Summary of DFK MKU130-10x22 Microscope Camera Review

The January 2016 edition of Mikroskopie Journal published a detailed article about the microscope camera DFK MKU130-10x22, written by J. Piper and M. Torzewski.

The article originally appeared with the title:

DFK MKU130-10x22, Modular Microscopy Camera from The Imaging Source - a New Way to a 'Universal Adaptation?'

Over fifteen pages and twenty-one images describe the microscope camera, its mechanical and optical components, as well as the included microscope software, IC Capture.

The conclusion of the extensive test was:

[..] the camera exhibits very good qualities and an equally positive price/performance ratio.

You can download the article as a PDF file, and read the serialized version online.

Summary of Text in Mikroskopie Journal

At the end of 2014, The Imaging Source (Bremen, Germany) brought a new microscope camera on the market with the intention of offering a detachable eyepiece camera with excellent image quality which could be used with practically every standard microscope on the market:

The camera was tested on large-field microscopes from the manufacturers Leitz, Leica and Carl Zeiss Jena with good results, although it must be said that some loss of edge focus occurs at higher magnifications. This reduction of edge focus is caused by the included eyepiece which can, however, usually be exchanged with the original manufacturer's eyepiece.

Even older optical microscopes (e.g. with a cast iron base, mirrors and basic objective lenses with lower field numbers such as the Studio-Mikroskop and Enuro-Optik) and microscopes with non-standardized eyepieces and objective lenses with an even smaller diameter (e.g. the Bresser Biolux AL that was sold a few years ago through grocery stores) could be successfully used. With all of these microscopes, the camera delivered smooth live image display of the real image, video-clips and color images.

A comparison with the Leica camera, MC 170 HD, can be summarized as follows: For routine applications, such as the documentation of bright-field images, the camera from The Imaging Source need not fear comparison with a leading manufacturer's modular camera solution as it pertains to image quality.

Moreover, the authors describe in great detail how the camera's wide-ranging functionality was achieved. This is made possible by a special 5.3 mm focal length autofocus lens which complements the camera's 13 MP Sony sensor and which is further enhanced by a standard eyepiece and an adjustable camera tube. The adjustable camera tube allows for vignette-free illumination and the setting of the eyepoint. With the correct adjustment of the camera tube, the camera delivers the same image the observer would otherwise see through the microscope's eyepiece. The authors especially emphasize the reliable and precise functioning of the autofocus which enables the operator to select and view areas of the image without the need for additional manual adjustment.

The authors also tested the software applications IC Capture, IC Measure and IC Full Screen Presenter. These software products can be downloaded free-of-charge from the manufacturer's website. IC Capture is designed for camera control, acquisition of single images and image sequences as well as videos. With IC Measure, lines, angles, circles and polygons can be measured on-screen and saved. IC Fullscreen Presenter allows for the full-screen presentation of the microscope's live image with an optional foot pedal available.