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Digital Handheld M-scope Recommendation


grandpa

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OK folks, it's time I update my digital microscope technology knowledge and equipment.  I have an ancient Celestron low-end scope that is compatible up to Windows 7 OS. :look: Problem is, I no longer have a Windows 7 OS.  :unsure:  So, I'm looking to upgrade my scope to a better one that is Windows 10 compatible. 

Next problem is, it's been a while since I was in the market for a scope, and technology moves so fast that I no longer know what the best options out there are.  :headscratch: Could this esteemed and knowledgeable group of folks -_- please give me some recommendations on what you find to be the good in the market right now.  :fingerscrossed:

Thank you for your recommendations. :tiphat:

 

Grandpa

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From what I hear DinoLite makes the best digital scopes, not cheap.  Cannot suggest which model.

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I got the Celestron Handheld Microscope Pro (which does come with a stand, not just handheld) which is not high end, but it has served my purposes. It would be compatible with 10. Not sure if you are wanting to upgrade to something a little higher end, but for the price, this one has been great. 

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I use this digital microscope for up close viewing. It’s only around $25 US dollars. The quality isn’t the greatest and it’s a bit of a pain to get the area you are trying to view in focus, but after some trial and error it’s not horrible. If I had the extra money, I’d get something better, but it’s not bad for the price. Link

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The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.  -Neil deGrasse Tyson

 

Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don't. -Bill Nye (The Science Guy)

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I looked at Dino Lite and they can be expensive. I have been looking at the Amscope, Inexpensive to several hundred for newest versions. I did call them and told him what I am wanting to use it for. Very help full but, said that they may not work with the Amazon Kindle Fire tablets, but are Android based. For my purposes a flex arm or tall swing arm is best to look inside of cavities on stones etc.  

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14 hours ago, FossilNerd said:

I use this digital microscope for up close viewing. It’s only around $25 US dollars. The quality isn’t the greatest and it’s a bit of a pain to get the area you are trying to view in focus, but after some trial and error it’s not horrible. If I had the extra money, I’d get something better, but it’s not bad for the price. Link

Same one I have and with the same problems.  But overall it does work and the price is right.  

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@TyBoy, @JamieLynn, @fossil nerd, @Bob Saunders, @Ruger9a, @ynot, and @jamal

 

Thank you all very much for your feedback.  I'm exploring/evaluating each of your inputs and really appreciate you taking the time to respond. 

 

At the moment, I'm thinking that the Celestron Pro looks like the best buy for the buck that comes close to meeting my needs without exceeding my budget.  Since my earlier model was also a Celestron, I'm hopefully somewhat familiar with the updated software. 

 

HOWEVER, if anyone thinks I'm making a mistake and not considering - whatever - please let me know.  I'm not ready to pull the trigger yet.

 

Thanks again,

 

Grandpa

 

@digit, do you have any input?

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I've used a Celestron and I found it lacking. It would be passable as an inexpensive alternative--PM me before you buy one of these as I may just stick mine in the post for you. ;) You could then try this alternative.

 

I was looking for something that I could use not just to image tiny things but to aid in picking micro-matrix too small to see in my floor standing lighted magnifier. The digital scope I ordered last year is decidedly more expensive but it has been one of the best purchases I've made in the last couple of years.

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019HB5E2G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00

 

It has direct HDMI output which I can plug into a large flat-screen TV (used as a monitor). I can then get a great view of what the microscope sees without any delay caused by the USB interface that the Celestron was using. Video had to run through the USB and into my computer before being displayed on screen. There was about half a second delay (and I have a very fast desktop computer). It made it impossible to pick micro-matrix using this system as the delay just messed up realtime interaction while picking. The HDMI output is hi-res and instantaneous.

