I have finally saved up enough to get a coin cam/microscope, so I look on ebay. If I type "USB Micro" in the search box on their homepage, I get many choices, but I'll use the "200x usb micro/cam with stand and software" to illustrate. So search from their homepage and I get prices from$24.99-$50. Then if I type the same thing in the coin and collections search bar, I get the SAME product offered for no less than $139.99. both are either 1.3, or 2.0 mega pixels with the same accessories. thoughts?
First of all, I don't use a USB microscope. I have a traditional stereomicroscope. However, there are two issues that you should take into consideration when purchasing any microscope to use for photographing coins. Magnification - There are products in the marketplace that tout the ability to magnify from 40-200x, but you should be aware that many do not allow the ability to zoom between variable magnifications. Let's say that 200x is too much, and 40x is not enough. You have no way to adjust to, say 100x. You might find this to be very common on less expensive products, but if you had done a little more research and/or spent a little more money, you may find a product which allows you to vary the magnification between the minimum and maximum to produce the best photo for your needs. What is the point of buying a cheaper model only to discover that you've wasted the money and rarely use it. Megapixels - From viewing so many of the enlargements of close-up photos posted here and on other sites, I wouldn't recommend any microscope that didn't have a minimum of 5 megapixel capability, and 7-10 megapixels would be even better. The problem you'll probably encounter with microscopes with less than 5 MP is that when you want to enlarge a photo, it becomes blurred or grainy, often making it useless for examination. Chris
