Viewing Trichomes with Unsteady Hands?

[Kazman420]

I know I don't have the steadiest hands in the world and they have definitely gotten worse over the years, but I can't keep them steady enough to get a good look at the trichomes with the loupe I bought. It's one of those generic foldable style with a large 30x and tiny 60x lenses. (And almost certainly not the listed magnification). I should say that with patience and proper breathing I can steady myself enough to look through the larger lens, but I'm finding the magnification is insufficient to see the trichomes.

So I'm looking for suggestions. Would a high quality name brand loupe with a single (true) 20x or 30x lens be sufficient? Or do I need to look into a USB Microscope? And forgive what could be a stupid question but wouldn't I run into the same problem? I know they come with a small table stand, but how does that help me look at calyx's while they are still attached to the plant?

 

[Chester]

I use a USB Microscope like the one in the link below ... I take a piece of leaf and place it on a hard surface and place the tip of the scope against the surface and begin dialing it in .... works great for me and I've been using the same, less than $20 scope, for years. Tip of scope extends about 1/2 inch past lens. Can even take pictures ...

8LED 1600X 10MP USB Digital Microscope Endoscope Magnifier Camera w/ Stand 825035300662 | eBay

 

[Rasterman]

I know I don't have the steadiest hands in the world and they have definitely gotten worse over the years, but I can't keep them steady enough to get a good look at the trichomes with the loupe I bought. It's one of those generic foldable style with a large 30x and tiny 60x lenses. (And almost certainly not the listed magnification). I should say that with patience and proper breathing I can steady myself enough to look through the larger lens, but I'm finding the magnification is insufficient to see the trichomes.

So I'm looking for suggestions. Would a high quality name brand loupe with a single (true) 20x or 30x lens be sufficient? Or do I need to look into a USB Microscope? And forgive what could be a stupid question but wouldn't I run into the same problem? I know they come with a small table stand, but how does that help me look at calyx's while they are still attached to the plant?

I use this one: Carson MicroBrite Plus 60x-120x LED Lighted Zoom Pocket Microscope with Aspheric Lens System Amazon product

Shakiness is still a problem but I get around that by holding the scope in one hand and touching that hand with a finger from the other hand holding the bud.

I hate loupes. They just don't work for me.

 

[Bruce Campbell]

I have a cheapo scope that looks very similar to Chester's.

I got a desk-clamp microphone arm to mount it in:

Amazon product


It fits pretty well in the mic holder, and I can position it while my plants sit on the floor without having to move the buds to a flat surface, etc. It's a bit finicky to get into a decent position and then focus (it would be better if I had a scope where my phone volume buttons could control the zoom), but the only real shaking I have to worry about now is the buds swaying from any air movement.

(Edit: However, it is a bit hard to know exactly what the scope is finally looking at with those zoom levels (leaf vs. calyx, etc), and I wish there was a laser dot. I still do end up using a hand loupe the best I can for a quick double-check.)

Here's some recent scope pics from that set-up:

 

[Luketheduke]

I use this one: Carson MicroBrite Plus 60x-120x LED Lighted Zoom Pocket Microscope with Aspheric Lens System Amazon product

Shakiness is still a problem but I get around that by holding the scope in one hand and touching that hand with a finger from the other hand holding the bud.

I hate loupes. They just don't work for me.

I use this one as well.

Im an ex heroin addict. My hands still shake...prolbably always will honestly. What I do is put the plant on a counter. Plant my elbows to to help stabalize. Then i cradle the bud in my hands and gently place the two against eachother and examine trichs.

Sometimes I have to switch positions a few times to get a really good steady look. Before this I used the exact same Loupe w the 30x 60x.

 

[Perpetually Automatic]

Dunno if it’ll work for you but in the past I’ve just put the loupe right up to my phone camera and taken a pic, that way you can zoom further and don’t have to worry about wobble… as long as you can stay steady enough to get the pic in the first place of course.

 

[GreenBean]

I put the loupe literally up against the flower so it doesn’t move/shake. YMMV.

 

[Kazman420]

Thank you to everybody who replied. There have been some great suggestions.

I guess I'm leaning towards the USB microscope at this point. Plus being able to take pictures with it is kinda neat. The desk clamp mic arm is a fantastic idea, I just wish it wasn't half the cost of the microscope, hehe. I did try putting my phone up to the loupe, but I think it made things worse since it was awkward to hold them.

 

[DogterB]

I use a cheap little clip on microscope on my phone. Use the camera like normal, zoom in/out at will. I find I get the best shots by taking a video while looking at several buds, then scrolling through the video kinda frame by frame

 

[olbobcat]

I have a USB scope a hand scope and a low-power microscope. I prefer the microscope. Don't have to worry about hands. a 20x is sufficiet and a lot easier to use. Might get the clip on to try