As electronics get smaller and smaller, you'll need a hand examining PCBs and this little USB microscope is the perfect tool. Its smaller and lighter than a large optical microscope but packs quite a bit of power in its little body. There's a high quality 640x480 camera sensor inside and an optical magnifier that can adjust from 20x (for basic PCB inspection) to 200x (for detailed inspection). Eight mini white LEDs are angled right onto whatever you're examining so you get enough lighting to see, and are smoothly adjustable via a dial on the side.
If you plug this into any computer, it just shows up as a standard USB camera so you can use any webcam software (there's some included software for Windows - for Mac we suggest just using QuickTime Player which comes with all Macs).
We tried a bunch of different USB microscopes and when you need a thin camera, with a precision stand, this one is the best combination of optical clarity, usability, and price. It's perfect for electronics hacking, rework, SMT (de)soldering, inspection, and soon you'll find yourself pulling it out to look and photograph all sort of cool small stuff around your lab and home. Its small size means you can poke inside of enclosures to get a good peek!
This microscope is faster than the other USB scope we carry, and its much better for soldering-while-magnifying as the video lag isn't as noticeable.
Package comes with a USB microscope with 4.5ft/140cm long cord, an adjustable metal stand, and CDROM with drivers/software.