Aven 26700-300 ZipScope USB Digital Microscope with 2 Mega-Pixel 10x-50x Optical, 200x Digital Magnification Limited Time

Customer Video Review Length:: 0:49 Mins

The video might be enough to convince you. But please read this extended review for all the details. Every one of the images in the video was captured with THIS microscope camera.

EDIT: Please see W. Nicholls review for more current information on software and a solution for the weak stand! We've both found that the stand is okay for very basic use, but leaves a lot to be desired. The software is the same way, but there are several excellent freeware alternatives available.

I am an IT professional for a major police department. I specialize in video enhancement and conversion. I ordered this for my Mom, who collects and sells antique buttons. Because of my Prime Membership, and because I would be the one installing this for my parents (naturally), I had it shipped to my place. When the package came in, I couldn't resist opening it and trying it out on my system. There are a few things that I didn't like, but more that I did... Read more

Right off the top, the Amazon listing for the Aven 26700-300 claims 2MP resolution. I was only getting .3MP (640x480) via the primitive software pressing the shutter button. The instructions don't tell you how to get full resolution captures and I stumbled upon how it's done. Here's the arcane procedure:

Open the AMCAP application window so you can frame your image. This application only has controls for capturing video. If you press the shutter button you'll get a snapshot that pops up in a new window. However, this image will only be 640x480. To snapshot at higher resolution, you must use the tray application/control panel. This gives you access to Properties controls if you select the Properties Page, but that won't give you control over photo resolution. You must right-click or click and hold on the tray application, click on the snapshot menu item, then select a resolution from the fly out list. 1600x1200 is the sensor resolution if it's 2MP, but the Chinese... Read more

Picture quality is great. We are using other software to view images from Windows and Linux laptops, never had to instal software that came with this. Feels solid, handles well, focuses well, built-in light at two settings is great too. Whether the magnification is good enough for you is for you to decide, but it is amazing for our kids and for me to see stuff up close, sharp, intense colors, on large screen. Resolution is 1600x1200, but then it does only 5fps or so, which makes it harder to work with if you move stuff a lot, so I'm actually running it at 800x600 where is does 20fps, and it could 30fps at something like 640x480, but I like an integer divisor and 20fps is OK to work with. I did take a couple pictures too at 1600x1200 after I focused at 800x600.