Brunel Microscopes Ltd
Registered in U.K. (England) No: 2060047
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A range of digital streaming cameras.
The Brunel Digital Cameras are stand alone streaming cameras that provide a continuous live image to a laptop or PC. The Digicam units work with Windows (from XP to 11) and some but not all with Apple MAC . These cameras work by streaming a live view to the computer and because of this anything above a 5M resolution will result in the computer USB (even USB3) buffering the information. The result is a slight delay which makes moving specimens to give a ‘blurry’ image in videos and live view. Still images will be sharp but it can be a little more difficult to get the exact focus with the microscope as the image lags slightly behind the focus controls. If live view for demonstrations where things are moving is required then the HDMI cameras are a better option.
Digital Microscope Cameras
Digicam fitted to a trinocular tube
Brunel Digicam with USB lead
Digicam fitted in the trinocular tube of a stereomicroscope
Brunel Toupview Software
Digicam images
Key to the quality of results obtained is of course the software that is supplied with the camera. Brunel Microscopes has worked with our camera manufacturers for many years to develop stable and powerful software suites that are versatile and easy to use. In addition to the expected image manipulation controls covering gain, exposure, white balance, flip, brightness/contrast etc, the software also allows measurement, and image enhancement. This software and the USB lead, are included in the box with the camera. However a CCTV adapter (to connect the camera to the microscope) is needed but shown as an accessory for those who may have alternative CCTV adapters already for an existing microscope. Price: £59.17 + vat
CCTV adapter
Tech Spec:
Digicam Series USB3.0/2.0 Cameras
Brunel Digicam
Eyecam and Digicam Cameras
The choice will depend on the application. As resolution increases the number of frames per second (frame rate) that a video clip will contain decreases. This is an unavoidable fact. Effectively this means that the low resolution units produce much smoother live images and therefore smoother video clips than the high resolution units. However for still images the size and resolution of the image improves as the resolution Megapixels or M) of the camera increases, but the live image of high resolution cameras will be very slow to respond to the microscope focusing because of the low frame rate.
These digital units can overcome this by opening the live image at a much lower resolution (opened resolution), whilst any still image taken will be stored at the full resolution of the camera. The ‘rule of thumb’ is that live images and videos need a high frame rate (11 frames per second is the rate that gives a smooth video/live image). Most laptops will not cope with streaming live view images greater than 3M therefore units above 3M should be opened in the software at lower resolutions, irrespective of the actual resolution that still images will be saved at.
The Eyecam and Digicam camera kits contain the camera itself, the USB lead and software that allows still image capture, videos, full image manipulation and measurement.
Eyecam and Eyecam Plus
These digital camera got their name because they are not much bigger than an eyepiece and do not need any adapters to fit into the eyetube of any microscope. They are standard eyetube diameter but also come with adapters for 30 and 30.5mm eyetubes. There are two types, the Eyecam that does not have a reducing lens and the Eyecam Plus which does.
Brunel Eyecam
The Brunel Eyecam
The camera has an external diameter the same as standard microscope eyetubes and can be inserted into the monocular eyetube (23.2mm), or one of the binocular or into the trinocular tube of almost all microscopes. This is an entry level camera that will produce 3M still images of good quality but there will be a significant loss of field of view compared with that seen by the microscope eyepiece(s) because it has no reducing lens. To some extent this can be overcome by selecting a lower power objective
The camera kit contains the camera itself, software that allows still image capture, videos and measurement, the USB lead and two stereo eyetube inserts (30 and 30.5mm) so that the camera can be inserted into most stereomicroscope eyetubes. The eyecam itself houses an Aptina 1/3 rd CMOS chip that provides automatic white balance and exposure. Works with Windows OS only -
The Eyecam represents exceptional value @ £60.00 + VAT.
Eyecam Plus with stereo eyetube inserts
The Brunel Eyecam Plus
The Brunel Digital Eyecam Plus is a stand alone streaming camera that provides a continuous live image to a laptop or PC (Windows OS from XP to 11) and also Apple MAC. The Eyecam Plus has the added advantage of a fixed reduction lens. This provides a far greater field of view compared the the Eyecam being virtually the same as that seen by the microscope eyepiece.The camera has an external diameter the same as standard microscope eyetubes and can be inserted into the monocular eyetube (23.2mm), or one of the binocular or into the trinocular tube of almost all microscopes. No CCTV adapter is required These are excellent cameras that will produce still images and video clips of good quality.
The camera kit contains the camera itself, software (that allows still image, video capture and measuring) the USB lead and two stereo eyetube inserts (30 and 30.5mm) so that the camera can be inserted into most stereomicroscope eyetubes. The Eyecam Plus itself houses an Aptina 1/3 rd CMOS chip that provides automatic white balance and exposure.
There are two resolution versions of the Eyecam Plus at 3M and 5M
Eyecam Plus 3M Price: £ 115 + VAT
Eyecam Plus 5M Price: £145 + VAT
Eyecam in a monocular eyetube
Eyecam Plus in one eyetube of a binocular microscope
Eyecam Plus in a Trinocular
Brunel Digicam
These are digital streaming cameras with superior Aptina CMOS sensors. Similar products are available on the Internet under a number of brand names and often offer high resolution units upto
In some cases as high as 20M. Our view is that it is pointless using a streaming camera at those resolutions because of the severe buffering effects. While it is possible to open these very high res cameras at lower resolutions in the software, for measurement they have to be opened at their full resolution to work. This produces a massive window far greater than can be displayed on the largest of screens which means that the beginning and end of the elements to be measured have to searched for by moving the image in its massive window which is far from easy. If still images of this size are required then an SLR is always the best option. We offer just two resolution Digicams 3 and 5M
Resolution |
Best frame rate |
Price |
3M |
12 |
£148.53 + vat |
5M |
6.8 |
£230 + vat |
Pocket microscopes /hand lenses |
Budget Stereos |
Lab Stereos |
Zoom Stereos |
Long arm Stereos |
Gemscopes |
Inspection & QC Stereos |
Zoom Monoscopes |
High Power Digital |
Handheld & Desk Top |
Digital Stereos |
Digital Cameras |