Photomicrography trials with a Meade LPI (Lunar Planetary Imager) digital camera
Since one of my hobbies is astronomy, my sons gave me a camera designed to capture images through the telescope. I had to try it on a microscope and would like to share the results.
The microscope used is an old Swift which the company I worked for was going to throw in the garbage. It was sitting uncovered for at least 30 years. Some of the lenses were covered with some hardened substance, which I could only remove by scrubbing hard with MEK. Some of the adjusting knobs were frozen solid. I mention this to show what can be done with what some would consider junk.
Swift Microscope and Meade LPI Camera
The camera is a Meade LPI (Lunar Planetary Imager), the price was $150. If you buy a telescope, some dealers include it for free. It comes with some spectacular astronomy software: "Autostar Suite". You need the software to capture the images. For more info check Meade's website.
To use the camera, it inserts into the telescope in place of the eyepiece. There is a collar that unscrews to make the diameter smaller. Even then it was still too large to insert into a microscope. I got a piece of pvc pipe coupling that allowed me to stick it on the end of the microscope tube. I realize that this extends the tube length and will cause some spherical aberration.
The software allows you to look at the image in real time and to take images. It will take images until you tell it to stop. The images will be overlaid, which sometimes lets you see detail you cannot see by looking into the microscope yourself. This camera and software is designed for astronomy, which is why I think that the illumination difference is pronounced. The bright spot on an image below does not show up visually.
Diatom Test Slide 10x
Radiolaria 10x
Mixed Diatoms 40x
Butterfly Wing 10x
