More on Digital SLR's: NEW - May 2008: We just
got a new Canon EOS 450D Rebel XSi with Live View capability.
Using that with the included software makes a HUGE difference in ease of
use for focusing through the microscope. Now, we're getting
somewhere! The MM-SLR does a nice job of adapting these DSLR
cameras to any microscope, but the limited field of view problem
remains. DSLR's have electronic sensors where traditionally film
would be, and these sensors are usually smaller than a film negative.
So, these cameras will have a
magnification factor of around 1.5x. One possible solution is to
combine the MM-SLR with a 0.6x (or 0.63x or 0.65x, etc) C-mount adapter
to widen the field of view. Also, we've found that with some
microscope phototubes, we may be able to make microscope model specific
adapters with a much wider field of view. The
"universality" of the adapter would be lost, but for users of
certain microscopes this has potential to work quite well.
Coming Soon: Tests of the EOS Rebel XSi
with the MM-SLR, and potentially some new DSLR adapters specific to
certain microscopes.
