David Bryson: April 2005 Archives

"The sensitive photographic film is the true retina of the scientists . . . . for it possesses all the properties which science could want; it faithfully preserves images which deposit themselves upon it, and reproduces and multiplies them indefinitely on request; in the radiative spectrum (electromagnetic spectrum) it covers a range more than double that which the eye can perceive and soon perhaps will cover it all; finally it takes advantage of the admirable property which allows the accumulation of events, and whereas our retina erases all impressions more than a tenth of a second old, the photographic retina preserves them and accumulates them over a practically limitless time." P.C.Janssen 1888

Photography using a borescope, endoscope or arthroscope requires a specialised lens or attachment to connect to an ordinary lens.

These lenses are expensive, if you can even find them for sale now, as they are specialist and can be obtained from manufacturers of endoscopy equipment for example Olympus equipment supplied by KeyMed in UK.

The important aspect is to make sure there is a firm attachment between scope and lens, even if makeshift, otherwise the image will be off centre within the frame. The nearest thing since the takeover of video in the operating theatre are videocouplers for example that sold by Edmund Optics which uses a C-Mount, they also sell borescope for inspection work.