Do you think it will be interesting to tag posts we have already made on iSpot OR is the interest only for new posts?
I am in favour of tagging all relevant Observations.
Those that are ‘out of reach’ can be tagged by the Curator - simply ask, give the link and the correct tag
I agree! Three times, as my post was too short!
Well, I’ve done another moss:
.
but think this is my best pic so far (see obs 857016/blustery-and-flustery)
what size is the grid?
Have to make a big deal of 5 x 5mm because of minimum character requirement!
Nicely done and explained
I feel inspired to do more
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More then. Here is the USB camera attached to my phone
it would work well in the car in a field corner say
the adapter is less that £3
You can hold the phone in the hand of course and use screen zoom
I have had some success with the software from USB Camera (App)
It has load of controls, including easy colour correction
I have used a spare phone as a light table too
Take care with Moiré pattern and pixels, hence tracing paper
A very useful extension to Observing and Recording
Moss in water (Petri) on a spare phone
Recent experiment with a fly
And recently with pitted Barnacles
Two recent sessions, my first with seaweeds
They are both connected to my phone
The subjects are in water in a petri ON the cheap light table - a spare phone could be used
Below show the normal screen zoom (two fingers) to really get close
But quality is not fabulous
I am not certain anyone is reading this stuff, so I may stop sharing here.
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I am reading it but you’re so far ahead of me technically and in terms of equipment.
I’m still tagging (where relevant) USB camera; so you can see how I’m getting on with my far more basic set-up.
One of the challenges is to get anything other than a dorsal view. For example, I had a bark-louse which couldn’t be ID’ed because you couldn’t see a side-on view of the wing venation. It was only about 4 mms long so difficult to ‘pose’ in a suitable position.
I usually try to take some photos with the TG-6 and then some with the USB camera where the subject is less than about 6 mms long. As others have said, one of the challenges with the TG-6 in microscope mode is that you often get ‘burn out’ with the flash. I don’t know whether buying a flash diffuser would help but it’s so easy to keep spending more and more with diminishing returns.
For such things I think you would need to unmount the camera, ground it and inch it forward towards the fly. Such a camera might need a shutter button on the body, otherwise you might need three hands.
Like here https://ae01.alicdn.com/kf/Hc6f8f9dad8ac4ddc82fc697bb11981b9q/Adjustable-1600X-3-in-1-USB-Digital-Microscope-Type-C-Electronic-Microscope-Camera-For-Solding-8.jpg_Q90.jpg_.webp (Snap)
I have BOTH the flash units for the TG they may not be suitable for wing venation.
Though I did quite well with the TG last year - I’ll find a pic.
Ordinary flash won’t work because it is not illuminating close the front of the lens
I will try some experiments for you (when I find a fly!)
This shows the unmounted camera ‘grounded’ near a 7mm shell just now (daylight only), Using my phone for a screen. I think you would have to remove the lighting cowl to get really close
Scuse the photo of course.
I have just found this - £1200
Of there is a stand for it of course (over £300)
£1,500 - when I win the lottery! Although the camera itself is only $1,165 on Amazon.com
I’m sure it’s amazing but I don’t have that kind of money.
thanks for interest in fly wings… I look forward to seeing how you get on.
Three hands would be handy - sorry. But I’ll have to make do with two.
I’m interested that you say that the two flash units don’t make all that much difference. I thought that the whole purpose of them was to stop light bouncing back into the camera and burning out the image.
I meant that venation of flies requires backlighting not flash at all.
the two units are quite useful though I do not use them often
I will demonstrate them here in due course. Where the Hell are flies when you need them?
Just leave some fruit out and they will come.
I’m back and I’m reading it, too!
Love the “in water” presentations.
[quote=“dejayM, post:52, topic:1783”]
I have BOTH the flash units for the TG
Better NOT to be too zoom-greedy, stay away and crop the photos for best results
All of this takes patience & practice and an understanding of exposure compensation.
I will try to add a USB Camera photo of the pine needles, The wrapped section is about housefly sized
Not much success with pine needs and USB camera
These below are Optical photos (Olympus TG)
![Screenshot_20230225_145701_USB_Camera1|225x500]
I’m impressed - but you are way ahead of me, Derek. I haven’t tried stacking at all. Do you need special software?
You wrote "I usually try to take some photos with the TG-6 " which has built in stacking
Drop me an email SOON dejay.project at gmail.com