This article was originally published in Mikroskopie in January 2016 by J. Piper and M. Torzewski, with an English translation by Amy Groth. The translation appeared in serial installments from 1 to 11.

Optical Design

The camera features a conspicuously small aperture on its front, reminiscent of a human pupil or a pinhole camera. Inside, a zoom lens system with autofocus is housed. In the 1x zoom position, the focal length is 5.3 mm, equivalent to a 35mm full-frame image angle-of-view (AOV) of approximately 64°. This short focal length combined with a small sensor maximizes depth of field.

To optimize performance:

  • The included ocular can be adjusted via an Allen screw.
  • Align the eyepoint precisely with the exit pupil of the integrated optics for vignette-free illumination—typically, pulling the eyepiece 1 cm from its lowest position suffices.

Compatibility with Microscopes

Standard Tube Mounting (30 mm Ocular Diameter) If your microscope’s tube accommodates a standard 30 mm diameter eyepiece mount, you can directly replace its eyepiece with the included camera assembly. This simplifies integration without additional modifications.

Non-Standard Eyepieces For microscopes with smaller eyepiece diameters (e.g., under 28.6 mm), use an adapter:

  1. Remove the existing ocular from both microscope and camera.
  2. Securely mount the camera tube over the original eyepiece or its head, using a paper cuff if necessary to prevent axial misalignment.

Example:

  • Figure 3 illustrates mounting on a small-diameter standard (23.2 mm), where a paper cuff encircles the eyepiece head for precise alignment.

Handling Non-Compatible Eyepieces

If an eyepiece’s outer diameter exceeds the camera tube’s inner dimension (33mm):

  1. Remove both components.
  2. Position the bare camera body near or over the microscope’s eyepiece, ensuring optical alignment with respect to exit pupil position—this may require custom mechanical adapters.

Trinocular Port Integration

For microscopes equipped with a trinocular C-Mount port:

  • Use the provided adapter directly on this port for seamless integration of camera/tube/eyepiece combinations.

Last Updated: 2025-09-05 01:03:42