model Megapixels Sensor Pixel Size Output Price
C-mount
1/1.8" CCD
CFW-1608C 2.0 0.5x or 0.63x 4.4 Firewire
1600x1200

Motic
Moticam
Color
CMOS
USB-2
Cameras
:
 - Made in
China by
Motic
- Include
Motic
Images
Plus
Software
for
Win/Mac
- Accept
standard
C-mount
microsco
pe
adapters
Please visit
http://www.moti
c.com/Products.a
spx?
r=NA&lang=en
&id=144 for
more
information on
Motic cameras,
or click the
model name for
more on that
specific model
from Motic.
Recommended
Model Megapixels Sensor Pixel Size Output Price
C-mount
1/2" CMOS
MC1000 1.3 0.5x or 0.65x ? USB-2
1280x1024
1/2" CMOS
MC2000 2.0 0.5x or 0.65x ? USB-2
1600x1200
1/2" CMOS
MC2300 3.0 0.5x or 0.65x ? USB-2
2048x1536
DIGITAL CAMERAS:
May 1, 2008: New Camera Packages! P
(Consumer Hand-Held)
MT1ISLRPKG 15 Megapixel DSLR Microscope Camera Package
- Canon EOS Digital Rebel T1i 15MP DSLR Camera
- MM-SLR Microscope Adapter (or MDSLR if available)
- T-Mount for Canon EOS
- AC Adapter
- 18-55mm Kit Lens (for off-microscope use)
- 16 GB Secure Digital Card Re

This camera is essentially the new XSI (below). Features are similar, but
this new T1i will also capture HD video clips to its internal memory card,
but not directly into a computer. Live View does allow live previewing
and direct still image acquisition through the included Canon EOS
Utilities software.
MP6000PKG 13.5-Megapixel Digital Microscope Camera Package:

- Nikon Coolpix P6000 13.5MP Digital Camera

- MMC00L-P6K Microscope Adapter
- 2 GB Secure Digital Card
MMC00L-P6K Adapter only: $395.00
MH2099PKG 10-Megapixel Digital Microscope Camera Package:

- Sony Cybershot H20 10MP Digital Camera with HD Video

- MM99-58 Microscope Adapter
- VAD-HA
- AC Adapter
- 8 GB Memory Stick Duo Pro
MM99-58 Adapter only: $370.00

HD DIGITAL VIDEO: Sample HD Video Downloads... P

MXR500PKG 1080p HD Digital Microscope Camcorder Package:

$1
- Sony HDR-XR500V 120GB High Definition Digital Camcorder
- MM99 Microscope Adapter
 MXR500S40 1080p HD Digital Microscope Camcorder Package
with 40" 1920x1080 HD Monitor:

- Sony HDR-XR500V High Definition Digital Camcorder

- MM99 Microscope Adapter $3
- Sony KDL-40W4100 40" HDTV Monitor 1920x1080 resolution
- FREE HDMI Cable, 10' length

(microscope sold separately) Other Sony HDTV monitors and projectors are also available -
see SonyStyle for other models.
XGA-CAM Digital Video Camera

This new camera is in a category of its own. It outputs live 60fps HD

video directly to a PC monitor or projector at XGA resolution of
1024x768 pixels using a standard VGA monitor cable. There's no
capture capability for still or video, and no computer required. The
XGA-CAM is designed for live imaging for classrooms and conferences
at a resolution almost double that of analog video. Requires a standard
C-mount microscope adapter (sold separately).

TEST We will add to these images

as time permits.
IMAGES:

Ink Dots DIC Blood Cells

Image
Processing
and Analysis
Software:

IMT i-Solution Image Analysis Software: Features manual and

automatic measurements, fast multi-focus enhancement (now with
automatic stereo parallax correction), full image analysis processing and
thresholding. Includes drivers for Lumenera and Jenoptik cameras and
others; TWAIN compatible.

IMT i-Solution Lite Software: Features manual measurements and fast

multi-focus enhancement (now with automatic stereo parallax
correction). Includes drivers for Jenoptik and Lumenera cameras and
others; TWAIN.
Download IMT Software brochure...
Synchroscopy Automontage Essentials Multi-Focus Software:
The gold standard for fully-focused images, this basic version takes a
stack of serially numbered image files and combines them into one fully
focused image. Automatic parallax adjustment, three blending modes,
and other user adjustable parameters. Even includes 3D glasses!