AGS DESKTOP ASET IMAGES

[RockDoc]

Well I''ve found a way to get at least half way decent images from the AGS ASET DESKTOP MODEL.

These are initial images, so hopefully as I practice with this I''ll get the images sharper and more improved.

This has been a bit of a challenge for everyone with it, but I finally found a way to get an image.

So thought I''d share it with all of you...

Happy Thanksgiving

Photo (C) 2005 Consumers Gem Lab

Rockdoc

 

[belle]

nice.
would you mind sharing the measurements on the stone?
do you have an red reflector image of it as well?

 

[strmrdr]

kewl your getting there.
Neil has had decent luck with a modified hand held.

 

[denverappraiser]

Rockdoc,

Very nice image. How did you do it?

Can you post a DiamCalc generated ASET simulation of the stone to compare with?

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ISA NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[RockDoc]

Hi Neil

I''ve been trying to image it with the desktop for weeks ( I received the new model about 2 weeks ago ).

Last week I went to the photography store I deal with here, and the owner was formerly a scientific medical imaging professional expert with Leica. We tried a multitude of cameras, inlcuding the $ 5000. Nikon reflex digital one and couldn''t get the image in any of them.

Marty Haske gave me a few ideas of how to accomplish this, but I couldn''t get an image.

However, I did buy a special lens about 2 years ago, for photography through the scope that was custom made for my Nikon, which on a whim, I attached to my camera and BINGO, I was able to get a sort of fair image. Then I hooked it up to a photostand and removed the lens of the ASET and it worked.

A lot of aliignment issues, and fidgeting around with the focus setting, as well as the focal distance, to get it to work, but finallly Success!

I just imaged a Fair proportioned stone and one that is average, so I''ll post those next.

Rockdoc

 

[RockDoc]

Here is one of a 2 carat + diamond that is poorly proportioned.

The image difference is rather obvious.

Rockdoc

(C) 2005 Consumers Gem Lab

 

[RockDoc]

Here is an image of another 2 carat + diamond that is of "average" proportions.

Enjoy

(c) 2005 Consumers Gem Lab

Rockdoc

 

[denverappraiser]

It looks pretty good. Photomicrograph can be a bitch to get to work right.

Are you using their stock optics? I haven''t bought one of the desktop models yet because I''m too cheap to pay their retail price and it has probably changed since I looked at it last summer so I don''t know what pieces are involved but as I recall the eyepiece that they were using had a pretty drastic lens. This will screw up the autofocus on your digital camera as well as cause havoc with your field of view. This is a big issue in taking digital pictures through a microscope. If there''s a way to do it, remove the lens or even the entire eyepiece and let the camera optics do the work.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ISA NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[RockDoc]

Date: 11/25/2005 2:26:07 PM
Author: belle
nice.
would you mind sharing the measurements on the stone?
do you have an red reflector image of it as well?

HIi Belle

For which image/stone?


Rockdoc

 

[RockDoc]

RE: Photomicrographs a Bitch


I can thinik of another phrase, but it would get censored


Yes, Neil it was a real pain in the posterior( guess I can use that phrase to sum it up witout it being censored) to get the photos images I posted.

Yes, I did remove the lens from the ASET to do what I did, but attached the other lens to the screwin portion of the digital camera.

Rockdoc

 

[denverappraiser]

I learned a cool trick in playing with the handheld. Paint or otherwise mark the edge of the black cone that''s resting on the glass to cover the stone. I used liquid paper. This gives the autofocus on the camera a bright circle to focus on that just happens to be right at the table plane of the stone. You could probably do something similar by resting a needle or some other clearly defined object on the glass next to the stone so that it''s can easily decide what to focus on.

How big is your field of view through the camera? It looks sort of like you''re pushing the limit with a 2 carat stone but this doens''t really make sense. the glass table is several inches across isn''t it?

In general, are you happy with the desktop tool?

