use of Nikon D70 with a microscope

It appears we have no members with knowledge of microscopes.

But since you are using the mode dial set to M, that would mean that you are operating in Manual mode.
In that mode, you must set the exposure settings yourself.
Shutter speed, aperture, ISO

I suggest you start with:
Shutter speed 1/60 second
Aperture f/5.6
ISO 100

Before attaching the camera to the microscope, try a picture with those setting and see what results you get. You should get something beside a black photo.

Here is a link that might give you some ideas:

http://www.barrie-tao.com/microscope_photo.html

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Looks like you used your old PS camera adaptor for your D-SLR. That means you will NOT be able to use the metering from your D-SLR. That is why your exposure is incorrect.

If you want to use the metering from your D-SLR, then you will need to buy an appropriate adaptor for your Nikon D70. Otherwise you have to play with your manual settings to get the correct exposure. Make sure you have adequate lighting for your subject. Lighting requirements vary with your subject. Immunofluoresence typically has low light intensity whereas surgical specimens or microorganisms may need more visible light.

In the old days we used to use a SLR to capture the images and expose the film in dark room. But with computer and digital equipment, most laboratories use either the microscopes with built-in camera or dedicated microscope cameras. These simplify the image acquisition and has better integration, allowing you to control and manipulate the images through a computer, giving you more optimal results for publications. I used to use these built-in cameras, I can see the images on the large computer screen and click to acquire the image which can be saved directly to the computer hard drive. It is simple, easy and provides good enough images for publication in any major journals. This will allow you to focus more on your research and work rather than fuzzing over image acquisition and processing. Sometimes you only have one chance to capture the image, not to mention the cost of repeating the experiment can be quite costly (much more than the camera).

I will advise you not to be cheap and use your PS adaptor for your D-SLR, especially if you plan on doing a lot of microphotography. Having to manually adjust every photo is not time efficient or practical. If you are doing this for photo contests, then you may perhaps try your patience.

Hi -have you learned anything new?