Aven 26700-300 ZipScope USB Digital Microscope with 2 Mega-Pixel 10x-50x Optical, 200x Digital Magnification

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Price: $90.00    

Product Feature

• 2.0 megapixel digital tabletop microscope with 1/2" color complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor
• Includes USB 2.0 computer output to display images or video
• Optical magnification of 10X to 50X, and digital magnification of 200X
• 8 built-in, white LED lights with two-step intensity control for illumination, automatic white balance, and the ability to be turned on and off
• Included software produces images (JPEG or BMP formats) or video (AVI format)

Product Description

The Aven 26700-300 zipScope is a tabletop, 2.0 megapixel digital microscope that has a USB interface, eight white LED lights with two intensity settings, a snapshot button for image capture, optical magnification of 10X to 50X, and digital magnification of 200X. This digital microscope enhances the resolution of an object or image, and connects to a computer for image display. It is commonly used for quality control (QC) inspection, medical and scientific research, geology, mineralogy, chemistry, and for printing and textile inspection.

This microscope has an adjustable magnification of 10X to 50X, and comes in an all-in-one, compact lens. A 1/2” complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) color image sensor manages noise reduction and image quality. The microscope has a shutter speed of 1 second to 1/1000 of a second. The frame rate is 30 frames per second (FPS) at 2.0 megapixels. The zipScope uses eight white LED lights with two intensity settings to control illumination. The microscope has automatic white balance to control brightness, and automatic exposure. A snapshot trigger captures images, and the microscope outputs images or video to a PC. A large, manual focus wheel adjusts focus in a 10 to 500 mm range. The microscope body has a rubberized, anti-slip coating for durability. Included software has image (JPEG and BMP) and video (AVI) capture functions. The microscope comes with an adjustable metal stand that includes height and angle adjustment.

Specifications

Optical magnification	10X to 50X
Digital magnification	200X
Image sensor	0.50” color CMOS
Effective pixels	2.0 mega-pixels (M)
Illumination	8 white LED lights with two intensity settings
Shutter speed	1 second to 0.001 (1/1000) of a second
Frame rate	30fps, 15 fps at 1.3 M
White balance	Automatic
Snap shot mode	Hardware and software controllable
Focus range	Manual, 10mm to 500mm
Frame rate	30fps, 15 fps at 1.3 M
Operating system	Microsoft Windows XP, Windows XP SP2, Windows Vista, and Windows 7
Formats produced	Images (JPEG or BMP formats) or video (AVI format)
Power source	5 VDC through 2.0 USB port
Power consumption	110-volt
Overall dimensions	19.7 x 6.7 x 8.6 cm / 7.75 x 2.625 x 3.375 inches (H x W x D)
Weight	0.294835 kilograms (0.65 lb.)

*(H is height, the vertical distance from the lowest to highest point; W is width, the horizontal distance from left to right; D is depth, the horizontal distance from front to back.)

Microscopes are instruments used to enhance the resolution of an object or image. Types include compound, stereo, or digital. Compound microscopes use a compound optical system with an objective lens and an eyepiece. Stereo microscopes show object depth in a three-dimensional image. Digital microscopes are used to display an image on a monitor, rather than looking through a lens. Microscopes can have monocular (one), binocular (two), or trinocular (three) eyepieces, with varying magnification abilities. Magnification ability refers to the size of an image. Resolution, also known as resolvant power, refers to the clarity of the image. The interaction between field of view (FOV), numerical aperture (NA), and working distance (WD) determines resolution. Microscopes can control magnification through a fixed focus, or through a range of adjustments. They can also utilize LED, fluorescent, and mirror light sources to help control viewing capabilities. Microscopes are widely used in education, lab research, biology, metallurgy, engineering, chemistry, manufacturing, and in the medical, forensic science, and veterinary industries.

Aven manufactures optical inspection tools, precision tools, and bench accessories for industrial, scientific, and research applications. The company was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Ann Arbor, MI.

What’s in the Box?

• 26700-300 zipScope microscope
• Adjustable metal stand
• Software
• Instructions

Aven 26700-300 ZipScope USB Digital Microscope with 2 Mega-Pixel 10x-50x Optical, 200x Digital Magnification Review

Length:: 0:49 Mins

The video might be enough to convince you. But please read this extended review for all the details. Every one of the images in the video was captured with THIS microscope camera.

EDIT: Please see W. Nicholls review for more current information on software and a solution for the weak stand! We've both found that the stand is okay for very basic use, but leaves a lot to be desired. The software is the same way, but there are several excellent freeware alternatives available.

