Operating manual

USB digital microscope

2

Contents
Safety instructions 3
General information 3
Packaging materials 3
Environmental conditions 3
Using the device 4
Cleaning and maintenance 4
Malfunctions 4
Contents of delivery and overview of device 4
Contents of delivery 4
Overview of device 4
Software installation 5
Preparation before use 7
Take photos and record a video 8
Setting options 8
Taking photos 9
Record a video 10
Timer 12
Editing images 13
Calibration 15
Close software 17
Technical information 18
System requirements 18
Technical specifications 18
Customer service 19
Disposal 19

Distributor

In USA: In Europe:
LIGHTHOUSE PUBLICATIONS, INC. LEUCHTTURM ALBENVERLAG GmbH & Co. KG
10 Washington Avenue, Unit B Am Spakenberg 45
Fairfield, NJ 07004, USA 21502 Geesthacht, Germany

Tel.: (201) 342-1513 / (888) 269-1513 Tel.: +49 (0) 4152 / 801 – 0
Fax: (201) 342-7142 Fax: +49 (0) 4152 / 801 - 222

Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

Website: www.lighthouse.us Website: www.leuchtturm.com

Subject to change.
 3

Dear client,

Thank you for purchasing a LEUCHTTURM product.

This high-quality USB digital microscope boasts cutting-edge technology with 5 megapixels and up to
300x magnification. Moreover, it’s compatible with the latest Windows and Mac operating systems.

The microscope is easy to use and is ideal for viewing stamps, coins, minerals, fossils, banknotes,
plants, small insects and much, much more.

Safety instructions
Please read these Safety Instructions carefully prior to first use.

General information
❒❒ This device is not suitable for children. It is not a toy.
❒❒ Please read the safety instructions and instructions for use for the other items to which this device
is connected.
❒❒ In industrial facilities, the National corresponding accident prevention regulations must be observed.
❒❒ Trained staff are responsible for monitoring the use of electronic products in schools, training
facilities, hobby and DIY workshops.

Packaging materials
❒❒ Keep packaging materials out of the reach of children and animals. Danger of suffocation!

Environmental conditions
❒❒ Avoid exposing the device to mechanical stress. Protect it from vibration and hard impacts, and do
not drop or shake it.
❒❒ Do not expose the device to extreme temperatures (under –5 °C or over +50 °C) or major or quick
changes in temperature. Protect it from direct sunlight and heat sources such as open fires, ovens
and radiators.
❒❒ This device is not waterproof. Do not use it in high-humidity areas such as bathrooms or drop it
in water.
❒❒ Do not use this device in dusty areas.
❒❒ Protect the lens from powerful sources of light such as direct sunlight, as it could damage the
photosensitivity of the device.
❒❒ There is no guarantee that some paints, plastics or furniture care products will not damage the case
material. To avoid unwelcome marks on furniture, keep the device away from sensitive surfaces.
4

Using the device

❒❒ Refrain from touching the lens to avoid scratches and fingerprints.
❒❒ Do not look directly into the LED lights when on, as it could damage your eyes.
❒❒ Do not disconnect the device from the USB port as long as the LEDs are still on, as information
may be lost or the printed circuit board damaged.
❒❒ Always close the software before disconnecting the device from your computer (USB port).

Cleaning and maintenance

❒❒ Use only a dry, soft, lint-free cloth for cleaning. Do not use water or cleaning solutions!
❒❒ Always store the device in a clean, dry place.

Malfunctions
❒❒ If an object or liquid finds its way into the device, have it inspected by an authorised specialist
before using it again.

Contents of delivery and overview of device

Contents of delivery
1x USB digital microscope
1x installation CD with device driver and instructions for use
1x quick start guide
1x calibrated ruler

Overview of device

7
1

1 – microscope
5 6 8 2 – focus knob
3 – light (8x LEDs)
2 4 – lens
5 – connecting cable
3 6 – release
7 – LED brightness control
4 8 – USB plug
 5

Software installation
1. Insert the installation CD into your computer’s disk drive..
2. For Windows users:
The installation assistant will open automatically.
Install the software by clicking on the Install MicroCapture Pro button.
The assistant will guide you through the rest of the process.

If the installation assistant does not open automatically, select the setup.exe file on the CD.
6

For Mac users:

Open the mac folder of the installation CD.
Copy the MicroCapture_Pro_Package file onto your desktop.

Open the copied file with a double-click.

