Digital Blue: QX3 Microscope

by Prime Entertainment

Product Details

• Item Weight: 3 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000059TF3
• Item model number: 24221
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #55 in Toys & Games > Learning & Education > Science > Microscopes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: August 22, 2003

Product Description

Zoom in on stuff - up to 200X The USB connected Computer Microscope allows you to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary for hours of fun and learning. View specimens collected around the house, backyard, your desk, or the fridge. Look at the micro-printing on a dollar bill or examine the traces on your motherboard. This microscope provides you a quick and effective way to zoom in on a wide variety of objects to satisfy your basic curiosity of the world around you. Ever wondered what lint looks like or a little bit of the mold on your week-old bagels? Now you can find out. Simple plug and play operation with included software that allows you to magnify objects and view them on your PC, up to 200X and take snapshots and time-lapse movies. You can also manipulate images with drawing and painting tools. The microscope is also detachable from the stand to allow you to get closer to large objects. The Computer Microscope has these great features:

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Careless software, noisy image sensor, November 25, 2002

By 

John Shriver (Arlington, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Digital Blue: QX3 Microscope (Electronics)

The software for Windows is rather careless. It is hard wired for rather low screen resolution, (it's either VGA or XGA), and sets the resolution "for you" like so much kid's software. Unfortunately, unlike every other software I've had that does it, it doesn't restore the video settings when you exit. I found a freeware program that restores the settings, and I now run it from inside a .BAT file, but this is careless. Intel needed to write better software than this to make a profit in the consumer products business. They didn't, and they had to bow out.

The image sensor is also really noisy. I don't know if it's CCD or something cheaper. I suppose this was necessary to build it to a low price point. But it is annoying.

But, it is better then the optical microscope I had as a kid 30 years ago. But that one came with better prepared slides. The USB powering is very nice. The driver provided is TWAIN, so you could acquire images from image editing software if you choose.

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A hidden bargain among kid's microscopes, October 22, 2002

By 

S. Russell (Norman, OK USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Digital Blue: QX3 Microscope (Electronics)

Requiring a USB connection and a computer to attach it to, this is very much like a webcam, except that it can do 10X, 40X and 200X. It has incident and base illumination; focus is touchy at 200X but look at the price. This video microscope is a favorite at our microscopy center open houses. When compared with the cardboard tube 'scopes they sell at toy stores, this is a gem. This allows realtime viewing, as well as image and video capture. These can be viewed on the computer, emailed etc. and comes with software. (...).

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Product in a class of its own., August 6, 2003

By 

"erhasc" (St. Louis, MO USA) - See all my reviews

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Digital Blue: QX3 Microscope (Electronics)

As a PhD that daily works with cutting edge microscopes and imaging systems I recommend this "toy" for anyone. This digital microscope is probably the best value for ANY microscopist, child or adult. This scope does more than others 10X its price that are marketed towards the scientific community. Some might consider the software childish but behind the cute noises and buttons this is an excellent little tool. All controls are very intuitive, and my two children (ages 5 & 7) were able to use it with little or no help. Anyone intrested in this microscope should check out the following website devoted to the QX3.