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TOMLOV Digital Microscope? Any one use one?


JamieLynn

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howdy! Does anyone have the TOMLOV 7" LCD DIgital microscope?  

For Reference : https://www.amazon.com/TOMLOV-Microscope-Magnification-Ultra-Precise-Compatible/dp/B08G4Y6C65/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=TOMLOV&qid=1612988067&sr=8-4

 

If so, how do you like it? I'm looking for something that can get a little closer and clearer photos of specimens smaller than 1/8 inch.  I have the Celestron Digital Pro (with a  5MP camera and it's pretty good, but I want something a little bit better but there seems to be a big "price gap" from around $100  then nothing till over $300. I wanted to stay around $200 if you have any other microscope camera suggestions. 

Thanks y'all!! 

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4 hours ago, JamieLynn said:

howdy! Does anyone have the TOMLOV 7" LCD DIgital microscope?  

For Reference : https://www.amazon.com/TOMLOV-Microscope-Magnification-Ultra-Precise-Compatible/dp/B08G4Y6C65/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=TOMLOV&qid=1612988067&sr=8-4

 

If so, how do you like it? I'm looking for something that can get a little closer and clearer photos of specimens smaller than 1/8 inch.  I have the Celestron Digital Pro (with a  5MP camera and it's pretty good, but I want something a little bit better but there seems to be a big "price gap" from around $100  then nothing till over $300. I wanted to stay around $200 if you have any other microscope camera suggestions. 

Thanks y'all!! 

Avoid it like the plague. It is not nearly as good as they claim. Image quality on consumer grade digital scopes is always garbage. Always.

Really avoid anything with Motic cameras...they are the worst on the market.

 

I mean, it will work, but your Celestron will take better pictures. Also, be wary of any 'scope manufacturer (exceptions: Zeiss, Nikon, Leica, and Olympus pro grade thousands of dollars types) that includes a tablet/LCD display.

 

I hate to say it, but it if you are serious about microphotography, expect to pay around 300USD to get a decent entry level scope and up to 500USD to find a scope/camera combo new.

 

 

I am a big fan of AMScope and Swift. Both are good quality for fair prices and range from mild to wild.

 

Personally, I use a Swift M29TZ with a trinocular mounted Canon DSLR on almost a daily basis. I also have a few pro grade microscope specific cameras (AmScope, Lieca, and a few others depending on the application- video, wifi connectivity, 4K, HD, streaming. etc)

 

Image result for Swift M29TZ

 

 

I outfitted all our labs with Swift SM105s a few years back, and then added GoSky universal smartphone eyepiece adapters to each kit since all students have a mobile with a wicked good camera these days. These can be had for around 150USD if you shop a bit.

Image result for swift SM105 stereo microscope

 

Now, the good news is that there is nothing wrong with buying used scopes...and a certain electronic body of water has some great new and used options for really great prices. As a collector of microscopes, I have gotten great deals both for myself and my employer by buying used scopes, and then paying the local microscope cleaner to give them a once over. I am also known to have purchased half a dozen "broken/parts only" scopes for pennies on the dollar of an auction site and pieced together a wicked good scope. this was back in my starving student days when my Uni had pure junk for labs and equipment.

 

 

Here is some examples (this worm is about 1.6mm long)

Motic Camera and Software on a made in Chine Fisher Scientific branded stereo scope with LED lighting:

image.png.fc5c9e9c11d707399a3c190463229396.png

 

Same species on the swift in darkfield mode, with the 10MP AmScope Camera- in this case a stil frame from a video:

(NOTE: the worm is out of focus as the subject is the live juvenile inside the adult. Do you see it?...bragging here but this is one of the very first photos of a platyhelminth livebearer)

 

1st photo of live bearing behavior.png

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I have some phot examples of various scopes and cameras with fossil photos, but it appears they are on one of my work computers.

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Heya JamieLynn! I have a similar scope. Not exactly like the one you linked, but close.

 

The good...

It will take OK photos of things up close. Are they as good as a true microscope? Not by a long shot, but it will at least take a good enough picture to see what is going on.

 

Mine will link to my phone wirelessly or to my computer via USB. Allowing for a bit of flexibility in its use. There is an app for it.

 

The stand allows for a little better stability. Especially when compared to the dirt cheap ones out there.

