3 ms·

Very cool but misleading title - you need to bring your own optics.

by zwieback 7y ago

jonathankoren 7y ago
That's seems to be the case most 3d printed contraptions. Extrude a framework, and the populate it with a bunch of traditionally manufactured parts, but then call it a revolution. It's a disappointing pattern, but somewhat understandable given the state of the technology.
- TeMPOraL 7y ago
  Came here to write this as well. I mean, I was hoping this wasn't one of those cases, because then it would be a true revolution. But alas, it's another "print a different frame for the professionally manufactured thing".
claar 7y ago
Agreed -- feels like a real waste of time after I Google'd the costs for the optics ($100 minimum if I did it right) and other parts (Raspberry Pi, etc), then Google'd what a pre-built way-nicer-than-I'd-need microscope goes for ($157 shipped at https://www.amscope.com/40x-2500x-advanced-home-school-compound-microscope.html https://www.amscope.com/40x-2500x-advanced-home-school-compo...)... Definitely seems to fall in the "3d printing is cool" bucket more than "look how much money I can save" bucket.
- dekhn 7y ago
  The big difference here is the stage is automatic, and it supports multiple types of illumination. I've built high-end 3D microscopes using aluminum extrusion and 3d printed parts before (with commercially produced objectives, but everything else pretty much sourced from places like Adafruit and OpenBuilds). I got pretty good results and contributed the hardware drivers to MicroManager (an open source tool to drive many different scopes with the same UI). In retrospect, I would have instead found a way to get a Nikon Ti scope body and accessorize that. It's hard to replicate the high quality and full ecosystem of the Ti for anything less than the list price of a Ti.
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
perl4ever 7y ago
Seems to imply you also need to add electronics and motor(s).

3 ms·

Very cool but misleading title - you need to bring your own optics.

by zwieback 7y ago

Very cool but misleading title - you need to bring your own optics.

jonathankoren 7y ago
That's seems to be the case most 3d printed contraptions. Extrude a framework, and the populate it with a bunch of traditionally manufactured parts, but then call it a revolution. It's a disappointing pattern, but somewhat understandable given the state of the technology.
- TeMPOraL 7y ago
  Came here to write this as well. I mean, I was hoping this wasn't one of those cases, because then it would be a true revolution. But alas, it's another "print a different frame for the professionally manufactured thing".
claar 7y ago
Agreed -- feels like a real waste of time after I Google'd the costs for the optics ($100 minimum if I did it right) and other parts (Raspberry Pi, etc), then Google'd what a pre-built way-nicer-than-I'd-need microscope goes for ($157 shipped at https://www.amscope.com/40x-2500x-advanced-home-school-compound-microscope.html https://www.amscope.com/40x-2500x-advanced-home-school-compo...)... Definitely seems to fall in the "3d printing is cool" bucket more than "look how much money I can save" bucket.
- dekhn 7y ago
  The big difference here is the stage is automatic, and it supports multiple types of illumination. I've built high-end 3D microscopes using aluminum extrusion and 3d printed parts before (with commercially produced objectives, but everything else pretty much sourced from places like Adafruit and OpenBuilds). I got pretty good results and contributed the hardware drivers to MicroManager (an open source tool to drive many different scopes with the same UI). In retrospect, I would have instead found a way to get a Nikon Ti scope body and accessorize that. It's hard to replicate the high quality and full ecosystem of the Ti for anything less than the list price of a Ti.
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
perl4ever 7y ago
Seems to imply you also need to add electronics and motor(s).