Review on 1080P Digital Borescope Inspection Camera With 7.0Mm IP67 Waterproof Sewer Camera, 4.3" LCD Screen, 7 LED Lights And 16.5FT Semi-Rigid Cable - Dual Lens Industrial Endoscope + 32GB Card by Jacob Mayberry

This was my first endoscope. That feels funny to say, since I never expected to own an endoscope. I thought such devices were firmly in the realm of doctors, engineers, mechanics, plumbers, home inspectors, etc. I was excited to learn these nifty gadgets were available to laypersons such as myself, and for less than I expected. I have nothing with which to compare this particular endoscope, but I'll try to offer some insight from a non-professional point of view.If you know what an endoscope is and why you need one, you may wish to skip ahead. Basically, an endoscope is a device that allows you to see into otherwise inaccessible places. It consists of a small, handheld screen (looks a bit like a phone) and a long, semi-rigid cable with a camera and light fixed at the end. You simply turn the device on and snake the cable into the space you need to see. From the controls, you can zoom, flip the screen, adjust the brightness, and even take photos or video. This particular device also includes a side-mounted camera, which you can use instead of the end camera. The side camera has its own light, as well.There was absolutely nothing to set up. The unit is fully assembled. Mine even came fully charged, which I thought was a really nice touch. It was ready to use right out of the box. The controls are fairly easy to get the hang of, if not exactly intuitive. For instance, to switch to the side camera, you press and hold the little camera icon above the power button. This button also takes a photo when pressed once. The up arrow adjusts the zoom. There are three levels of zoom, but I found the resolution really drops when zoomed beyond 1X. The lower arrow flips the picture vertically 180 degrees, useful if the picture is upside-down. The M button cycles through capture modes: photo, video, and media viewer.My first experiences with my first endoscope suggested to me it would take some practice to master. The trick is getting the camera where you want it. This is probably easier with something like a drainpipe, where there's really only one way to go. But I used mine to try to inspect the back of a large rack of equipment, jammed with cables, in my music studio. I figured this would be useful to check the cables and signal paths. It really tested my steadiness of hand (turns out I don't have any). I also used it to inspect the inside of an acoustic-electric guitar, and the back of an electronic keyboard. It performed all of these tasks satisfactorily.The picture quality isn't great, at least in my experience so far. But I didn't expect it to be great. I don't need it to be great. I just need to be able to see whatever it is I'm trying to see, and the unit has delivered that. So even though I can't honestly say it has great picture quality.I don't think it actually matters (much). And to be fair, the picture quality is greatly affected by the quality of light and the stability of the camera, things under my own control.The device includes a 32GB micro SD card that is easily accessible from the bottom of the unit. This seems more than adequate for capturing photos and video. I used the card to transfer media files to my computer for this review. It was an easy process.The unit also comes with a little hook and magnet. The uses for these should be obvious. You could use the hook to snag a cable that's dropped in an inaccessible place, and the magnet to retrieve screws, washers, etc.The first time I used my endoscope was to find a pair of magnetic hooks I'd left around somewhere. I suspected I might have left them fastened to the back of a file cabinet, but I didn't want to move everything to look. I unraveled my endoscope, fed the cable back there, and bingo! There they were. I can imagine all kinds of situations where this gadget will come in really handy.The build quality is good. It feels sturdy in my hands, and the cable appears quite durable. I have to admit I already dropped it once, and it suffered no damage at all. The only caveat is that the long, rigid cable makes it quite awkward to use. I found that placing the handheld unit in a phone holder (it's about the same size) helped a great deal. With the screen held firmly in place, I could position the cable without worrying about it moving all over the place.Overall, I'm happy to have this device in my toolbox. It may not be something I use every day, but it'll be a godsend when I need it.