 

It will capture video and images.

 

They are cheap.

 

The bad...

It only takes OK pictures. I agree with LabRatKing. If you are wanting to take good pictures get something else. 


Like all of these cheaper digital scopes the zoom is changed by the distance of the lens from the object, so to really get an up close view, the camera will pretty much be touching the specimen.

 

The focus is very sensitive and finicky. Many times I just can’t get it to focus on the area I want to view. 
 

They are cheap.

 


Overall...

If you have the money to spend (or could have it with a bit more saving), I’d get a real microscope. These things are cheap for a reason. They will look at things up close and can take pictures, but are like comparing apples to oranges when pitted against a real scope.

 

If you don’t have the money, they will take pictures of things up close, but don’t expect to hang it on a wall! I think most will do between 2-5 Megapixels. For comparison, my phone camera is 12 Megapixels and I’m a couple of phone versions behind (iPhone 10S). I also wouldn’t spend much on them. Mine was a gift, but I think it was purchased on sale. I wouldn’t spend more than $50 USD at most and you are likely to find one for much cheaper than that. The more expensive ones are the same camera but with a few extra gizmos like bendy lights. 

 

Here is the one that I have. Sorry for the bad pic. It’s after midnight here, and I’m sleepy. Hope I helped. Good night! :) 

 

B106F202-FBA1-4D8D-86D0-0F70CDA678E5.thumb.jpeg.861c3cb36b92c01798c900304d561930.jpeg 

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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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GoSky universal smartphone eyepiece adapters? I tried holding my LG smart phone to a microscope eye piece, with out much luck, or am I doing something wrong? Amscope has them in stock on their website. 

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13 hours ago, Bob Saunders said:

GoSky universal smartphone eyepiece adapters? I tried holding my LG smart phone to a microscope eye piece, with out much luck, or am I doing something wrong? Amscope has them in stock on their website. 

There are any number of microscope smartphone adapters available. Most are pretty lousy.

 

The Best, like GoSky and Celestron allow one to remove one of the scopes eyepieces and install the phone in its place. They also have inttermediate lenses installed to compensate for parralax created by differing distances through out the sight channel.

 

Image result for how a microscope works

 

With some monocular scopes in the past, you could hold your late model, single aperture phone up to the eyepiece and get an image, but it appears in a circle surround by black. (You are actually just getting a photo of the projector lens with an image in it)

 

Since the advent of dual and triplicate input LIDAR and IRDAR based autofocus in the last two years, this is nearly impossible to do and get a "good" image, hence why an adapter is important.

Image result for smart phone microscope adapter

 

As you can see in this image, an older version of the GoSky with a single aperture phone "plugs in" where the ocular lens normally rests.

 

This is highly overpriced "pro" multi aperture phone adapter designed for use with stereoscopes. But notice it has the corrective lens built in.

LabCam_Content-5_2048x.jpg?v=1553878427

 

Another advantage of using a smartphone adapter on a stereoscope is it allows ANYONE to easily make stereoscopic images of their microphotos like this one:

 

Image result for stereoscopic photos fossil

Stare at a point in the middle of the twin photos, let your eyes cross, and adjust your distance from the image, takes practice, but then you get 3D views!

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There are anumber of actual microscope attachements for smartphones that are useful for fossils. They have about the same magnification ranges as a good stereoscope, and make it pretty easy to get nice macrophotos. We have a few different brands we use in the field for non-fossil imaging, but they are highly variable in quality of image...and some cost just as much as a good consumer grade scope.

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I ordered the one show from Amscope this morning. The one that you show has an extension to go inside the eye piece tube. Black with the phone showing the image. Got a notice it has been shipped. Perhaps I need the one that you show, I will try it first and I have other devises I can try it on, like my Nikon WX proof binocular.   

mobile-mount-ad-tmd-01.jpg

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The camera on my Motic microscope puts out a slightly fuzzy image to a TV/monitor. Although I bought it used with no software. The optics seem very good, and it came from a lab so I do not know if they were special ordered with it. I know a lady that has several USB scopes like you mention and say's all are not suitable for her needs. Although she is still looking to buy a microscope that will her to identify mushroom spores to I'd exactly what type they are.  

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5 hours ago, JamieLynn said:

Thanks @FossilNerd - your review was very helpful! 

