Here is an interesting hack that will allow you to make a microscope from an ordinary webcam. Take the lens out of the webcam and turn it around to allow it to focus very close. Have a look at the last picture, that is a close up view of a magazine. The dots you see are what make up the solid colors that you see when you look at a picture in the magazine.
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Google English Translation: http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://www.kalanda.com/remake-convertir-webcam-en-microscopio.html&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3D%2BREMAKE:%2BConvertir%2BWebcam%2Ben%2BMicroscopio%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26hs%3Dab5
I wonder how difficult it would be to get top / side illumination for this device. It looks like the focal length was ~4mm. Not a lot of space to work with…
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My really old web cam can already do this.Its not this much zoom but close.
Oh and the light i just shine at it with a LED flashlight.
Its a Trust SpaceCam 350
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