Review on 🔬 Carson MM-200 MicroMax LED Lighted Pocket Microscope - 60x-75x Magnification by Ryan Turner

I got this about a year ago got it and I find that the price has come down a few bucks since then, making it a better deal. Calling it a pocket microscope is a stretch. This is a cheap plastic magnifier with a built-in LED. However, for basic entertainment and educational purposes, it works quite well. I took one for myself and one for my 9 year old. Put it on a piece of paper, zoom in up to 100x and focus on individual fibers and dots of ink! Put a sheet underneath and examine the cell structure. For the money this item is no problem. Yes, someday you're going to want to spend $300 for a decent 500x optical microscope with a USB port, and in fact I have one of these on my "after" list! But for everyday purposes of light weight and portability, this little thing is fine. It's powered by three SG7 1.5V button cell batteries (mine aren't dead yet, with sporadic use). The actual batteries in my device are labeled Vinnic L736. If you poke around, you can find a 10-pack for less than $2 with shipping, so it doesn't cost much to replace. However, be careful when you pull the little red ribbon to get them out. they fly out, so do it with your cupped hands over the table. It's also a bit difficult to put them back in place. Luckily they seem to last quite a while so this isn't a common problem although I would have preferred a AAA item even if it would increase the girth. For $30. -$40, you can find one that has a USB interface and transfers 2 megapixel images straight to your computer. The problem with this is that 2 megapixels have a limited resolution and 5 megapixels are now much more expensive. Also, they usually only work with certain versions of Windows; Mac and Linux users (and even some Windows 8 users) are out of luck. But I've found that I can get pretty decent images by positioning my Android phone's camera lens closely over the eyepiece and moving it around until the circular field of view is visible. the center of the screen. After a second, the camera will automatically focus and you can take a picture! Pretty good. Definitely good enough for a 3rd grade science project. For the price, this makes a great gift for a budding scientist, as well as a handy pocket item for nature walks.