Thanks, John, Allen & Martin (twice) for the thoughts.

When I get more familiar with this new USB microscope, I will try to make 3-D
(stereopticon) images so the sculpture will be more easily discerned.

I have made only a dozen images so far with it. I got it from Amazon.com for
~US$90 (w/shipping inside US). It is a CELESTRON model #44306. It has both an
eyepiece for hand-held use and a 2 megapixel USB camera insert for things like
this geode/cast.

It was easy enough to get going: it comes up on the USB port as a webcam device.
I am running WinXP (SP3). (Mac compatible, too.) I think I read a review on-line
that there are no Linux drivers (yet).

There is a ring of six white LEDs for illumination, which is powered by two
penlight (AAA) cells. The ON-OFF switch is part of the light intensity
adjustment. There is a mechanical focus plus a physical 'zoom' from "LOW" to
"HIGH." The eyepiece itself has "20X" marked on it.

It is a bit soon for a recommendation but it has worked, thus far, right out of
the box. There is some care needed with getting the proper light level for a
good exposure (nothing new there). There is a very short delay (it seemed to me)
between 'snapping' the picture and the capture of it. Remember, though, only a
dozen pictures, so far.

I hope that helps.


Bob Dayle
http://cowry.org

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