Microscope pictures! The cutting edge of technology.

[homebrewed]

I also got a little USB microscope for cheap. I had been hoping to use it with hand soldering/de-soldering surface mount components, but the slow frame rate drove me nuts. So it's relegated to inspection type jobs. I bought an optical stereo microscope that's much more user friendly for things like circuit board repair. I got it new from Amscope for about $300. That includes the stand, some adapter lenses to get higher or lower magnification and a ring light. It has a trinocular head so you could put a microscope camera on it. I have taken digital photos through an eyepiece but it's kind of fiddly to get everything set up properly -- centered, focused and filling the frame from corner to corner.

So, depending on your needs you may want to check the frame rate on the USB microscopes before you buy.

BTW, the photos of the inserts are really telling. Thanks for sharing them!

 

[nnam]

Great idea about microscope. Here is a photo of $0.5 insert using a regular microscope. A is hard to use a phone camera on it. By eye is easy. There are purple color dots on the edge. They are not dirt.



Another corner, very bad

 

[AGCB97]

Want to know why they say to wash your hands often while trying to heal a small cut on your hand? Take a look at an old (2 or 3 week) scab and you'll be surprised how fresh it looks. Just inviting infection!

Also test your shaver by placing the scope against your face.

As you can tell, I like to play with mine and seeing these things on my 47" monitor is almost scary.

Aaron

 

[shooter123456]

Hey Shooter,

Is there any indication of megapixel count on the camera?
I did NOT see it in the listing.

It did say:


The first one (1280x720) gives about 1 megapixel, but the second one (4032x3024) gives 12 megapixel.

Alternately, whats the range of file sizes produced, and file type?

Thanks
-brino

It lets you select between 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, and 12 megapixel. The ones I captured were in the default 1 megapixel setting and came through as 1280x720 JPG files.

 

[shooter123456]

I also got a little USB microscope for cheap. I had been hoping to use it with hand soldering/de-soldering surface mount components, but the slow frame rate drove me nuts. So it's relegated to inspection type jobs. I bought an optical stereo microscope that's much more user friendly for things like circuit board repair. I got it new from Amscope for about $300. That includes the stand, some adapter lenses to get higher or lower magnification and a ring light. It has a trinocular head so you could put a microscope camera on it. I have taken digital photos through an eyepiece but it's kind of fiddly to get everything set up properly -- centered, focused and filling the frame from corner to corner.

So, depending on your needs you may want to check the frame rate on the USB microscopes before you buy.

BTW, the photos of the inserts are really telling. Thanks for sharing them!

I noticed something similar about the frame rate. When connected to the computer through the USB cable using the computers on board camera software (as if the microscope was a webcam), there is a bit of a delay and the frame rate is pretty slow. When using the attached screen with no computer attached, it appears as real time with no frame rate issues.

I have also had the same troubles with a regular microscope. Taking pictures through the lens is always a challenge and they rarely turned out well for me.

 

[homebrewed]

When using the attached screen with no computer attached, it appears as real time with no frame rate issues.

THAT is really good to know. The microscope I got has no built-in screen so the only option is the slow USB interface. It sounds like it's worthwhile to spring for the extra $ and get a unit with an integrated display.

 

[macardoso]

Interesting that some of the pictures of the coated inserts show chips that were then coated. This really looks like chips from the grinding process, not handling or shipping.

 

[ptsmith]

Add me to the cheapo list. I also bought 2 of the cheap ones off of ebay to use my grand kids. 1000x and 1600x. They work surprisingly well.

I didn't buy them for me and didn't even think to use them to check out cutting tools. These pics are very interesting. I'll have to give it a go myself!

 

[vecair]

Thats super interesting and many thanks for posting your research. I too have a 2" and 4" face mill from you know who I just can't bring myself to put $120 worth of super inserts on the 4" when I get a pretty good finish with 2 buck ones. Just hard to justify in the garage. I suppose in the long run the better inserts do pay off. Thanks again for your photos very enlightening.