 

Let me know if you want to experiment with the Celestron for your needs. I'll be happy to drop mine in a box and make more room in the drawer in my office. :)

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

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@grandpa - one more thing to mention while you are considering -  as you probably know, having had a Celestron before- is the depth of field is not great, but I found a photo stacking free-ware program online called Picolay and it is super easy to use and works quite well for my purposes. You take two images in succession at different focus and stack them with this program to give fuller focus to three dimensional fossils

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Yup. The Celestron was pretty narrow with its depth of field (DOF). With a camera lens you can often "stop down" the lens (reducing its aperture) and increase the exposure time to increase the DOF but there are really no controls on this "digital microscope" other than a focus adjustment. I used my Celestron before I purchased my focus stacking software (Helicon) and so I never tried to overcome the DOF issue with software for this scope. My current Hayear digital camera scope has higher magnification capabilities which necessarily results in paper thin DOF issues. The focus stacking software really is a must when dealing with tiny specimens (unless you happen to own a scanning electron microscope). ;)

 

Picolay sounds like a good solution to this problem.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

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I might be a little late to this thread, but will add my two cents anyway.
I also had a Celestron and found it lacking, so I decided to bite the bullet and move up to a Dino-Lite. True, they can be expensive but if you can swing it, I think the results are worth it, but I can only attest to the one I'm using -- Dino-Lite #AM4815ZT. This is actually one of their discontinued models, but is still supported by them (new replacement model I think is AF4915ZT). I know It's one of their higher end models, but I started monitoring everyone's favorite auction site and found one listed as a "new/open box -- make an offer" unit being offered by an industrial liquidator. It had way more capabilities than I needed but I made a really low-ball offer, and to my surprise got an "offer accepted" email! True, the box was open, but all the contents looked like they had just been packed by the factory, and it worked perfectly when I tried it. So if you keep your eyes open, you might find something within your budget. (Disclaimer: No, I do not work for or have any connection with Dino-Lite, but I'am really happy with the results I get with mine!)

I also found a reasonably priced stand on the "A" site that works really well for me. Let me know if you want details.
(Also, apologies to @Bob Saunders for not replying to you earlier.)
Anyway, here's one of the pics I've taken with it. Scale divisions are 0.5mm. 

A018 - 20200417_221449.jpg

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Wow! Brand new Dino-Lite scopes are really expensive (in the range of optical dissecting microscopes which is an option I looked into at first). Glad you were able to snag one of these cheap on the secondary market. A brief look at the specs for this brand of scopes alludes to extended depth of field and extended dynamic range capabilities (likely through software). I'm wondering if the Dino-lite is capable of adjusting the focal plane and/or the exposure through software control to automate making extended DOF or HDR photos or if you have to manually adjust the settings to create a stack of photos for the software to assemble them into a single image?

 

The Helicon focus stacking software I purchased is capable of controlling my DSLR camera to automate the image capture of a stack of photos adjusting the focal plane of the lens one step at a time. The new scope that I'm using (primarily to aid picking micro-matrix by connecting the HDMI output to a large flat screen monitor) is manually focused and so I have to adjust the focal plane between exposures before feeding the stack of images to my Helicon software for merging into an extended DOF composite. For reference, this is the scope I'm currently using (about 1/4 the price of a brand new Dino-lite):

 

http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/95821-optimizing-my-search-technique-for-picking-fine-micro-matrix/

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

 

P.S.: What is the tiny tooth imaged above? Looks almost like a skate tooth. Also, try imaging on a neutral gray piece of card stock paper and you may have better results with exposure and being able to set the white balance (with the neutral gray as a reference). ;)

 

 

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I can only speak about the model I have, but yes the EDOF and EDR are controlled by the software (website says on "Windows PC only"). Pause the cursor over either the EDOF or EDR icon for a stacking "preview", then click and it will take several pix and automatically stack them for a finished photo.

 

Yup, a skate tooth, Raja sp.

 

Thanks for the tips! I'm still learning the ins and outs of the Dino-Lite AND of photographing micros.

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2 hours ago, NCSTer said:

Pause the cursor over either the EDOF or EDR icon for a stacking "preview", then click and it will take several pix and automatically stack them for a finished photo.

Very nice to have that automated. Looks like this camera may be aimed at the industrial market or some other professional field and not so much for home users (given the price). The digital microscope & camera setup I'm using is targeted at the manufacturing and repair industry for inspecting and repairing electronics. Works spectacularly well for picking micro-matrix. :)

 

Raja sp. teeth with the very wide splayed roots are a very rare occurrence in the Cookiecutter Creek micro-matrix I pick through. I've found only a few of them in several years of picking.

 

 

Cheers.

 

-Ken

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