User Guide (ENGLISH VERSION) MicroCam 1 a b 2 c d h g f 3 e i 4 6 j A m k O I + 331 337 339 o n 5 l m ­ 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 + 1 16 339 ­ x 4.0 x 2.0 x 1.0 x .50 x .25 17 c b a 18 q r 19 d e f g h i j k l 6 OFF 4 m n 20 21 22 3.5 2 p o 23 English 3 Introduction The Polaroid MicroCam is designed to provide instant photographic capability to a wide variety of light microscopes. The camera is simple to operate, and is easily attached to the microscope's viewing tube, in place of the eyepiece. (Note: The camera also can be attached to the phototube, if preferred.) The camera can make automatic exposures ranging from 1/60 sec. to 161/2 minutes; it also can be set for manual operation to make longer exposures. A display on the control panel shows the camera status, and alerts you if the camera is out of film or if the illumination is too bright or too dim for an automatic exposure. The camera uses Polaroid color and black & white AutoFilms. After exposure, the camera ejects the print, which develops automatically in normal room lighting. The pictures are fully developed in four to five minutes. Free technical assistance If you need additional information or assistance, call toll-free at 1-800-225-1618, Mon.-Fri., 8AM to 8PM (Eastern time). Or, write to the Polaroid Resource Center, 784 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA, 02139. If outside the U.S.A., contact the nearest Polaroid Office (addresses on back page). 4 English The numbers throughout the text refer to the illustrations at the back of the book. The camera (Illustration 1) a Film holder b Film door latch c Control panel d Viewfinder e Microscope fitting f Remote shutter button g Socket for power supply h Film counter (on back of film holder) i Adapter for 29mm microscope tube The camera fits microscope photo or viewing tubes with a diameter of 22.5mm; the adapter enables the camera to be attached to a 29mm tube. j Power supply This provides power for the exposure system and film processing rollers. The camera requires a 12V 1.2 amp power supply. Insufficient power may cause the developer rollers to turn too slowly (resulting in photographs with uneven density or incomplete images); this also may cause the display and/or exposure system to function erratically. Too much power can damage the camera. The camera is shipped with either a 120V, 60 Hz power supply (PID 618091), or a 100-240V, 50/60 Hz power supply (PID 618089). Replacement power supplies also are available: 120V, 60 Hz (PID 618092); 100-240V, 50/60 Hz (PID 618090). The microscope Good photomicrographs are dependent on good microscopy. Unless the microscope is properly adjusted to provide a good visual image, you cannot produce a good photomicrograph. You should be fully familiar with your microscope, and how to adjust it for photography. See pages 9-12 for basic microscope information. Attach the camera to the microscope The camera should be attached to the stationary (non-adjustable) viewing tube or to the photo tube, if preferred. 1 Remove the eyepiece from the microscope viewing tube (2). 2 If necessary, attach the 29mm adapter; slide the adapter all the way over the camera's microscope fitting (3), then screw it on. 3 Orient the camera as shown (4), and insert the fitting into the microscope tube. Check that the camera is firmly seated. If the camera rotates on the tube, tighten the thumbscrew to hold it in position. 4 Plug the power supply into an appropriate electrical outlet and then into the camera (5). English 5 The control panel (6) k Automatic/manual selector: Press to highlight the desired mode (Automatic/ manual). l ON/OFF switch (O/l). m Film selector: Press repeatedly to highlight the correct film type (331/337/339). Messages The camera will "beep" and display a message if it cannot operate: The film pack is empty. The microscope < 1/60 illumination is too bright for an automatic exposure. The microscope > 16:30 illumination is too dim for an automatic exposure. The voltage is too low *..*..*..*..*..*..* for proper camera operation. Check that the power supply cord is properly connected; have the line voltage tested. A blank display indicates that there is no power to the camera. Check that the power supply is connected and that the camera is turned on. (The electrical outlet or power supply may need service.) "System error": Turn sssssss the camera off, wait about five seconds, then turn it on again. 339=0 n Lighten/Darken control: This control is used to adjust the exposure before rephotographing the same subject. Press the white arrow to increase exposure (lighten pictures), or the black arrow w to decrease exposure (darken pictures). When both arrows are pressed simultaneously, the exposure returns to "normal" (x1.0). This control is not used in the manual mode. o Display: Shows the exposure setting and messages, as described below. Exposure settings When the shutter button is pressed, the display shows the exposure time and the Lighten/Darken setting: This sample shows an exposure time of 12 seconds. The L/D control is set at "normal" (no adjustment). In this sample, the 15.0 × 1.3 exposure time has been increased to 15 seconds; the white arrow was pressed to multiply the time by 1.3. 12.0 × 1.0 Note: The camera is shipped with the display set to show information in "symbols." It can be changed to a "word" display (in any of several languages) as follows: Turn the camera on. Press and hold the mode (A/m) and film type (331/337/339) buttons simultaneously. The current language will be displayed. Press the white arrow repeatedly until the desired language appears in the display. Release the mode and film type buttons. 6 English Load the film 1 Release the latch to open the film door (7). Check that the steel developer rollers are clean before loading the film. Clean the rollers with a soft, lint-free cloth dampened with water, if necessary (8). Rotate both rollers as you clean and inspect them. Never scrape the rollers with anything metallic, nor with your fingernail. Do not use cleaning solvents. 2 Hold the film pack by the edges as shown (9), and insert it into the film holder. Then push the pack all the way in. (The pack will fit only one way; do not attempt to force it into the film holder.) 