resolution in megapixels, and not scaling the video
feed up to some excessively high number. The spec
says 0.3 megapixels, and we get 0.3 megapixels.
At this resolution, it’s obviously never going to take
any images that will take Instagram by storm, but it’s
a £3.33 camera, so that’s perfectly OK with us.
The LEDs are about the right brightness for the
camera, and objects are in focus between about 3
and 15 centimetres from the lens.
TAKING PICTURES
The resolution and picture quality aren’t quite high
enough to make this camera suitable for fine
inspection work. You can use it to, for example,
check surface mount soldering work, but you’ll
struggle to see problems if you’re using the very
smallest components around. For larger inspection
work, this camera is more than capable – checking
that wires are connected in the right place, tubes
aren’t blocked, and other inspection that doesn’t
require seeing things that are fractions of a
millimetre across.
There could definitely be applications for this
camera in robotics. While it doesn’t have the field of
vision or resolution of, say, a Raspberry Pi Camera
Module, it has a much, much smaller cross-section
and built-in LEDs. For example, it could work really
well for a robotic hand to see what it’s about to
pick up.
For the avoidance of doubt, we’re not
recommending this for medical uses. Honestly, we
have no idea if it would be any use in a hospital. It
looks a little on the large side to be comfortable to us,
but we’re makers, not doctors.
There are certain tools you know you need – if
you’ve got nails, you only spend so long trying to bash
them in with a rock or a large spanner before
accepting that a hammer really is the best tool for the
job. However, there are some tools that you don’t
always know you need, and an endoscope is one of
these. Have you ever tried to work out what’s going
on inside a box by feeling it out with your fingers? Or,
taken apart something to see what the problem was,
only to find out that the problem was somewhere
else, and you didn’t need to take it apart in the first
place? For these jobs, an endoscope is a great tool,
but if you don’t know that they’re available, you
might not think that it’s one you need.DIRECT FROM
(^) SHENZHEN
Above
You could lengthen
this with a USB
extension if you
needed a little
extra reach
Left
Most of the
electronics are hidden
in the USB plugging
Below
The image quality
isn’t brilliant, so
would struggle a bit
with PCB inspection
(higher resolutions
are available)
FIELD TEST