[Rockhounds] digital microscope

[Mr EMan]

Bob--funny you should write about this today. K-mart has a deal for you!(see below) 

My friend got one like you describe but it didn't come with a goose-neck stand. Side-by-side it has 80-90% of the utility of the more expensive unit which had a 1.2 mpx(?)chip and seemed to preform better on the higher optical zooms.(Dyno-mite Lighted hand held($300±))

I loved it(lost it in an auto accident), took it to the field to photo fungus, grasses, sand, and explore crystal cavities... We Spent hours going over the Cinncinatti fossil plates. I was finding echinoderms-- she was finding cowboys on broncos, clowns, pirates and I swear--a likeness of Bob Hope!!!

Some finer points of field use, if going afield, invest in a small padded pouch for transport(avoid black), keep it inside another ziplock, take a dark cloth to shade your laptop screen in brighter sun. With a USB 20ft extension cord you can sit at the bottom of a rock pile whist your friend does the exploring/probing. 

"Hand held" is both a strong and weak point.  OK for general scanning to find a feature but insufferable if you want to sharp focus, zoom, or take a quality photo.  You'll need a stand eventually.

 I was just at K-Mart where they were having a clearance on their $36 "Grill-Lite": a magnetic 3-footed goose-neck with a barrel clamp on the end holding a $8 led flashlight-- $12+tax!  The clamp will hold a digital microscope. Ebay sellers want an extra $70-100 for a stand that isn't nearly so versatile.

Eman