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Trying out a low-cost USB Microscope

scottiebabe

Recently I purchased the “8 Dollar Microscope” and of course I ended up spending far more than $8… In total I ended up spending $50 CAD LOL

If you haven’t seen the microscope in discussion it is the following:

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It is essentially 0.3 MP UVC USB webcam with optics that provide a magnification of 50x to 500x. As you can see from the product photo, the included base shown in that photo would have poor utility for looking at electronics straight down. However, I received my microscope with a plastic adjustable stand similar to the following:

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Nice surprise! But, the included plastic stand was not easy to use, and would frequently bind up trying to adjust the height.

Assuming I would receive that tiny plastic swivel base I opted to purchase an aluminum alloy universal microscope stand:

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The height adjustment mechanism on this stand is smooth and easy to use. There is a small amount of backlash that is noticeable when trying to focus at the highest magnification, but it isn’t severe enough for me to be bothered by it. I really like the stand I’m glad I bought it.

The USB microscope sits inside the 1.4″ mounting hole and is held in place with 2 set screws:

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The aluminum stand looks great! The microscope doesn’t sit normal to the viewing surface, but as will be seen in the sample images it didn’t seem to be a big deal.

When the microscope was adjusted for a magnification of 50x the resulting field of view had a width of 12 mm across :

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That is a little bit smaller than I’d like but it is what it is. I would have like to capture maybe say 50 mm across, but I would also like more image resolution…

Here are some random photos I took:

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At maximum magnification, the lens casts a shadow onto your viewing area. So, you need to provided external lighting in that case.

Could you solder with it? At 50x magnification the working height was approximately 7cm. I think that is a personal question whether you are comfortable looking at a display and making fine movements with your hands..

Be careful with product specifications! There are 100’s of different listing for this style of usb microscope and some claim resolutions of up to 2 MP (I am skeptical that is true).

Was it a good purchase? The stand absolutely great, the microscope is fine for what it is a 0.3MP usb microscope…

The price of the digital microscopes with included displays is not that much more.

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Of course if you have any advise or recommendations on what to look for in these 4″ or 7″ digital microscopes I would be grateful to hear it Slight smile

Parents

  • I have one of these with the LCD screen and (mostly) love it after two years of countless uses.

    image

    I paid about $100 for it on Amazon. It was this 7-inch that claims 12 MP. Although, it is clear there are many other models/brands that are OEMs of one design.

    The LCD's latency is low enough for soldering. The built-in battery makes for a great portable unit too. (Although, I had to refresh its 18650 to get it to hold a charge.) The additional goose neck lights REALLY help improve image quality. (As with all small sensor cameras, the more light you can provide, the lower their ISO, so the lower the noise.)

    Seriously, I cannot impress how important it is to get MOAR LIGHTS pointed at your board! You need 5 not 4 lights, in this case.

    These also have a USB port to connect to a PC. HOWEVER. You cannot use the screen and the PC connection at the same time. Which is a real bummer. Because I enjoy using OBS (or VLC) to open it as a camera on a larger screen. (or, for WBW videos and live streaming, to share the video, like in the low temp solder paste episode.). But, then the LCD is disabled. It becomes awkward to use for soldering--especially with the USB delay. (I have started to get used to it though.)

    BUT! It is FANTASTIC for inspection, especially as a standalone battery-powered unit. Whether you are checking solder joints or reading marks on an IC or looking at the balls inside of solder paste. :)

    t5 vs t3 solder balls in solder paste

    Basically, when connected to a PC, it becomes the same one  is using except with a big awkward rectangle on top!

    Regardless, I also recommend any of these USB microscopes (with sufficiently good sensor!)

    This $100 was the best I have spent on a test tool in years.

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  • I have one of these with the LCD screen and (mostly) love it after two years of countless uses.

    image

    I paid about $100 for it on Amazon. It was this 7-inch that claims 12 MP. Although, it is clear there are many other models/brands that are OEMs of one design.

    The LCD's latency is low enough for soldering. The built-in battery makes for a great portable unit too. (Although, I had to refresh its 18650 to get it to hold a charge.) The additional goose neck lights REALLY help improve image quality. (As with all small sensor cameras, the more light you can provide, the lower their ISO, so the lower the noise.)

    Seriously, I cannot impress how important it is to get MOAR LIGHTS pointed at your board! You need 5 not 4 lights, in this case.

    These also have a USB port to connect to a PC. HOWEVER. You cannot use the screen and the PC connection at the same time. Which is a real bummer. Because I enjoy using OBS (or VLC) to open it as a camera on a larger screen. (or, for WBW videos and live streaming, to share the video, like in the low temp solder paste episode.). But, then the LCD is disabled. It becomes awkward to use for soldering--especially with the USB delay. (I have started to get used to it though.)

    BUT! It is FANTASTIC for inspection, especially as a standalone battery-powered unit. Whether you are checking solder joints or reading marks on an IC or looking at the balls inside of solder paste. :)

    t5 vs t3 solder balls in solder paste

    Basically, when connected to a PC, it becomes the same one  is using except with a big awkward rectangle on top!

    Regardless, I also recommend any of these USB microscopes (with sufficiently good sensor!)

    This $100 was the best I have spent on a test tool in years.

Children