Macro photography using telescope eye piece

[Linden]

Doug

I've just found this forum and I'm really impressed with the high quality photographs. I have attached a macro photo of my open brain coral taken using a combination of a digital camera and telescope eye piece. This give me macro capability without the expense of an high end camera system. The camera was set up as given below:

Camera Nikon coolpix 800
Telescope eye piece Celestron 40 MM plossl back to front with barrel removed
Camera set to Infinity
White balance manual set to white object in tank
Lights in tank on actinic only
Flask on
Auto exposure with center metering
Tripod

I have many more examples if people would like to see them.

Kind regards

Linden

[Pinecone_Jeff]

OH MY GOD!!!

That's soooo cool! I love it!

More, please! :eek2: :spin1: :beer: :bounce1:

[Linden]

Thanks Jeff

See attached

Linden

[Doug]

Hi Linden and <img src="http://www.reefcentral.com/images/welcome.gif"><br><b><i><font size="4" color="blue">To Reef Central</b></i></font>

That has to be the best macro shot that I have ever seen.:thumbsup:

Please show us some more of them when you have a chance.

Doug

[manderx]

Originally posted by Linden
Telescope eye piece Celestron 40 MM plossl back to front with barrel removed


so, where do i get one of these? :eek1:
and will it fit on a coolpix 995?

[Linden]

Matty

Its difficult to predict what eye piece/camera combinations will work. My approach was trial and error. What I do know is that you will need a long focal length eye piece, 40 mm or 50, at least 1 1/4 " in diameter to cover the front lens of the camera. If the diameter of the camera lens is two big in relationship to the eye piece you will not get a full image. The eye pieces can be got from any good telescope retail store, Orion optics etc. I would never buy one until you have tried different types out. So you really need to find someone into astronomy who can let you try different combinations out.

There are limitations to this approach:

Small depth of field
Little or no focus range
Subject has to be within 1" to 2" of the lens
No easy way to attached optics together

I actually don't have any way to attach the eye piece I just hold it in front of the camera as the camera objective fits slightly into the barrel of the telescope lens.

Hope this helps

Linden

[LisaP]

Hi Linden,

Oooooh great shots! More, more, more....... please :D

Regards

Lisa

[Linden]

Doug

Thanks for the encouragement, take a look at this low angle shot of my rock anemone showing bright diffraction coloration.

All the best

Linden



Lisa

Impressive tank you have on your web site, it looks incredible natural

Linden

[pnosko]

Linden, welcome. In just 4 quick posts, you've become a real hit. Please post more pics.

I just ordered one of these (http://www.compgeeks.com/details.asp?invtid=qx3) hoping that I can get some good shots of some of sand critters.

[LisaP]

Linden,

Thanks! :D

That last shot you posted is fantastic! The anemone looks very unusual. Do you have a picture of the whole thing? I'd love to see what it looks like in its entirety.

Keep the pictures coming.....

Regards

Lisa

[Linden]

Lisa

This is the best I can do, the image is a bit flat taken with flash using the standard camera settings. The anemone came with my live rock, Marshal Island and was only 0.5 cm across. It has grown over the last 1.5 years and is now 8cm across. I feed him every day and he has a family of sexy shrimps living with him.

Linden


Pete

You should have great fun playing with microscope/camera. You know you can put almost any digital camera on a microscope if you have one.

Linden

[pnosko]

I don't think a camera can be combined with this microscope; I don't believe it even has an eyepiece-- it connects to a USB port and you view stuff on a PC. I'll have to use a small dish to hold the sand critters.

But for the price, 200x sounds like a handy toy to have around.

[LisaP]

Linden,

Ahhh, it just gets better and better. :) That has to be one of the nicest hitchhikers I've ever seen. You lucky guy. And I have to say the shrimps are pretty cool too. :cool: Thanks for posting the pic, it doesn't look flat to me. ;)

Regards

Lisa

[Avi]

WOWOWOWOWOW!!

that first pic is amazing in quality.

[Linden]

Lisa

If you think the rock anemone is unusual take a look at this one. I didn't post this earlier because the pictures don't look real. I first noticed this anemone about 10 months ago. Its only 1 cm in diameter and hasn't grown much. Its in the substrate and appears to be attached to the glass bottom. It does wander around quite a bit though. I would love to know what species it is, I will post it on one of the other specialist forums. Take a look but be warned put your sun glasses on. I have yet to get a really good image but I'll keep trying. The first image is done under full spectrum lighting the second is done under actinics, see following message. If you have any ideas on what it is I would love to know.

All the best

Linden

[Linden]

Taken under actinics, white balance set to white substrate. Image a little blurred but I'll keep trying. Any ideas on species

Linden

[Pinecone_Jeff]

That's not an anemone. It's some alien from outter space! ;)

Amazing pics, Linden! It just goes to show that there's so much more in our tanks than meets the eye (naked eye that is).

[LisaP]

Hey!

I've got no idea sorry, it's really pretty though. It should be called something like Rainbow anemone eh! :p

Whilst on the subject of unknown anemones here's mine, it's not as spectacularly coloured as yours but I think that it's pretty neat anyway. I've had it for just over 7 months now.


http://www.reefcentral.com/vbulletin/attachment.php?s=&postid=417890


Your tank seems to be filled with really neat corals (& shrimps), how about showing us a whole tank pic? :D

Regards

Lisa