MadModder
Gallery, Projects and General => Neat Stuff => Topic started by: JD on January 02, 2012, 10:15:49 AM
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Need to see certain machining processes behind the work piece, take a look at this neat bit of kit.
http://www.maplin.co.uk/usb-digital-microscope-with-400x-magnification-286566
Plug and play, comes with a CD of software and at £39.99 not a bad price.
You could use this beastie to get up close and personal on a whole range of processes in the workshop, mine is on order.
JD
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I have one similar or the same design. Not from Maplin though.
I think you won't find it all that useful.
400x magnification is just a joke. Divide by 50 and you're in the useable range.
It appears to have the same push-button as mine ... so, when you click ... the image buggers off into the next county. :Doh:
It is possible to download drivers to get it to ekkle on Vista 64 & W7 64. I think.
Or, at least mine does ... on W7-64
Other than that, they are fun ... :)
BC
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I have one similar or the same design. Not from Maplin though.
I think you won't find it all that useful.
400x magnification is just a joke. Divide by 50 and you're in the useable range.
BC
I'm glad I didnt spend my hard earned on one then... :Doh:
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Is the "400x magnification" by length or by area? By length, a square with sides of 1mm would look like one with 400mm sides, but by area the sides would only look like 20mm.
Andy
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Andy, I would think it's by area. Can't imagine it doing anything else.
John, depends what you want to do with it. Imagine a 8X hand lens that takes pics. :thumbup:
If that's what you want, you're in business.
OK so 400X magnification. Object is 1mm x 1mm. It only reflects/transmits so many photons !!
Magnify by 400, it's now 20mm x 20mm, same number of photons spread about.
You can do a lot with a CCD or whatever, software integration of the image etc. but you can't hold the damn thing still enough..
But they can be useful ... just not quite as wonderful as the blurb implies.
IIRC mine had the same wild claim, but having had an optical uScope I know anything like those numbers is not likely. I had an Olympus summat or other. 10X eyepieces and a max of 100X objective. 1000X ??
Not a chance .. not to see anything useful anyway. That was a good uScope. I would imagine similar performance model £3K + now, and that one was only good for 200-300X tops and that was pushing it.
Too good for the likes of me anyway .. :(
BC
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You can do a lot with a webcam :wave:
Jim
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BC, I'd actually thought it might be useful for marking out/centre popping....
Maybe I've been too hasty....
but does need a pc in the workshop...
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BC, I'd actually thought it might be useful for marking out/centre popping....
Maybe I've been too hasty....
but does need a pc in the workshop...
It would be fine for that .. I have one of those pocket lens wotsits. Two glassy bits, one is 5X t'other 10X.
The 5X will show where your pops are quite adequately.
The grief comes from the wobbly method of holding the USB device.
With telescopic sights on a rifle, you have to stop breathing otherwise you're scanning the horizon. Ditto with a uScope. Not only that, the depth of field where it is in focus is very small indeed.
So, not only is it no longer pointing at bits of interest, it's also out of focus.
But, that being said, they work OK at low magnification.
Get yourself one. Cheap enough.
BC
Pic taken of a 100K Horiz. Pre-set ... took ages ...
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I've got one of those on my shelf. Works fine for what it is..... An electronic magnifying glass :borg:
You can get all sorts of digital microscopes these days..... Just try e-blag for a short list of under achieving and or over priced ones from China! :lol:
If anyone wants pic's I'll gladly take some of coins etc that are easily identified :thumbup:
Ralph.
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I have several variations. The best is a long skinny tube. I intend to mount it on the side of my toolmakers microscope so i can see the object on a big screen instead of a small eyepiece, which doesn't get along well with my contact lenses.
I am wondering if it can be mounted in the eyepiece of a reflecting telescope as well. hmmm
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... the image buggers off into the next county. :Doh:
they are fun ... :)
BC
:lol: :lol: :lol:
:beer:
DaveH
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I have two types of the usb scopes. one is this type
(http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d200/ptsideshow/Microscope/IMG_0783.jpg) (http://s35.photobucket.com/user/ptsideshow/media/Microscope/IMG_0783.jpg.html)
It works well enough for the cheap price$26.99 Comes with software and it works pretty good. They do work with some photo software. it takes photo's and video's.
