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For those interested in getting up close and peering into the very small details of the photos which cross your path, there is no better way than doing it with a stereo low power microscope. While at first glance, such an insturment may seem unnecesssary and even slightly worthless to those engaged in photo restoration--please withhold judgement and read on. Properly configured, these can be a real boon to business.
The unit that I purchased from an Outfit named Microscope World,http://www.microscopeworld.com/resou...urce-links.htm , is offically known as the DC3-420T. This unit features a post stand and base,( with ample room to examine standard sized photos), has Zoom capability from 10-30x, a factory installed color video camera, and has the electronics in the base to connect the unit to either a TV or computer via USB, Composite Video or S-video---it even comes with all cables. Accessories which are avaliable include different power eyepieces and aux. objective lens assemblies.
First the bad---the software which comes with the camera is not exceptional. The USB drivers conflict with other USB drivers, such as mouse and Wacom tablet type. This led to a total crash of my system and required my upgrading to a video card with S-video/composite video inputs and capture capability. I was told by the folks who do the software that future insturments will not include the USB feature.
Now the good. The quality of the insturment is excellent. All through the zoom range, the image,both on screen and through the eyepieces remain clear until you begin getting into extreme magnifications,when slight tweaking of the focus is needed. The quality of the video and the images grabbed as individual photos is excellent also. The support offered by the retailer is exceptional. These folks really take care of the customer and go the extra mile to help you out.
One interesting thing this unit does,and well I might add, is to make enlargements of small areas of photos. See Attachment. This past week I have done around six enlargements for customers and although the clairity is not that of a studio shot, all were pleased enough to pay cash for copys. I like that.
These insturments are not cheap but then they are not toys. The work you can do with them is serious and very capable of producing income over the long haul. For some, these type of insturments are not necessary but for those who see a need for what they can do--positively identify photo types, make good enlargements from very small areas etc., they are well worth looking into. Tom
The unit that I purchased from an Outfit named Microscope World,http://www.microscopeworld.com/resou...urce-links.htm , is offically known as the DC3-420T. This unit features a post stand and base,( with ample room to examine standard sized photos), has Zoom capability from 10-30x, a factory installed color video camera, and has the electronics in the base to connect the unit to either a TV or computer via USB, Composite Video or S-video---it even comes with all cables. Accessories which are avaliable include different power eyepieces and aux. objective lens assemblies.
First the bad---the software which comes with the camera is not exceptional. The USB drivers conflict with other USB drivers, such as mouse and Wacom tablet type. This led to a total crash of my system and required my upgrading to a video card with S-video/composite video inputs and capture capability. I was told by the folks who do the software that future insturments will not include the USB feature.
Now the good. The quality of the insturment is excellent. All through the zoom range, the image,both on screen and through the eyepieces remain clear until you begin getting into extreme magnifications,when slight tweaking of the focus is needed. The quality of the video and the images grabbed as individual photos is excellent also. The support offered by the retailer is exceptional. These folks really take care of the customer and go the extra mile to help you out.
One interesting thing this unit does,and well I might add, is to make enlargements of small areas of photos. See Attachment. This past week I have done around six enlargements for customers and although the clairity is not that of a studio shot, all were pleased enough to pay cash for copys. I like that.
These insturments are not cheap but then they are not toys. The work you can do with them is serious and very capable of producing income over the long haul. For some, these type of insturments are not necessary but for those who see a need for what they can do--positively identify photo types, make good enlargements from very small areas etc., they are well worth looking into. Tom
I can see the benefits for our restoration but I can't see that price tag. Good link though. Had fun looking at all the picture examples.
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