BTC100X Minirhizotron Video Microscope

(shown here with optional ICAP system and accessories)

This camera system is designed to slide down inside a clear tube in the ground and look out through the wall to take pictures at each centimeter level below the surface. Magnification is 15 x to 100 x when the image is shown on a 12 inch monitor. The field of view for the camera can be zoomed remotely from 18 mm to 3 mm horizontal. The camera head is water resistant, and the rest of the system comes housed in a reflective aluminum field case with portable power for eight hours of use in the field.
The camera head rides on 49mm plastic bearings inside the 50.8 mm x 3.2 mm wall tubes. There is clearance so soil particles or bends in the tube do not stop the camera. A 4.87 M cable connects the camera head to the camera control box. The blue control box has remote controls for white light level, and focus. A handle system is provided to control movement of the camera in depth and rotation, so the operator can know where the picture is coming from. The camera operates from both AC 90 to 260 Volt power, and from 12 Volt Battery power.

Features

  • Magnification can be zoomed remotely
  • 15 x to 100 x, 6:1 range of magnification
  • Water resistant camera.
  • 470 TV lines color resolution.
  • 2.2 M telescoping handle.
  • 8-hour field power supply.
  • Field case included

Options

  • Hi-8 video tape (400 TV lines) image storage
  • Screen Counter system available
  • Digital Image Capture system
  • Ultra-Violet lighting system
  • Indexing Handle system
  • PAL (European) video format available
  • Longer cables available
  • Alternative backpack or Cart transport systems

The 15 x magnification has been used extensively for root growth measurement because it resolves details down to root hairs, while focusing on the largest area possible around the curved inside wall of the tube. The 100 x camera can be made for higher magnification if the lower magnification is also raised. The higher magnification is very useful for entomologists, plant pathologists, and persons studying micro-rhizae.

Each camera system needs a monitor to view the images in the field to be sure they are in focus and properly lighted. It also needs a method for storing the pictures and identifying each one according to the tube number and the location down the inside of the tube. There are a number of options available for accomplishing these tasks, and for viewing th e images later in the lab. There are a number of handle options for increasing the accuracy of the position the camera returns to each time it goes back into the tube.

All of our Recorder/Monitor Systems and the I-CAP image capture system are compatible with the BTC-100X as well as the Backpack and Briefcase configurations. Please see the current product list for details. (The product list requires Adobe Reader, available for free here for Windows -- for a free Mac version, click here and then click "Choose a different version" on the Adobe website page.)