3 Close the door (10). The display will show Press the remote shutter button (11) to eject the dark slide. As the dark slide (or a picture) is ejected, it is covered briefly by a black shade that prevents light from s affecting the image as it starts to develop. The shade also holds the picture in the slot. Do not tamper with this delicate shade. After the dark slide (or picture) has been ejected, grasp a corner and remove it from the slot (12). The shade will snap back inside. After the dark slide has been ejected, the film counter will show "1", indicating that the first frame is ready for exposure. When the film pack is empty, a white dot will appear (13), and 339=0 will be displayed. To remove an empty film pack Release the latch and open the door. Grasp the tab on the end of the film pack and pull out the empty pack (14). Polaroid AutoFilms Type 339 Film speed ISO640/29° Description Color print film; ideal for photographing specimens where color is needed to provide information. Panchromatic, medium-contrast B&W print film; well-suited for situations where filtration for contrast enhancement is useful. High-speed panchromatic, mediumcontrast B&W print film; ideal for low light situations and subjects that require filtration for contrast enhancement. 331 ISO400/27° 337 ISO3200/36° Each film pack contains 10 sheets of self-developing film. Sheet size is 41/2 x 41/4 in. (11,4 x 10,8cm); image area is 4 x 3 in. (10,2 x 7,6cm). Note: Black & white films produce a reversed (mirror) image. English 7 Operation 1 Place the specimen on the microscope focusing stage, and focus and frame the image. 2 Adjust the microscope illumination for photography; Koehler illumination is recommended for compound microscopes. If you are using neutral density filters over the light source when viewing, remove them before taking pictures. Check that the light is turned up to the brightest setting, often called "photo" or "overvoltage." (This setting is not suitable for viewing; overuse will shorten the bulb life.) 3 Attach the camera to the microscope and look through the camera viewfinder. Observe the crosshair in the center of the viewfinder while using the microscope focusing knobs to refocus the specimen if necessary. Note: If you wear glasses to correct for distance, you should wear them when using the microscope camera. 6 After the exposure is complete the camera will eject the developing picture. Handle the picture by its wide border. Do not bend or squeeze the picture while it develops, and never cut pictures or take them apart. See Caution. Allow pictures to develop for 4-5 minutes before judging the exposure or color balance. If the camera is unused for more than 15 minutes it turns off automatically. Lighten/darken control (15) A picture that is too light is overexposed; use a shorter exposure time. If the camera is set for Automatic mode, press the Darken arrow w to decrease the exposure time. If a picture is too dark, it is underexposed; use a longer exposure time. Press the Lighten arrow to increase the time. The picture series (16) shows a normal exposure (x1.0), and the results of adjusting the exposure time by a factor of x4.0, x2.0, x.50 and x.25. 4 Check the camera control settings and adjust as needed. 5 Press the shutter button (11). The display will show the exposure time for a few seconds, then the camera will begin the exposure. (The display will "count-down" during the exposure). 8 English Exposure too short or too long The camera will make automatic exposures as short as 1/60 second. If the microscope illumination is too bright, the camera will "beep" and the display will show: Place a neutral density filter over the microscope illuminator to increase the exposure time. Do not turn the light down, as this will cause a color shift with color film. < 1/60 Automatic exposures can be as long as 161/2 minutes. If the light is too dim, the camera will "beep" and show: Check that the light is turned up to the brightest setting, and that the neutral density filter (if used) has been removed. If there still is not enough light, you must make a manual exposure. Manual operation Set the camera for manual mode. Press the shutter button to start the exposure, and watch the display as it shows the elapsed time. Press the button a second time to end the exposure. > 16:30 Special exposure techniques Exposure meter The camera has a built-in exposure meter that is used in Automatic mode. When you press the shutter button, the meter measures the light from the specimen, calculates the exposure time and then displays the time for a few seconds before beginning the exposure. You can cancel the exposure before it starts by pressing the shutter button a second time, and use the exposure indicated when making manual exposures. Reciprocity correction When set for Automatic mode, the camera will automatically adjust the exposure time to compensate for reciprocity failure. With Type 339 color film, it also adjusts the filtration. The camera contains a built-in color conversion filter that moves into position when needed. The filter adjusts the color temperature of the tungsten/halogen microscope illuminator (2800-3400°K) to more closely match the color balance of the film (5500°K). Additional light-balancing filtration will not be necessary for most situations. English 9 Xenon lighting Microscope information Because of the great variety of microscopes that are compatible with the MicroCam, this booklet cannot provide specific details for all equipment. You should refer to the instructional material provided with your microscope, or contact the supplier for more information. One of the most important microscope adjustments for photography is the illumination. The microscope illumination must meet specific criteria: The beam of light must be correctly concentrated and adjusted to provide even illumination over the entire picture area, as the camera cannot compensate for uneven lighting. Please refer to the "universal" microscope illustration (17) for the location of microscope controls. Note: Some older microscopes utilize optics in the eyepiece to correct for chromatic aberration. An adapter will be required to produce optimum resolution with the MicroCam. (Contact Polaroid Technical Assistance for information.) If using a Xenon (daylight) microscope illuminator with color film, set the camera for Type 331 black & white film, to remove the built-in filter. Then press the black arrow w to decrease the exposure by × .66 to compensate for the difference in film speed. Dark-field illumination The camera's automatic exposure system may produce incorrectly exposed pi ...