My new toy - USB Microscope

[TheGoldSovereign]

So I need to archive coins and picture them in a consistent way, this is very difficult with a camera, at least I found it so.

Introducing the new toy, a Dino-lite AM7115MZT, this is a serious bit of kit!

I've so far only had half hour with it on, as I run Linux and it doesn't play nicely, I've had to fork a Python script to control the LEDs, and I'm having to rewrite most of it as it doesn't suit my usage.

This sample image is around 25% of what I hope to achieve in the end, focus isn't quite there, auto exposure and me dimming and switching the 8 LEDs are fighting each other, and I've got a polorizer and ring cap (diffuser) to mess with, and the LED under light, but you can see the intention I think

 

 

[JunkBond]

14 minutes ago, sg86 said:

as I run Linux and it doesn't play nicely, I've had to fork a Python script to control the LEDs, and I'm having to rewrite most of it as it doesn't suit my usage.

 

 

 

In English please.

[TheGoldSovereign]

2 minutes ago, JunkBond said:

In English please.

Here you go 

Basically I don't use Windows, and they only make software for Windows. Means I can't control the LED brightness etc, pretty unusable without that functionality!

 

[ilovesilverireallydo]

13 minutes ago, sg86 said:

Here you go 

Basically I don't use Windows, and they only make software for Windows. Means I can't control the LED brightness etc, pretty unusable without that functionality!

 

You should release that code on Github. Especially to see if others have written other applications to handle in linux. 

[PansPurse]

This is some excellent nerdery! I heartily approve.

[JunkBond]

17 minutes ago, sg86 said:

Here you go 

Basically I don't use Windows, and they only make software for Windows. Means I can't control the LED brightness etc, pretty unusable without that functionality!

 

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.

[ilovesilverireallydo]

@sg86 found this... https://github.com/miked63017/dinolite_uvc_led_control

 

[FlorinCollector]

I dont know if quality will be good enough but u could always try a printer scanner. I used that for my coins and they looked pretty good so i could keep a record of things.

will post an example soon if i can to show you

Here is an example, this was much clearer but I had tro save as a pdf then snipping tool it into a png to show you so each time it lost quality. Very crisp when taken straight from scanner. 

[RoughDog]

? 220x magnification and £900.  Serious kit.

[Cornishfarmer]

@sg86 don’t mean to be rude but that picture quality looks rubbish compared to dime of the other brilliant pics you have put up in the past

[Xander]

I received one of these cameras as a gift, I find it a bit footery, I suppose if I persevered with it I will eventually manage to take decent pictures, I must admit the magnification is really good.

[TheGoldSovereign]

18 hours ago, ilovesilverireallydo said:

@sg86 found this... https://github.com/miked63017/dinolite_uvc_led_control

 

Yes I've forked this as mentioned, but it doesn't work for my model and is a very very basic library that was written for a specific purpose, so I'm writing my own script to do what I need, and I've manged to get it working with my DeviceID/model now

 

[TheGoldSovereign]

10 hours ago, Cornishfarmer said:

@sg86 don’t mean to be rude but that picture quality looks rubbish compared to dime of the other brilliant pics you have put up in the past

lol yes my eyes do not deceive me don't worry, I guess you missed this part of my post and that I'd only had it for half hour and can't use their software:

"This sample image is around 25% of what I hope to achieve in the end, focus isn't quite there, auto exposure and me dimming and switching the 8 LEDs are fighting each other, and I've got a polorizer and ring cap (diffuser) to mess with, and the LED under light, but you can see the intention I think "

This being said, I don't expect 100% to be anywhere close to what my Zeiss lens can achieve, it's not for the same purpose. I need to 1) photograph 1000s of coins and have all images exactly the same, and 2) need the magnification to check errors in more detail.

[Murph]

Says it comes with Mac and android software as well so wouldn't they be a good place to start?  Didn't apple start basing their os on unix and Android was based on linux?

[Seasider]

I can't believe there really is something called GitHub.  Does it have a page dedicated to Alf Garnett?

[TheGoldSovereign]

So I've decided to return the unit, assuming they will allow me to. I cannot achieve good enough quality images even with all the effort and getting the lighting perfect. @Cornishfarmer you'll be glad to hear this I'm sure

Of course the scope is amazing for its higher magnification, but I think for this purpose alone a cheap unit will do a similar job.

Instead I've opted for a Kaiser RS-1 copy stand, my Zeiss lens, a polariser filter and LED lighting. Most is on order so will share this setup and results when the time comes!

[JunkBond]

Looking forward to seeing pictures even more amazing than the ones you already post!

[TheGoldSovereign]

12 minutes ago, JunkBond said:

Looking forward to seeing pictures even more amazing than the ones you already post!

They won't be better, the difference is I want to be able to photograph at 90deg all of the time. I can't get this by using daylight as I need to angle the coin perfectly to the window, which is what I usually do

If the coin is perfectly adjacent to the lens I can open the aperture right up to 2.8 and capture the whole coin, which is incredible on this lens!

