Why Digital Handheld Microscopes May Be for You

There are countless reasons why you might want to get a magnified look at the world around you. Microscopes give you a new perspective, allowing you to look at and study the wonders too small for the naked eye to see. But traditional microscopes are stationary, designed to stay in one place and have the items to be examined brought to them.  They are bulky, heavy, fragile, and definitely not made to be carried around in your pocket.

What if you want to study the movement of cells in living tree bark or study the flora of your skin while it is still attached to you? What if you wanted to know how many hair follicles were on your baby toe or wanted to closely study the brushwork in a painting while it hung on display? In these cases, a portable, handheld microscope would be just the thing you needed. Luckily, these small and sturdy microscopes do exist. They are known as pocket microscopes. 

What Are Handheld Microscopes? 

Although not all pocket microscopes are actually small enough to fit into a pocket, they are all small enough to be portable, and they are simply made. Some are very small, about the size of a pen, others are a bit larger but still small enough to be carried easily in your hand. By design, there are not many moving parts to be damaged or dislodged while you carry the microscope from one place to another. 

While some may have stages and mirrors, many feature only an eyepiece, a light, and a magnification lens. These simple scopes do not offer huge magnification, they are ideal for children who want to explore their surroundings or jewelers, watchmakers, and other people who must work with tiny and intricate items. 

Digital pocket microscopes are the newest version of these handy tools and they offer so much more than their analog predecessors.  

What Makes a Digital Handheld Microscope Special? What Are the Features and Benefits? 

With digital handheld microscopes, you still have the advantage of portability and simplicity, but now you can view the objects on a large screen. The digital pocket microscopes also offer you greater magnifications without adding to the size of the tool. 

Features 

A digital handheld microscope not only lets you view items at larger magnifications, but many also give you the option of taking photos or video of what is happening under the scope. The built-in camera makes it possible for you to view, share and save the wonders you discover under magnification. 

A built-in polarizer is another feature that can only be found on digital handheld microscopes. The polarizer reduces glare and reflections, regardless of the lighting situation. This increases contrast and makes even light-colored items easier to see in detail. 

Benefits 

One benefit of a digital pocket microscope is the increased magnification without the loss of clarity. With a push of a button, you can change the magnification. Push another one and you can adjust the focus until you can see everything clearly. 

Another benefit of the digital microscope is connectivity. This Is a great benefit if you have discovered something incredible with your tiny microscope and can’t wait to share it with your colleagues, students, or others who share your fascination. All you have to do is take images or videos of your discovery and then connect your scope to a pc, laptop, or smartphone. Now you can save those images to the cloud and send them with whomever you want as easily as sending an email. 

What Industries and Hobbies Use Handheld Microscopes? 

Handheld microscopes are so adaptable they can be a huge asset to many different industries and hobbies. They make great educational tools, giving children and young adults the ability to learn about the tiny details of their bodies and the world around them. 

Jewelers, lace makers, clockmakers, other artists, and technicians that work with tiny intricate items, as well as those who inspect these items, could all benefit from being able to view their work magnified on a screen. 

Those involved in the hard sciences can also benefit from the use of a digital pocket microscope. Entomologists can view and photograph the intricate details of an insect's wing in their natural habitat, those who build and inspect circuit boards can do so without ruining their eyesight, even dentists could make use of a microscopic view of their patient's teeth to find weak spots in the enamel before they become cavities. 

Photographers. coin collectors, dermatologists, botanists … the list of people who could make good use of a pocket digital microscope is almost endless. 

Best-Selling Digital Handheld Microscopes 

If you are new to compact microscopes, it may be helpful to you to learn a bit about the more popular types on the market. By seeing what features and benefits others with more experience with handheld microscopes find advantageous, you may be a bit more confident when making your choice. Here are a few of the compact microscopes offered by Amscope, the number one dealer of microscopes and accessories, and the features they provide:

  • Q-Scope 10X-50X. This digital microscope camera offers up to 200X magnification, LED illumination, 8.0-megapixel resolution, and a built-in polarizer 
  • Q-Scope 10x - 40X. This product offers up to 180X magnification, 1.2-megapixel resolution, and LED illumination. Its lower price tag makes it ideal for education and hobbies. 
  • Q-Scope 10X – 50X with Ball Joint Stand. This package includes the handheld microscope with up 200X magnification and 1.3 megapixels resolution and a stand that allows you to view the stage from any angle. 

If you have heard enough to be sure that a pocket digital microscope is something you could make good use of, but you are still unsure about which portable microscopes with built-in cameras are the right choice for your industry or hobby, visit AmScope’s Q-Scope page to view their entire Q-Scope line of handheld digital microscopes. There are many to choose from, at a wide variety of prices and features. All are state-of-the-art, high-quality potable microscopes with built-in cameras that will give you a new perspective of the world around you.