USB pen microscopes

I'm writing to ask if anyone has experience and would care to share
opinions about using the relatively inexpensive (US$100-150) USB
accessible pen microscopes now on the market.  Rather than
purchasing an expensive coupler for our binocular inspection
microscope I thought this may be an alternative way to capture
images and enable a group of people to view real-time.

The magnification is generally 10-200x; some are self-illuminated by
LED.  I'm hoping to use this for capturing images of paper and
parchment morphology (as would be afforded by this magnification
range), instructing staff on consolidation, and for print and
drawing inspection with students.

Douglas Sanders
Paper Conservator, IU Libraries
E. Lingle Craig Preservation Laboratory
851 N. Range Road
Bloomington, IN 47408
812-856-4463


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 24:36
                Distributed: Saturday, January 29, 2011
                       Message Id: cdl-24-36-017
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