Well it happened!!! That's what I get for not taking my time.

[thor447]

As a newbie, in every sense of the word, tonight I joined the club by getting on my hands and knees for nearly 60 minutes looking for a part on the floor!  I was taking off the day wheel on a Seiko 6119 and the C-clip went flying.  For the life of me I don't know why I didn't put a plastic bag over it.  It did when I removed the hands, but for whatever reason I didn't do it when I went to remove the C-clip for the day wheel.  All I know is that it went flying to the left.  I heard it hit something, and it is now lost in the ether!  Jules Borel and $4.64 later and I've learned my lesson, at least for tonight.  Tomorrow is another day.

 

On a side note I got my stereo microscope in and am LOVING it.  My only problem is that the camera for the trinocular port will not focus unless I'm zoomed in nearly all the way.  If I zoom back out I cannot get the camera to focus no matter what I do.  I know practially nothing about cameras, and basically bought the full microscope and camera setup that were recommended by a few others who run the same setup.  Theirs work, my camera doesn't.  I'll be trying to find something online that'll explain to me what I'm doing wrong!

[HectorLooi]

Welcome to the club!

Sometimes when working under a microscope, it's even harder to tell which direction the parts fly to. So it's important to immobilize springs either with a gloved finger, Rodico or a pegwood stick.

I've been at it for four years and still lose a part occasionally. It's the non magnetic parts that are a real pain. Things like plastic, brass, rubies, etc. Eventually you'll become better at it and even learn to fabricate parts yourself.

Enjoy!

[thor447]

4 hours ago, HectorLooi said:

Welcome to the club!

Sometimes when working under a microscope, it's even harder to tell which direction the parts fly to. So it's important to immobilize springs either with a gloved finger, Rodico or a pegwood stick.

I've been at it for four years and still lose a part occasionally. It's the non magnetic parts that are a real pain. Things like plastic, brass, rubies, etc. Eventually you'll become better at it and even learn to fabricate parts yourself.

Enjoy!

Thanks.  I'm looking forward to learning more.  I've been a part-time gunsmith for some years now, so I've made some small parts before.  Sears, springs, detents, etc.  Watchmaking is taking the small parts game to another level!  I'm hoping that some of my previous experience will serve me well when I finally get to that point.

[Upgrade1978]

Hello!  Very new to this hobby and the same thing happened to me with a very tiny screw.  So happy my carpet is light colored.  The screw popped out of the tweezers about 10 times.  Patience is key and a handy magnet if necessary.  

[Neverenoughwatches]

2 hours ago, Upgrade1978 said:

Hello!  Very new to this hobby and the same thing happened to me with a very tiny screw.  So happy my carpet is light colored.  The screw popped out of the tweezers about 10 times.  Patience is key and a handy magnet if necessary.  

Have a look at dressing your tweezers inside at the tips. If screws are pinging this often it maybe because you are overgripping , adjusting your tweezers will also improve this problem.

[Paul80]

Re you problem getting the camera to focus, is the camera mounted directly to the camera port on the microscope, if yes they may be your problem, they often need some form of tube between the camera and the camera adaptor on the microscope, depending on the focus point of the camera that tube may only be a few millimetres or 5 to 10 centimetres.  is there one still in the camera box that you mistook for just another adaptor.  

Unscrew the camera set you scope to minimum magnification, set the focus knob to its midway position then raise or lower the whole head until you have a sharp image, that should set the scope for full range use.  Then unscrew the camera then holding it by hand move it up and down viewing the image on the screen, it will be washed out because light is getting in, then when you see a sharp image measure how far it is above the camera mount and that will be how long a tube you will need, some are fixed length and some are adjustable, the one on mine was only 5mm and it was hidden in the box, I at first just thought it was part of the lens cap that has to be removed for mounting, so check the box first.

[grsnovi]

13 hours ago, thor447 said:

the camera for the trinocular port will not focus

I must say that I've also been disappointed with my camera's performance through the port. The scope is brilliant but using my camera (a Sony a65) through the port, I am unable to nail crystal-clear focus. I have even tried taking a series of shots and focus stacking. Not great.

I get better results with the 100M28 on the camera with a Raynox 250 filter.

I've tried to get help from AmScope but they don't seem to understand...

[Neverenoughwatches]

20 minutes ago, Paul80 said:

Re you problem getting the camera to focus, is the camera mounted directly to the camera port on the microscope, if yes they may be your problem, they often need some form of tube between the camera and the camera adaptor on the microscope, depending on the focus point of the camera that tube may only be a few millimetres or 5 to 10 centimetres.  is there one still in the camera box that you mistook for just another adaptor.  

Unscrew the camera set you scope to minimum magnification, set the focus knob to its midway position then raise or lower the whole head until you have a sharp image, that should set the scope for full range use.  Then unscrew the camera then holding it by hand move it up and down viewing the image on the screen, it will be washed out because light is getting in, then when you see a sharp image measure how far it is above the camera mount and that will be how long a tube you will need, some are fixed length and some are adjustable, the one on mine was only 5mm and it was hidden in the box, I at first just thought it was part of the lens cap that has to be removed for mounting, so check the box first.

I can see this as a very convenient way of taking photos once set up. But tbh i just use a fairly cheap camera phone and view it through the eyepiece when i need a picture.  It may sound quite bodgified anx not professional in any way but if you look at the pictures from my watch of today they are maginified and clear. 

[dadistic]

My mirrorless camera on the trinocular port is not wonderful, but I'm getting better at focusing and getting decent exposures. 

