Look at Meiji We use an EMZ-8TR this gives a 7-45 zoom with *10 eyepieces. (You can use *20 but then you break the link between what you see through the eyepieces and the camera) It is a true trinocular and therefore you can stereo view whilst having a camera in use. We also have an MA571 oblique viewer which allows very oblique views to be observed without trying to stand the board on end!! You are mixing two very different things when you talk about video camera and a digital camera. We use a video camera to a low cost display for teaching and discussion during exploration. Video cameras are low resolution in comparison to digital cameras. We remove the video camera and replace it with a Nikon P5000 for detailed high res pictures. The P5000 is one of a limited number of P&S cameras that has an adaptor ring. Nikon sell an adaptor which interfaces to the standard tube on the Meiji. We do also link the P5000 to the monitor for live view. If you have enough money you could go for a higher performance dSLR with live view and the appropriate adaptor. (Look at the Olympus Range) However two notes of caution not all cameras will allow you to use live view for long periods, and the dSLR sensor is exposed to dust whilst in live view (the Oly does sensor clean using US) We have one EMZ on a CR-1 for one particular application another is on a long arm stand. We use fibre optic light sources as often the 'defect' can only be seen with oblique lighting. We used to have the video camera connected to a video capture card in a PC, the images were not much use which is why we have the Nikon. The images from that are mainly not manipulated but when we do manipulate we use all sorts of software, the most complex being Corel Paintshop Pro X. Rex Waygood Technical Manager PartnerTech Poole Ltd Benson Road Poole Dorset BH17 0RY United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)1202 674333 Fax: +44 (0)1202 678028 DDI: +44 (0)1202 338222 Mob: +44 (0)7887 997403 [log in to unmask] www.PartnerTech.co.uk -----Original Message----- From: TechNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Kane, Joseph E (US SSA) Sent: 29 July 2008 19:16 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: [TN] Trinocular Scope With Display I may have an opportunity to put together a decent inspection station for our lab. The choices out there have my head spinning, maybe some of you have experience or recommendations to share. Not sure what we'll have to spend, but this system will be used partly for customer presentations, so I'm hoping we can do it up right. This would be used for everything from FA on components, to solder inspection on boards, to looking inside small chassis. Need capability for image capture, and maybe a nice big screen so others in the room could see. Optics - Trinocular, zoom, good depth of field/working distance, magnification from about 5-7x up to about 40-50x. Some have a lever that disables one of the binocular eyepieces whenever you want the camera to work, and I think this is a pain. In the archives I saw a recommendation for a Meiji EMZ-8TR - any others? What about a 0.5x objective lens to increase working distance? Stand - Articulating, single or double boom arm? Counterweight? Swivel? Biggest pain I've had is adjusting the Z height easily. Usually you have to release the slip ring, lower it, retighten, then release the head, and drop it down on the slip ring, sometimes heavily. Is there any easier way to adjust? Screen - maybe around 40". LCD, so no burn-in. Camera - CCD or CMOS? Resolution? Output? What about Sony? Some might think we'd be better off with a good hi-res digital still camera. C-mount? Either way, is it realistic to expect that the image would be close to what we see through the eyepieces? Lighting - Probably a ring light and moveable fiber optic arms. Anything new being done with LED's? Polarization? Any hints for picking up tin whiskers? Image Capture - Any special kind of card in the PC? Software? Probably output in bitmap, convert to JPG. Don't need PhotoShop, but some basic image processing will be helpful. Joe Kane BAE Systems Johnson City, NY --------------------------------------------------- Technet Mail List provided as a service by IPC using LISTSERV 15.0 To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL) To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/contentpage.asp?Pageid=4.3.16 for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-615-7100 ext.2815 ----------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information contained within this e-mail and any attachments contained therein may be confidential and/or legally privileged and is for the use of the intended recipient only. 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