I am an IT professional for a major police department. I specialize in video enhancement and conversion. I ordered this for my Mom, who collects and sells antique buttons. Because of my Prime Membership, and because I would be the one installing this for my parents (naturally), I had it shipped to my place. When the package came in, I couldn't resist opening it and trying it out on my system. There are a few things that I didn't like, but more that I did like. First, the stand is stable enough, but not rock-solid steady like a tripod. Specifically, the stand itself appears to be very sturdy stainless steel, although the arms holding the camera are plastic. The software included (for my Win7x64 system) is actually a very basic Microsoft program, so don't expect a custom application. That's okay, though. It gets the job done, and I had no problems with program or driver installation. The magic is in the scope itself.

The grippy rubber surrounding the unit helps with positioning, especially when you are using it in a hand-held photo/video shoot. The focus ring might be a little tough at each of the extreme ends, but is otherwise very smooth and easy to adjust.

I was able to grab several very high quality images right off the bat. I used a twenty dollar bill as a test subject. I was able to zoom in so much that the ultra-tiny "USA 20" shadows under the right-side text were clearly visible, yet I was also able to zoom out enough to capture almost the entire bill. Going further, I captured an entire US Quarter at about a half-screen size, and was able to zoom in so close that I the screen was filled with only 3 grooves of the 119 grooves around the edge of the quarter. That's pretty impressive. In fact, that is a HUGE range of magnification. Ask your photographer friends. They will confirm this.

The software was a piece of cake to install (Win 7 x64), although I had to use my other computer to copy the mini-CD to a regular CD. My second computer has a tray-load CD drive, while the system I wanted to use it on has a "suck-load" (ie slot-load) CD drive. This program/driver package is NOT available on the manufacturer's website, and the mini-CD is not labeled, but it's really a minor problem. If you use any other webcam or video capture program, this camera will work with them as well. Also, any other webcams you have will work with this software for effortless still and video capture.

Overall, the stand is nice and stable, provided you really crank down the screw (which still allows for some forceful movement but still keeps the camera in place), but the arms that hold the camera are a little weak. This is a tiny weakness that can be easily overcome by adjusting from the bracket instead of grabbing the camera itself. If you won't be using the very wide range of zoom/focus levels, this will NOT be a problem for you. The best way to operate this camera is by moving the object instead of the camera. My mother just wants a little visual aid in identifying manufacturing marks on antique clothing buttons. For her, I set up the focus and camera angle, and she hasn't touched it in several weeks of examining antique buttons. She just moves the buttons around beneath the lens.

The LED lights are very good. Even with the rest of my household lights turned off, the built-in LEDs had enough power to provide plenty of bright light for proper exposure. At some zoom/focus levels, I even had to move the switch to the "half-led" position to prevent washout.

The zoom/focus range is incredible. To make it clear, please understand that "zooming" means moving the camera away from the object and adjusting the focus, but I was really impressed with the incredibly wide range of zoom/focus on this system. I got great pictures in the range from less than 1/10 of an inch all the way to 6 inches+ away from the subject. To give this some context, I should remind you that I got a picture of a US Quarter that took up 1/2 the frame, then "zoomed in" (aka moved closer and adjusted focus) so that I had a shot of only 3 of the 119 ridges on the edge of the coin. Both shots provided great detail, and the 2 MP resolution was a pleasant surprise. At 1280x1024, it isn't quite true HD, but provides a very good image.

Because the cradle that holds the camera is a little weak, you might need to push the "shutter" button a few times to get a clear shot, but this is a very minor inconvenience, and doesn't cause any software or storage problems, since you only save the image when you're happy with the result. A typical shot was just under 1 MB in size, and only took two to three attempts to get one without blur. That probably sounds terrible in a review, but I want to emphasize that it is really easy to get a nice clear shot. Just press the camera-mounted shutter button a couple of times until your image is nice and crisp. This works reliably even when holding the object and camera in each hand.

Overall, I can say this. I would love to have one of the four hundred dollar super precise professional forensics lab-type USB microscopes, but for anything less than a couple hundred bucks, this is the best of the bunch. I loved it so much that I ordered one for myself. I am not a professional, but I am a very good amateur. You can see some of my close-up my videos by looking for "SloMoHolic" on a very popular video sharing website that starts with "You" and ends with "Tube", taken with non-microscope professional equipment :-). Hopefully you will see actual ZipScope footage very soon!

Have fun and explore things you've never seen before. There are a lot of options out there, and I have researched them all (although I have not tried them all). This particular model seems to be the best option for anyone who is not in a forensics lab, that wants to have high-quality still and video imagery, with a very wide range of focus/zoom. I hope my review helps you make your decision.

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