The installation assistant will activate and guide you through the rest of the process.
For faster and simpler access to the software, we recommend creating a shortcut to the program on
your desktop following installation.
 7

Preparation before use

1. If you have not already done so, connect the USB digital microscope to your computer using the
USB plug.
2. Start the software with a double-click on the symbol on your desktop.
The following program will open:

3. The software’s default language setting is English. To change the language, select
Options > Language.

If the microscope does not connect correctly or properly with your computer, the following
i error message will be displayed:
8

Take photos and record a video

Setting options
The software offers a variety of settings for taking photos and recording videos.

These are located in the main menu under Options:

Resolution Selecting the image resolution
Date / Time Show / hide date and time
(not saved in the photo / video)
Language Select the menu language in the software
Crossing Show / hide reticle
(not saved in the photo / video)
Fullscreen mode Switch to full screen mode
(back to the normal view: double-click on the image display or press the Esc button)

Tip: The (Fullscreen mode) symbol will also activate full screen mode.

• The transmission rate of the USB interface is limited.

i • The resolution of the preview is therefore set to 1,280 x 960 to ensure a fluid image display.
• However, photos and video will be saved under the resolution selected under
Options > Resolution.
• If your computer does not have a USB 2.0 interface, the resolution will be limited.
 9

Taking photos
You have a variety of options for taking photos:
a. Select Capture > Photo.

b. Click on the (Photo) symbol.

c. Press the release on the connecting cable.

The photos you take will be saved in the Microcapture_Photo folder on your computer. You can also
access this folder under File > Photos Directory in the main menu.

The photos will be displayed as thumbnails on the right-hand side of the program window at the same
time:
10

Tip
• When the cursor is placed over a thumbnail, the selected photo will be displayed in the main
section of the program window.
• When you right-click on a thumbnail, a submenu will appear with a variety of actions to apply to
the selected photo:

Open Open the photo in Image Preview (see also the Editing images chapter)
Save as Save photo (any file name and location may be selected)
Copy Save the photo in the clipboard for further editing
Delete Delete photo
Delete All Delete all photos in the list

Record a video
There are a variety of options for beginning to record a video:
a. Select Capture > Video.

b. Click on the (Video) symbol.

The (Video) symbol will begin to blink in red.

To stop the video, repeat either option a or b.

The blinking will stop.

The videos you record will be saved in the Microcapture_Video folder on your computer. You can also
access this folder under File > Videos Directory in the main menu.
 11

The videos will be displayed as thumbnails on the right-hand side of the program window at the same
time:

Tip
• When you right-click on a thumbnail, a submenu will appear with a variety of actions to apply to
the selected video:

Open Video will be played in a separate window

Save as Save video (any file name and location may be selected)
Delete Delete video
Delete All Delete all videos in the list
12

Timer
You have the option to set a timer for taking photos and recording a video.

Click on the (Timer) symbol and the following window will open:

You can now manage the following settings:

Photo / Video Choose if you want to take photos or record a video.
Start Time Specify the starting time of the photo / recording
Interval (sec) Specify the interval between photos / recordings (from 0 to 99 seconds)
Video time (sec) Specify the length of the video recording (from 0 to 99 seconds)
Total Number Specify the number of photos / recordings (from 0 to 99)

The box Captured Number shows you the amount of captured photos or videos..
 13

Editing images
The software also has an image editing program.

To edit a photo you’ve taken, open it by double-clicking on the thumbnail or right-clicking on the
thumbnail and selecting Open. The photo will open in a separate window:

Here you have a variety of options for editing the photo:

Save photo

Copy the photo into the clipboard for further use

Copy photo

Select previous photo / next photo

Undo action / restore action

14

Drawing
Variety of drawing tools:
Line, Arrow, Freehand, Rectangle

You can specify the line properties in a submenu:

Note
Options for entering text:
Choose Font, Text Color

To enter text, click on the spot in the photo in which you

would like to enter text.

Measurement
Variety of measurement tools:
Any Angle Line (simple line with a beginning and end),
Continuous Line, Radius Circle, Diameter Circle, Three
Points Angle

You can specify the characteristics of the line and text as

well as measurement units (mm, cm, pixel, inch) in
different submenus festlegen.

To obtain the correct measurement values, you will need to perform a calibration before
i measuring your photos (see the Calibration chapter)!
 15

Calibration
See the Calibration chapter

Calibration
The software offers a calibration function that allows you to carry out precise measurements on your
photos.

You should always perform a calibration before you begin measuring

photos in order to obtain correct measurement values.

To perform a calibration, please proceed as follows:

1. Activate the reticle under Options > Crossing.
2. Take a photo of the calibrated ruler included in the contents of delivery.

Alternatively, you can use any other millimetre-based ruler.

