I need a good camera to take pics. I am tired of trying to make my general camera do this special use function. I think a USB microscope would work best. Here are a few that seem good to me, but I have learned enough to know that you guys know a lot more than me. Which one do you like best or is there a different one you would recommend? http://www.ebay.com/itm/330672697616?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649 http://www.ebay.com/itm/400433543387?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649 http://www.ebay.com/itm/290929536087?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649 http://www.ebay.com/itm/271215024757?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649
Your last link looks like the one I purchased from Lighthouse. I also got a better stand than the one pictured. But for the money, it seems like a good bet. The last one is the one I would choose and it does offer good value. Just research the seller's feedback. I genrally like the camera and it works well with my Mac Pro laptop. The only criticism I have is that it's sometimes difficult to get the colors to come out on toned coins. There's a internal light source on the camera that is a bright whitish light that really shows details well but also can wash out subtle colors. Ultimately, for excellent photos, I think a regular digital camera with lighting system is the best way to to present the coins, but we're talking in excess of $500 for such a setup. So I would just get this cheap one and practice with it first. Use it to get started selling on eBay, like me, and get some practice. I've generally had good luck, especially with raw coins. But I can't get the outstanding pictures I see on some sellers who obviously have better camera setups. But then again, I'm never going to be one of those guys who put up fuzzy photos either. In the end, you get what you pay for. The last choice offers good value. If you like, you can look up my name on eBay, moonbirdy, and see the pictures I've put up using that camera.
I just bought a "USB Microscope - 5.0 Megapixel / 220x magnification / 8 LEDs" from adafruit.com The bottom line is, it work's but there are some challenges. I bought it because it was one of the few with Windows 7 64 bit drivers and it claimed to be 5mb pics. Initial challenge is that the dvd driver is half size and I wouldnt' go in my all in one DVD where you slide it in rather than pull out a dvd tray. I ended up having to copy the dvd to an external drive and load from there. The major problem though, is that it works great for everything except coins. They just reflect the light far to much and you get a shiny UFO kind of image. Average image size is about 700k. I also have a problem when I connect it up that it for some reason takes about 200 pics to start with... Pros: Fairly adjustable, stand works ok, light adjuster Cons: Sensitive to which USB port you use (otherwise wont find it) manual focus, not great pics. An example pic below taken just a minute ago of a coin and a memory dimm to demonstrate the reflectivity. Summary, I think they might be good for close inspection of coins, not so sure about pictures.
I personally didn't want to be tied down to a laptop or desktop as I have many friends and friends of friends who find coins and want to know what it is, what it's worth, is it unc. etc. So I opted for one from bestbuy it's a SD card (up to 16GB) based microscope camera that also has a flash memory of 128MB. It has it's own light source. Only two downsides for me at least are it most of the time operates only as 3 megapixel camera and the AA batteries (only when using the led lighting) drain quick so I would invest in some rechargables. 3.5 normal zoom which when in digital zoom goes to 3.5 times 54 or something like that. Just another option to consider if you are looking to take it to shows or on the go like I do. I got mine for $24 they were on sale plus I had bestbuy rewards to use up. I had seen another one of these SD portable one's but it would have to ship from china and cost like $54 you can usually find them on a ebay search for microscope cameras as even another option. http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Portabl...=5360358&st=microscope&cp=1&lp=6#tab=overview
Can you elaborate? I haven't heard of this. What do you mean by "cut in half"? Photos will be half size? Half as many free listings? Something else?
Here is the USB Microscope I got for Christmas. http://www.wayfair.com/Celestron-De...104&device=c&gclid=CPfSwPfjirgCFclDMgodIhIAFA Inexpensive and a 150x zoom is perfect for my needs. Here are some shots using it.
I have a digiscope 2 mega pixel one, for $26.00 plus shipping I find it was worth the money takes decent photo's haven't had time to modify the new stand to hold it. as in addition to the coins I have other things that it will help with meteorites, rocks, and minerals, tokens and other small items. I am happy with mine. I also use an app for the I phone 5 camera that has a built in zoom/maginfer called camera+ does a nice job and you can just save to your camera roll or photo stream. http://campl.us/ is the web site it also does a lot of other stuff that you can use on regular photo's this works great for coins also but needs some kind of stand to work better. It is called camera+ I have a couple ideas for a more user friendly stand, but that's a winter shop job. I came across this unit a Celestron LCD handheld Digital microscope. It is more money than some of the others one out there. But the best part it is a stand alone microscope with a 2.4” screen. Takes still and video it also does have a SD card slot, conflicting max card size from 8gb to 16gb since I only have a 2gb handy will have to get a new one. http://www.adorama.com/CNMSLCDH.html#reviews is the site and I have put a review there. I have found a couple more things that for some may be in the con list, but I still would give it the 4 stars. The battery door opens if you move your fingers while holding it! Unless you have photo handling software, you will have to make sure that you delete the photos from the card after downloading them. It does come with a usb cord and you don't need an extra SD card memory. It takes good photo's and video, even though I don't know how much video I will be taking. Another minor drawback is you can't use it will hooked up to the computer. But the fact that it uses 2 AA batteries, and it is portable you can take it with you and use it at the coin or stamp shop, since it has lights, It does clarify some things that the mylar holders hide. You do need to have the unit lifted from the surface if you want the Whole item like a coin or stamp in frame. I haven't had time to work on a lift block yet, but a couple to 3 Altoids tins get you in the neighborhood. about 1½"-2" high works well.