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ISA NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[Rhino]

Yea, it is a tough task. This is the best I''ve been able to get so far. To be frank, I don''t like the black background to depict leakage. It makes some of the other colors look darker. I guess I''m spoiled on looking at the whites for leakage as, at least to me, it''s much easier to see and detect. The one thing I don''t like about this particular image is the reflections in the mains are not evenly distributed but I don''t think this can be avoided in the setup we''ve constructed but its the best I''ve been able to come up with. What do you guys think?

 

[Rhino]

Bill,

I like how rich the colors come out, particularly in your first and last shots.

 

[RockDoc]

Date: 11/25/2005 4:19:53 PM
Author: denverappraiser
I learned a cool trick in playing with the handheld. Paint or otherwise mark the edge of the black cone that''s resting on the glass to cover the stone. I used liquid paper. This gives the autofocus on the camera a bright circle to focus on that just happens to be right at the table plane of the stone. You could probably do something similar by resting a needle or some other clearly defined object on the glass next to the stone so that it''s can easily decide what to focus on.

How big is your field of view through the camera? It looks sort of like you''re pushing the limit with a 2 carat stone but this doens''t really make sense. the glass table is several inches across isn''t it?

In general, are you happy with the desktop tool?

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ISA NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

Hi Neil

I''m gonna be working on getting honing in on improving things so the images are more exacting a replica of what I see with my eye.

I''ve got to get the camera and the ASET to a machine shop and have another custom piece machined so the focusing and the centering obstacles are overcome.

Of course this is absolutely the wrong time of year to do this, but I''ll get to it somehow I guess.


Bill/ Rockdoc

 

[belle]

Date: 11/25/2005 3:35:13 PM
Author: RockDoc

Date: 11/25/2005 2:26:07 PM
Author: belle
nice.
would you mind sharing the measurements on the stone?
do you have an red reflector image of it as well?

HIi Belle

For which image/stone?


Rockdoc

i was referring specifically to the first one, but i would be interested in the specs for all of them. sarin files would be great as well if you have them as well.

 

[RockDoc]

Date: 11/25/2005 4:38:02 PM
Author: Rhino
Bill,

I like how rich the colors come out, particularly in your first and last shots.

With the help of Marty ( Adamasgem ) Haske, I am going to be changing the lighting source to a more accurate temperature light.

The colors aren''t really that accurately depected. But somewhat acceptable in that it is better than no image at all.

I don''t think many of the readers here know how much effort and time it takes to do these type of photographs.


As to the "leakage" areas. These are not leakage. Logical thought : If the diamond is illuminated from behind, then you would want leakage to emit through the crown of the stone. While in layman''s terms is "cute" to say it is leakage, but I believe it is somewhat related to the girdle structure of the stone, and reletive to "painting and digging" of the girdle facets.

As to the black color at the edge of the first image, that is based on putting the black cup over the diamond. If the cup isn''t put over the stone, then it appears white, but has a fair amount of shininess or glare. So I''ll be experiementing to improve this as well.

What I also find interesting is the wall chart that AGS has come up with. None of the image show the black or white "leakage" areas.

A bit later I''ll run an eightstar through the process and see if it matches the Firescope images.

But have a bevy of consumer diamonds to do - so it may take a while.

Rockdoc

 

[Rhino]

No rush man. I''m hearin ya on all levels.

 

[researcher]

These are so neat!!! I can''t believe how clear they are! I can''t wait to see the pics when you master them--they already look fantastic to me

 

[RockDoc]

Date: 11/25/2005 5:19:56 PM
Author: researcher
These are so neat!!! I can''t believe how clear they are! I can''t wait to see the pics when you master them--they already look fantastic to me

Thank you so much. I do try to be the "shining star" with our work.

I can''t wait til I get a few various shapes in to see how it performs too, like some princesses, which I know you''ll like.

Rockdoc

 

[RockDoc]

Date: 11/25/2005 4:38:02 PM
Author: Rhino
Bill,

I like how rich the colors come out, particularly in your first and last shots.

The middle stone is cut way off proportion, so I believe some of the richness in the color is due to how good the proportions are, but as I''ve been doing more stones a lot of this is due to how exactly the focus distance and alignmnent is.


Rockdoc

 

[RockDoc]

An Eightstar imaged without the cup used.


