Hi all,
I’m looking to modify my setup a little and use a usb webcam rather than the camera port and was wondering if anyone ever ended up making a lens spacer / camera platform that worked well with either the Logitech C270 or Vadzoimaging imx291
I tried out the Logitech stl openflexure already provides and it works/looks great, but I unfortunately need the lower magnification of the normal pi optics. I’m trying to adapt the regular lens spacer to fit the arducam I linked above, but I’m pretty much a novice at 3D modeling so I was wondering if anyone had already developed a good spacer/platform.
I tried searching the forums but couldn’t find anything. Cheers.
Hi @ambroseeverhart, there is a new lens spacer designed for the Logitech C270. You can get the STLs from the development instructions at the merge request on Gitlab https://gitlab.com/openflexure/openflexure-microscope/-/merge_requests/309 . Click the view app button which is below the description. That build does not include instructions for how to use the lens spacer. It is the same principle as the Pi camera lens spacer - take the lens off and turn it over to put it into the spacer. You will need to prepare the C270 itself, a start on those instructions is currently in another development version https://openflexure.gitlab.io/-/openflexure-microscope/-/jobs/3624024100/artifacts/builds/c270_preparation.html.
Those development branches also make a lens spacer for the Arducam B0196, which is the same sensor as the Pi camera, but with a USB interface. STLs for that are in teh first link, preparation instructions are https://openflexure.gitlab.io/-/openflexure-microscope/-/jobs/3624024100/artifacts/builds/b0196_preparation.html
Both of these web cams will give good resolution and an image similar to a standard optical microscope with x20 lens in the same way that the Pi camera lens spacer does. The USB cameras will not work in the usual Openflexure software, so you will not be able to correct for the strong colour cast in the images. There are some example images towards the bottom of the comments on the merge request 309 page linked above.
If you are not using the Pi camera, then are you also not using a motorisation? Others using that system asked for a microscope main body and stand that are better suited for simple manual operation (OFM v6 Logitech C270 - Hacking Instructions (Spanish version) - #4 by nanocastro). That is all on a different thread on this Forum Minimal manual version of the Openflexure microscope.
Please do let us know how you get on with it.