As electronics get smaller and smaller, you'll need a hand examining PCBs and this little TV-output microscope is the perfect tool. It's smaller and lighter than a large optical microscope but packs quite a bit of power in its little body. There's a 1.3 megapixel sensor inside and an optical magnifier that can adjust to about 25x (for basic PCB inspection) or 400x (for detailed inspection). Eight white LEDs are angled right onto whatever you're examining so you get enough lighting to see, and are smoothly adjustable via a dial on the side.

Compared to our popular USB microscope cameras, this one does not plug into a computer. Instead, there's a composite video output. Connect it to any TV (including our lovely little displays) and the magnified output will appear in 4:3 aspect ratio.

We tried a bunch of different AV microscopes and found this one to be the best combination of optical clarity, usability, and price. Because no computer is involved, it is near-instant responsive and much better for rework or soldering-while-inspecting. These microscopes are great for all electronics hacking, rework, SMT (de)soldering, inspection, and soon you'll find yourself pulling it out to look at all sort of cool small stuff around your lab and home.

Package comes with a AV microscope with 4.5ft/140cm long cord, an adjustable metal stand, and a 5V 1A power supply with US prongs. The power adapter is 110-240V so if you have a prong adapter, you can use it in any country.

To demonstrate it, we show the microscope above with our articulated microscope stand and a 7" TV, the TV & stand are not included (but we have them in the shop and they're great additions).