I would appreciate your input on these two products. https://www.amazon.com/Microscope-Crenova-Digital-Magnifier-UM012C/dp/B012G28SLC/ https://www.amazon.com/Microscope-Adjustable-Collections-Inspection-Guaranteed/dp/B00PEZ3GMK I want to be in this price range. I'm not at all familiar with cameras and all the jargon confuses me. I'll be using it with a laptop (17" diagonal) with Windows 10. I want to study and photo my coin collection, post pics on sites like Cointalk or eBay, and just generally look more closely at coins for errors, etc. Any other model that would fit my needs would be welcome. Thanks.
I would wait until until you could afford a better scope. I've had mine for 15 plus years. I first bought cheap and sent it back as wasn't happy with results . Give Alan at coinzip.com a pm ask him about scopes. He's a pro at this sort of stuff.
@Browns Fan The first one (Crenova) doesn't list WIN10 compatibility nor does it look like it supplies a source of illumination (LED's). The second one has both. Chris
Why just a scope? Cheap point and shoots ,with macro capability, will afford you much the same results, when fitted with good post editing processing.
These are factors you should consider. However, what it *does* have is a 5MP sensor as opposed to the 2MP sensor of the other camera. This is of significant importance when one considers how fast and loose the term "magnification" is used with these things - the apparent magnification of your monitor is factored into the boast, as is "digital zoom" which is a useless software trick which not only adds no detail to what the sensor sees, but actively detracts from quality. Consider that a 5MP sensor produces images of almost 2000 vertical pixels. "1x" magnification - essentially no magnification at all - would therefore create an image measuring 18" wide on my 2560x1440 monitor, which is the physical size of a 2000px coin image measured with my tape to the monitor....at full size, I cannot even see the whole coin at once. On the other hand, 5MP requires correspondingly more accurate optics than 2MP would. $75 does not buy "accurate" optics unless applied towards a used high-quality lens for use with your existing dSLR camera. All this doesn't mean you won't get acceptable, usable results from either rig. Just don't expect "professional" results, and don't let anyone's blather about "magnification" interfere with your decision.
Dino light scope, and yes will agree with green18 a good point and shoot does a good job. But in the 15-20 years I've had my Dino I've been though 2 point and shoots. And the Dino still works great. I did buy a cheap one at first and returned it. After paying a tad bit more got the scope that works for me. Now also remember when I purchased mine they were new and cost more than they do now.
It could be taken one step further and include an inexpensive used mirrorless camera as an option. Camera "jargon" may seem confusing at first, but the extra effort it may take to understand is a drop in the bucket compared to the benefits offered above and beyond an inexpensive "scope". With some waiting/searching, a used Nex 3 or even 5 body can be had for not substantially more than the two options listed, and while it is, perhaps, not the perfect/ideal solution, would offer infinitely more possibilities and bang for the buck.
I found a post where the Coinzip guy was recommending a AM2111 with a MS35B stand at $99 each. Options galore!
Of course he's recommending a Dino-Lite; he sells them. That said, they are a major player in that category, and offer a product of higher quality than the generic brands. A Dino-Lite is worth a few bucks more than a generic scope with similar specs. Of course, they have models which reach well into and beyond the range where you can simply outclass the quality of their imagery with the capabilities of a cheap dSLR/lens combo, but they're worth looking into at a price point of $100 or less. One thing you need to research about any given scope is of it has the ability to capture a full-face image of a coin. Not all have fields of view that large, and some which do are well out of their competency at that point. Don't forget, you're talking about buying a microscope.
I hadn't visited the coinzip site so wasn't aware they sold these.I was responding to an earlier post suggesting that I contact him. Thank you all for your help. You guys are great resources!
Well, to be fair that's only one small aspect of who he is and what he's doing for the hobby; he's a good guy offering a decent product and I don't hesitate to recommend him if that's the way you choose to go. I am, to be fair, rather "elitist" about coin imaging, and have never been really able to get behind USB microscopes as a useful solution except at the very lowest end of the price range. Factor that if it seems I'm offering only faint praise.
