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Full HD video macroscope for a bargain price with Aiptek AHD H5 Extreme digital full HD camcorder

In just a few seconds, the Aiptek AHD H5 Extreme full HD camcorder can be transformed into a mobile macroscope. All you need is the LM universal filter adapter and an LM DSLR macro lens. The high-quality macro lens with a plan achromatic lens design delivers first-rate videos and macro images. Depending on the specific requirements in each case, either the 40 mm or 80 mm lens can be used. The LM DSLR macro lens with a focal length of 40 mm delivers a higher magnification. At the camcorder’s maximum zoom setting (5x), objects of 5 mm x 3 mm are depicted in full frame, while at the minimum zoom setting, objects of 20 mm x 12 mm are displayed in full frame. Due to the central optical path of the recording unit (camcorder and LM DSLR macro lens), a significantly better image and video quality can be achieved than with conventional stereo microscopes (see “Are normal stereo microscopes suitable for high-quality photographic documentation?”).  The Aiptek camcorder is very well equipped for its reasonable price (approx. € 170.00).

• Full HD 1920x1080p AVC H.264 camcorder
• HDMI and AV out (NTSC/PAL)
• 5x optical zoom with auto focus
• Swivel-mounted 270° 3.0" wide screen LTPS LCD display
• The continuous capture function makes it possible to take up to 10 pictures per second in video resolution
• Macro mode for close-ups at distances of up to 1 centimetre
• SD/SDHC/MMC cards up to 32 GB can be used

AIPTEK AHD H5 HD Camcorder with 40 mm and 80 mm LM DSLR macro lens and LM universal filter adapter

LM DSLR macro lens 80mm (working distance 60mm) delivers with zooming setting "Wide" an image field with 33mm x 18mm; with zooming setting "Tele 5x" an image field with 10mm x 6mm

LM DSLR macro lens 40mm (working distance 27mm) delivers with zooming setting "Wide" an image field with 20mm x 12mm; delivers with zooming setting "Tele 5x" an image field with 5mm x 3mm


For stationary use we recommend the LM macro stand 2. The exact focal plane can be set using the stand's rack and pinion adjustment control. Particularly at high magnifications, a robust precision stand is a great advantage, as it eliminates motion blurs. As the camcorder is equipped with a digital video out (HDMI port) and supports video display in “Live View” mode, the quality of the live image can conveniently be assessed on a full HD monitor. This means that the “Live View" image can be presented to a large group of people in very good quality on a large monitor or projector. Due to the higher number of pixels in full HD mode (1920x1080) on the monitoring screen, the focal plane can be set even more precisely than on the camcorder’s own 3” display with only 960x240 pixels. This trick helps to further enhance the image quality. All photos and videos are saved on a flash memory card. The camcorder supports the following media formats: SD/SDHC/MMC.