Digital Microscope

Spartancrest · May 6, 2023

The subject of Digital microscopes came up in the 'cast tsuba' thread [now locked]

So I will give my appraisal here instead.

I received a G1200 Digital Microscope yesterday [three days late!]. Unpacked the box and assembled the five components - [you don't need to be an IKEA graduate] but there is an assembly video on You-Tube https://www.google.com/search?q=G1200+Digital+Microscope&oq=G1200+Digital+Microscope&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i59l2j0i512j0i22i30j69i61l3.2027j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:5d8b4ad3,vid:rVvXQPovwOA You might need some English captions for some of these sites!

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It has taken me hours to get the new microscope to appear on my computer screen - it finally dawned on me to open the camera on the computer rather than find a non-existent program! The instructions that come with the camera are more useful as toilet paper.

The model I bought has two extra lights for very illuminated work [other models come without these] but the images I took were in ordinary light and the built in LEDs were turned off, still very clear images.

With the scope you can see dirt - that you can't see by eye - you can see the individual chisel stroke ridges at high magnification - impossible to photograph otherwise, very happy with it - not impressed with the translation from Chinese instructions though!

It is not possible to get the whole overall tsuba image on the microscope but I guess that is what a camera is for.

Images, one from a camera, then two views under the microscope.

Overall very happy with the quality and the price is not that painful either.

Dan tsuba · May 6, 2023

Excellent! Checking out tsuba with a microscope is fun and rewarding. It opens up a whole new area of tsuba appreciation (at least it did for me!)

Enjoy, and I hope you post more pictures of tsuba "under the microscope"!

With respect,

Dan

Bugyotsuji · May 6, 2023

“Fast shipping” (= faster than the steamer), but useful, good quality shots at last! Congratulations.

johnnyi · May 6, 2023

Nice buy Dale. I was inspired by Richard's post also, and I sent away for a bargain basement used zoom, but no screen unfortunately. I have sent away for a camera which I am hoping will mount in one of the two tubes. I'm finding it easy now to see folded over rims as opposed to carved out rims on some of the old iron. Power is 40x at highest, but that seems enough. Have fun with yours! regards, John

Dan tsuba · May 6, 2023

Hey John, nice microscope!

I also use something like that (but much older!). I use a digital camera that I bought at the below website-

https://amscope.com/products/md200a

It is easy to use. Take out one of the eyepieces put in the camera and attach it to your computer with the included cable. After downloading the software, you can start taking pictures of your tsuba! Very cool!

Have fun! And maybe post some of your tsuba pictures on the forum?

With respect,

Dan

Spartancrest · May 7, 2023

11 hours ago, Dan tsuba said:

Take out one of the eyepieces put in the camera and attach it to your computer

Hey Dan, nice find with that "retro-fit" lens. The magnification must go pretty high depending on the original optic lens?

I was wondering if something like this one would work if dropped in the eye piece or if the diameter would be too big?

https://www.lightinthebox.com/en/p/500x-1000x-1600x-digital-microscope-camera-3in1-type-c-usb-portable-electronic-microscope-for-soldering-led-magnifier-for-cell-phone-repair_p9525603.html?

These things are just so cheap to buy today - amazing - Where were these things when I was at school? [Oh I know, they used to run on gas or coal and they were too noisy - or am I thinking of something else? :rotfl: ]

I will have to watch myself - I could easily start collecting Microscopes! :laughing:

Spartancrest · May 8, 2023

I just found this image of the use of a microscope for examining tsuba from the Ashmolean Museum.

DSC_0794%E8%A3%9C%E6%AD%A3.jpg

https://www.mokumeganeya.com/e/mokumeganetour/2018/10/04/find-mokume-gane-chapter-12/

If you open and read the link it says -"... The museum has a total of 1286 tsuba, including the pieces we studied, in its collection, and the largest portion of 1264 pieces was collected by Sir Arthur H. Church (1834-1915). Born in London, he was a scientist and devoted to collecting Japanese tsuba. In his later years in particular, he collected avidly and was systematic in his approach. As a result, his collection was very complete and his texts on these tsuba have even been translated into Japanese. On this visit, we were also able to view a catalogue of the Sir Arthur H. Church tsuba collection written in 1925 by Albert James Koop (1877-1945). This is a hugely valuable work that has never been published. The contents are in English but were later bound in Japan in the Japanese “watoji” style."

Well that is not entirely correct, I have published the entire Church collection in a four volume set - for my own personal use at least! The museum was reluctant to take on the books even when offered all the rights and profits if any- they declined, so the world misses out!

image.png.547e845b5dbe8024f66f1434b1134020.png

OceanoNox · May 8, 2023

The unpublished catalog by Albert James Koop is available online, at the following link:

http://jameelcentre.ashmolean.org/collection/7/10237

50 minutes ago, Spartancrest said:

I have published the entire Church collection in a four volume set - for my own personal use at least!

May I ask, were you allowed to measure the tsuba directly, was it easy to gain access to the collection?

Bugyotsuji · May 8, 2023

I have a 1970 Japanese volume on selected Tsuba from the Church Collection, in English with Japanese translation and translator's comments by Kanemaru and Shibata.

As to microscopes, you may be seeing things that the original artisan never saw. :laughing:

When necessary I use a cheap-and-cheerful 30x clip-on for my mobile... :ph34r:

Spartancrest · May 8, 2023

1 hour ago, OceanoNox said:

were you allowed to measure the tsuba directly

No I had to do all the compilation remotely, I did find a few minor corrections to the on-line site and have included the ura views which don't show on the web site. I sent the museum a copy of this correction [below] but they have not acted upon the proof and retain the mistake on the website.

