Which is the best digital microscope for stamp collectors?

Did you know that the field of stamp collecting (also known as philately) has been in existence for over 180 years?

The hobby took off almost immediately after the first postage stamp was introduced in 1840, and is still enjoyed by millions around the world today. 

The small size of stamps spurred an interest in magnifying glasses – and later microscopes – as enthusiasts sought a closer look at their collections. Today, with the advent of scanners and digital microscopes, philatelists have more options than ever.

While scanners are an excellent option for casually digitising your collection, if you’re keen to get a better look at the details, intricacies and flaws of your stamps, you can’t go past a digital microscope.

Digital microscopes

Modern digital microscopes are versatile, convenient and precise. Not only do they have higher magnification for the study of fine detail, but they can switch to lower magnification to give you an overview of the whole specimen.

The best microscopes also make it easy for you to take photos or video. A host of adjustable options and software wizardry give you everything you need to digitise and personalise your collection.

As a benchmark – and to scope out what digital microscopes have to offer the modern philatelist – let’s look at the Dino-Lite AM4111T

Dino-Lite AM4111T

The AM4111T is an easy-to-use, handheld digital microscope with an impressive range of features.

You can use it both for close inspection and for documenting or digitising your collection. The professional image quality and colour reproduction, combined with powerful proprietary software, make storing, cataloguing and organising your collection directly on your computer a breeze.

And you can use the magnified image on your screen to spot check the printing errors and oddities that make philately so engaging.

Magnification

The AM4111T has an adjustable lower range of 20x to 50x magnification and a set higher magnification of 200x. This gives you the flexibility to inspect the design and artistry or the fine details of the fibres, printing and perforations.

Image quality

With an enhanced 1.3-megapixel resolution and accurate colour reproduction, even in low lighting, your stamps will be faithfully rendered in high definition.

Useability

For convenience and useability, it’s hard to go past a Dino-Lite. The AM4111T is portable, compact and easy to use, making it ideal for gliding effortlessly over sheets of stamps. Its small size makes it equally convenient for home use and for the well-travelled philatelist.

Dino-Lite even has a solution to the common issue of losing camera focus when you try to take a photo – MicroTouch. This is a sensitive button on the side of the microscope that lets you take a photo at the slightest touch, allowing you to keep the camera steady and in position while you work.

If you want the stability of a stand, or if just prefer to work hands-free, Dino-Lite microscopes are compatible with a range of sturdy and flexible desktop stands.

Lighting

The AM4111T comes with 8 white LED lights, independently controllable through the accompanying software. LEDs provide a bright, long-lasting and energy-efficient source of illumination, and can be particularly useful for inspecting watermarks.

Software

Connected to your computer by USB, Dino-Lite microscopes come with a powerful software suite for both Windows and Mac. They allow you to take still images or video, automatically organise and categorise, and compare and annotate your photos.

If you are after a microscope for examining your stamps, you can’t go wrong with the Dino-Lite AM4111T.