{"id":553,"date":"2021-02-03T21:33:21","date_gmt":"2021-02-03T21:33:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/scopedetective.com\/?p=553"},"modified":"2021-02-03T22:12:37","modified_gmt":"2021-02-03T22:12:37","slug":"omax-digital-microscope-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/omax-digital-microscope-review\/","title":{"rendered":"OMAX Digital LED Microscope with 1.3MP Camera [Review]"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color: #fafafa; border: 1px solid #7a7a7a; padding: 15px; margin-bottom: 20px; overflow: auto; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.6em; text-align: left;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/chris-152.jpg\" width=\"70\" height=\"70\"><strong>About this Article:<\/strong> I researched a lot of microscopes before buying mine (not this one).&nbsp; If you want to see all the microscopes I researched, see my article on the <a href=\"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/best-compound-microscope\/\">9 best compound microscopes<\/a>. This information was for my personal circumstances only and is not professional advice to you. Read more on the website\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/disclaimer\/\">disclaimer page<\/a>. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/OMAX-40X-2000X-Microscope-Mechanical-Compatible\/dp\/B006MX03Q0?dchild=1&amp;keywords=omax+1.3+MP&amp;qid=1612385885&amp;sr=8-1&amp;linkCode=li3&amp;tag=scopedetective-20&amp;linkId=0d1becff59f6543c2f1d2e6577f84d0f&amp;language=en_US&amp;ref_=as_li_ss_il\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img class=\"alignright\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?_encoding=UTF8&amp;ASIN=B006MX03Q0&amp;Format=_SL250_&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;WS=1&amp;tag=scopedetective-20&amp;language=en_US\" border=\"0\"><\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" src=\"https:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=scopedetective-20&amp;language=en_US&amp;l=li3&amp;o=1&amp;a=B006MX03Q0\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\">Omax is a brand (associated with the AmScope brand) which tends to produce high magnification microscopes. This 40x \u2013 2000x microscope (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/OMAX-40X-2000X-Microscope-Mechanical-Compatible\/dp\/B006MX03Q0?dchild=1&amp;keywords=omax+1.3+MP&amp;qid=1612385885&amp;sr=8-1&amp;linkCode=ll1&amp;tag=scopedetective-20&amp;linkId=f153d688535a407cc7541369b79d6b5d&amp;language=en_US&amp;ref_=as_li_ss_tl\" data-wplink-edit=\"true\">model number MD82ES10<\/a>) is one of their lower-end models designed to be value for money compared to many more expensive 2000x microscopes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The most appealing feature of the Omax MD82ES10 is the built-in camera.<\/strong> Usually you have to buy an aftermarket camera that you can slide onto one of the eyepieces. Or, you\u2019d have to get a trinocular camera (two eyepieces for eyes, one for camera) if you want to use the camera and look with your own eyes at the same time.<\/p>\n<p>Omax solves this problem with a built-in camera.<\/p>\n<p>But on the downside, it\u2019s only a 1.3MP camera. This is a very low resolution camera \u2013 think old camera phone quality. Those (like myself) wanting nice high quality imagery and crisp video footage would just get a regular microscope then want to use a DSLR camera with a microscope adapter instead. <a href=\"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/how-to-take-pictures-through-a-microscope\/\">Here\u2019s how I set it up.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The choice is yours.<\/p>\n<div class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color: #f4fcd4; border: 2px solid #7a7a7a; padding: 15px; margin-bottom: 20px; text-align: left;\"><strong>My Verdict: <\/strong>Overall, I think this is a good microscope and an appealing option for people wanting an affordable binocular microscope. But, I decided not to go with it personally. For my kit, I bought one very affordable 1000x monocular microscope and an aftermarket 2MP camera.<\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/OMAX-40X-2000X-Microscope-Mechanical-Compatible\/dp\/B006MX03Q0?dchild=1&amp;keywords=omax+1.3+MP&amp;qid=1612385885&amp;sr=8-1&amp;linkCode=ll1&amp;tag=scopedetective-20&amp;linkId=f153d688535a407cc7541369b79d6b5d&amp;language=en_US&amp;ref_=as_li_ss_tl\"><button class=\"\" style=\"background-color: #f8812e; border-color: #ff9900; margin-top: 40px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 20px;\">You can Check the Price Here<\/button><\/a><\/p>\n<p>For the rest of this review, I\u2019ll break down what I see to be the pros and cons of this microscope.<\/p>\n\n<h2>OMAX MD82ES10 Compound Microscope Review<\/h2>\n<p>I usually review microscopes from top to bottom. So to stick with the convention, let\u2019s start with the binocular head.<\/p>\n<h3>1. Binocular Head<\/h3>\n<p>Most 2000x microscopes have binocular heads. This means \u2013 just like binoculars you go bird spotting with \u2013 you can look through the microscope with two eyes. The microscope will deliver the same image to both eyes.<\/p>\n<p>There are pros and cons to a binocular head.<\/p>\n<p>I like a binocular head for my personal at-home high quality microscope. But I prefer a monocular head for a shared microscope or one I\u2019d use with children. Children can often struggle with feeling comfortable with binocular scopes, and they often want to adjust them once you hand the microscope to the child. By contrast, a monocular scope needs less adjustments and less dexterity.<\/p>\n<p>Overall, whether it\u2019s binocular or monocular isn\u2019t a deal breaker \u2013 this is just my opinion on binocular vs. monocular microscopes.