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I want to take some photos of the insides of an old guitar. I can't really manipulate mirrors. I was thinking of buying a borescope, but the ones I see listed mention a very close focal distance. Can anyone advise me on techniques to photograph inside the guitar?

Cheap solution: web cam.

Also, some small, pocketable point and shoot cameras work, though they'll likely not have as wide a field of view as needed to capture much area.

Pat

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Yesterday I was trying to adjust a truss rod with an allen key and could not get it to fit. I stuck my Iphone inside and took a picture of the brass nut. Doh!
Picture came out pretty good.

B

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My memory is so good, sometimes I remember things that never happened.

There are endoscopes available on ebay around ten bucks, they will work but you need to build a pointable base to get a steady picture and to get your bearings inside the instrument. They use USB feed to your computer.

Bob

Bob,

Are there issues to be aware of in getting/using the type of endoscopes that are on eBay? They look to be a great, cheap solution.

Thanks,
Max

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Max Bishop
Brighton, Michigan

I'm seeing these issues reading the ads. Some say they focus at a few centimeters, which would be too close for some shots. Some say they focus at a few centimeters, but then have an alternate focus at infinity. I am not sure what they really do, because I think the ads may be translated into English by someone who may have omitted details. A possible serious flaw in some is that the software is for the older computers. There is a change in computers from 16 to 32 bit, or 32 bit to 64 bit--I don't recall. But if you have the newer computer, the older software won't work. I ran into this problem with a microscope that I have. It will only work on my old computer, which is dying.

Just thought I'd chime in with a couple of comments that may (or may not!) help.

Most cameras will list a minimum focus distance. This means they cannot focus on anything closer, but they will be able to focus on things farther, presumably to infinity. But they almost certainly do things differently in the microscope world, so this may depend on the use your optics are designed for. It would surprise me to come across an optical device designed for a single focus distance, outside of specialty equipment of course.

Also, 64-bit Windows has no problems running most 32-bit applications. Though I'm sure there are exceptions.

Ryobi Phone Works scope. Attaches to your smart phone $100. @ HD.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

+1 I use a webcam and lap top. I can snap the pics I want right on my computer. Works great. Here's a pic I took of a customer's D-18 showing loose brace and water stains near the tail block:

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"I've been had again"
Tim Benware
Creedmoor, NC