Glad I could help. :) 

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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2 hours ago, Bob Saunders said:

The camera on my Motic microscope puts out a slightly fuzzy image to a TV/monitor. Although I bought it used with no software. The optics seem very good, and it came from a lab so I do not know if they were special ordered with it. I know a lady that has several USB scopes like you mention and say's all are not suitable for her needs. Although she is still looking to buy a microscope that will her to identify mushroom spores to I'd exactly what type they are.  

 For spores, microfossils and such one will need a compound scope with high power. A stereoscope won't do the job very well.

Likely at least 4  plano objectives from 40x to 100x and a set of both 10x and 20-25x oculars. These sorts of scopes are often sold as "clinical lab scopes" or "college scopes".

 

I like to buy older compound scopes for pennies that are missing the objectives, then spring the real cash on Zeiss or Leica lenses. can get a 3k USD scope for under 200USD that way.

There is no motic software anymore, however there is a Google Chrome app that works OK.

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/moticonnect/bjgaebedopceccaeilcggifflldliobf?hl=en

I warn you, much like their cameras, it is a bit wonky and has no instructions for use....haha

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20 hours ago, JamieLynn said:

@LabRatKing  Thanks for the feedback! I will keep looking....

Found a deal for you!

All you need to add is either a 'scope camera with eyepiece adapter or a smartphone adaptor and you are in good shape. I personally own this exact scope (2017 model year) though I spent 10$ on the electronic body of water for an LED conversion module as those halogen bulbs can be hard to get.

 

https://www.amscope.com/40x-80x-student-binocular-stereo-microscope-with-dual-lights.html?gclsrc=ds

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4 hours ago, Bob Saunders said:

I ordered the one show from Amscope this morning. The one that you show has an extension to go inside the eye piece tube. Black with the phone showing the image. Got a notice it has been shipped. Perhaps I need the one that you show, I will try it first and I have other devises I can try it on, like my Nikon WX proof binocular.   

mobile-mount-ad-tmd-01.jpg

 

This one should treat you well. Be advised, it will take a bit of adjustment to get the camera lined up with the ocular, but it will do well!

The type with the eyepiece tubes are a little bit more user friendly.

You may find you need to shut disable autofocus on your phone and use just the 'scopes' focus knobs to get a clear image with this one...which can be a bit tricky as it will be a different focus setting than your eyes would use. However since the phone acts as both camera and monitor, it is pretty easy all around!

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Another suggestion Ill make to folks following this topic is about wi-fi.

No matter the brand, there is a serious loss of resolution from scope cameras over wifi, I recommend avoiding wifi cameras as a result. Those that have USB and or Micro USB outputs are inexpensive and really good- you can hook them up to any device (PC, Mac, all smartphones except iPhone, and my favorite method- to any microUSB equipped tablet. I find the really cheap off brand tablets great for taking shots...and then sharing them online with little extra effort.

 

Last but not least, if you are handy with the black spray paint, PVC pipe and hot glue gun...you can MAKE really good microscope cameras out of web cams. I used to do this when I was a student living off ramen and warm store brand soda. A bit of googling will show you methods for doing this for just about every brand of web cam, if you don't mind voiding the warranty.

 

here is a video I made nearly a decade ago using a scope built from parts bought on the electronic body of water and a hacked up thrift store web/pocket cam cam...entire cost to build that monstrosity was 40$

(mind you this was 9 years ago, so vid isnt up to modern standards and my then teenage son insisted on doing the music)

 

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6 hours ago, LabRatKing said:

Stare at a point in the middle of the twin photos, let your eyes cross, and adjust your distance from the image, takes practice, but then you get 3D views!

Oh! Wow! It worked! That’s cool!

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Just now, Randyw said:

Oh! Wow! It worked! That’s cool!

Hey there "neighbor"!

 

There are tons of trilobite papers on the web that use that technique...makes it really easy to see details lost in 2D.

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 I was a student living off ramen. Some inmates make pizzas with ramen. The one you show with the tube is available thru Amazon. New in 2019. Amscope does not sell it. I have two Amazon Kindle Fire tablets but have not tried a cord from device to USB 3c  on them. I suspect an IPAD is the way to go. They write that you can take the lens from  lazier pointer and tape it to a smart phone and do micros. I tried an app to make your tablet a microscope, didn't seem to work good for me.  

