i picked up one of the ebay $20 direct from hong kong 200x usb microscopes. the thing works, and makes the faults in your honing inescapable. basically it's a webcam with a closeup lens. some observations:
the software that comes with it works, sort of. there are 2 applications- one is straightforward webcam software with an image grab function. the other is that, plus a simple graphics toolbox allowing you to mark up the image with dimensions and notes. all good, but it doesn't recognize the microscope. however, it is happy to mark up images made by the simpler webcam software, so really a small inconvenience. unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a way to get the markup program to allow dimensions below .001", about an order of magnitude too coarse for things like grading stones or measuring the deviation from straight of an edge honed at 3000 grit. the optics can do better than that- at 200x 1/10000" is 2.4 pixels across.
I spent some time looking for better software. this unit appears to be sold rebranded with various labels at prices varying from $60 or so up to $200 or so, mostly looking exactly like the one I bought. some of them use the same software, some use what appears to be somewhat customized versions of the same software, and some have what look like custom software. unfortunately, I could not get any of the alternate software to recognize the cam.
so, as an inspection scope it works just fine, but the markup functions are probably not going to be useful to me.
the base supplied with it seems to be designed for use with something flat that the unit is sitting on top of. keeping a razor in focus at 200x is a challenge. I am in process of building a base from parts salvaged from an antique overhead projector. the result should be satisfyingly steampunk.
the software that comes with it works, sort of. there are 2 applications- one is straightforward webcam software with an image grab function. the other is that, plus a simple graphics toolbox allowing you to mark up the image with dimensions and notes. all good, but it doesn't recognize the microscope. however, it is happy to mark up images made by the simpler webcam software, so really a small inconvenience. unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a way to get the markup program to allow dimensions below .001", about an order of magnitude too coarse for things like grading stones or measuring the deviation from straight of an edge honed at 3000 grit. the optics can do better than that- at 200x 1/10000" is 2.4 pixels across.
I spent some time looking for better software. this unit appears to be sold rebranded with various labels at prices varying from $60 or so up to $200 or so, mostly looking exactly like the one I bought. some of them use the same software, some use what appears to be somewhat customized versions of the same software, and some have what look like custom software. unfortunately, I could not get any of the alternate software to recognize the cam.
so, as an inspection scope it works just fine, but the markup functions are probably not going to be useful to me.
the base supplied with it seems to be designed for use with something flat that the unit is sitting on top of. keeping a razor in focus at 200x is a challenge. I am in process of building a base from parts salvaged from an antique overhead projector. the result should be satisfyingly steampunk.
