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LW Scientific i4: a good entry-level microscope with ideal prerequisites for high-quality photography

The LW Scientific i4 is available as a trinocular infinity laboratory microscope for use in clinical imaging and biology microscopy applications. The price ranges between EUR 1,500 and 3,000 and is quite tempting for what the microscope has to offer. 

The i4 modular series microscope has an infinity optical system with plan and semi-plan objectives whose magnifications range between 4x and 100x (oil). They are held in a quadruple revolving nosepiece. The microscope was introduced to the market in 2011.

The trinocular version is definitely the best choice, because it has a phototube for which both a C-mount port 1x (without reduction optics) and a tube adapter with a standard inner diameter of 23.2 mm are available. These dimensions are ideal for attaching digital cameras with high-quality, large sensors (Micro Four Thirds, APS-C or full-frame (35 mm format)) to the microscope.

We recommend digital SLR or mirrorless system cameras, as these provide much better image quality plus a larger field of view compared to C-mount cameras with small sensor formats. They also offer a good price-performance ratio and usually can be controlled remotely from a computer in Live View. For more information on making a camera selection, please see our info page.

Our LM microscope adapters with integrated plan-achromatic precision optics are simply screwed onto the thread of the phototube. The camera body is then attached directly to the LM adapter solution. This stable connection between the camera and the microscope is an important requirement for high image quality. The LM adapter solution is matched exactly to the sensor size of the camera and ensures that the camera can capture a large field of view without any vignetting. Thanks to their modular design, our adapters can also be used on other microscope brands (some accessory parts are required). 

As an alternative to using the phototube, the camera can also be attached to the eyepiece tube of the microscope. The eyepieces have an ergonomic fixed incline of 30 degrees. The head can be rotated 360 degrees and the eyepiece tubes have a standard internal diameter of 23.2 mm. The microscope comes with 10x/18 WF eyepieces, but 10x/20x super WF HP eyepieces are also available. If the camera is attached to one of the eyepiece tubes of the microscope, one eyepiece is removed and the camera-adapter combination is put into its place instead. The high-quality design of our eyepiece adapter solution guarantees a solid connection between microscope and camera, even with heavy camera systems.

Powerful, long-lasting illumination is provided by variably adjustable daylight LEDs. Phase contrast equipment is also available as an option. 

Conclusion: With our LM microscope adapter, the Scientific i4 can be equipped with a high-quality digital camera in a few easy and uncomplicated steps. For those wanting to take microscope photos frequently, we recommend the version that comes with an additional phototube.

Photography: 

Fitting the microscope to digital single-lens reflex (DSLR), mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras (MILC ), digital single-lens mirrorless (DSLM) or C-mount cameras is easy with our LM digital SLR adapters, which feature a plan achromatic optical system. Our products make it possible to capture top-quality microscope images. To help you select the adapter that is right for your camera, we have set up an online configurator on our website. You can also email us – ideally with attached photographs of your microscope.

Modern DSLR and single-lens mirrorless (DSLM) offer the latest technology and are generally very well suited for microscopy applications. Most of them can be controlled remotely via PC/Mac. Because of their high sales volumes, they offer an excellent price/performance ratio compared to special-purpose microscope cameras.

Features of top DSLR and single-lens mirrorless cameras (DSLM):
- Large, powerful full-frame sensors (36 x 24 mm)
- Sensor resolution of 61 megapixels or 240 megapixels with Pixel Shift technology
- High light sensitivity (ISO 400,000+)
- Extensive dynamic range (up to 15 aperture stops/f-stops)
- Short exposure times (1/8000 second) up to 1/32,000 seconds using the digital shutter
- 4K Ultra HD  or 8K Ultra HD video function
- Live video capture on external monitors in ultra HD quality

In most cases, these cameras are significantly more powerful than microscope cameras with smaller sensors (1/2" or 2/3"). On our website you will find our current camera recommendations and a camera ranking which is specifically tailored to microscopy applications.