Microscope Review

ehsjr wrote in news:r4kg4h$5p7$ snipped-for-privacy@news.eternal-september.org:

Damn! I LIKE IT!

Great reasonable price too.

Hell, the entire 'family' on that page is cool. Choose your resolution and price point.

We've come a long way. I have a binocular inspection scope that has an old camera on top. Pretty sure all I need to do is get a better camera, but they cost way too much for that mount paradigm.

Toss the expensive binocular boat anchor and old camera mount style and get one of these. Hell yeah!

Thanks.

I agree. The stand alone is probably worth the asking price.

At work, we ditched our optical microscopes in favor of some $300 Chinese c amera + stand with movable arms arrangement. More flexible than the one he re, but 10x the price too. (Still, a HUGE bargain.)

The $300 ones came with an SD-card compatible camera, a large work stage, a nd spare LED lighting (a ring light, and two more LED lamps on flexible arm s). Resolution is at least 1K (1920x1080) and maybe higher - I would have to check.

Regardless, I think for nearly all PCB inspection or SMD hand-soldering app lications, these cheap camera setups are definitely the way to go. No more hunching over the work bench trying to see what you're going while simulta neously trying to maintain enough distance to physically solder your parts and not pass out from breathing in all the flux fumes!

Mine is on order as of today. Thanks for your info!

I recently bought one of these:

Since it was only the equivalent of about $15 including shipping I wasn't expecting much. However, I was totally knocked-out by the results it gives; simply jaw-dropping. These are for higher magnification use than the one shown on the Banggood link so you can't really work on the subject whilst viewing it, obviously it's not intended for that, but for making hi-mag close ups of tiny parts, it's unbeatable at this price - and there's no need to spend any more IMV as it has zoom, infinitely adjustable magnification up to 1000x, quick

-photo button and adjustable in-built light source that works brilliantly. How do they do it? I don't care, I'm just glad they do!

Excellent! This finally gets me into the useful microscope market! At a good hobbyist price, too.

I've had one of the pencil-sized endoscopes for a while. It's really handy for examining the small parts and joints, but it's focus is so short that you really can't work on anything while using it. Plus it's USB-based, so it has to be plugged into a computer to use it at all.

This one looks to be very good for working on the SMT stuff that I'm still learning about. My eyes definitely aren't what they used to be and even with my readers I've been having a lot of problems. I recently moved to a flip magnifier, but it's clumsy at best.

Some day when I grow up I hope to get a binocular microscope I can use, but I'll have to get seriously involved before it becomes worth the money.

Many thanks for putting this up here, Ed!

I sprung for the little $9 clip-on light too.

Ray

What do they use for software to display the image? Does it include a CD o r download or use something standard like a video player?

I see some very similar looking units that claim 0.3 Mpixel video (VGA), bu t 2 Mpixel still. The title says "10MP" whatever that means. Does yours a ctually give a HD image or is the resolution less than the number of pixels ?

--

  Rick C. 

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Nice one. If you prefer AliExpress, the Mustool official store is here:

The model you show even ships from a fulfillment centre in Australia (for those of us here). They have a couple of other models too. Beware, the high-magnification lean-back version doesn't have a 1080p screen.

CH

Rick C wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@googlegroups.com:

Well for not much more and really the better bargain given what one gets...

Although you then still need an actual camera accepting microscope.

Rick C wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@googlegroups.com:

It says "package includes:"

And in the list is:

"Data line"

Referring to (from the pictures) an included USB cable, so, it may be a standard COTS (haha) Windows auto-recognize and install driver for a "webcam". Or even built in to the camera circuitry. Though I think Windows cancelled that vulnerability years ago. Still get security seminars about random USB stick insertion though.

Your screen capture will grab that (whatever is displayed) at YOUR screen res (if you zoom it), despite what the camera throws out. I think that VLC media player will capture too.

It doesn't have to be Mustool either. AliExpress generally offers a wider range of choice and better prices. Search for 'digital microscope'.

I got one similar to the one linked by Cursitor Doom back in

2014. Models with an integrated screen either did not exist then or were still very expensive (I don't remember which). Anyway, I paid the equivalent of US$17.94 then but it was delayed in transit well beyond the delivery deadline, so I claimed a refund which was promptly honoured. It eventually arrived and I informed AliExpress, but they told me to keep the money since the item did not arrive on time and I was entitled to the refund. Hard to beat that kind of service.

Aliexpress is not always so accommodating. I was trying to find a source o f USB flash drives with company logos. I ordered a few that were very low price. The first arrived and I tested it with a fake detection program, it flunked. I made a claim to Alexpress and had to upload images of the test results, but got my money back after a long time. The second arrived and it was also a fake. I went though the same refund process, but they wanted to compromise on the amount and I had to dispute the remainder on my credi t card. The third arrived which was also a fake and the refund process dra gged on and on with them wanting me to provide a video of my test results ( they knew the program I was using). A video of a program that takes hours to run??? I had to dispute the full amount on my credit card.

I have not used Aliexpress since.

--

  Rick C. 

  + Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging 
  + Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209

But how much time lag does it have? Is it like a USB microscope with almost a second lag from moving your tool to seeing it.

I have one that looks like this. It has very little lag, since it goes s traight from the camera to the monitor. It can record to a micro SD card. Y ou can only use the USB port on mine to charge the battery.

Maybe not. On mine I was able to charge the battery with the cable that came with it, no problem. But that cable would not connect with the PC properly. I replaced the cable, and now I can use it with the PC ju8st fine. So maybe yours would work with a different cable.

Ed

No perceptible lag, so far. Haven't soldered under it yet.

Ed

Trying to use the USB cable while it was on locked it up.

That's good to hear. Thanks.

Hey thanks for this. I ordered the spendier one with a 7" display. It came yesterday. I haven't tried it with the soldering iron yet. But my daughter and I went into the woods, collected some wet moss, and observed our first tardigrade (aka water bear or (according to wiki) moss piglet.) (Take moss, put in water and shake a bit, take out moss and filter water... we used a paper coffee filter. Fun stuff with kids home from college.)

George H.

Thanks for the review George, and cool to spot a tardigrade.

Tell us more. Is any lag noticable? How is the screen to look at? Is it a touch-screen? Resistive or capacitive? What magnifications can you achieve at what lens-subject distance (i.e. clearance)?

In short, should I buy one for soldering? for my grand-sons?

CH