(C) 2005 Consumers Gem Lab


Rockdoc

 

[RockDoc]

Same Eightstar Diamond under the same light using the black cup.


(c) 2005 Consumers Gem Lab


Rockdoc

 

[RockDoc]

Same 8 star with cup but changing the light source to halogem. Note the poorer color, so Marty is right about the color correction and source being very critical.


(c) 2005 Consumers Gem Lab



Rockdoc

 

[JohnQuixote]

Date: 11/25/2005 4:35:51 PM
Author: Rhino

Yea, it is a tough task. This is the best I've been able to get so far. To be frank, I don't like the black background to depict leakage. It makes some of the other colors look darker. I guess I'm spoiled on looking at the whites for leakage as, at least to me, it's much easier to see and detect. The one thing I don't like about this particular image is the reflections in the mains are not evenly distributed but I don't think this can be avoided in the setup we've constructed but its the best I've been able to come up with. What do you guys think?

I agree with the white background preference. I think it adds luminosity to the other colors and makes consistent what we view in IS (hand-held and standard backlit). I realize this comment may be more consumer-friendly driven than scientific, but it's my 'druther on first thought.

Rock thanks for calling my attention to this thread. We've experimented with our DASET, but have other seasonal fires burning right now. I sent this threaddress to others in the company. Y'all keep those posts and photos coming.

 

[JohnQuixote]

Date: 11/25/2005 6:36:37 PM
Author: RockDoc

...Note the poorer color, so Marty is right about the color correction and source being very critical.

You are SO singing my song. Want a hug?

 

[denverappraiser]

Rock,

You''ve got some interesting purple/red color variations under the table that are surely not caused by the stone. This leads me to suspect the way you''re holding the light. Is the light slightly off to one side of the perpendicular axis? Jeez there are a lot of variables here. A diffuser over the top of the entire stage may help this.

I still like the black background but y''all have all got some good reasons for the white. My big issue is that it causes the images to be more consistent with a mounted stone. Incidentally, I think it makes the image look better.

If you can, take your camera off of automatic, lock the f-stop and try to take a longer exposure time. It should improve the depth of field and the ability to focus on all parts of the stone at once. Less light might actually help this as well.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ISA NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[RockDoc]

Do I get a hug from Legal Eagle too?

Rockdoc

 

[RockDoc]

Date: 11/25/2005 8:12:52 PM
Author: denverappraiser
Rock,

You''ve got some interesting purple/red color variations under the table that are surely not caused by the stone. This leads me to suspect the way you''re holding the light. Is the light slightly off to one side of the perpendicular axis? Jeez there are a lot of variables here. A diffuser over the top of the entire stage may help this.

I still like the black background but y''all have all got some good reasons for the white. My big issue is that it causes the images to be more consistent with a mounted stone. Incidentally, I think it makes the image look better.

If you can, take your camera off of automatic, lock the f-stop and try to take a longer exposure time. It should improve the depth of field and the ability to focus on all parts of the stone at once. Less light might actually help this as well.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ISA NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

Neil

I centered the lights over the stage. But I think the variation in the red is an alignment issue and possibly using the wrong kelvin temp light. The halogen makes the colors more even, but but adds a lot of yellow and the image isn''t as sharp.

Next week I should have several kelvin temp lamps... 4100 4700 and 5000.... so we''ll see how it goes once they arrive.

I lined this up and attempted focusing and aligning the cam. The holder I have it in is on a ball so the alignment is a bit diffitult unless I change it each time to the stable attachment.

More as things improve/develop.

Rockdoc

 

[JohnQuixote]

That one doth not dance to my tune. But I think your odds are pretty good.

 

[researcher]

Date: 11/25/2005 5:22:46 PM
Author: RockDoc

Date: 11/25/2005 5:19:56 PM

Author: researcher

These are so neat!!! I can''t believe how clear they are! I can''t wait to see the pics when you master them--they already look fantastic to me

Thank you so much. I do try to be the ''shining star'' with our work.


I can''t wait til I get a few various shapes in to see how it performs too, like some princesses, which I know you''ll like.


Rockdoc

You know me well

Princesses would be so fun to see!