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40 minutes ago, Bob Saunders said:

 I was a student living off ramen. Some inmates make pizzas with ramen. The one you show with the tube is available thru Amazon. New in 2019. Amscope does not sell it. I have two Amazon Kindle Fire tablets but have not tried a cord from device to USB 3c  on them. I suspect an IPAD is the way to go. They write that you can take the lens from  lazier pointer and tape it to a smart phone and do micros. I tried an app to make your tablet a microscope, didn't seem to work good for me.  

Yeah, there are a number of hack your phone/tablet into a microscope, most are not worth the effort for the sort of stuff we do with fossils (glass beads, CD fresnel lenses, laser pointer optics, etc) at best you will get 2x-10x which isnt any better than holding the phone up to a hand lense or pair of old bifocals.

 

I have used both amscope and motic with microusb on Kindle Fires with no issue. In fact the tablets motic sells with their cameras are unbranded Fires with a cheap version of Android on them.

Though these days, I don't see a motic app on the 'zon appstore anymore.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 2/11/2021 at 3:49 PM, Bob Saunders said:

I ordered the one show from Amscope this morning. The one that you show has an extension to go inside the eye piece tube. Black with the phone showing the image. Got a notice it has been shipped. Perhaps I need the one that you show, I will try it first and I have other devises I can try it on, like my Nikon WX proof binocular.   

mobile-mount-ad-tmd-01.jpg

first pictures using the GoSky and my cell phone. Motic scope at 100X and phone zoomed to 3X.  Not sure what that makes it 130 X? objective to specimen approx. 3 5/8th inch. 

20210222_131725.jpg

20210222_131759.jpg

20210222_132037.jpg

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34 minutes ago, Bob Saunders said:

first pictures using the GoSky and my cell phone. Motic scope at 100X and phone zoomed to 3X.  Not sure what that makes it 130 X? objective to specimen approx. 3 5/8th inch. 

20210222_131725.jpg

20210222_131759.jpg

20210222_132037.jpg

Looking gooooood!

 

It is 130x as the objective is 100x, the ocular is 10x and the digital zoom is 3x. So in microscope math: Zoom times Ocular plus Objective equals total magnification [100+(10x3)]=Tmag

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On 2/11/2021 at 8:42 PM, LabRatKing said:

Yeah, there are a number of hack your phone/tablet into a microscope, most are not worth the effort for the sort of stuff we do with fossils (glass beads, CD fresnel lenses, laser pointer optics, etc) at best you will get 2x-10x which isnt any better than holding the phone up to a hand lense or pair of old bifocals.

 

I have used both amscope and motic with microusb on Kindle Fires with no issue. In fact the tablets motic sells with their cameras are unbranded Fires with a cheap version of Android on them.

Though these days, I don't see a motic app on the 'zon appstore anymore.

As I read it online to connect video out to a Fire tablet you may need the iConnect app or similar to use a a monitor? I did not find it at the app store. I realize they probably added the correct app to them when including with a USB scope. It also says that you cannot connect normally thru a USB-USB/C as they are output only. Maybe my devices have something already installed on the newest models? 

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2 hours ago, Bob Saunders said:

As I read it online to connect video out to a Fire tablet you may need the iConnect app or similar to use a a monitor? I did not find it at the app store. I realize they probably added the correct app to them when including with a USB scope. It also says that you cannot connect normally thru a USB-USB/C as they are output only. Maybe my devices have something already installed on the newest models? 

I dont know about iConnect, but for Motic cameras MotiConnect is an app on the Chrome store...it is all web based and runs through Chrome and Brave browsers. To connect, one has to do it via wifi- the camera itself has its own built in wifi, which your device should pick up. It is not in the instructions, but the default password is either 000000 or 123456 for the wifi connection. Should be a label on the Motic camera that gives the wifi name for that camera.

 

In hindsight, it works on my Fire as I have Chrome sideloaded on it, something that can be difficult to do as Fires only let you use their Silk browser by default.

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The tiny mite Gastropod at top left. 40 thousands. 0.004 in.   1.016 mm Motic with Phone at 4 X about 440 X  

Still not sure what type it is. 

20201230_164632.jpg

20210224_133042_HDR.jpg

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