<\/p>\n<h3>2. Built in USB Camera<\/h3>\n<p>Next up is the headline feature of this microscope: the built-in USB camera. It\u2019s definitely a cool feature.<\/p>\n<p>The best part about the camera is that it isn\u2019t an \u2018attachment\u2019. So you can look through the microscope with your eyes while also recording what\u2019s going on.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s one potential downside, depending on your needs.<\/p>\n<p>A 1.3MP camera can deliver images with a 1280&#215;1024 resolution. Personally, I would choose to get a much higher resolution camera \u2013 preferably a <a href=\"https:\/\/expertphotography.com\/what-does-dslr-stand-for\/\">DSLR camera<\/a> with microscope adapter.<\/p>\n<p>P.S. If you get this microscope, you can get the software for the camera direct from the Omax website &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/omaxmicroscope.com\/software_download\/\">see the software downloads for Omax here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Objective Lenses and Magnification<\/h3>\n<p>This microscope features four objective lenses, allowing for up to 2000x magnification.<\/p>\n<p>The lenses are: &nbsp;4x, 10x, 40x, and 100x. (You multiply this by the eyepieces which are 10x and 20x to get the total magnification, so your minimum magnification will be 40x and maximum will be 2000x).<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also worth noting that the 40x and 100x lenses are spring loaded to protect the lenses and slides if you accidentally collide them. The best way to avoid a this is to use fine focus adjustments at higher magnifications so there aren\u2019t any severe collisions between the slides and the lenses.<\/p>\n<p>The 100x objective lens can also be used for oil immersion (and of course you\u2019d want a spring lens for oil immersion). This is a pretty advanced technique that\u2019s not really used all that commonly, but it\u2019s good to know you have a microscope capable of this for when your intellectual curiosity demands it.<\/p>\n<h3>4. Mechanical Stage<\/h3>\n<p>A mechanical stage is one of those things I am willing to pay extra for. It significantly improves user experience. Normal stages only allow you to make vertical axis adjustments to help focus your specimen.<\/p>\n<p>But a mechanical stage allows you to move your slide around like a \u2018viewfinder\u2019 to scan your specimen.<\/p>\n<p>This is incredibly useful.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;The Omax MD82ES10 has a mechanical stage \u2013 so you\u2019re in good hands here.<\/p>\n<h3>5. Lighting<\/h3>\n<p>There is only a below stage light for this model (which is the best lighting for translucent specimens), but no above stage light. An above stage light is usually more useful for stereo microscopy than compound microscopes, so you should be ok 95% of the time with a below stage light.<\/p>\n<p>There is also an iris diaphragm to control the aperture, which I like more than the cheaper 11-hole diaphragms. You can tell that it\u2019s a step up from those more basic models.<\/p>\n<p>The light dimmer is an expected but still appreciated feature \u2013 make sure you dim the light before turning it off and on to improve the light\u2019s lifespan.<\/p>\n<h2>Downsides<\/h2>\n<p>While I use a PC so it didn\u2019t bother me during my research, I\u2019ve read some reviews online that people with Apple \/ Mac computers had trouble getting the camera software working. Do your due diligence if you have a Mac to make sure it\u2019ll work for you.<\/p>\n<p>I didn\u2019t like that the camera is only 1.3MP, although that\u2019s probably sufficient for most people. Personally I wanted higher quality images so didn\u2019t go with this camera.<\/p>\n<h2>My Verdict<\/h2>\n<p>Overall, I\u2019m impressed by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/OMAX-40X-2000X-Microscope-Mechanical-Compatible\/dp\/B006MX03Q0?dchild=1&amp;keywords=omax+1.3+MP&amp;qid=1612385885&amp;sr=8-1&amp;linkCode=ll1&amp;tag=scopedetective-20&amp;linkId=f153d688535a407cc7541369b79d6b5d&amp;language=en_US&amp;ref_=as_li_ss_tl\">Omax MD82ES10<\/a> as an entry-level binocular 2000x microscope. Unfortunately for me this microscope straddled the mid-range so I chose not to get it. Instead, I went for one lower-level teaching microscope which was monocular with 1000x zoom, then another trinocular microscope with 2500x zoom.<\/p>\n<p>But for people who want one mid-range personal microscope, I do think this one is an appealing choice.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>About this Article: I researched a lot of microscopes before buying mine (not this one).&nbsp; If you want to see all the microscopes I researched, see my article on the 9 best compound microscopes. This information was for my personal circumstances only and is not professional advice to you. Read more on the website\u2019s disclaimer &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/omax-digital-microscope-review\/\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">OMAX Digital LED Microscope with 1.3MP Camera [Review]<\/span> Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":96,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[4],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/553"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=553"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/553\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":566,"href":"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/553\/revisions\/566"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/96"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=553"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=553"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=553"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}