LINKMICRO LM266S Digital Microscope

Great image and magnification, but the light screws are terrible

I've wanted a detailed digital microscope for some time. This is a quality build that has great adjustability and focus. It's weighted and very stable in design. What I am not fond of is the screw attachments to hold on the lights and other back parts that attach to the main stem. There is no secure way of tightening the screws without it slipping. Considering the overall quality of the microscope, this minor area is a bit of a bummer. But the image quality is great.

Versatile, fun macro-/microscope for hobbyists and entry level students

This is a good quality hobbyist/entry level macro-/microscope. The instrument comes with a bright 7” screen, a multi-adjustable stand, a movable XY stage, fixed lighting below the stage, 2 detachable adjustable lights above stage, 3 turreted micro lenses, 2 interchangeable macro lenses, USB and HDMI cables, power cable with simple controls, a microSD card, sample slides, a sample box with tweezers, instructions, and a full function remote. The package is almost complete, but I wish it came with a storage case of some sort, as this does not go back in the box without considerable disassembly.

This scope is capable of a wide range of magnifications from macro close-ups to microscopic imaging using the the 5 lenses provided, including an empty spot for an additional lens, should you need one beyond what is on the included lens turret. The quality of the images are clear and crisp and the device allows for recording both video and still photos.

The manual is good for a lot of the details but leaves out some critical information, like how to change out the lenses. Easy as pie once you see how they are attached but first time assembly can be a bit puzzling, especially in light of the loose tolerances with some of the parts. For example, lining up screw holes is a little bit off, making it a little challenging to switch out lenses.

The scope can use Microsoft Measure software. A link is included in the manual under the section "USB Output, Software installation”. I was able to connect to a PC laptop using the USB cable, but could not connect to any device I tried (laptop, projector, SmartTV) using the HDMI cable. Not sure if the cable was the problem or the port, or if I missed something in the manual but each device I tried indicated there was no HDMI signal.

This is by no means a professional lab instrument, but it is a solid tool for the entry level student or hobbyist. I’m taking off a star for the quality control issues (screw holes not quite lining up) and the HDMI cable that didn’t perform. I hate to deduct too much as this is a fun scope otherwise and a useful tool for the intended users.

0:20

A big improvement from what I used before.

I occasionally have a need to repair a PCB (printed circuit boards) for myself (I’m an electrical engineer, well versed with surface mount device) or friends. After a repair on small part, I want to verify all the solder joints are adequate.

I originally purchased an inexpensive handheld USB macro camera to check the solder joints. I thought “I don’t need anything fancy, I just want to snap a quick picture and inspect my work.” Apparently easier said than done. Driver crashes, hard to get a crisp image, depth of field was terrible, poor lighting, etc. It got the job done but every time I dreaded the task. Time to make my life easier.

So I took the plunge and ordered a digital microscope. I could have waited and gotten a cheaper one, but I settled on this this one since it gave me some additional flexibility with different lenses.

Assembly was straightforward except for one area of uncertainty during the installation the triple lenses (the piece that holds lenses B, C, M). “Does it go this way or that way?” sort of thing. I had to scrutinize the pictures to figure out the orientation. In the end, while I figured it out, turns out I didn’t even need that piece since I needed the lens ‘A’ to look at a PCB image.

Compared to focusing my handheld macro camera, this is a breeze. Set the PCB under the scope lens, get the lens to the correct height, focus, snap a picture. Done.

Acquiring a quality image was easy: Adjust the height to get it in the ballpark, then finetune using the focus ring (I even used the height adjustment too). I was surprised at the Depth of Field’; Both tall parts and at the board level were in focus with the PCB lens ‘A’. One area I took a picture of had a component over 0.5” high and everything was in focus. Image brightness (not screen brightness) is provided by two LED flexible lights which have 8 settings for brightness. The LED bracket can also be adjusted up or down to tweak the lighting.