First thing I did was hook the camera to my monitor via the HDMI port, this allows me to see the image well enough to get focus. Much easier than looking at the LCD on the camera. 

Second thing, the setup has NO depth of field. If the scope is not dead straight up and down, one edge or the other of the image will be out of focus.  

Once I got this worked out,  I played around with exposure levels using Shutter speed and ISO. Since there is no aperture,  there are no F-Stops, which explains the lack of depth of field.  I can shoot in an automatic mode that is ISO priority, the shutter speed is adjusted by the camera. I've been mostly working in manual mode. I often set the camera to show a histogram, and I try to "shoot to the right" to maximize the amount of the shot that's correctly exposed. There will often be shiny bits that are blown out. Again, using the monitor helps me determine what is working best. Note, zooming in and out DRASTICALLY changes the amount of light that is being collected, and exposure needs to be adjusted after zooming.

Since I can control my camera with my phone, once I'm set up it is super easy to take disassembly photos. Just tap the phone to get a shot. 

Next time I'm set up for shooting through the scope,  I'll see if I can get a good demo shot that I can post in the Microscope thread.

[grsnovi]

5 hours ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

tbh I just use a fairly cheap camera phone and view it through the eyepiece

Rich - I tried using my phone but had trouble holding it in the sweet spot, so I tried a camera held up to the eyepiece...

[Neverenoughwatches]

12 minutes ago, grsnovi said:

Rich - I tried using my phone but had trouble holding it in the sweet spot, so I tried a camera held up to the eyepiece...

It did take me a little while to get the hang of the positioning G but i can get a good photo in just a couple of seconds now. This is a  cracking shot of a jewel G. . Can very easily see the jewel hole, the refection of the scope lighting ring is a little distracting though. Would you get this even with the camera on the mount ? 

[thor447]

7 hours ago, Paul80 said:

Re you problem getting the camera to focus, is the camera mounted directly to the camera port on the microscope, if yes they may be your problem, they often need some form of tube between the camera and the camera adaptor on the microscope, depending on the focus point of the camera that tube may only be a few millimetres or 5 to 10 centimetres.  is there one still in the camera box that you mistook for just another adaptor.  

Unscrew the camera set you scope to minimum magnification, set the focus knob to its midway position then raise or lower the whole head until you have a sharp image, that should set the scope for full range use.  Then unscrew the camera then holding it by hand move it up and down viewing the image on the screen, it will be washed out because light is getting in, then when you see a sharp image measure how far it is above the camera mount and that will be how long a tube you will need, some are fixed length and some are adjustable, the one on mine was only 5mm and it was hidden in the box, I at first just thought it was part of the lens cap that has to be removed for mounting, so check the box first.

Mine came with a tube but it does note mate with the camera.  The camera has a threaded end that it uses to attach.  I bought a 0.35 adapter to mount the camera to the scope.  It attaches well, but has a very limited amount of focus adjustment.  I need about 1cm more adjustment travel, but it's just not there.  I believe your are correct in your diagnosis.  After doing some reading last night I found a C to CS extension tube on Amazon that I think will give me what I'm looking for.  It was only a few dollars so I figured it would be worth a ordering to see if it works.  It should arrive tomorrow.  Hopefully it will resolve my focus issue.  Fingers crossed.

[grsnovi]

2 hours ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

the refection of the scope lighting ring is a little distracting though. Would you get this even with the camera on the mount ? 

I agree that the reflection of the 52 LED ring light is distracting and YES, the light is always needed (using the scope or using the camera/lens). 

I was using the scope to reassemble the Pobeda this afternoon after cleaning and rinsing everything. Boy, it sure makes getting things right easier for me. So far I haven't lost anything...

[Neverenoughwatches]

4 hours ago, grsnovi said:

I agree that the reflection of the 52 LED ring light is distracting and YES, the light is always needed (using the scope or using the camera/lens). 

I was using the scope to reassemble the Pobeda this afternoon after cleaning and rinsing everything. Boy, it sure makes getting things right easier for me. So far I haven't lost anything...

Brilliant G. I'm pleased it coming together for you. I know the scopes are a bit of an initial layout, but yes how so much easier they make watch repair compared to using a loupe.

[grsnovi]

9 hours ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

I know the scopes are a bit of an initial layout

It looks as if the Pobeda may end up being my first watch to have been serviced (with a case and crystal). Not only will I >>need<< to buy a strap for it but I'll most likely >>need<< to shell out for a Weishi 1000.

[thor447]

I am pleased to report that the C to CS adapter ring did the trick and spaced the microscope camera out enough to allow it to focus throughout the zoom range.  

The pic is pre-cleaning of course!

[Upgrade1978]

On 7/30/2022 at 8:49 AM, Neverenoughwatches said:

Have a look at dressing your tweezers inside at the tips. If screws are pinging this often it maybe because you are overgripping , adjusting your tweezers will also improve this problem.

Thank you so much for this feedback.  Greatly appreciated.  

[Neverenoughwatches]

On 7/31/2022 at 5:02 PM, grsnovi said:

It looks as if the Pobeda may end up being my first watch to have been serviced (with a case and crystal). Not only will I >>need<< to buy a strap for it but I'll most likely >>need<< to shell out for a Weishi 1000.

Great news G. The missus will need another restaurant evening out then .

11 minutes ago, Upgrade1978 said:

Thank you so much for this feedback.  Greatly appreciated.  

Having a little bit of surface friction where you grip screws and springs etc can help. Also look what happens at the end of your tweezers when you squeeze them. The very tip opens up, this can shoot a screw across the room and  embed it in the wall. ( lol ok slight exaggeration there but you see my point ).