MicroscopeSpot

Best Microscope Cameras – A Comprehensive Guide

Digital microscope cameras allow you to capture everything you view under the microscope in live time, with perfect contrast and super high resolution.

Microscope cameras have a lens which focuses onto an array of sensors. It is these sensors that record the image. The captured image can then be viewed on a computer monitor or through an LCD projector onto a screen. The images can also be printed.

Cameras for microscopes are ideal for those looking to share their images and videos with ease, whether that be with colleagues, students or other biologists. For example, biologists are able to share observations from their experiments by a photograph rather than sketching them out on paper.

To gain such an amazing photo of specimens so small, it is vital that you buy the right microscope camera for your needs. All microscope cameras have a very high sensitivity and they can produce photographs that contain up to 12 million pixels.

Why Buy A Digital Microscope Camera?

Microscope cameras allow us to view a life that we cannot see with our naked eye. There is a real beauty here, as most cameras catch what our eyes see; these capture what our eyes cannot see. With these cameras, we can observe how microorganisms move, how they multiply and how they behave. 

Owning one of these cameras has the elements of both work and play. It’s great fun to have a look at the structures that compose life and matter around us as close as we possibly can. To be able to then share this information easily with others using images and video on a screen helps to provide a better learning experience for everyone.

Many students learn to use microscope cameras during their schooling to learn about their benefits, how to work them and to study microorganisms.

Scientists, hobbyists and many other professionals use microscope cameras on a daily basis as part of their work because they are able to record images and videos, view them on a large screen, and discuss their findings with colleagues, clients and friends.

What Should You Look For In A Digital Microscope Camera?

Pixels – Just like every other camera, a microscope camera with higher pixels will take better quality photos. Microscope cameras are designed to contain a high amount of pixels to produce a high-resolution photograph.

The best cameras are the ones with more pixels. These tend to be the ones used in laboratories around the world.

Value – Microscope cameras come in all shapes and sizes, some offering more than others do. The best microscope camera for you is the one that gives you the most – but also fits your budget! A microscope camera is better value if it contains more features and tech spec than a camera that is more expensive.

Easy to use – Buying a product that you understand and that is easy to use is really important. Make sure that the microscope camera comes with instructions, and check if there is an after-sales service available.

Check out these Microscope Cameras

Swiftcam 18 Megapixel Camera for Microscopes

This Swiftcam 18 Megapixel Camera delivers outstanding picture quality and is really easy to use.

It is easy to mount this camera onto your microscope’s trinocular port or regular eyetube to record full-color pictures and videos with your computer or laptop.

Swiftcam has made this process easier by including a reduction lens that will fit a 23.2mm ocular port or tube, and adapters that fit 30mm and 30.5 mm tube sizes. This system should fit most microscopes.

By way of explanation, microscopes often have various objective lenses that provide different levels of magnification, and an attached camera may have it’s own magnification. The reduction lens adjusts the camera magnification so a large part of the field of view of the sample – the area visible through the microscope – can be captured in the camera. 

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Once mounted, the camera is connected to to your computer or other display via USB 3.0 enabling a quick transfer of image from the camera to the computer.

You will also need to install the camera software on your computer following the manufacturer’s instructions. This will enable you to adjust settings such as focus, exposure and white balance to optimize the image quality.

A CD is provided for software compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux. If your computer doesn’t have a CD Drive, you will need to contact Swift for a downloadable file.

  

OMAX 5MP Digital Camera for Microscope

The OMAX 5MP Digital Camera captures still images and videos of your samples. The software provided includes a ‘stitching’ feature which pulls together multiple images that have been captured while the mechanical stage is slowly moved over the sample to cover the field of view required. Thus you can get a larger image of your sample.

The advantage of the OMAX 5MP Digital Camera is that it captures high resolution images but the file sizes are not too large.

Apart from the 5MP Digital Camera the package also includes a 0.5 reduction lens which will fit a 23.2mm ocular tube and two adapters to fit 30mm and 30.5mm eyepiece tubes. the camera can also be attached to any microscope with a 25.4mm C-mount.

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When mounted the camera is connected to your computer or other display using a USB 3.0 which is also compatible with USB 2.0.