ScienceMan finally got ahold of a long awaited camera for science class - the Boreal VideoSkope;

This camera is actually a re-named Ken-a-Vision 7600 Video Flex, and specially packaged for Boreal. You can read all the specifications on this page, so I won't bore you with technicalities. What I would like to do is tell you a little about it, how to use it, and if the ol' ScienceMan recommends it!

First thing about this camera is that it has a terrific "out-of-box" experience. Every possible cable you could want to hook up this camera with is included! You'll find everything inside a sturdy aluminum carry case that even comes witha rugged carry strap.

The camera feels very rugged, yet the long neck flexes to aim easily. The head pivots too, and has a wonderfully large focus ring for easy gripping;

Want to connect the head to the eyepiece of a microscope? No problem. Two adapters are included, made to slip over the most common eyepiece sizes;

Simply slide the adapter over the microscope eyepiece and the camera fits snugly against it without worry of hurting the lens.

Easy to use controls at the base of the VideoSkope allow you to adjust the contrast and brightness and even make the image negative.

But the best part of this camera is the tremendous images it creates, and it's slick ability to get those images onto your computer screen via an integrated USB port.

The USB software version 1.3 that came with the camera on CD did not work with our classroom iMacs using MacOS 9.1 - but after downloading the latest version (1.4b1) from the website, everything worked excellent. The software is not complicated - just fire it up and you'll get a "monitor" displaying the camera's view. You can copy the images to the clipboard at any time and paste them into another document. To give you an idea of what the images are like, you can click on any of the thumbnails below;

You don't need a computer for this camera - it will also send an image directly into a traditional monitor with no problems.

I had only one small problem with the camera - the power supply brick was operating way too hot, but my email regarding it was answered in less than an hour and another new power supply is already in the mail - terrific service (by both Boreal and Ken-a-Vision)!

There are other neat features too, such as an attachment that allows you to mount slides in front of the lens, and a built-in microphone for audio. On the whole, ScienceMan couldn't be more pleased with this product - I recommended it highly!