Plugable Digital Microscope with Flexible Arm Observation Stand Compatible with USB and USB-C Windows, macOS, ChromeOS, iPad

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars | 6,511 ratings

Price: 38.95

Last update: 01-10-2025


About this item

Hobby Focused-Useful and fun for students, collectors, testers, and anyone interested in exploring the microscopic world. Use as electronics microscope, soldering microscope, USB coin microscope and more. Take single images, time-lapse, and video
Perfect for Grab and Go Examination-Use with laptop or tablet, or focused sessions with desktop. Included flexible arm stand and observation pad can be used for measurement, or use as handheld microscope
Broad Compatibility - our USB microscope uses a webcam chipset and sensor to support nearly any operating system using standard webcam software. Includes connectors for USB and USB-C/Thunderbolt ports for seamless connectivity
High Definition Microscope With Built-in Lighting-2.0 Megapixels, 60x to 250x magnification. LED halo light with brightness control. Features 7000K color temperature, 0-38lumen for optimal light and clarity
2 Year Warranty - We love our Plugable products, and hope you will too. All of our products are backed with a 2-year limited parts and labor warranty as well as Seattle-based email support

Product information


Top reviews from the United States

ARBuilder
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic little camera. Don't be put off by the price...
Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2024
I was VERY skeptical about this little device, but I needed something to help me rework some old Macintosh logic boards and decided to give it a try. I was very impressed with the quality, ease of use and overall utility of the camera.

I downloaded the viewer app from the manufacturer's web site and plugged it into my Windows PC and that was it. The camera provided crisp, bright images of the tiny surface mount components I needed to work on. The light and focus work very well at it's all powered from the USB cable so no additional power supplies or wires. The cable supports regular USB-A with a USB-C adapter so it will work with everything.

The zoom from 50-250x is a bit of a misnomer. There is no zoom control; rather it works like a regular microscope where you move the object closer or further away to get the desired picture. The focus control then allows you to see the picture clearly at whatever distance you have decided to view from.

It comes with a sturdy stand and mount that work well. Overall, a really nice product and a very good value.
Customer image
ARBuilder
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic little camera. Don't be put off by the price...
Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2024
I was VERY skeptical about this little device, but I needed something to help me rework some old Macintosh logic boards and decided to give it a try. I was very impressed with the quality, ease of use and overall utility of the camera.

I downloaded the viewer app from the manufacturer's web site and plugged it into my Windows PC and that was it. The camera provided crisp, bright images of the tiny surface mount components I needed to work on. The light and focus work very well at it's all powered from the USB cable so no additional power supplies or wires. The cable supports regular USB-A with a USB-C adapter so it will work with everything.

The zoom from 50-250x is a bit of a misnomer. There is no zoom control; rather it works like a regular microscope where you move the object closer or further away to get the desired picture. The focus control then allows you to see the picture clearly at whatever distance you have decided to view from.

It comes with a sturdy stand and mount that work well. Overall, a really nice product and a very good value.
Images in this review
Customer image Customer image Customer image
Zzyzx Oh
5.0 out of 5 stars Entry-level price, Small image file sizes, some reflective glare, works on all USB2+ platforms, OnTheGo Capable. Recommended.
Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2018
Let me start by saying the Pluggable Support model is hard to beat. I had issues in using this model at its full resolution and they were very accommodating in working with me to debug the situation and come to a positive compromise before they cut me loose. Support alone would get six stars.

This is a value-priced camera with both LED-lighting and suction-cup mounting arm. You assemble it to the supplied board by suction cup, rather than a more stable screw connection, but maybe that gives you more flexibility in the long run. I found the Pluggable software for Mac OS a challenge and was never able to get it above 640x480, so I suspect some of the positive reviews mentioning software are talking about the Windows version. If using the full 2MP of the rating isn't important, this camera works very nicely out of the box. I quickly moved my unit to a Chromebox and loaded the "Camera" App from the Play Store and it takes decent pictures.

