Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

In my search for an inexpensive, entry level digital USB microscope, I found thousands for sale on Amazon. I read many reviews and finally decided to give the Plugable Digital Microscope a try. Here's what I found.... At the $35 price point, I certainly wasn't expecting "Dino-Lite" quality or performance, but I must say that I was not disappointed. The Plugable is all plastic, but appears to be reasonably well made. It was easy to setup and get the software installed. The drivers and software are not included, but there is a link to them in the included "quick start" guide. I prefer to download software and drivers to get the most recent versions. Once the software is installed and the microscope is assembled on the stand, just plug in the USB connection and you're ready to go. The software is easy to use and appears to provide just about everything you need to make the most of the microscope. You can take photos or videos. There is a button on the camera for photos, but you can also click on the software button to take a picture. Since the microscope is so sensitive and can be easily moved out of position, I found it much more beneficial to take photos by clicking the button in the software. Fact vs fiction??? The specs state that the microscope will provide 10x to 250x magnification. I didn't see any way to vary the magnification so I contacted customer service. They told me that the magnification depends on the distance the microscope is from the object in conjunction with the focus ring. It's somewhat confusing and takes getting used to, but you will get "interesting" results. In reality, there is no way to even come close to guessing what magnification you're at. I have included some photos of a quarter at various "magnifications". As I said, it's just a matter of moving the microscope closer to the quarter and focusing accordingly. If you place the microscope right on the object and continuing turning the focus ring towards the "+", you will get two focus points, the later one being the highest magnification possible. Hopefully, the photos will demonstrate what I'm talking about. Overall, if you just want to have some fun and you're not doing serious research or lab work, this is worth a try. It won't break the bank and it's fun for "kids" of all ages. I'm 63, retired and always looking for new "toys". I did have to contact customer service regarding a minor issue I was having with the software. Sam, the customer service rep was very patient and knowledgeable and stayed with me until he reached a satisfactory resolution. His customer service made this purchase well worth the very reasonable price!