Review: BigC Dino Lite Pro Digital Microscope

BigC Dino Lite Pro Digital Microscope model AM-413T
Street price: $349.00
Requirements: Windows 2000/XP/Vista or Mac OSX
BigC Products

When I was a kid, I was a big fan of microscopy. I thrilled in seeing tiny life and inanimate objects under the lens magnified hundreds of times.

Thus, I jumped at the chance to review the subject of today's FamilyFirst column: the The Dino Lite Pro digital microscope.

Believe me, there's nothing "Lite" about this sophisticated tool. It's a serious piece of hardware that is suitable for medical or scientific usage.

It's also an intuitive, easy-to-install microscope for the hobbyist.

It uses a USB connection to talk to the java-based software that controls its actions. The software itself, like many java apps, is a bit funky, but it gets the job done.

Installation is simple enough. Pop in the CD, install, plug in the microscope. Just don't try it with a VMWare Windows machine. I failed in my attempts to get my XP or 2K virtual systems to work. I came tantalizingly close, but failed to get the microscope and camera talking.

Thus, I rebuilt my Ubuntu laptop and added a Windows XP partition. The install flew swiftly dealing directly with Windows.

In fact, I was taking high-quality digital images within minutes. I had a fly, some detailed crinoid fossils, and my handwriting on paper to experiment with.

The microscope is very forgiving. The software makes small focusing corrections for you, Thus, you can get good results by hand-holding the scope itself.

The basic scope comes with a unit that holds it steady for close-up work, too. But I recommend you go ahead and spring for the stand, if not included. ThinkGeek offers a package deal for 350 bucks, a bargain (http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/9955/).

Soon, you'll be taking professional looking photomicrographs just like you used to see in your high school biology books.

To sum up, if you are a serious hobbyist or a professional, I heartily recommend the AM-413T. More inexpensive solutions are also available if you don't need the horsepower and features offered here. You can easily discover a world too small to see with the naked eye. And you just might discover that it's a nice place to spend some time.

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