🔬 Discover the unseen with Carson MicroMax!
The CARSON MM-200 Carson MicroMax is an ultra-portable LED lighted pocket microscope that offers 60-75x magnification. Weighing just 30g, it features easy-to-use zoom and focus controls, making it perfect for on-the-go exploration. Three SG3 button cell batteries are included, ensuring you're ready to dive into the microscopic world right away.
S**N
Works great for viewing plant details.
Works great for viewing plant details.Handling is much easier then typical the box sized pocket microscopes with 2 adjustment wheels.I think it is the same concept in a different package, but the small diameter allows access to plant details between leaves, and adjusting while holding the pen works ok. Also, after use it stores away like a pencil, in any drawer or pocket.I find the build quality to be very good for this price, much better then the box shaped ones. Doesn't feel flimsy at all.The design of the clear plastic tip is also very clever if you want to look at things on a table.The LED does not seem to disturb colors too much.Of course, this is not a professional microscope, images can be a little deformed.But if you just want to see plant details in order to determine ideal harvest time for example, need something small, handy, portable, cheap, durable, ... this might be a good choice.side note : After ordering nothing happened for weeks, suddenly I got an email that I hadn't been charged because the pen was not in stock or something, after that delivery time was normal.
S**Y
Excellent! Superb build and image quality, but focus distance could be an issue (read on):
This pocket microscope has a field of view that allows you to see across a 5 mm diameter at the lowest zoom setting, and 3 mm diameter at the highest zoom setting. The image is inverted as expected with these types of pocket microscopes.The angled cool white LED light is very well executed, with a tactile button at the top to electronically switch it on or off. The unit operates from an AA cell, and consumes about 42 mA when powered on, and about 7 uA when shutdown, so a single Alkaline cell should last for about 50 hours of powered up use, which is really good. You could us the pocket microscope unpowered in very bright ambient light, e.g. outdoor sunshine, depending on how you position things.To get more of the really good stuff out of the way, I have to say, the image quality is excellent - not just for the price of the pocket microscope, but excellent in general too. Carson magnifiers and microscopes usually use aspheric plastic lenses, which provide a noticeably flat image across the field of view, compared to old-school non-aspheric, often glass, lenses. I love that there is no significant distortion when looking through the microscope, across the entire field of view. I have a couple of Carson handheld aspheric magnifiers as well, and they are excellent in this respect too. You could pay 4-5 times the price for other manufacturer products and end up with a worse image. I also like that you can quickly use the instrument even if your eye is not completely aligned with the microscope. With some microscopes you have to be almost bang-on before you can see through the optical system. With this pocket microscope, you can pan your head by quite a few millimetres before you lose the image completely.The build quality is also frankly excellent. The plastic feels strong and has a great finish, it's not shiny. The battery compartment slide door closes very nicely, and opens with just the right amount of force, not crazy stiff, but definitely secure too. The focus and zoom thumbwheels have a smooth greased motion. There are holes for a wrist-strap, but unfortunately one is not supplied. No cloth case is supplied either, but you're unlikely to scratch any lenses because they are all recessed. You could store it in a small plastic bag to keep it all dust-free, and it does come with that!The transparent plastic stand on the end of the microscope is removable even though the instructions do not mention it. If the microscope is being held vertically, then the transparent plastic piece is removed by sliding it out horizontally. This might be handy if the feature you wish to inspect isn't completely flat. Note that it won't slide out unless you turn the focus ring completely in one direction first, to move the lower (objective) lens out of the way. Otherwise, you're just attempting to pull on the optics system which probably won't cause any harm unless you're applying a lot of force. You could print a tiny sticker with a personal reminder to rotate the focus ring before sliding off the transparent attachment, and stick it to the microscope.The unit is compact, about the size of a modern day Mars Bar, perhaps slightly shorter. It will easily fit in most pockets. It is approximately 10 x 4.5 x 2.8 cm in size.There is one main negative point about the pocket microscope, and that is that it is not possible to focus on objects that are more than about 2.5 or 3 mm away from the end of the microscope body. This is quite irritating, because occasionally I would like to hold the microscope away from irregular surfaces, and be able to focus about 8 to 10 mm away at least. Thats' not possible, because the focussing ring only allows focussing on objects close to the end of the microscope, or on objects that can protrude into the clear plastic portion. If you can live with that shortcoming (it really depends on your use-case), then this product gets a 9/10 from me.
T**Y
Microscope
Excellent product
K**Y
Not worth buying
The batteries were corroded when it arrived. Viewfinder blemished with something and it was not what I expected from sales description. Due to small size very difficult to adjust focus while looking through view finder. Sent back and now bought a larger fixed microscope for my grandson, not paying a lot more than the Carson.
R**E
the instructions
The instructions are hard to read and there should be a leaflet included in the box as to how to use the magnifier.
R**M
Handy pocket gadget
Useful pocket microscope. Just need to be aware that for successful results you ideally need to use on a solid flat surface, otherwise too much movement and almost impossible to focus. For the cost, it's a great little gadget - perfect for looking at jewellery or plants, or just for fun. Battery lasts longer than I expected.
D**P
Excellent for the price
Yes, the small viewing area is a minus but the image is clear and sharp and its handy pocket size is great for a country walk. More for the amateur/hobbyist but easy too use home or outdoors. A word of caution - the light button is quite sensitive and may turn on with the slightest pressure, e.g. in your pocket, unseen. Advisable to remove the battery when not in use
G**Z
Excellent item
Love is a great job super clear and can see everything I need to perfect
E**E
Es un buen microscopio.
Llegó puntualmente bien empacado, en buen estado y es exactamente como esta descrito por el vendedor.
S**S
Works with microfiche!
Long story short - I needed a way to read microfiche that did not involve an expensive machine that took up space in my tiny home office. Microfiche is not film - so I can't get a swanky viewer and app. Microfiche is (usually) 24x - more than a magnifying glass but less than the popular 60-120x tools.This product is the solution. And it works great.The image is upside-down (flip sheet top to bottom). Navigation can be difficult (easy to get lost). And you have to place it directly on the fiche (over time this may damage the sheet). And squinting with one eye is annoying. But! It works. I don't even need to wear my glasses while utilizing it.Will update if opinion changes.
J**J
Funciona muito bem!
As crianças e até alguns adultos se divertiram bastante, surpreeende a capacidade de zoom.
E**L
Worth every penny.
Despite negative reviews I bought this anyway. Wanted it to look at my trichomes. Most of the complaints were that it requires a flat surface to be properly operated. Not at all true. There's a small hole in the clear plastic base that you can easily fit a small bud or leaf into, holding it steady while you adjust zoom and focus. Easy to use, works as intended, extremely useful. I highly recommend this to anyone wanting to more closely examine their plants, and being a bit of a rockhound myself, I've used it to look at some of my mineral collection, so this is ideal for amateur minerologists as well.
R**N
Put in an Aa Battery
It works as it should, easy to use , I'm looking at my dogs fure to see if it is same small bugs in the fur.😃
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