Jason Baumeister | March 29, 2021 March 28, 2021 Gadgets and toys reviews, gadgets and toys, reviews, technology

When I was young, I spent a lot of time collecting things around the house and inspecting them with a microscope. Although I have a lot of fun in checking things, the one thing missing is the ability to take images. Of course, there are microscopes, but in most cases, they are not that cheap.

Our pluggable USB 2.0 digital microscope review looks at a USB-powered microscope with 250x magnification that can easily capture your findings. Read on for our full review!

The pluggable USB 2.0 digital microscope we reviewed has the following features and specifications (configurable when ordering):

The pluggable USB 2.0 digital microscope is divided into four pieces and needs to be assembled. We will discuss it in the next section, so this section will discuss assembly units. The microscope is located on a 5 1/2 x 8 1/4 inch hard plastic base (observation table), using a small circular suction cup approximately 2 inches wide. There is a clip on the suction cup, allowing users to easily attach or detach the observation deck. There is a centimeter mark on one long side of the observation deck, and an inch mark on the other side. Approximately two thirds of the stage has a 20 x 24 5 x 5 mm square grid. These can help you determine the actual size of the object you are examining on stage.

The microscope is connected to a 6-inch flexible gooseneck using a small C-clamp. The height of the digital microscope itself is approximately 3 1/2 inches and the diameter is approximately 3 1/8 inches. The upper third is black, the middle third is gray, and the lower third is the smaller black part and the transparent plastic cover. Embedded in this cover is an LED halo light. In the black part at the top of this cover, there is the word FOCUS with -/ and scales to the left and right. However, this is not a true focus ring. The gray area mentioned earlier is the focus ring. It has pits and is made of rubber-like material. Above it is the Plugable logo and a small gray dial for adjusting the brightness. Finally, there is a camera icon printed on the top of the microphone, and you can touch it here to capture an image.

Finally, the 4 1/2 ft USB cable comes out of the bottom near the top of the microscope. Although it does use USB-A to connect to your computer, there is a bundle on Amazon that includes a USB-A to USB-C adapter for an additional $5.

The pluggable USB 2.0 digital microscope does require assembly. It's very simple, and the quick start guide will guide you through it. Connect the gooseneck to the suction cup base by turning it counterclockwise. Next, attach the C-clip to the top of the gooseneck attachment. When finished, connect the suction cup to the observation table and push the clamp down to complete the seal. Next, slide the microscope into the C-clamp, which will clamp the two small recesses on both sides of the microscope. Finally, connect the USB cable to a free USB-A port on the computer.

All in all, it takes less than a minute to assemble or disassemble the microscope.

Although you can use the Plugable USB 2.0 Digital Microscope with the built-in Windows camera application, you can also install the Plugable Digital Viewer, which can be downloaded from the Plugable website. This application allows you to adjust various settings, take photos, set delays and take videos. This is a very simple interface with six buttons in the upper right corner. On the left is the file system window and the previous image capture preview panel, and on the right is the main real-time view window.

Under the settings button, you can choose between digital microscope or on-board camera (if available). You can adjust the image capture quality between 320 x 240, 640 x 480, 800 x 600, 1280 x 720, or 1600 x 1200. Delay options include the number of shots per minute and the time of delay running. As for the video function, you can set it to 320 x 240 or 640 x 480 and set the maximum file size. Finally, you can adjust the save location and language settings.

The interface is simple and easy to use.

The pluggable USB 2.0 digital microscope is very easy to use after you assemble it and plug it into the computer. Place your object on the observation table, move the microscope lens to the desired position, and focus with the large gray rubber ring. You can adjust the brightness of the light with the dial near the top. To take an image, tap (do not hold) the top of the microscope. Although this causes the microscope to move and lose focus, the camera does have a delay and wait for the microphone to stabilize for a few seconds before taking the image. You can also use the buttons in the app to take images.

As mentioned in the software section above, you can also set a delay or take a video. Once your subject is in focus, you can click on the time-lapse or video button, then sit down and let them run by themselves.

Its gooseneck design is easy to move; however, it is easy to touch. Usually when focusing, the image moves slightly, which makes it a bit difficult to do so. It does take some time to focus, but in the end, we have no problems with anything under the microscope. Another thing lacking due to the design of the microscope is that you cannot tell exactly what magnification level you are at.

Oh, don't feel like you have to limit yourself to smaller objects that can be placed on the observation deck. It is tricky, but if you have patient, stable hands and fast fingers to capture images while focusing, you can use it for larger objects (such as eyeballs).

The pluggable USB 2.0 digital microscope is basically a beautifying webcam. It has a 2.0 MP sensor, not much, with a maximum resolution of 1600×1200. Having said that, these images are sufficient for viewing on a computer. Quality also depends on your patience in focusing on the object you are examining. Although it is great to see an updated version with a higher resolution sensor, this version is definitely sufficient for its intended purpose.

The suggested retail price of a pluggable USB 2.0 digital microscope is $39.95, which is an excellent value for money. It is easy to set up and use, and can easily bring hours of fun and discovery-especially suitable for young children.

The pluggable USB 2.0 digital microscope is an excellent small device for anyone who is interested in taking a closer look at the everyday objects around us.

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