Celestron 44302 Deluxe Handheld Digital Microscope 2MP http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Celestr...47?pt=Educational_Toys_US&hash=item5d3ae3e87f I would go with this one, at time it can be hard to focus but it’s very cheap. Here some photos I have taken with it.
Here are a few die cracks on an 1866 IHC I took with a cheap ($34) handheld scope (similar to your #4). It just takes static photos, lighting/depth of field are challenging, there's no measurement software, and is difficult to focus. However, once you get past all that, it's certainly worth the money. It convinced me to stop messing around and get a really nice Dino-lite setup (later this year). The video guy (below) is boring and he doesn't show the product off very well (imo). I tired their products at the Baltimore show last year and really liked it...especially the measurement and documentation software. It's pricey, though. A nice set up goes for $700-$800 (computer not included, of course). The set up is very portable. If I were a Dealer selling high-end merchandise, I would definitely have one of these at my table. [video=youtube_share;UkaVl9EKYYI]http://youtu.be/UkaVl9EKYYI[/video]
In the bullion business, 99.99% is worth more than 90% silver than 40% silver, than 10% silver due just to the facts of the amount of silver. With cameras, it is the resolution. The days of 1.3, 2, 3, even 5 mpixels has past. The USB microscopes generally have plastic lens, and the magnification is generated "digitally" by taking the original 2mp image and cropping it ( less original pixels) and then digitally magnifying it by adding similar adjacent pixels so it doesn't pixelate. SO a magnified blur is just a larger magnified "somewhat" fake blur, but it isn't a true image of what it is. The extended focus Dinolite ( close to $400) is a high quality unit, but still is outdone by a classical stereo microscope of the type here http://www.ebay.com/itm/BAUSCH-LOMB...055?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c3415c467 and by using a "canon point and shoot" 12 mp with macro and Image stabilization, and a steady hand, shooting through an eyepiece, you can do many times better than even the Dino-lite. You can extend focus and coverage range immensely, and after searching coins for decades, eyes get the need of help, and these help me to continue. I have 3 with various setups for gemstones to coins to stamps, etc. It may cost a little more in the beginning, but when I divide my original cost ( all are college or industry surplus ) by the years of no problems, it costs much less than buying another USB scope when the computer OS no longer operates the software. The photos above are better than the average, but it is easy to see the fake pixelation and the fuzzy edges that can only be corrected with photoshop type of programs that are not looked on favorable. Before you buy ANY USB microscope consider a stereozoom microscope as you will eventually be disappointed with the USB. Yes, I have one and it has been in a box for 2 years now. IMO. Jim
I would defer to Desertgem as he has the experience. I'm like you...pretty new to the various types of scopes. I have a nice 15MP Canon cameras set up...but it's a real pain to use for coins and it had way more resolution than I need. I was looking for something that provided "acceptable" results, but made the transfer of images to computer much easier. The cheap USB set up I tried first makes it much easier to create the pictures right on the computer, but it's still a pain to work with and the results were less than I had hoped...although, better than I expected. Ultimately, my computer is the final destination for my pictures. I like to just point/click and let the computer make the measurements and annotate the images. I like it to be portable and display on the computer screen so multiple people can view an image at the same time. I like it to be video capable so you can move the coin around without losing it (or if I want to use it for things other than coins...such as bugs). I would also like it to have both an auto-focus as well as manual focus. Those are features that are important to me... Once you investigate what's out there, you should make a prioritized list of features that are most important to you...based on how you plan to use it. As Desertgem points out, 99.99% silver is worth more than 40% and so on. If you want the "best of the best" (glass lenses, 3-D imaging, large DoF, high resolution, video, etc) it's going to cost money. Since I'm just a hobbyist, I try for the "best of the best" then optimize on my priorities...as the dollar amount exceeds my budget (or desire to mess with it).
Since Yakpoo brought up cameras and his modus operandi, I thought I might share a thought on that. I am rather like him in that photos I take these days are mainly for send to friends or photobucket, etc. I found that amazon has a camera ( so do other sources) the Samsung nx1000, a mirrorless exchangeable lenses, wifi connectable 20 mp camera for about $300. I was interested in that adapters are available that I can use my Konica AR lens from my obsolete 35mm SLR film cameras, including my bellows, lens, etc. and it will send the photos to my computer network , and if I want, various social medias and they claim also photobucket. They have a new nx1100 for more, but this seems it would fulfill my needs. http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-NX1000-20-3MP-Digital-20-50mm/dp/B007XJG4F6