The LCD image is perfectly adequate. The LED screen frame has 6 buttons located at the bottom for the various functions. This is where I have an issue: Black frame, black buttons with black markings (i.e. power, etc.). Add in a bright image right above it…the buttons are impossible to read. Time to get the label maker out and make something I can read. I literally needed to get a flashlight out and shine it on the buttons to even see the buttons for this review.

The way around the frame button problem is to use the remote. I‘ll never use the buttons on the screen frame, the remote is much easier. The remote has dedicated buttons for a lot of the settings, too many to mention here. Instead, I included a picture of the manual that illustrates the button functions. Considering I have a single use purpose for taking PCB board pictures, I imagine I won’t have much of a need to change any of the settings once I’m happy with the settings (default is fine for many of the functions).

The microscope provides the option to interface to a computer. I did not evaluate that feature. My workbench is already busy enough as it is, I didn’t want to dedicate space to a laptop, etc. Transferring to a computer via a micro SD card works for me.

Completely satisfied with the microscope.

Very impressed with the image quality of both videos and photos it captures.

This is an unbiased, honest review of the LINKMICRO LM266S 5 Lens 7" HDMI Digital Microscope 5000X....

This microscope is a lot of bang for the buck. I wish I had this back when I was in high school. I always wanted a microscope and my science classes gave me a brief opportunity to use one to look at basic objects, but I never had one of my own to use at home. I live on a lake and there are tons of amazing things in water droplets you can see with a decent microscope. This one has many different choices of lenses to use giving you a solid range of magnifications from coin sized objects down to cells or single celled organisms in water.

The build quality for this price point is phenomenal, made from both metal and plastic parts, real glass lenses, slides, and quality LED lights. Setup time is only just minutes to get up and running. Very easy to follow guide to assembling the base, lights, monitor, stage, and lenses, and adding the prepared slides to the stage is a piece of cake. While this says it's for adults, I can see young teens or high school ages enjoying this as well with a little guidance.

The reasonably compact size of the unit is perfect for a small desk or even for traveling as it packs down into a box about 12"x"12 with a carry handle. It would make for a fantastic outreach sized microscope, especially since you can see the monitor so clearly, perfect for 2-3 people to see at once.

I especially like the light options it has, with two upper gooseneck style LED lights and a base lit that is below the stage. For truly microscopic objects, the low light is perfect. For coins and larger objects the upper LD's do the job well. This scope allows you to capture high-quality 24M pictures and even UHD 2160P video. I was very impressed with the image quality of both videos and photos.

The monitor quality is quite good with full HD resolution and menu controls right on the monitor. It also comes with a remote control for menu choices, starting and stopping video recording, taking photos, adjusting the exposure and color, contrast, lights, and more. (Batteries not included for the remote, which just takes two AAA batteries). You can output the image signal via an HDMI cable to display on a monitor, projector, or your computer. You can also save the images to a supplied 32Gb micro SD card.

The 5-in-1 lens system is brilliant. Actual magnification ratings aside, they are decent quality for this price point and for general microscopic work will certainly work for most situations. The stage is precision built and provides fine control over field of view from side to side and up and down control knobs. It has spring loaded tabs to place your glass slides underneath and it holds them securely.

The focus control is not quite as fine as I would like, but with a little patience you can get it tack sharp in the monitor. Please note that at high magnifications any bump or movement you make on the take with the scope will shake your image. This is fairly normal for this price point and most microscopes in general. Simply make your adjustments and let the shake settle down and you're ready to go.

This unit would make for a great gift for the scientifically gifted or curious in your family, or just to educate yourself on the world of macro to micro imaging. It's lot of fun and I think this price point is a fair price for the overall quality. Recommended!

Great Quality.

This thing is surprisingly awesome. I bought it to look at lice eggs to see if they were dead or alive. Picture quality is great at any level of magnification. And I was easily able to distinguish dead eggs from live ones. My only complaint is that I wish it had a fine tuning knob for focusing. When using higher magnification focusing is a little tedious.