Need recommendations for scope -- $100 budget

David1940 · March 27, 2017 5:16AM

With the wide variety of and prices for scopes I've found on Amazon, I'm left with the daunting task of selecting among features and quality levels of something I've never purchased before. I have $100 budget, which seems like enough to get something decent, but I have no idea what I'm looking for or what is worth paying a little extra for. I'm going to be using it to take pictures of coins, if that's not obvious already.

David1940 · April 4, 2017 10:23AM

How about this one?

https://www.amazon.com/Grow-Room-Microscope-Handheld-Magnifier/dp/B01D96ERFU/ref=sr_1_1?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1491326522

joeykoins · April 4, 2017 11:06AM

I would say, no. There is one that runs only about $16! Someone posted one recently on our Forum. Check out the previous threads. You'll find that the one I'm speaking of to be far more enjoyable and inexpensive to boot. Good Luck

I just Bumped that Thread.

David1940 · April 4, 2017 11:41AM

Thanks, Joey! My $100 budget is gone now, though. Spent it on coins.

I do have a $25 Amazon gift card now though. This one on Amazon looks very similar:

https://www.amazon.com/Bargz-50X-500X-Microscope-Endoscope-Magnifier/dp/B00STPID66

joeykoins · April 5, 2017 7:49AM

@David1940 said:
Thanks, Joey! My $100 budget is gone now, though. Spent it on coins.

I do have a $25 Amazon gift card now though. This one on Amazon looks very similar:

https://www.amazon.com/Bargz-50X-500X-Microscope-Endoscope-Magnifier/dp/B00STPID66

Yes! That's it. This would be the purchase of the year. It certainly was for me. Enjoy using, every time I pick it up. Don't even need the stand. After awhile, you really can be a pro at it! Only drawback is mine doesn't take pics away from the subject only close-ups. But that's ok.

MICHAELDIXON · April 5, 2017 12:10PM

I've posted this prior about my experience with buying one from Amazon. The disc that came with it crashed my computer. I ended up sending it back and buying a "big boy" Dino-Lite from Alan (CoinZip), which I have never had a problem with. If you need help he is only a phone call away. One day I had a senior moment and forgot how to take pictures with it, so I called Alan and he talked me through it. From my experience, I would not recommend one of the cheapies from Amazon.

PTVETTER · April 5, 2017 7:13PM

I second Michaeldixon post
Alan is always very helpful.

Rob85635 · April 5, 2017 7:23PM

In my opinion you don't want a cheap one. I bought this Celestron https://amazon.com/Celestron-Handheld-Digital-Microscope-Capture/dp/B004QF0A1Y/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8 and you can read my review there but basically it will work ok for a bit and then it basically freezes. The closer I get with the coin the faster it freezes. I have to unplug and plug back in the usb cord and it works a short time and does it again. The lighting is too harsh to get decent pictures on the coin and the light cannot be turned off on this model. I decided to keep it because I may find other uses for it that don't require such close up pictures. It is also very hard to focus and often pops out of the mount that came with it.

My advice, buy one closer to the original $100 at minimum and get a good one.

Aspie_Rocco · April 5, 2017 9:57PM

I am pretty fond of my binocular scope. It gets in close for varieties and you can easily zoom phone or camera to take pics through lens. With adjustable body I can stack about 20+ nickels and slowly zoom in on each one removing the previous while roll searching .

I love this thing. After a year of use my only complaint is that the lighting is not adjustable, but I plan to add a dimmer and separate bulbs eventually. This dissecting scope is great in my opinion. As others said getting too close can be deceptive. It has more than paid for it self when judged against the cost of variety attribution when submitting to PCGS.

Insider2 · April 6, 2017 5:06PM

Any of these typical scopes that come with 10X or 30X power are toys of limited use. You will be disgusted with in in a few weeks. I don't expect you to do this but save your money and put it in a jar. You'll need about 3 to 4 hundred dollars. While you are saving, watch the Ebay sales for Nikon or B&L ZOOM scopes. You will possibly fine other brands of ZOOM scopes for less money...$250. The scope you buy will last a lifetime of enjoyment and ease of operation from about 7X - 40X by turning a ring or knob. I just sold one of my extra Nikon zooms w/a wooden case and accessories for $450. I'm going to purchase another when one is going too cheap.

DancingFire · April 6, 2017 10:32PM

@CoinsAndMoreCoins said:

I'd definitely plunk down the same money for a used world-class Nikon, Olympus, B&L, Leica, Zeiss, Jena, Wild, Cambridge etc as I would for a new lesser piece lacking the good optics and mechanisms.

I'd agree! ...if I'm gonna buy one I would buy (used) made in Japan or Germany.

ricko · April 7, 2017 5:26AM

I recommend going with quality optics.... expensive, but the results are worth it. They were used in my business for problem analysis and research..... obviously great for coins as well. The one referenced in the second post was posted here a few weeks ago, selling on ebay for $2.98.... you get what you pay for.. Cheers, RickO

David1940 · April 7, 2017 7:52AM

I'm not an error coin collector (yet?)... I just want to be able to take decent pictures to post here, really. I bought the one on Amazon that I linked to. We'll see how it does. At this point I'm not ready to spend $400 on one. Maybe sometime in the future.

David1940 · April 17, 2017 10:44AM

This arrived today! I'm a little disappointed that I can't seem to take a picture of a whole coin -- it just doesn't seem to zoom out that far. That's what I really wanted to do. This is as far out as I can zoom. The coin is a Sac dollar.

