USB microscope camera official thread

[mytimetoshine]

Starting this thread because someone posted some really cool pictures using a USB microscope. I decided to buy one and while searching Mac supported devices I only came up with one option. The AGPtek USB 800x digital. It was available on EBay as well as Amazon. Since the price was the same I went Amazon. Shipped quick which is typical for Amazon but it doesn't work.

The Mac software doesn't work. I glanced at the reviews but didn't really read them because it could find no other options.. Well those reviews said the Mac software was bad...lol.

Anyways I'd like to see what others are using and especially if there is a Mac option.

 

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[goldenIrishman]

I just picked up an old manual scope at the swapmeet for $25. No USB camera but it does 100X 450X and 900X. Came with a bunch of slides and covers as well as a couple "Critter holders" for looking at bugs and such. I've been using the critter holders to view samples of cons etc since the flat slides just dump the stuff off if you move wrong. I've been trying to find some "Well" slides with the depressions to hold stuff but have been striking out so far. I don't know if I'm calling them by the correct name so that could be part of the problem too.

This is the type I'm looking into getting. Only $170.00 on you know where....



One with a moving stage would be great but the price starts going way up with them. This one runs from 40X up to 800X so it should do the trick very nicely.

 

[winners58]

did you try plugging it in then see if it worked in PhotoBooth or Facetime just like a generic external webcam.(set to 800x600)

someone suggested the better ones are the Dino-lite brand.
https://www.google.com/search?q=Dino-Lite+Digital+Microscope&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

I bought some gold on eBay, some of the gold looked funny so looked at it under a jewelers loop
found out it had some pieces that were cut up scrap and added to my bag.
also found out I could take a photo looking through my loop.
.

 

[DeepseekerADS]

I have a pretty nice microscope I picked up at Salvation Army for $25 a bit ago, but haven't pulled it out to take a serious look at it - just thought it might come in handy some day. I purchased and have used a couple of times, the Celestron handheld digital microscope - works very well. I don't use Apple products, but do note the box says it has installation software for the Mac.

 

[Goldwasher]

I have a cool usb microscope...It has a digital screen and regular glass optics as an option. The screen resolution sucks!!!! I cant figure out how to interface it with my p.c......it wont prompt me to install a driver.......the glass optics are great....bummer the base is set up mainly to look at slides.....it does the job on small specimins and ore samples!

 

[huntsman53]

I have a cool usb microscope...It has a digital screen and regular glass optics as an option. The screen resolution sucks!!!! I cant figure out how to interface it with my p.c......it wont prompt me to install a driver.......the glass optics are great....bummer the base is set up mainly to look at slides.....it does the job on small specimins and ore samples!

Goldwasher... You might be able to find and install the Drivers for the device online by doing a Google search!


Frank

 

[mytimetoshine]

did you try plugging it in then see if it worked in PhotoBooth or Facetime just like a generic external webcam.(set to 800x600)

someone suggested the better ones are the Dino-lite brand.
https://www.google.com/search?q=Dino-Lite+Digital+Microscope&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

I bought some gold on eBay, some of the gold looked funny so looked at it under a jewelers loop
found out it had some pieces that were cut up scrap and added to my bag.
also found out I could take a photo looking through my loop.
.
View attachment 1222046

Those Dino light models look good. I was hoping to spend less but maybe I can sell a toy I'm not using anymore to make up the difference. First I gotta return this one to Amazon. Thanks for the responses.

 

[Oakview2]

I have been using the old style for a while

The new type is much easier to use . Some of these were taken by my partner with the new type, much more stable platform

 

[goldenIrishman]

I've been using my non-usb microscope to examine my tailings and have been surprised at how many different crystals I've been finding in the mix. This little scope makes -100 pieces of gold and crystals look like boulders. I can't wait to get the one I pictured above so I can share pics of what I've been finding. One tiny little piece of gold looked to have been scraped off the vein. It has that curled look to it that you see in metal shavings on the shop floor.

 

[hurthawk]

I bought one from here and it works fine

microscope usb - Buy Cheap microscope usb - From Banggood

 

[mytimetoshine]

The new type is much easier to use . Some of these were taken by my partner with the new type, much more stable platform

Cool pictures! What exactly is the "new type"?

 

[Oakview2]

A bIt has a much more stable ase. This is the old type 8 LED 2MP USB Digital Microscope Endoscope 2 0 Mega Pixels Magnifier 20x 800X | eBay

The newer style 200x 2MP 8 LED Zoom USB Digital Microscope Endoscope XP Vista 7 8 Mac | eBay

 

[G-bone]

I like that one. Cheap too.
The one I use is a "wand type" Micro inspection camera I got on line.
The tough part is focusing, but it is cool how close you can get with these things.




brings out the true character of each little piece.

MAN I LOVE GOLD!!!

 

[Jimmydolittle]

This is the one I just bought, waiting for it to get here: 8 LED 2MP USB Digital Microscope Endoscope 2 0 Mega Pixels Magnifier 20x 800X | eBay

 

[mytimetoshine]

This is the one I just bought, waiting for it to get here: 8 LED 2MP USB Digital Microscope Endoscope 2 0 Mega Pixels Magnifier 20x 800X | eBay

Looks just like the one that I bought. Only mine said it was Mac supported, but the software is bad

 

[kayakpat]

Yes I always wanted to get one , they give a look at a whole different world, dirt and rocks are quite a picture

 

[bobw53]

Looks just like the one that I bought. Only mine said it was Mac supported, but the software is bad

I bought pretty much the same one also, and the software disc was bad. This was on a PC, but I found out that pretty much any webcam software
will make it work.

The camera itself, I wasn't overly thrilled. I had a tiny little piece of -80 that was floating out on me.. Under a 60X scope, it was a gorgeous piece
of gold. 3 symmetrical lobes, each one like a loop of ribbon that went out from the center, looped around and came back. It was beautiful, but
I COULD NOT get that stupid camera to take a good picture of it. I messed around with that thing for like 45 minutes, I haven't touched it since.

 

[goldenIrishman]

Yes I always wanted to get one , they give a look at a whole different world, dirt and rocks are quite a picture

I don't remember what magazine it was (I think Omni ) that had a monthly picture from a microscope and you had to guess what it was. Very cool feature that I really enjoyed. Some of them had me scratching my head for a month. The previous months answer was given with the new picture for the month.

 

[goldenIrishman]

WOW! It worked... well sort of

Got a wild hair and decided to try getting a picture or two off the microscope using my cell phone.



Not sure what the matrix material is but there is gold in it.

 

[PurpleGold]

I would suggest using a Windows based PC then all your MAC problems will disappear.