Want CNET to notify you of price drops and the latest stories?
No, thank you Accept
X
WWDC: Everything We ExpectRemote Working in ParadiseBest Mineral SunscreensBest Solar CompaniesCNET CouponsMeal Subscription vs. TakeoutBest Satellite Internet ProvidersCurrent Mortgage Rates

Turn an iPhone into a microscope for less than $5

Here's a fun project for children, students, and anyone interested in getting a bigger view of the smaller world around us. All you need is a few bucks and a few minutes.

rickbroida
rickbroida
Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
See full bio
Rick Broida
2 min read
Glue an inexpensive microscope to the back of your iPhone (case) and get some enlightening close-ups of the world around you.
Glue an inexpensive microscope to the back of your iPhone (case) and get some enlightening close-ups of the world around you. Crabfu

If you've ever peered through a microscope, you know how incredibly cool the world can look when it's massively magnified.

Just one problem: it's uncomfortable to squint through that tiny viewfinder. Where are the microscopes with the big, comfy LCD screens?

Try looking in your pocket. Hobbyist Crabfu came up with a slick--and inexpensive--hack that turns your iPhone into a microscope. You can see it in action, and learn how to do it yourself, in this video. (Note: The actual how-to starts at the 2:09 minute mark.)

As you can see, the hack's results can be pretty impressive. And all you need is the microscope, a little glue, and a case you're willing to sacrifice to the cause.

Regarding the microscope, it's a tiny, battery-powered, dual-LED unit the author procured on Amazon for $5. Alas, that price has since bounced up to $12.95--but I managed to find the same 45x two-LED pocket microscope for $4.70 shipped. (If you strike out there, a Google search for "45x SE illuminated microscope" should find you a price in the same ballpark.)

This mod was obviously done with an iPhone 4, which has a much better camera than that of previous iPhone models and the benefit of a flat backside. You could probably accomplish the same hack with a 3GS, but it would depend on the case you use.

Speaking of that, if you don't want to give up your existing case, Meritline has an iPhone hard case for $3.76 shipped that looks like a good "throwaway" for the microscope project.

What do you think? Is this nifty, inexpensive hack worth...a closer look? (Heh, I crack myself up.)