Digital handheld microscopes are a unique and new player in the microscopy field. While they’re not compound microscopes, some can view slides with a degree of detail (although an optical compound microscope is still your best bet when it comes to viewing slides), and they’re also not quite stereo microscopes (although they are intended to view the surface of opaque samples for the most part, just like a stereomicroscope would). Neither here nor there, they’re sort of the jack of all trades, master of none.
The great news about digital handheld microscopes is they are often inexpensive for the quality they provide, and are quite universal in use, so they’re great for younger audiences who might not know exactly what they want to view in a microscope. Not knowing what application they want a microscope for makes picking between stereomicroscope and compound microscope quite difficult, so these are a great way to break into microscopy without breaking the piggy bank!
Best Digital Handheld Microscopes – Holiday Shopping Guide
1. Best Quality: Levenhuk DTX 500 Mobi 20x-500x Digital Handheld Microscopes
The Levenhuk DTX 500 Mobi 20x-500x series of digital handheld microscopes are our favorites on the market this year due to their quality. The build quality itself feels great for the price point, sporting a rubber coating on the unit to protect from fall damage, as well as improve your grip when using it in the field.
20x-500x magnification is more than enough for in the field observations, and the 8 white LED bulbs are bright enough to illuminate any opaque sample for image capture or video recording. Includes measurement functionality when connected to a PC (software included), and a rechargeable lithium ion battery that lasts 4 hours on a full charge. When you want to export your images or video, simply connect the device to your computer via USB, or you can live stream to a TV via the included AV cable. Universally useful for a variety of tasks.
Pick up your Levenhuk DTX 500 Mobi digital handheld microscope for your favorite coin collector, bug collector, stamp collector, archaeologist (or child rock collector), or anyone with an interest in just grabbing something a looking at it under a microscope for a great holiday gift idea. Great for quick medical use too–removal of splinters, bee stings, inspection of wounds, etc.
2. Tried & True: Celestron 5MP 44308 20x-200x Digital Handheld Microscopes
We’ve dug in deep on this microscope before in our full review here, and it still holds true as a solid contender as one of the best digital handheld microscopes on the market. 5 megapixels provides a high enough resolution for solid image quality, while still being quick enough to view live samples if needed. 20x-200x is a solid magnification range, but there’s bigger if you need more. Great unit for the price, and we still stand by it.
The bonus that this Celestron 5MP 44308 has over most digital handheld microscopes is the stand has a stage, providing a nice contrasting surface to view your samples on.
3. Best Value: Plugable USB2-MICRO-250X 2MP 10x-250x Digital Handheld Microscopes
The price of the USB2-MICRO-250X series of digital handheld microscopes offered from Plugable is absolutely incredible. It truly is. There isn’t another unit on the market that can compete with the amazing low price of this series (price can be checked here: Plugable USB2-MICRO-250X). But, of course, you do get what you pay for.
The USB2-MICRO-250X is mostly plastic, including the stage, however the stage does have both a grid and rulers printed directly onto it–a highly useful feature if you need to measure features on your sample! I’ve never seen it done like this, and it’s honestly pretty cool, especially at such a low price. The major downside of this unit is at the low cost, this series of digital handheld microscopes are absolutely fixed to the stand. There’s a flexible arm for moving around, sure, but it cannot be taken off to view objects’ surfaces at differing angles, or large objects that cannot fit on the stage easily.
Also, because there’s no screen, you’re going to have to carry a compatible computer with you, or leave it in the lab. So you lose a great deal of portability. Also, it’s USB powered, so it has to work with a computer–no TV or on board storage either. But, if you don’t plan on taking it to the samples, and are going to move the samples to it (such as circuit boards, coins, rocks, stamps, and bugs in one’s collection), then the USB2-MICRO-250X is a great series of digital handheld microscope to go for. Not to mention, you probably won’t want your young children carrying a microscope around outside–with this, they can bring the samples in and leave the microscope on the table. Check it out here: Plugable USB2-MICRO-250X, as this makes for a great stocking stuffer or a great inexpensive gift for a little explorer who isn’t sure about microscopy yet.
4. Highest Magnification: Mustcam 5M 10x-1200x Measuring Digital Handheld Microscopes
Although this bad boy shares the same shell as the Levenhuk DTX 500 Mobi, it is indeed not the same series of digital handheld microscope. Sporting about the same accessory kit, the Mustcam 5M series of digital handheld microscopes are capable of up to 1200x magnification. Much higher than the 500x that the DTX 500 Mobi series of digital handheld microscope offers, HOWEVER, the optical resolution is still lower than is needed to view a bacterial cell or other object that is better suited for an optical compound microscope. Glass optics will almost always be superior to digital sensor images, so remember, pick the right tool for the job!
If you need a digital handheld microscope with high magnification to view just about any type of sample, this one is your go to unit. Great adjustable LED lighting, a nice screen for portability, SD card storage, all are a part of this unit as well, but the higher price tag is due to the higher magnification levels offered. Personally, we like the Levenhuk unit better, as it’s a better known brand name, documentation is superior, and honestly, if you’re going above 500x with a digital handheld microscope, you should be looking into the appropriate optical microscope to get the best image results, but the Mustcam 5M really did kill it with this offering if you’re dead set on a digital handheld, or need the portability that a compound unit can’t offer.
5. Feature Packed & Budget Friendly: Mustcam 1080p Digital Handheld Microscopes
Another series of digital handheld microscopes from Mustcam, the Mustcam 1080p is about middle of the range in terms of price point, but still a very awesome unit. It’s capable of pulling 10x-220x, so not a huge range, but still rather large. It’s capable of going to the lowest magnification value of any on this list, meaning your field of view will be largest (perfect for coin collectors or stamp collectors, or even bug collectors, who want to show their collection online but need to capture the image of the whole thing in one shot!).
In addition to the normal USB connection, this unit also has an HDMI out port on it, so you can actually stream or work with the microscope on your HD ready TV or monitor! It powers with its own AC adapter as well, so you do not need to have both a computer and a TV handy. Very useful, especially in a classroom or university setting, where you need to show great detail to a large audience! Museums also benefit from something like this, as the detail in a sample can be shown to your visitors without putting the artifact in a precarious position.
The Mustcam 1080p also has measurement functions when used on a computer, SD card storage, and more. The only thing we didn’t like is there’s a good deal of flex in the stand, as it’s a light plastic. Still very usable, just be careful with the it!
Check out the Mustcam 1080p series of digital handheld microscopes on Amazon if you’re looking for the most amount of bells and whistles, without the highest cost!