Photomicrography ?

[JimC]

I was recently given a Olympus BH2 microscope that has a 35mm camera setup, the
automatic exposure body that the camera is attached to is trashed ( missing major parts )
but the camera seems to be in good shape aside from old battery leakage, it also didn't come
with the outboard exposure control unit. Microscope portion seems to work OK.

Anyone here dabble in photomicrography and have a Oly BH2 microscope set up or
something similar for photography ?

JimC

 

[BAC1967]

I have a Leitz SM microscope that I use. It has a trinocular head that uses M39 mount, but I can adapt it to a number of different cameras. It doesn’t have any exposure control, I have to figure that out by bracketing A number of shots.

Leitz SM Microscope by Bryan Chernick, on Flickr

https://www.flickr.com/search/?user_id=60348236@N07&sort=date-taken-desc&text=Microscope&view_all=1

 

[JimC]

Bryan,
That's a nice setup, I noticed in your Flicker gallery that you have a Bronica attached to your
LeitzSM, nice adapter you made from the body cap.
This is the 'beast' I was given -

As you can see the auto exposure body is trashed and has black gaffer tape covering the holes left from
the missing parts.

JimC

 

[BAC1967]

If you can get the auto exposure working that would be nice, despite how it looks. Maybe some fresh gaffers tape. Nice microscope, is that a phase contrast setup?

 

[JimC]

If you can get the auto exposure working that would be nice, despite how it looks. Maybe some fresh gaffers tape. Nice microscope, is that a phase contrast setup?

I doubt the auto exposure unit will work, from the literature I found online about this BH2 and it's accessories,
the camera has a shutter but it's not used, it's just a cap to protect the film, the actual shutter is in the auto exp unit,
mine is gutted there's nothing in there, hence the previous owners gaff tape cover, I don't think he ever shot anything with it.
I'm not sure, I think it's either a phase contrast or a differential interference attachment, I'd have to look for a
part number on the unit to be sure, it does have swing away filters.

JimC

 

[Lasurit]

Jim, I used to use a BH2 system to shot microphotography
You need a pm10-ad controller to control the camera part
The full system assemble is shown on the pics

 

[JimC]

Lasurit,
I just purchased a PM-CBSP unit which luckily comes with the cable for either the PM-10ADS or PM-10AD exposure unit
most of the controller units out there don't come with the connecting cable. now I'm on the hunt for the PM-10xx unit,
seems the gutted one I have is a PM10AK, but from the brochures the 10ADS or the 10AD would work.
I do have some confusion over the PM-10ADS versus the PM-10AD units, other than the former having 1% spot/ 30%
average metering and the latter having 60% average metering, they both have the same specs, is that all that differentiates
the two ?

Ultimately I'd like to set this up to shoot 4x5 or 120 with a roll film back as well as 35mm.

JimC

 

[JensH]

Hi Jim,

oh, yes! I love photomicrography.
Mine is a Zeiss MC 63 microscope camera with up to large format 4x5" set up on a Zeiss Standard 18 microscope.

Some pictures here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/136145166@N02/albums/72157701589192565/

Vintage cameras are fun, too. Like a 1930's Zeiss Miflex I:

more photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/136145166@N02/albums/72157686135321996/

Best
Jens

I was recently given a Olympus BH2 microscope that has a 35mm camera setup, the
automatic exposure body that the camera is attached to is trashed ( missing major parts )
but the camera seems to be in good shape aside from old battery leakage, it also didn't come
with the outboard exposure control unit. Microscope portion seems to work OK.

Anyone here dabble in photomicrography and have a Oly BH2 microscope set up or
something similar for photography ?

JimC

 

[_T_]

4x5 micrography is insane. Would you mind sharing an image or two?

I've been dabbling in 4x5 macro at the 9x magnification range but your setup is a whole different world.

 

[xkaes]

You don't need a microscope to do microphotography. A copy stand, slide duplicator, even just a tripod and a color enlarging head is enough. And large format, does not mean large extension -- all you need are short lenses.

 

[DREW WILEY]

I'd love to have an Olympus setup like that, or an equivalent Nikon trinocular, or a Zeiss like I used in college Microbiology classes.

xkaes - don't confuse microphotography with macrophotography, although there is obviously a degree of overlap at the lower magnifications. Take a look at Nikon's Small World site, and its microphotography and micro-video contests. All kinds of microscopes are involved in that case, from fairly simple up to the $200,000 kind - but all essentially optical, not electron.

