Photography at more than life size is often very difficult in the field, especially for living subjects.  Even on a day that seems calm, looking through the view-finder seems to bring on a breeze within seconds.  Waiting for a lull can try the patience, because the wind is so unpredictable.

Depending on the amount of magnification, photographs with magnification can be done with a reversed lens on a bellows or extension tubes, or with a microscope.  The material on this page overlaps with the material of Closeup 1-4, most of which will not be repeated here.  This page will therefore deal only with photography using a microscope.

One great advantage of a microscope is that the stage controls provide a smooth and accurate means of moving the subject.

There are two main methods of using a microscope for photography – with and without the eyepiece.  Normally a microscope makes a virtual image, which is viewed by the eye.  But by moving the object away from the objective lens, or the eyepiece away from the objective, the microscope can be made to produce a real image, which can be focussed on to the film.  In both cases the camera body is used without the lens.  It is also possible to attach an entire camera and photograph the virtual image.

A single lens reflex is the only practical type of camera that will do the job.  The image quality may be slightly reduced, because the microscope is optimised for viewing – making a real image requires different paths for the rays of light.

Illumination is crucial in microscopy.  The object may be illuminated by transmitted light or by reflected light.

Method 1 – using the eyepiece

Links

Books

Introduction to Light Microscopy    D J Rawlins    Bios Scientific Publishers.

John Shaw’s web-site