USB scope are especially useful for comparison, taking photos to email/ post or for documentation. But for daily honing they are a pain in the butt.
For honing the best handheld scope I have found is the 60-120 Carson Micro Brite Plus. It is a huge improvement over the old Carson Micromax 60-100 that many of us used years ago.
The old Micromax, ate batteries like a T-rex, had a terrible on off switch, poor focus adjustment and was narrow and difficult to balance on a razor bevel.
The Micro Brite Plus, is LED lit, much brighter and easier on batteries, has a much larger and smooth focus adjuster, a wider base and easy access, push button on off switch. It is a much better handheld scope, quick and easy to use and sells for $10-15.
Also, you can micro adjust the focus by slightly lifting one edge of the scope off the bevel for quick focus.
If you are a new guy learning to hone, you need all the help you can get to try to understand, what is happening at the bevel and the edge. And more importantly what your action is or is not doing your edges.
You cannot compare 200-400x micrographs to what you see through a 10x loupe, no matter how good the glass is.
Too improve your USB photos try, adding or reducing light. A gooseneck LED works great.
Change the background, a white background may be reflecting light back to the lens, I use a piece of flat black craft foam for good contrast at the edge.
Elevate the bevel, remember the bevel angle and the with of the scale, tang and pin will increase the bevel angle even more. Elevate the bevel so it is parallel to the lens.
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