Celestron Handheld Digital Microscope Pro

[MiciDragan]

Hi Viv,

Are there any options that can be changed in terms of format of the saved image? It would be great if it could save in other than JPEG. Also, what about taking a print screen of the preview, will it be better than the actual saved image? Perhaps try to reduce gain or ISO format if there is any on the camera.

Mici

[ray_parkhurst]

Well Ray, I may need a little help please! My Celestron came in today and I am wondering how much pulling and tugging you had to do to get the clear plastic guide off?

Also, I am reading your notes and one thing I have noticed right away is... the image looks nice and clear but once the pic is taken the pic looks pitted and grainy.

Hi Viv,

It was not easy. I used a pair of pliers with paper to keep from doing too much damage to the clear piece, though I did not really care so much since it is not all that useful. I planned on wrenching on it til it gave loose, or broke into pieces. It gave loose first.

I don't remember seeing much difference between the live image and the captured pic. Are you looking at the same final image size?

[VAB2013]

Hi Viv,

It was not easy. I used a pair of pliers with paper to keep from doing too much damage to the clear piece, though I did not really care so much since it is not all that useful. I planned on wrenching on it til it gave loose, or broke into pieces. It gave loose first.

I don't remember seeing much difference between the live image and the captured pic. Are you looking at the same final image size?

Thank you Ray, I was able to get the clear plastic guide off without too much trouble, it did crack when I clamped down on it with pliers. Then I just pulled on it in several different places and it popped off. It's just glued on so removing it did not damage the LED's or anything.

I do not see an option in the settings for final image size. I am shooting it at 3 MP. Also playing around with lighting. The LED's give the coin a purple cast. Here is the before and after difference, just by adjusting the light in the room, and also the "EDIT" below.

Edit: Also I made a paper template with a small hole for the lens and then made a tissue paper filter from that and taped it on to cover the LED's.

[TPring]

...I do not see an option in the settings for final image size.

If you are using the Celestron MicroCapture Pro program that comes with the scope, go to Options > Resolution.

edit: Do you see a way to save the original as anything other than .jpg?

[VAB2013]

If you are using the Celestron MicroCapture Pro program that comes with the scope, go to Options > Resolution.

Thank you TPring! Yes I am using that software and I had that set to 3MP, but didn't see how to downsize the photo to 1024x768 for publishing. So I just put the photo in paint, resized it to 1024x768 and saved it as a .png to see if that would make a difference. I have attached that photo to see if it looks any different. Can you tell a difference? They look the same to me.

edit: Do you see a way to save the original as anything other than .jpg?

Yes, either jpg, bmp, png or tif. But png's don't open automatically when you click them, you have to download them first so I didn't choose that one. (at least that's what it does on my computer)

[VAB2013]

2) Take a test shot of a white index card and adjust histogram color channels to give approximate white balance. Save the settings for application to each subsequent image
3) "Darken" the shot by dimming the lights slightly, but not enough to cause the auto-exposure algorithm to set a slower exposure time
5) Apply the test shot / white balance adjustments to the image

This is the part I can't figure out. I did notice the light was fluctuating, but now that I have covered the LED's with tissue paper I am wondering if that is going to cause me to not be able to do what Ray is describing above.

[VAB2013]

Been having fun with this Celestron! Still a long way to go to be able to produce a photo as nice as Ray did with this microscope, but here's my first attempt at a full coin photo. Never been able to take a full coin photo for about five years so I'm pretty excited!

Edit: I looked all over the house for black paper LOL... finally found that my son had a bottle of cologne in a black box, so I tore the flap off the box! I think the black background helped. Now I need to find a better black background.

[TPring]

Been having fun with this Celestron! Still a long way to go to be able to produce a photo as nice as Ray did with this microscope...

LOL -- practice, practice, patience.


2) Take a test shot of a white index card and adjust histogram color channels to give approximate white balance. Save the settings for application to each subsequent image
3) "Darken" the shot by dimming the lights slightly, but not enough to cause the auto-exposure algorithm to set a slower exposure time
5) Apply the test shot / white balance adjustments to the image

I was thinking some of what Ray described [#2 & #5] was in his Canon software.
I think #3 is a timing issue with the LEDs and snapping the pic.

Hopefully he will be able to shed some light on this [no pun intended].

[VAB2013]

Hi Viv,

Are there any options that can be changed in terms of format of the saved image? It would be great if it could save in other than JPEG. Also, what about taking a print screen of the preview, will it be better than the actual saved image? Perhaps try to reduce gain or ISO format if there is any on the camera.

Mici

Hi Mici! Thank you for this information, part of it was very helpful and the other part is over my head! You gave me the idea to check photo formats and you are exactly correct, a png is higher quality than a jpg and that is easy for me to understand!

Now, when you start talking about reducing gain or ISO format, I get seriously lost

[VAB2013]

LOL -- practice, practice, patience.


2) Take a test shot of a white index card and adjust histogram color channels to give approximate white balance. Save the settings for application to each subsequent image
3) "Darken" the shot by dimming the lights slightly, but not enough to cause the auto-exposure algorithm to set a slower exposure time
5) Apply the test shot / white balance adjustments to the image

I was thinking some of what Ray described [#2 & #5] was in his Canon software.
I think #3 is a timing issue with the LEDs and snapping the pic.

Hopefully he will be able to shed some light on this [no pun intended].

you are right TPring, these things take time and patience! Today I moved my desk to a window because I am thinking natural light might be a good thing. We'll see!

Yep, right again, those settings ray is referring to must be in his Canon software. Should we try to get that software? Can we?