In the sample photos, you will notice that smooth surfaces reflect the light from the LEDs, so to eliminate that I would tilt the item being photographed so the reflection didn't come back into the lens. You can also just turn off the LED and let the software adjust the light levels, but that might not look great depending on your room lighting. Non-reflective surfaces are no problem. Tall items, like the jumpers on a breadboard, cause you to choose between which portion is in focus - in my case the top of the transistor would be in focus but not the bottom.

This is very good for showing details and I am looking for other parts to hack together a more stable stand, but for the price, it's a great way to get started with imaging of very small things.

I later tried the Debut software from Australia and was immediately taking 1600x1200 images so I'm not certain what the issue is that prevents me from using Digital Viewer above 640x480.

2018-07-14 update: I've improved the rating to 5-stars. I recently purchased the Fosmon OTG cable so I could connect this to my Pixel phone and I'm in love all over again. I use the very simple OTG View software, free from Google Play Store, and I am taking this USB Microscope everywhere and capturing high-resolution images well away from my desk and my workbench. I think the major limitation of the device is the provided Digital Viewer and once I moved away from that I've become more impressed with its platform portability every day. I know it will drain my cell phone battery pretty quickly, but having the option of taking a high-resolution close-up of things where only your cellphone goes is a really high-value opportunity. Kudos to Pluggable for (1) Really engaged Product Support, and (2) a really Standard device.
Customer image
Zzyzx Oh
5.0 out of 5 stars Entry-level price, Small image file sizes, some reflective glare, works on all USB2+ platforms, OnTheGo Capable. Recommended.
Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2018
Let me start by saying the Pluggable Support model is hard to beat. I had issues in using this model at its full resolution and they were very accommodating in working with me to debug the situation and come to a positive compromise before they cut me loose. Support alone would get six stars.

This is a value-priced camera with both LED-lighting and suction-cup mounting arm. You assemble it to the supplied board by suction cup, rather than a more stable screw connection, but maybe that gives you more flexibility in the long run. I found the Pluggable software for Mac OS a challenge and was never able to get it above 640x480, so I suspect some of the positive reviews mentioning software are talking about the Windows version. If using the full 2MP of the rating isn't important, this camera works very nicely out of the box. I quickly moved my unit to a Chromebox and loaded the "Camera" App from the Play Store and it takes decent pictures.

In the sample photos, you will notice that smooth surfaces reflect the light from the LEDs, so to eliminate that I would tilt the item being photographed so the reflection didn't come back into the lens. You can also just turn off the LED and let the software adjust the light levels, but that might not look great depending on your room lighting. Non-reflective surfaces are no problem. Tall items, like the jumpers on a breadboard, cause you to choose between which portion is in focus - in my case the top of the transistor would be in focus but not the bottom.

This is very good for showing details and I am looking for other parts to hack together a more stable stand, but for the price, it's a great way to get started with imaging of very small things.

I later tried the Debut software from Australia and was immediately taking 1600x1200 images so I'm not certain what the issue is that prevents me from using Digital Viewer above 640x480.

2018-07-14 update: I've improved the rating to 5-stars. I recently purchased the Fosmon OTG cable so I could connect this to my Pixel phone and I'm in love all over again. I use the very simple OTG View software, free from Google Play Store, and I am taking this USB Microscope everywhere and capturing high-resolution images well away from my desk and my workbench. I think the major limitation of the device is the provided Digital Viewer and once I moved away from that I've become more impressed with its platform portability every day. I know it will drain my cell phone battery pretty quickly, but having the option of taking a high-resolution close-up of things where only your cellphone goes is a really high-value opportunity. Kudos to Pluggable for (1) Really engaged Product Support, and (2) a really Standard device.
Images in this review
Customer image Customer image Customer image Customer image
Author
4.0 out of 5 stars A few issues -- but awesome devicefor the money!
Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2019
I have been hunting for one of these microscopes for a while now and finally opted for this one.

It has only been a day, but I am not at all disappointed!

Installation, while not completely "seamless", was relatively easy and manual construction of the camera itself was a snap (a 5 year old could do it!). The camera functioning too is easy. I really like the focusing and lighting knobs that are easy to use and smooth flowing.

I have already used this handy gadget to take some incredible pictures that I have really enjoyed. Again, for the price (under $40.00) I am kind of kicking myself from holding out not buying this thing years ago. I am already thinking of all those times during the last year or two I "could" have used this!

