From: Anthony R. Borrelli

The greatest advantage of the MDS290 versus other point and shoot digital
cameras is in enhanced workflow.

The MDS290 is supplied with software designed for microscopy which allows
you to control all functions of the camera from your computer(exposure,
optical zoom, resolution, time-lapse, etc).  As the software is integrated
with PhotoShop, filters (sharpen, RGB) within the MDS290 plug-in are pulled
from PhotoShop, ensuring accuracy and reproduceability.  Other point and
shoot digital cameras, although adapted to a microscope, require all
adjustments be made at the camera itself and captured images must then be
downloaded to one's computer.

The included optical adapter (designed to attach to a 1.0X C-Mount) allows
the researcher to parfocalize the camera with the eyepieces of the
microscope.  If you are using matched objectives, you can be assured that
when the sample is in focus through your eyepieces, you will capture a
crisp high resolution (2.1 mega-pixel) non-interpolated image.

I trust this information is of some help.   Should you have any questions
or require additional information, please don't hesitate to contact me
directly.

Sincerely,
Anthony Borrelli
Eastman Kodak
Scientific Imaging Systems
Tel: 203.786.5606
Fax: 203.624.3143





Michal Opas <[log in to unmask]> on 07/14/2000 12:12:30 PM

Please respond to Confocal Microscopy List
      <[log in to unmask]>

To:   [log in to unmask]
cc:    (bcc: Anthony R. Borrelli/414130/EKC)
Subject:  digital cameras for microscopy




I am resending this message after it has been rejected by the listserver.
Sadly, I thought that it is only my papers that get rejected.....

Hello Dear All,

It appears to me that a topic of digital cameras to be used for microscopy
has been touched upon here but conclusions seem to be fuzzy.
We are in a (painful) process of trying to decide what to buy.  The camera
would be used for general microscopy and likely for  fairly bright
fluorescence too.
The obvious candidates are Nikon Coolpix 990 and Kodak MDS290.  Maybe
Olympus DP-10 is a candidate too.
I assume that all these cameras are easily mountable on a microscope.  Most
likely the quality of output is comparable. What we are not clear on is
interfacing.  I assume that one would take high quality pictures and thus
they to be transferred to a computer to free camera's storage (whatever it
is) for the next shot.
Would anyone comment (and recommend a product) on (i) controlling such a
camera via a computer  and (ii) ease of transferring the pictures.
Any other comments and recommendations shall also be appreciated.

Cheers

Michal

One additional question:

Kodak MDS290 is three times more expensive than e.g., Nikon Coolpix 990
although its image size is much less.  What does one gets for this extra
money?

Michal

     Dr. Michal Opas
     Cell Biology
     University of Toronto
     1 King's College Circle
     Medical Sciences Building, rm. 6326
     Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8 Canada
--------------
                phone: (416) 978-8947 (laboratory)
                            (416) 971-2140 (office)
                     fax: (416) 978-3954
                e-mail: [log in to unmask]
www homepage: http://www.utoronto.ca/anatomy/opas/start.htm