Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Dear OldHerper:

I just bought a "toy" meant for children but comments on the web leads me to believe it may have other uses, bought it at Comp USA for $30.00.

It is a digital microscope that you connect to your PC, maximum magnification is 200x.

If I wanted to take a picture of something for you to judge quality of immage/equipment, what would you recommend?

I thank you for your comments and advice.

Ben

I find this very interesting, especially if it is worthwhile. Of course it is the resolution that really matters, not the power. Try taking a pic of a letter in a newspaper, that should be worth testing.
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...the oldest task in human history: to live on a piece of land without spoiling it."
Aldo Leopold (1938)

"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us."
Calvin and Hobbes (Scientific Progress Goes 'Boink', 1991)

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click here for the link

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...the oldest task in human history: to live on a piece of land without spoiling it."
Aldo Leopold (1938)

"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us."
Calvin and Hobbes (Scientific Progress Goes 'Boink', 1991)

Found some more info, sorry for multiple postings...

Q: What is the image resolution of the microscope?
A: The microscope uses a CMOS CIF sensor, which is ideal for use in a microscope that focuses on a small image area. CIF resolution is 352x288 pixels, but the microscope software only uses a central region of interest (ROI) of the image - 320x240 pixels to be exact. The image is interpolated to 512x384 pixel resolution for display in the microscope software's Live View window.
Q: I need more information about the microscope's magnification: Does the microscope perform digital or optical magnification? How many magnification levels are there? How close to an object can the microscope focus at?
A: The microscope uses optical magnification. You can set the microscope to one of three magnification levels, which roughly correspond to 10X, 60X, and 200X. These levels are approximate and have been measured using a 15 in. (38 cm.) monitor. Actual magnification will vary according to the size of your monitor. Each magnification lens has optimal focus lengths of 23-29mm.
Q: I heard that Intel has stopped making these toys, but can I still buy one somewhere?
A: The Intel Play toys were discontinued on March 29th, 2002 (see the Product Discontinuance Statement ). Some retailers may still have Intel Play toys on their shelves after March 29th, 2002. Please check with your local or online retailers regarding availability of any remaining stock.
click here for the link

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...the oldest task in human history: to live on a piece of land without spoiling it."
Aldo Leopold (1938)

"Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us."
Calvin and Hobbes (Scientific Progress Goes 'Boink', 1991)

Sorry, Ben. I was gone for a few days and didn't see this until now.

That's really kind of interesting. I'd need to see some screen captures to be able to judge the quality.

I have a microscope adapter that attaches to the left (binocular) eyepiece of my microscope and accepts a 35mm SLR or my digital SLR. For digital I use a Canon EOS 10D, for film a Canon EOS3. This does not give me the capability of viewing directly on the PC monitor, though.

If the image quality of this "toy" is acceptable, it would be well worth the $49.00. I saw no mention of the stage, so I don't know if it accepts standard microscope slides or not, or if it has a dissecting type stage.