Zeiss MC63 Crystal Photography for the Impatient
                     by Dan Anderson

FILM: We currently use Kodak Ektachrome 64T Tungsten Professional film.
      In 35mm size, it is available only in 36 exposure rolls.
      All of it came from Bel Air Camera. It has to be kept refrigerated.

CAMERA SETTINGS: The film speed is ISO64 or DIN19. That means 50 on the coarse
      knob, plus one click on the fine dial. The "recipr." number should be 1.1,
      and corrects for a property inherent to the film; don't change it.

MICROSCOPE AND LAMP SETTINGS:
      The lamp voltage should be 9 volts. The aperture dial should be set
      all the way open. Focus the cross hair in the LEFT eyepiece by
      rotating the LEFT eyepiece. Then focus the microscope on the crystal,
      adjust lighting and crystal position looking through the LEFT eyepiece.
      The corners of the film are shown by the four F shaped marks 
      in the LEFT eyepiece. Use the inside marks of the four F's.
      The right optical path is irrelevant to photography.

THE POLARIZER:
      For photography, the top polarizer must be straight, perpendicular
      to the wall behind the microscope. For photography, rotate the bottom
      polarizer, not the top one. A sheet of cellophane under the crystals is
      easier to manipulate than the polarizers.

EXPOSURE SETTING:
      Pull the flat metal dark slide on the camera towards you, and
      pull the round black knob on the microscope towards you until they stop.
      On the exposure meter, the center of the green region represents
      the optimum exposure for the film. The red needle represents the average
      of all the light passing through the microscope's LEFT optical path.
      If the average light looks dark relative to the thing of interest, 
      adjust the coarse and fine shutter speed knobs to bring the
      red needle to the left of the center of the green region. 
      "In the green somewhere" is not good enough for slide film.

TAKING THE PICTURE:
      The dark slide and black knob should still be pulled out.
      Push the yellow button gently. The picture is done when the motor
      drive makes noise. The film is done when the motor drive does not 
      make its usual noise. This camera has no double exposure protection
      at the end of the roll! If the exposure never finishes, check that the 
      yellow button is not in "T" mode.

PROCESSING: 
      At this time, Mission Country does better work than the famous
      A&I, but A&I is getting better again. Both labs are available 
      through Bel Air Camera.