Close-up camera (my ongoing dilemma). Camera lens advise, anyone?

After speaking with my close friend who actually works in a specific hospital for eye-surgery, he explained to me that the surgeons use a little computer camera that is mounted overhead and he works off a big computer screen. Unfortunately, he is not computer literate enough to be able to talk to the surgeon to get the details of the equipment they use. What I was looking to do, was find out what type of lens and camera they have, because I am sure they have enough room between the camera and their work area to fit the tools, unlike my failed attempts for this with about 3/4" of focal distance, with shadows and light problems.

I was hoping anyone here had photography or microscope experience. Before I break my bank playing "does this work?" with ordering stuff blindly, I wanted to know if anyone had advice with these "industrial microscope" or macro? lens -that mount on a c-mount camera.

What I am simply looking to do, is have a nice lens mounted to camera on my desk with a boom arm & a ring-light. I want to blow-up & inspect small parts, and IDEALLY use this same setup to solder and work, while I enjoy seeing on my 27" lcd screen from the high speed video output of the camera (that is not digital with all the problems of LAG). I tried some cheap eBay gadgets and have failed miserably, since they want to give me like 1/2" space between the camera and the work area. I really would like a camera sort of above my head or maybe eye-level, with lens face my desk so I have enough room for my solder tools, tweezers, de-solder suck & wick, etc...

I do not have enough experience to know "1 x 5-100mm CS F1.8 Lens Focal length: 5-100mm". I know it's a manual focus, and variable - but I am just lost when it comes to distance and area. The youTube demo video are vague at best, and not specific enough to help me narrow down these specific parameters for microscope lens's. I think I probably only need like 10x most of the time, and would only ever need to go up to 60x or 80x just to see the SMD etch part numbers. But if I had better optics, I could learn more SMD work.

No idea , there must be better places to ask tho ...

hammy:
No idea , there must be better places to ask tho ...

No this is not a photography forum. I figured there would be some experts around who have ultimate camera-close/up skills, and the advice I get from here is always experienced and educated. Unlike some forums where they beat me up because I am too cheap to buy the most expensive thing that was just released months ago (lol).

Google is awesome!
"diy camera closeup" in the search bar got me this

vinceherman:
Google is awesome!
"diy camera closeup" in the search bar got me this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPzPHXwlXSs

Thanks for the video. He mentions nowhere in that, the distance from the camera to the subject, which is probably like 1". Interesting idea though, I am going to go smash some camera's with a railroad tie and see how useful the lens's are after that.

Actually, for eye surgery, it is a camera attachment for a standard Zeiss op mi.

I bought an Amscope binocular scope recently. 10x and 20x lenses. Super-useful for SMD work but I have used it less than I expected.

A USB microscope is probably better if you have space on your desk for a laptop or screen.

MorganS:
I bought an Amscope binocular scope recently. 10x and 20x lenses. Super-useful for SMD work but I have used it less than I expected.

A USB microscope is probably better if you have space on your desk for a laptop or screen.

I have been using one of these for some time. I agree that in many of my uses for it, the USB scope would likely serve just as well. But for soldering, where a depth of view is relevant, I love the binocular view.

It's pretty difficult to get a good close up image without actually getting the lens pretty close too. The problem of movement becomes worse the further away the camera is. Any vibration and the image is blurred. I am fortunate that I can simply take of my glasses and see up close. I have extremely bad long distance vision, but the trade off is that (once I remove my glasses) I can see very well, as long as my eye is about 3-4 inches away from the subject. Thankfully I work in a job setting where safety glasses are not enforced. Any lens at all and I have so much trouble seeing the work. I hope you find something that works for you.

How,about Company Seven | Questar QM-100 LD Microscope Page