Polaroid MicroCam User manual

MicroCam

User Guide

(ENGLISH VERSION)

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5331 337 339

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x 4.0 x 2.0 x 1.0 x .50 x .25

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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).

English 3

The numbers throughout the text refer to

the illustrations at the back of the book.

The camera (Illustration 1)

aFilm holder

bFilm door latch

cControl panel

dViewfinder

eMicroscopefitting

fRemote shutter button

gSocket for power supply

hFilm counter (on back of film holder)

iAdapter 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.

jPower 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

microscopeinformation.

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.

1Remove the eyepiece from the

microscope viewing tube (2).

2If necessary, attach the 29mm adapter;

slide the adapter all the way over the

camera’s microscope fitting (3), then

screw it on.

3Orient 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.

4Plug the power supply into an appro-

priate electrical outlet and then into the

camera (5).

4 English

The control panel (6)

kAutomatic/manual selector: Press to

highlight the desired mode (Automatic/

manual).

lON/OFF switch (O/l).

mFilm selector: Press repeatedly to high-

light the correct film type (331/337/339).

nLighten/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 ▼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.

oDisplay: 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/Darkensetting:

This sample shows

an exposure time of

12 seconds. The L/D control is set at

“normal” (no adjustment).

In this sample, the

exposure time has

been increased to 15 seconds; the white

arrow ∆was pressed to multiply the time

by 1.3.

Messages

The camera will “beep” and display a

message if it cannot operate:

The film pack is

empty.

The microscope

illumination is too

bright for an automatic exposure.

The microscope

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

the camera off, wait

about five seconds, then turn it on again.

12.0

1.0

15.0

1.3

339=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.

< 1/60

> 16:30

*..*..*..*..*..*..*

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■

English 5

Load the film

1Release 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.

2Hold 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.)

3Close 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

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

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 Film speed Description

339 ISO640/29°Color print film; ideal for photographing

specimens where color is needed to

provide information.

331 ISO400/27°Panchromatic, medium-contrast B&W

print film; well-suited for situations where

filtration for contrast enhancement is

useful.

337 ISO3200/36°High-speed panchromatic, medium-

contrast B&W print film; ideal for low

light situations and subjects that require

filtration for contrast enhancement.

Each film pack contains 10 sheets of self-developing film.

Sheet size is 41⁄2x 41⁄4in. (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.

↑ ■↑

339=0

6 English

Operation

1Place the specimen on the microscope

focusing stage, and focus and frame the

image.

2Adjust 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.)

3Attach 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.

4Check the camera control settings and

adjust as needed.

5Press 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).

6After 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 ▼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.

English 7

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.

Automatic exposures can be as long as

161⁄2minutes. 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.

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.

< 1/60

> 16:30

8 English

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