Of course there are downsides -- not enough to make me regret my decision -- but things I thought I would share for the Amazon community at large or any other "would-be" purchasers.

a) The suction cup. I know other people aren't big fans of this. I am not one either. I have already had several occasions where the darn thing loses suction and the whole darn thing falls over. (If it was a more expensive device these falls would make me absolutely paranoid). Still, I see what the potential utility of this design down the road (i.e., you can use this suction cup on ANY flat surface in the future).

b) Adjusting depth. As others have mentioned, there is no convenient way to adjust depth. All you can do is manually move the camera either up or down -- which can be slightly awkward given the whole design of the device. Again, for the price this is perfectly acceptable to me, but I agree that it is less than ideal.

c) The pad. The pad to me seems way too small and light. Ideally, it would be at least have the dimensions of a standard piece of paper and have some real mass to it. As it is now, combined with the suction cup problem above, and I think this an (albeit, small) issue.

d) The picture button on the camera. I agree with the vast majority of people on here. The picture button (the one on the actual camera) is worthless. Every time I use it, the resulting tap -- no matter how light -- creates blurs in the picture. Indeed, if it wasn't for the fact that the device allows you to take the picture using buttons on your computer (as opposed to the camera itself) I suspect I would have sent this straight back to Amazon!

Overall, I would say this is an awesome product. Well worth the money even with the minor issues above.
Customer image
Author
4.0 out of 5 stars A few issues -- but awesome devicefor the money!
Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2019
I have been hunting for one of these microscopes for a while now and finally opted for this one.

It has only been a day, but I am not at all disappointed!

Installation, while not completely "seamless", was relatively easy and manual construction of the camera itself was a snap (a 5 year old could do it!). The camera functioning too is easy. I really like the focusing and lighting knobs that are easy to use and smooth flowing.

I have already used this handy gadget to take some incredible pictures that I have really enjoyed. Again, for the price (under $40.00) I am kind of kicking myself from holding out not buying this thing years ago. I am already thinking of all those times during the last year or two I "could" have used this!

Of course there are downsides -- not enough to make me regret my decision -- but things I thought I would share for the Amazon community at large or any other "would-be" purchasers.

a) The suction cup. I know other people aren't big fans of this. I am not one either. I have already had several occasions where the darn thing loses suction and the whole darn thing falls over. (If it was a more expensive device these falls would make me absolutely paranoid). Still, I see what the potential utility of this design down the road (i.e., you can use this suction cup on ANY flat surface in the future).

b) Adjusting depth. As others have mentioned, there is no convenient way to adjust depth. All you can do is manually move the camera either up or down -- which can be slightly awkward given the whole design of the device. Again, for the price this is perfectly acceptable to me, but I agree that it is less than ideal.

c) The pad. The pad to me seems way too small and light. Ideally, it would be at least have the dimensions of a standard piece of paper and have some real mass to it. As it is now, combined with the suction cup problem above, and I think this an (albeit, small) issue.

d) The picture button on the camera. I agree with the vast majority of people on here. The picture button (the one on the actual camera) is worthless. Every time I use it, the resulting tap -- no matter how light -- creates blurs in the picture. Indeed, if it wasn't for the fact that the device allows you to take the picture using buttons on your computer (as opposed to the camera itself) I suspect I would have sent this straight back to Amazon!

Overall, I would say this is an awesome product. Well worth the money even with the minor issues above.
Images in this review
Customer image Customer image
Catherine
5.0 out of 5 stars Good product.
Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2024
It took a few times to get it set up correctly, but once I worked it out, this little microscope works really well. I had a hard time finding one to work on my mac - most of them are for PC. For a reasonable price, I mean. This was very affordable and is making my coin collecting much easier. I recommend it.
Kizzy Todd
5.0 out of 5 stars Works great.
Reviewed in the United States on March 19, 2024
It gives great details and allows me to zoom up close, take pictures and videos. It is great to see the details on my old coins.

I accidentally wrote a bad feedback on this product. Apologies.

I got another item that does the same thing. But this one is much better.

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