Before taking a photo, adjust the focus knob to make the image sharp and position the ruler
i so that the lines are parallel to the reticle.

3. Open the image in Image Preview.

4. Select the Calibration menu option.

5. Now draw a straight line from one marking to the next.
Tip: We recommend a distance of 1 mm!
Press and hold the left-hand mouse button. When the end of the drawn line is correctly positioned,
release the button.
16

A separate window will open automatically:

6. Now manually enter the actual size in mm of the specified distance in the Actual dimension field.
In the image above, a distance of 1 mm was measured and thus “1” entered in the field.
The software will now automatically calculate the selected magnification.
7. Confirm your entry with OK. The calculated magnification will then be displayed in the upper
right-hand corner of the window (both in the Image Preview and the main program window) and
defined as a value for all subsequent photos taken.

• Following calibration, reliable measurements may be taken on all subsequent photos as

i long as the focus setting is not changed.
• If you adjust the focus for a photo using the focus knob, you will need to perform a
calibration again.
• Should you ever need to, you can also manually specify the magnification for an individual
photo or future photos.

The software offers different options:

Reset Magnification

Select Reset Picture Magnification to restore the selected magnification value of an individual
photo back to zero.
The magnification value displayed in the upper right-hand corner of the Image Preview will
be restored to None for the open photo.
 17

The magnification value displayed in the upper right-hand corner of the main program is
i not affected, which means that the magnification value displayed there will continue to
apply to all future photos taken.
If you would like to restore this value to zero too, select Reset Capture Magnification.

Set Magnification

To manually specify a magnification value for an individual photo, select Set Picture
Magnification, enter the value in the field and confirm with OK.
The magnification value displayed in the upper right-hand corner of the Image Preview
will be adjusted to the value you have entered for the open photo.

The magnification value displayed in the upper right-hand corner of the main program is
not affected, which means that the magnification value displayed there will continue to
apply to all future photos taken.
If you want to manually specify this value too, select Set Capture Magnification, enter the
value in the field and confirm with OK.

Close software
Always close the software before disconnecting the device from your computer (USB port).
To close the software, select File > Exit in the main menu.
18

Technical information
System requirements
• Operating system: Windows XP / Vista / 7 / 8 / 10, Mac OS 10.6 or later
• Min. processor Pentium 1800 or comparable AMD processor
• 100 MB of free disk space
• 512 MB RAM (memory) (recommended)
• 24-bit colour video card
• 64 MB video memory (recommended)
• USB 2.0 interface
• CD-ROM disk drive

Technical specifications
• Image sensor: 5 megapixels (visual)
• Photo resolution: 2,592 x 1,944, 2,048 x 1,536, 1,600 x 1,200, 1,280 x 960 pixels
• Video resolution: 2,592 x 1,944, 2,048 x 1,536, 1,600 x 1,200, 1,280 x 960 pixels
• Magnification: 10x – 300x
• Image format: JPG
• Video format: AVI
• White balance: Automatic
• Exposure: Automatic
• Tray illumination: 8 LEDs, white, infinitely adjustable
• Computer interface: USB 2.0
• Operating system: Windows XP / Vista / 7/ 8 / 10, Mac OS 10.6 or later
• Power supply: 5 V DC (USB cable)
• Software: MicroCapture Pro with measurement and calibration function
• Languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Russian, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch,
Polish, Japanese, Korean, Chinese
• Device dimensions: Approx. 110 x 35 mm
 19

Customer service
If you have a complaint or your device is faulty, please contact your retailer or get in contact with us
directly at:

In USA:
LIGHTHOUSE PUBLICATIONS, INC.
10 Washington Avenue, Unit B
Fairfield, NJ 07004, USA

Tel.: (201) 342-1513 / (888) 269-1513 (Monday to Friday between 9.00 a.m. and 4.30 p.m.)
Fax: (201) 342-7142
Email: [email protected]

In Europe:
LEUCHTTURM ALBENVERLAG GmbH & Co. KG
Am Spakenberg 45
21502 Geesthacht, Germany

Tel.: +49 (0)4152 8010 (Monday to Friday between 8.00 a.m. and 5.00 p.m.)
Fax: +49 (0)4152 801 222
Email: [email protected]

Please do not send your device to our address without having been requested to do so.
i Costs and risk of loss are borne by the sender. We reserve the right to deny any unsolicited
deliveries or to return these goods back to the sender at the sender’s expense.

Disposal
This device complies with the European Directive on waste electrical and electronic
equipment. Dispose of it in accordance with legal requirements and in an environmentally
friendly manner.