1630Boston · April 17, 2017 10:57AM

@David1940
If you turn the scope around 180 degrees on the base, then place the base on a stack of books, you can zoom out as far as needed, that's what I did here

joeykoins · April 17, 2017 11:18AM

@David1940 said:
This arrived today! I'm a little disappointed that I can't seem to take a picture of a whole coin -- it just doesn't seem to zoom out that far. That's what I really wanted to do. This is as far out as I can zoom. The coin is a Sac dollar.

Told you. Mine at $15.55 does the same thing. This is the only downfall. but, in my book, still worth the money.

David1940 · April 17, 2017 11:20AM

I can prop it up higher, but when I do that it's way out of focus. I've got the focus wheel all the way to the left (towards the "50x". If I turn it the other way it gets even more out of focus.

1630Boston · April 17, 2017 12:49PM

Please let us know @CoinsAndMoreCoins

1630Boston · April 17, 2017 1:11PM

The box is exactly the same as the last two. @CoinsAndMoreCoins
The scope looks the same but mine has a cheap plastic base.

1630Boston · April 17, 2017 1:45PM

yes it is odd,

David1940 · April 18, 2017 7:52AM

The only knob on the unit is the big zoom knob with "50x" on one side and "500x" on the other. I guess I've called it a focus knob. I've looked for other knobs, both on the scope and in the software. Can't find anything about it. It's hard to adjust the zoom knob because whenever I do, I move the scope slightly. Focusing is a bit of a challenge.

DIMEMAN · April 18, 2017 8:04AM

Like someone has already stated.....you get what you pay for. I spent a little over 300 on a dinolite that takes decent pics, but if you want quality pics like the ones Phil takes or other members here you have go for the expensive cameras that start at 1000 and go up from there.

joeykoins · April 18, 2017 11:05AM

Yeah, my $15 Scope only allows this distance before really getting fuzzy. In which, is not all that bad!

1630Boston · April 18, 2017 11:55AM

I guess I just got lucky somehow, got the one in a million that will shoot the whole half dollar

DIMEMAN · April 18, 2017 12:21PM

@CoinsAndMoreCoins said:

@DIMEMAN said:
Like someone has already stated.....you get what you pay for. I spent a little over 300 on a dinolite that takes decent pics, but if you want quality pics like the ones Phil takes or other members here you have go for the expensive cameras that start at 1000 and go up from there.

I can't say spending even 300 is necessary to take excellent coin pictures although I don't know who Phil is or what he uses.

I do mine with a smartphone you can buy on CL for $100 or less using a $100 CL microscope.

Phil and his staff are the ones that do the TrueViews for PCGS. It does take big money to get the really good pics.

stash · April 18, 2017 12:21PM

Dollar for dollar, for what I've seen posted on this thread .
http://www.ebay.com/itm/322126555630?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&rmvSB=true

stash · April 18, 2017 7:12PM

@CoinsAndMoreCoins said:

@stash said:
Dollar for dollar, for what I've seen posted on this thread .
http://www.ebay.com/itm/322126555630?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&rmvSB=true

Who in this thread has one?

Here's a closeup of a Mount Rushmore, with the nose doubling .
One of my friends own this scope .

1630Boston · April 19, 2017 3:21AM

You'll figure it out because you are persistent

stash · April 19, 2017 5:51AM

@CoinsAndMoreCoins said:
Demo shots that don't show at least lowest and highest magnification shots really leave an observer with no real point of reference. If "1X" is actually 1X, at the lowest magnification it should take in at least a couple Ikes.

This shot is a bit of obtuse with respect to any point of recongnizable landmarks or perspectives.

It amazes me that those actually marketing these seem pretty consistent about not including the device's work products!

Are the zoom and focus two independent functions?

I assume focus is strictly a function of how far the objective is from the subject and zoom simply crops what the optical card sees. This may be why the latter two are unable to take in a whole half dollar and focus on them.

Can the LED's be dimmed or turned off?

Do you actually own a non-electronic scope?

I believe a scope advertised in that range of magnification is available with an 8 MP optical card and same price.

Determining pixel size with the virtually non-supplied tech specs remains impossible so far.

Most of a 7X view. Will that scope show the doubling at its lowest magnification?

>

Most of a 30X view

Same coin same area?

Anything jump out and grab you as far as image quality comparisons?

The two I snapped with handheld, no tripod and 1/30th of a second forever shutter speed.

How much money do you have in your setup ?

stash · April 19, 2017 6:11AM

@CoinsAndMoreCoins said:
Not counting the 3+ year old phone which has a 16 MP camera, 100 bucks.

I just ordered a macro lens adapter for it just for kicks and grins.

Is there a link you can post, for your camera ...

stash · April 19, 2017 6:55AM

Here's the scope I own .
http://plugable.com/products/usb2-micro-250x/

This scope has diffuser on the 4 LCD lights, which can be controlled by the scope, or through the scope program . It also has a 10 time zoom, which is controlled in the scope program .
this scope has 2.0 Megapixels, up to 250x magnification (Note: Final magnification corresponds to monitor size) .

Here's the images it can take on DDO Lincoln Cent .

Here's the images it can take on a RPD, V-Nickel .

stash · April 19, 2017 7:10AM

@CoinsAndMoreCoins said:
I'll get back directly and post comparison shots from my stuff

Here's one last set of images of a Lincoln Cent .
It's coneca DDO-017 .
http://varietyvista.com/01b LC Doubled Dies Vol 2/1964PDDO017.htm

Need recommendations for scope -- $100 budget

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