There are also something in the order of 300 more tsuba not from the Church collection some of which I have already organised in the fourth volume but I am still adding others that continue to show up from time to time. Many items are also listed with the museum but thus far images are unavailable - a description is not worth much without an image.

1 hour ago, Bugyotsuji said:

1970 Japanese volume on selected Tsuba from the Church Collection

Piers, this book?

One drawback is that book has only - what one twentieth of his collection? The images are only in B&W and show only the one side - however they are 'lifesize'.

My books are in colour but due to scaling problems the guards are generally all the same format. [Piers don't you find the 1970 book's size, a pain to fit in a bookcase? Great book but it is just too tall and laying a book on its side is not good ]

Bugyotsuji · May 8, 2023

Hey! Dale! That's my book! Copyright!!! :steamed: ........................................... actually, yes, :laughing: but I have several books at least of that size, so more than one section of shelf is devoted to books lying flat. :quiet: This one I keep vertical though.

Some years ago I was at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge and one curator opened some drawers packed with Tsuba. "We don't know enough about them to sort them out."

Spartancrest · May 8, 2023

13 minutes ago, Bugyotsuji said:

"We don't know enough about them to sort them out."

Sounds like me! :laughing:

Bugyotsuji · May 10, 2023

Yesterday in the top room of the Tenshukaku of Fukuyama Castle, right beside the elevator door, they had a small stand with an electronic screenshot of the castle. There was a huge white cable or pipeline alongside the castle.

Suddenly I realized that it was a human hair, alongside the smallest Fukuyama Castle in the world!

And the explanation

rematron · May 10, 2023

It’s the Covid Shogun stronghold! :laughing:

rematron · May 11, 2023

I’m curious as to when tosogi started to depend on optics. I’m guessing some schools depended on them more than others.

Bugyotsuji · May 11, 2023

You do sometimes see woodblock prints depicting Edo Period shokunin artisans sitting in front of their workspot and wearing glasses. They tended to be a nose-piece pair with a rounded frame held on by strings around the ears.

Spartancrest · May 11, 2023

On 5/8/2023 at 8:18 PM, Bugyotsuji said:

Hey! Piers! That's my microscope! Copyright!!! .

:laughing:

Now the big question - why did they use up a perfectly good Laptop computer to display an image that can just as easily be displayed on the microscope screen itself!- heck they could have used an acrylic magnifying sheet and then sent the computer to me!

4 minutes ago, Bugyotsuji said:

They tended to be a nose-piece pair with a rounded frame held on by strings around the ears.

Hokusai image taken from Louis Gonse "Japanese Art" 1891

OceanoNox · May 11, 2023

3 minutes ago, Spartancrest said:

Hokusai image taken from Louis Gonse "Japanese Art" 1891

Very nice drawing! It always amazes me, when looking at craftsmen, how little equipment they sometimes have. A youtube video showed a top habaki maker in his late years, and his workshop was basically a small office with a few fire bricks, a mini anvil, and tree stumps to make the whole thing.

I did not know they used tree stumps as workbench. Apparently, in the early 20th century at least, they also used thick wood staves with an octogonal shape to hold with the knee against the workbench.

Bugyotsuji · May 11, 2023

Dale, you would have to find the one image that does NOT have strings! Grrrr.....

メガネの歴史について考えた日本史 | Lunettes Plus (lunettes-plus.com)

As the article mentions at the end, Tokugawa Ieyasu himself had a pair of spectacles which I once saw in an exhibition.

I think the display was less to show Fukuyama Castle, which the company could just have easily done with a photo, I agree, but to advertise the working equipment itself.

PS Do you always do your nails like that?

Arnaud, it is true. All these famous people have such humble work areas.

Spartancrest · May 11, 2023

8 hours ago, Bugyotsuji said:

PS Do you always do your nails like that?

I wish! Actually I chew my nails to the quick!

What do we need nails for anyway - they don't even stop the ends of your fingers from fraying. :laughing:

Spartancrest · May 13, 2023

Stephen King Steves87 just sent me a link to some work being done by the British Museum - 2D and 3D imaging

https://www.sainsbury-institute.org/e-bulletin/april-2023/stronggetting-to-grips-with-sword-hilts-digitising-the-emtsuba-emcollection-at-the-british-museum-strong/ I thought it might fit in with this thread.

Looks like we may soon be able to view tsuba in a virtual world?

Spartancrest · May 13, 2023

On 5/11/2023 at 11:55 AM, Bugyotsuji said:

Dale, you would have to find the one image that does NOT have strings! Grrrr.....

This is an interesting take on glasses for making tsuba - or is it tsuba for making into glasses? :laughing:

OceanoNox · May 13, 2023

Those look like the sharingan from Naruto, an early manga aficionado? ;-)

Steves87 · May 13, 2023

Well, hopefully that will be my full time job in just over a year (digitisation in the GLAM sector).

I just bought this micro scope off ebay: https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/364057771123?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-154756-20017-0&ssspo=h0hs0e3etbu&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=OjC70kueRUa&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY super cheap and connects via wireless methods will be interesting to see if it works, how can it be that cheap!?

Edit:

With the inspiration of the previously posted article link and the "photographing Nihonto" article in the downloads section, I made a light box to try and get rid of the shadows when photographing Tsuba. It took about an hour and I think the results are acceptable, so I might have to now go through and photo the whole collection. The subject sits on top of a perspex sheet which is suspended about an inch from the base of the box. The lights are movable and it makes it so much easier to adjust the light levels.