What I'm struggling to find at the moment is a lighting setup that is small enough and adjustable to replicate daylight landing on the coin. I need to be able to place the lights just behind the lens pointing straight down. Kaiser (maker of the stand) do lighting kits, but the dimmable LED version is like a grand.... It's just two lights!

 

Edit: actually $2000 ...

https://www.kaiserfotous.com/products/copy-stand-kits/r1-system/lighting-units/kaiser-rb-5070-dx-led.html

 

[JunkBond]

Replicating daylight may be tough especially on a budget. Looking forward to developments.

[sovereignsteve]

4 hours ago, sg86 said:

If the coin is perfectly adjacent to the lens I can open the aperture right up to 2.8 and capture the whole coin, which is incredible on this lens!

I don't understand this aspect. Do you mean fill the frame with the whole coin? Surely the ability to do this is a function of the focal length of the lens and whether it is a true macro?

Also i don't think it is a good idea to open up to the max 2.8 as I thought all lenses, however good, give their best at middle apertures and certainly not at the extremes. Large apertures are really only useful when used in low light situations ie not in studio conditions where you have full control of the light available.

[TheGoldSovereign]

On 20/05/2018 at 23:30, sovereignsteve said:

I don't understand this aspect. Do you mean fill the frame with the whole coin? Surely the ability to do this is a function of the focal length of the lens and whether it is a true macro?

Also i don't think it is a good idea to open up to the max 2.8 as I thought all lenses, however good, give their best at middle apertures and certainly not at the extremes. Large apertures are really only useful when used in low light situations ie not in studio conditions where you have full control of the light available.

Meaning if I want to capture the whole of the coin at an angle whereby the lighting is good (daylight from window), usually I'd have to put to 8 or maybe 11. Having the coin flat means I can get to 2.8 if I want, but you are correct that this lens feels best around 4, again not useful if the coin is almost flat (if you want to capture all areas of the coin in focus).

This is the lens i use, it really is fantastic https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/camera-lenses/sel90m28g

 

So, think i'm getting there with the setup now at least, still more work on the lighting for sure, have some further bits on order in that regard, but the copy stand method tethered to PC is a winner.

A little post-processing (which i'm still learning about), and this is the result, about 50-60% happy with this now

 

 

[sovereignsteve]

6 minutes ago, sg86 said:

A little post-processing (which i'm still learning about),

yes this is an aspect I'm not au fait with either; probably because I can't be bothered to experiment and learn rather than technically incompetent!

However, it's the lighting that's the crux of the issue and I still haven't cracked that one either.

[TheGoldSovereign]

Open the image above in a new tab, the detail is just incredible! The more I look at this image the more I like it actually, even with more lighting from the other side I still think i'll like to "spotlight" from behind the bun, as this gives a darker edge to her face which i like

I'll get it nailed, I'm just impatient on sharing things to be honest

edit: also regarding post processing, if you want the "best" images it's a must really, if you don't shoot in RAW then you are trusting the camera's algorithms to decide everything for you and produce a JPG.  Computers are good, but are never a substitute for human judgement 

[sovereignsteve]

34 minutes ago, sg86 said:

Open the image above in a new tab, the detail is just incredible! The more I look at this image the more I like it actually, even with more lighting from the other side I still think i'll like to "spotlight" from behind the bun, as this gives a darker edge to her face which i like

I'll get it nailed, I'm just impatient on sharing things to be honest

edit: also regarding post processing, if you want the "best" images it's a must really, if you don't shoot in RAW then you are trusting the camera's algorithms to decide everything for you and produce a JPG.  Computers are good, but are never a substitute for human judgement 

yes the image detail is superb, you don't really need much else for archive purposes.

It may not be the best aesthetically but still sets it off nicely and would certainly be fine for selling purposes.

yes RAW is the way to go, the problem is finding cheap easy to use software, what do you use?

 

[TheGoldSovereign]

1 hour ago, sovereignsteve said:

yes the image detail is superb, you don't really need much else for archive purposes.

It may not be the best aesthetically but still sets it off nicely and would certainly be fine for selling purposes.

yes RAW is the way to go, the problem is finding cheap easy to use software, what do you use?

 

 

I'll improve upon the visuals for sure, this is far too orange and saturated, as i say about 60% there

I've been a linux user for almost 2 decades now, so everything open source! I'm yet to experiment with lots of image processing software but I'm currently playing with Darktable, it seems pretty decent to me.

The main reason I went for this one is for its tethering support, no more messing around with SD cards etc which is pointless when you have a studio style setup, you can control the camera (for the most part) all from the software

The problem with photographing with such a good lens is it makes all of my coins look awful! To the eye they are very pleasing indeed, when captured like this you want to bin them! The one above is one of my better young head grades