Biggest drawback to this style is the crappy stand as it moves when you either adjust it or press the shutter button. I have some ideas, but it isn't important current other items are ahead on the to do list. Nice thing is with a long cable it can be used in the shop if you have a tablet/laptop puter near by.
The magnification is strictly electronic/digital for the most part.
This is it here http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA0U007Y5760
I was happy with the results for what I was using it for. I collect tokens
My favorite is this one:
(http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d200/ptsideshow/Microscope/IMG_0784.jpg) (http://s35.photobucket.com/user/ptsideshow/media/Microscope/IMG_0784.jpg.html)
This is the one I wanted but it wasn't yet for sale of course the day after they shipped the first one it became available.
http://www.adorama.com/CNMSLCDH.html#reviews The first review is mine, I have used it a lot and haven't changed my mind since writing the review. most will known the name and other items they have sold for years are top notch.
(http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d200/ptsideshow/Microscope/Microscope030.jpg) (http://s35.photobucket.com/user/ptsideshow/media/Microscope/Microscope030.jpg.html)
(http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d200/ptsideshow/Microscope/Microscope028.jpg) (http://s35.photobucket.com/user/ptsideshow/media/Microscope/Microscope028.jpg.html)
(http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d200/ptsideshow/Microscope/Microscope029.jpg) (http://s35.photobucket.com/user/ptsideshow/media/Microscope/Microscope029.jpg.html)
Shots of the coin turned in to a necklace dangle
(http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d200/ptsideshow/Microscope/Microscope033.jpg) (http://s35.photobucket.com/user/ptsideshow/media/Microscope/Microscope033.jpg.html)
(http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d200/ptsideshow/Microscope/Microscope038-1.jpg) (http://s35.photobucket.com/user/ptsideshow/media/Microscope/Microscope038-1.jpg.html)
(http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d200/ptsideshow/Microscope/Microscope027.jpg) (http://s35.photobucket.com/user/ptsideshow/media/Microscope/Microscope027.jpg.html)
The stamp edge of 100year old leather post card
(http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d200/ptsideshow/Microscope/Microscope018.jpg) (http://s35.photobucket.com/user/ptsideshow/media/Microscope/Microscope018.jpg.html)
(http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d200/ptsideshow/Microscope/Microscope017.jpg) (http://s35.photobucket.com/user/ptsideshow/media/Microscope/Microscope017.jpg.html)
Back of a one cent coin
(http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d200/ptsideshow/Microscope/Microscope011.jpg) (http://s35.photobucket.com/user/ptsideshow/media/Microscope/Microscope011.jpg.html)
(http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d200/ptsideshow/Microscope/Microscope012.jpg) (http://s35.photobucket.com/user/ptsideshow/media/Microscope/Microscope012.jpg.html)
(http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d200/ptsideshow/Microscope/Microscope014.jpg) (http://s35.photobucket.com/user/ptsideshow/media/Microscope/Microscope014.jpg.html)
This is what I found the question mark in Lake Superior on the reverse of Michigan's statehood quarter! Somebody that seen the photo got weird about it as an omen of one of the many unknown ship wreck sites!
(http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d200/ptsideshow/Microscope/Microscope004.jpg) (http://s35.photobucket.com/user/ptsideshow/media/Microscope/Microscope004.jpg.html)
(http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d200/ptsideshow/Microscope/Microscope005-1.jpg) (http://s35.photobucket.com/user/ptsideshow/media/Microscope/Microscope005-1.jpg.html)
A token full size and then the lettering magnified.
The Clestron is great as it is self contained it does eat batteries, has a card slot, has some control of the lighting. it works better with flat stuff than shallow 3-d items. But you can raise it up on a stand and it works well for small items. It is a little pricey but I have found it worth the money for what I use it for.
It is also nice to go in to a local coin shop looking for tokens and have a camera, scope/magnifier and light source all in one package. It the photo's work well with most photo software package.
For those that have an apple phone you will want to check out this camera app, it has a 6.0 magnification built in and it works great.
http://campl.us/
It is called camera+ by tap tap tap. I can say that it pretty much does what the claim, It is slow sometimes on the wifi up load to your photo stream. Or it is for my computer, but it might be because it is windows!!!!!!
I find I hardly using either of my camera's any more with the app on my phone.
Don't know if this will help I will try to answer any questions anybody has.