Microscope Camera Best Option

[robertson.alan@gmail.com]

Is the SONY IMX290 Autofocus still the best camera for a Microscope these days, I notice there are other newer models without Autofocus that are 4K 60fps or have larger sensors but not autofocus

Is the Autofocus really a must have. Budget $400

Thanks
Alan

[jfiresto]

Directly projecting an image from the microscope on to the camera sensor is often a good solution. The camera, then, does not, can not focus. As far as it is concerned, the microscope is a manual focus lens with a smallish aperture (mine is ca. f7, wide open).

[jaaa1976]

Directly projecting an image from the microscope on to the camera sensor is often a good solution. The camera, then, does not, can not focus. As far as it is concerned, the microscope is a manual focus lens with a smallish aperture (mine is ca. f7, wide open).

Hi.. so which camera you using now? Im selling Panasonic LUMIX GX80  and want try microscope original camera now.need find which is best 4K model now.

[jfiresto]

Sorry, somehow I did not see your last post until now.

I have been using the Olympus Pen Lite models, the E-PL1 through E-PL8. The -PL7 and -PL8 are quite nice for taking stills and videos. I am setting up a DMC-GX85, the U.S. market version of the -GX80, for streaming video. Why are you selling the -GX80? If the microscope has a classic, 1X c-mount photo port, you just need a cheap thread adapter to directly project onto the sensor.

EDIT: Here is an image I took for someone, of a -GX80/GX85 so mounted.



You can click on the image to see and save the 16 megapixel image.

[Caliaxy]

SONY IMX290 is just a sensor used in different cameras, not a complete camera.

What kind of microscope are you referring to? Are you looking for a camera to mount on the camera port of a physical microscope or for one of those USB microscopes, which are essentially just cameras with high magnification lenses (not microscopes in the true sense of the term) connected to a computer, that can capture an enlarged image of the object?

[SteveyG]

The IMX290 is a good sensor for use with a microscope. I have the autofocus model which I've covered in a few videos of mine, but the AF is not worth bothering about - I use it in MF mode all the time.

[damanloox]

Are the manual focus IMX290 cameras available on aliexpress or banggood? All I can see is autofocus models...

[robertson.alan@gmail.com]

HI

If the IMX290 Autofocus is not worth the extra cost for the Autofocus, are there not newer better Manual Focus Sony sensors these days in the 4K resolution.

This is Ekins Range
https://eakinsmicscopestore.aliexpress.com/store/group/Video-Microscope-Camera/3200040_512469846/2.html?spm=a2g0o.store_pc_groupList.8148361.5.46d23467lYxgiC&origin=n&SortType=orders_desc&g=y


Cheers
Alan

[damanloox]

Sorry for (perhaps) infantile question but do the IMX290 cameras with manual focus actually have "manual focus" or are they "fixed focus" (ie. can I use the mouse to change the focus)?

[SteveyG]

Sorry for (perhaps) infantile question but do the IMX290 cameras with manual focus actually have "manual focus" or are they "fixed focus" (ie. can I use the mouse to change the focus)?

You can use the autofocus and then 'lock' the focus for sure. I cannot recall if there is a slider to manual focus.

[damanloox]

I've been looking for IMX290 (manual focus) and every seller on the planet is telling me IMX290 is not longer available (even though they list them on aliexpress and ebay ). Instead they're proposing IMX185 (I know I don't want this one) or IMX385...
Anybody has any experience with IMX385? Is it on par with IMX290? I mean real life (or real microscope) not pure specs...?

[itscoldoutside]

I've also been looking for a IMX290 based microscope camera, but they seem impossible to find these days. The ones that are listed as IMX290 all turn out to be something else (like IMX185). I did however find a post saying the IMX291 is very similar (almost identical?) to the 290, and Amscope sell a IMX291 camera for under £200, model HC210.

Are people sleeping on this great camera for an great price or is it not comparable to the old 290 models I wonder. The specs don't look great on paper but then most of the specs are fake on the aliexpress ads anyway, the software even upscales the images. I haven't been able to find any pictures or video taken with the HC210 unfortunately.

[Ground_Loop]

Stay away from the HC 210. Bright spots flare badly and colors are washed out. I returned the first one as I thought it had to be bad. The replacement was just as bad. And yes I went through all the adjustments and even had Amscope on the line. In fact, if you really want one I'll sell you mine cheap.

I bought it because it was HDMI instead of USB and had a decent price.

[itscoldoutside]

I figured the HC210 had to be bad since Amscope just take the chinese cameras and resell them for 3x the price, so at £180 they're paying next to nothing for them. The hdmi output is also only 30fps, so it doesn't just come down to the sensor when it comes to image quality I guess.

I ended up buying a '4K' camera after seeing a recent youtube video review of it. It's said to have a Sony 377 or 337 sensor depending on the heading or the pictures but actually has a better 334 sensor lol. It's very good for the price (£120 shipped), very happy with it a huge difference over my old camera with a no name sensor.

[Vir1dis]

itscoldoutside where did you find info on what sensors are better?
What makes the 334 better than the 337 and 377?