Somewhere I have a published picture of a Sinar 8X10 converted to true micro use. There are about 16 feet of rail extensions and bellows supports solidly mounted to a structural steel beam. The light source must be some kind of intense flash. But Polaroid 4X5 holders were often once adapted to regular microscopes; hard to find now, though it would be easy to rig up something similar. What are also really fun are polarizing microscope like we used for thin rock sections in mineralogy and micropaleontology classes. The latter could be a lucrative career for those seeking work in the oil fields.

But I decided against a career in anything "micro". A lot of eyestrain, and all those guys were wearing glasses which seemed to be half an inch thick. Now digital capture and viewing is mostly used instead, especially in the medical field, since the result can be instantly piped clear to the other side of the planet if necessary, for sake of discussion among various specialists.

 

[xkaes]

I use lenses down to 12.5mm on my 4x5 -- with or without my Beseler slide copier. No microscope needed. That's micro photography, and Minolta produced the lens with an RMS thread -- same as their 25mm micro.

 

[_T_]

That's amazing. On my cambo that would give a max magnification of 38x. I have trouble framing my subject at 9x, feels like trying to pick up something tiny while wearing gloves. What kind of solution do you use for focusing at that range? I have a pentax macro focusing rail and it makes a world of difference, but one thing that I liked about my calumet cc-400 that I sold is that it had a knob built in for moving the camera in and out along its axis, kinda miss that sometimes.

Also, would you mind talking a little bit about your lens and shutter setup? The whole world of adapting these wide lenses to 4x5 can get kind of confusing.

 

[xkaes]

These lenses are not "wide" as in "wide-angle". They are short focal length lenses but are specialized for high magnification, and only cover 4x5 at high magnification -- basically microscope lenses with apertures. Minolta was not the only camera company to make them. I don't have one setup. It depends on the subject, the location, and other factors. Sometimes it looks kinda, sorta like this -- not mine -- but the camera is always very close to the subject.

 

[DREW WILEY]

You can also do it backwards - placing the specimen in an specialized enlarger carrier, like the LARKA designed for the Durst 138 system, and projecting it. Now that I do most of my 8x10 film color printing on my Durst L184, I've thought about adapting my 14 foot tall 8X10 enlarger for fun macro projects; but I have enough projects already.

Using a monorail vertically for anything macro/micro, copystand-style, would ideally employ a vacuum sheet film holder, to keep the film from sagging. And you could get longer working distance lenses like those on Mitutoyo metallurgy microscopes, though expensive. And a right angle viewing hood would be helpful. I dismantled my big old Sinar copystand to make room for other gear.

 

[BAC1967]

You can also do it backwards - placing the specimen in an specialized enlarger carrier, like the LARKA designed for the Durst 138 system, and projecting it. Now that I do most of my 8x10 film color printing on my Durst L184, I've thought about adapting my 14 foot tall 8X10 enlarger for fun macro projects; but I have enough projects already.

Using a monorail vertically for anything macro/micro, copystand-style, would ideally employ a vacuum sheet film holder, to keep the film from sagging. And you could get longer working distance lenses like those on Mitutoyo metallurgy microscopes, though expensive. And a right angle viewing hood would be helpful. I dismantled my big old Sinar copystand to make room for other gear.

I do that with a glassless 35mm negative holder. Just put the microscope slide in and make a print.

Water Scorpion by Bryan Chernick, on Flickr

 

[DREW WILEY]

Alas, my own interest would be viewing live specimens too, with an actual microscope of serious quality, like the Zeiss gear I used in college, while I still have time left. Used ones aren't horribly expensive, but I have an agreement with my wife not to buy any more optics unless I sell something of equal value, and I'm not ready to let go of any of my crown jewel 8x10 lenses yet.

Doing bug shots, however, would be fairly simple for me. I even have an 8X10 close-up chrome of a live ladybug swarm.

 

[JimC]

After falling down the eBay rabbit hole I have my Oly BH2 running, replaced the gutted exposure unit,
bought the exposure control box and a 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 instant film cone as well as
clean and relubricate the focusing mechanism.
I did some test shots with some 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 instant film and it all seems working, but the images
are cropped tighter than what I see thru the eyepieces, it roughly corresponds to the innermost
lines in the eyepiece reticle which is 35mm.
Being a total noob but how does one get the same view in a photograph as the microscopes eyepiece ?

The manual states there are different eyepieces for the different film formats ( 35mm, 3 1/4 x 4 1/4, 4x5 and 16mm )
wouldn't I have to use a different objective in order to get a wider view like a wide angle objective vs a telephoto
rather than the eyepiece ?

 

[Dan Fromm]

No. The manufacturer is right, your speculation is incorrect.