Glasses & magnifying devices

I just repurposed one of my SLR zoom lenses that the autofocus died. I can focus on the work piece without getting near the chuck.
 
whitmore said:
More friendly, is the videocam/monitor used as a magnifier
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I had seen his videos and camera set up. Definitely a brilliant guy.
I've wanted to set up a camera like he has but haven't gotten around to it yet.
I did get one of the chinese microscopes that will output to a screen but have had trouble with their software, so haven't gotten it working yet.
 
I'm about to repurpose an old cell phone by using a phone holder with a tripod interface on it (1/4-20 thread), about $8 and attach it to one of my magnetic bases with a flexible arm. Download the free apt "Magnifier Plus HD" from the aps store and you can get up to 8X magnification at pretty long distances. The program also can turn on the cell phone LED for a nice spotlight on the work. Just leave it on the charger all the time and the magnifier and light is always ready to go and I can look at the image with both of my old, nearsighted eyes. While you're at it you can also put the free program "Machining Mate" on the cell phone too. Lots of useful calculators and converters for shop use.

Example tripod holder: https://www.amazon.com/Ulanzi-Tripo...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=50PJECDTKBMCNX15TKVK
 
rgray said:
I did get one of the chinese microscopes that will output to a screen but have had trouble with their software, so haven't gotten it working yet.
Click to expand...

The Gelbart solution was an automobile backup camera/screen, and those are OK, but the camera has to be
refocusable for closeup (hard to find that feature through internet merchants), and those are all
composite video (so, 320 x 240 is a typical resolution). You also have to supply power and deal with
a jumble of cables/connectors. It's an oldschool analog video camera/display, but all the
modern displays are digital, with no camera-suitable inputs, so you need the 'special' analog
one from the auto backup solution. Mostly, the backup (and doorbell-cam) videocams are very
wide-angle, which isn't optimum.

USB cams require, alas, very smart monitors (basically, a PC). As you've seen, not all cams are
suitable for all computer/OS setups. Bootup time, power usage, complexity argues against that,
but I've got an iMac and Firewire camera sitting on the shelf, so... maybe that'll happen.

A good snapshot camera that has mini-DVI or displayport output, and a monitor, would be nearly ideal.
Zoom, focus, megapixel resolution, even good color rendition. Alas, when I connect my Canon
Powershot SX230 DVI output to my Asus display, I find that it doesn't do the right thing- screen
just stays blank. Maybe you have to record and then playback? Or read the manual to find a few
extra settings to make magic happen? It's gonna take a menu seek-and-coerce operation
every time I hit the switch, unless it just CAN'T work.
 
Visit the eyeglass place that advertises 2 pair for cheap with exam or your regular place.

Ask for occupation glasses.

This is where they place the card used for reading at some other distsnce.

Measure the comfortable working distance for your task then have them place the card at that distance.

Now they can dial in whatever you want.

The more zoom the narrower the depth of field.

We did this for our clock bench and it was a miracle.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337Z using Tapatalk
 
gradient said:
I'm about to repurpose an old cell phone by using a phone holder with a tripod interface on it
Click to expand...

that reminds me. I bought a cheap endoscope camera. I think i got it on amazon for $11.00. The android app links to this brand: http://www.camerafi.com/

And it goes down the rifle barrel (what I wanted it for) but the focal length is much longer. It's all blurry in the rifle barrel but when it gets near the end of the barrel you get a clear view of the wall out the end of the barrel.
It hooks up to a cell phone and as soon as you plug it in it turns on with no fussing.
It may make a nice machining camera like Dan Gelbart uses. With the advantage that the camera itself is very small and light. But the magnification is not high.
 
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