Updated: June, 2015

Kit contents:

• Diagonal adapter with instrument accessory fitting on one end and threaded camera fitting on the other.
• Two M4x0.7-4 setscrews and 2mm hex key for semi-permanent orientation adjustment.
• 1.3mm hex key for lens cell adjustment or removal.
• Optional: step-down ring and conversion lens adapter tube for use with compact cameras (such as the Canon G16)
• Printed copy of these instructions.

Installing the adapter:

• Using the filter threads of the camera, attach the camera to the threaded lens fitting. Many camcorders provide a filter thread which fits the threaded lens directly, or fits with an optional standard step-down or step-up ring. Compact cameras (such as the Canon G series) require a conversion lens adapter (CLA) tube to provide a filter thread on the camera. Use care starting the threaded engagement, as the threads are very fine. Tighten firmly but not so much as to damage the threads.
• Attach the camera with adapter to the instrument beamsplitter fitting. Take care that the mating surfaces are seated squarely against each other while you tighten the threaded lockring.
• Adjust the adapter orientation by loosening the setscrews and rotating the instrument attachment, so as to turn the adapter to the desired direction. You may choose from various possible orientations, such as the adapter turning up to the ceiling, or turning to the rear towards the user. Tighten the setscrews firmly again to lock the attachment in the desired position.
• Rotate the camera orientation to bring the camera view to the normal upright position by loosening the setscrews and rotating the camera attachment. Tighten the setscrews firmly again to lock the camera in this desired orientation.
• Configure the camera for manual aperture, manual focus. Set the camera manual aperture to its widest setting (that is, lowest f/number or widest iris). Set the camera manual focus to infinity. Set the camera lens to widest-angle zoom.
• Calibrate the focus of the instrument to the camera as follows:
  • Obtain an image in the instrument binocular. Adjust the eyepiece diopter settings for any refraction error in the viewer's eyesight. Focus the view visually through the instrument eyepieces.
  • Obtain a live camera image, setting the camera focus to manual infinity.
  • Focus the camera image by loosening the setscrews (2mm hex key) and moving the attachment slightly in or out, and locking again by tightening the setscrews. Thus the camera will be parfocal with the eyepiece view. That is, when the view through the instrument eyepieces is in focus, the camera should also be in focus.
• The cropping is fixed by the camera's field of view at the widest camera zoom setting. Attempting to zoom in with the camera lens (telephoto instead of wide-angle) will move the camera's pupil relative to the adapter, and, beyond a certain range, result in a vignetted image.
• Compact cameras with moving lens turrets may collide with the adapter lens if you attempt to zoom in. The adapter is design only for wide-angle camera views.
• Setting a smaller lens aperture (larger f/number) in the camera may also introduce vignetting.
• Cleaning the lenses and mirror in the adapter should not normally be necessary, because they are normally covered from external exposure. However, if cleaning should become necessary, the following steps detail the disassembly procedures to access the optical elements.
• To clean the adapter's lens cell, remove it by loosening the setscrew (M2.5x0.45-3) in the camera fitting, using the provide 1.3mm hex key. Disassemble the cell by unscrewing the cell cap ring from the cell body, and then removing the two lens groups and spacer ring. Reverse these steps to reassemble the cell. The more steeply curved surfaces of the lenses should face each other on either side of the spacer ring. Replace the reassembled cell in the adapter, inserting it so that the cell face is flush with the threaded end of the adapter, and tightening the setscrew moderately to fix the cell in place.
• To clean the adapter's objective lens, remove the lens by unscrewing the black turret from the instrument fitting. To assemble the lens into the adapter, place the more steeply curved side of the lens toward the instrument, and the flatter side toward the adapter. This proper orientation should also be indicated by an arrow we have pencilled on the edge of the lens, pointing in the direction of the light travel, that is, towards the camera.
• To access the adapter's diagonal mirror for cleaning, loosen the setscrews to remove either or both of the beamsplitter and/or camera fittings from the adapter, exposing the interior of the diagonal via the tube receptacle. Reassembly will require orientation and focusing adjustments as described above. Alternatively, you may remove the four screws holding the plate onto the back of the diagonal, and remove the mirror element for cleaning.

Camera-specific instructions:

• Canon G-series (Canon G12, G15, or G16)
  • These cameras attach to the Zeiss adapter via a stock Canon CLA (conversion lens adapter, such as the Canon FA-DC58D item for the Canon G16) which in turn provides a 58mm filter thread receptacle. We normally include a suitable CLA as part of our Zeiss adapter kit when specified for the specific Canon model.
  • Normally the adapter lens cell is adjusted to protrude about 5mm from the end of the receptacle. This establishes a pupillary collimation of the adapter and camera optics, permitting you the option of setting small camera apertures (high f/numbers) in the camera for increased depth of field.
  • A groove in the attachment barrel, if present, indicates the nominal insertion depth into the diagonal receptacle for an initial focus calibration for parfocality.
  
  

• Panasonic AG-MDC10:
  • This camera provides a 43mm filter thread receptacle, and the adapter should already be fitted with that same thread.
  • Unscrew and remove the 43mm-threaded lens hood from the AG-MDC10, which is not used with the adapter. If this hood is not removed, the separation between the camera and adapter will be too long, causing the camera image to be vignetted.
  • The groove in the attachment barrel indicates the nominal insertion depth into the diagonal receptacle for an initial focus calibration for parfocality.

• Panasonic HDC-TM900
  • This camera provides a 46mm filter thread receptacle, and the adapter should already be fitted with that same thread.
  • The groove in the attachment barrel indicates the nominal insertion depth into the diagonal receptacle for an initial focus calibration for parfocality.

• Panasonic AG-HSC1U
  • This camera provides a 43mm filter thread receptacle, and the adapter should already be fitted with that same thread.
  • The groove in the attachment barrel indicates the nominal insertion depth into the diagonal receptacle for an initial focus calibration for parfocality.

• Canon Vixia HF S200
  • This camera provides a 58mm filter thread receptacle, and the adapter should already be fitted with that same thread.
  • The groove in the attachment barrel indicates the nominal insertion depth into the diagonal receptacle for an initial focus calibration for parfocality.

Instrument-specific instructions:

• Zeiss OPMI: the shoulder of the attachment barrel, as held by the setscrews, should be approximately flush with the end of the receptacle. A slight adjustment of this fitting in or out may be necessary to precisely parfocalize the camera view, as described above. The degree of adjustment into the adapter is limited by the potential interference of the adapter receptacle with the Zeiss instrument's accessory port lockring. Normally the attachment barrel is left in the flush position, and the you then adjust the camera fitting in or out likewise to focus for parfocality.

Copyright Richard J Kinch, 2012, 2015.