searching for a microscope camera

requirements:

less than ~$200
compatible with Android phones
isn't too big or heavy, since my microscope is awfully compact so that it can be a "field microscope"
wifi would be nice, but isn't mandatory

wifi cameras

AmScope:

Others:

AmScope MD series

(list of cameras in the MD series)

"Another huge benefit is their ability to be used with popular video conferencing apps just like a webcam. This is because they use UVC protocol, making them plug-and-play compatible on most platforms, including Windows, Mac OS, and Linux."

Conclusion: So this whole series should work with Android!

AmScope MU series

These come packaged with a reduction lens, so this allows me to avoid having to figure out which is the right one to use with each.

Conclusion: Each of these weigh almost AS MUCH as the microscope itself! This would make it incredibly top-heavy. They're also large in volume.

AmScope with reduction lens, in a small package

1.3 MP USB 2.0, $74
2 MP USB 2.0, $106

AmScope packages with my microscope

I already own the AmScope H2510 microscope. But AmScope packages some cameras directly with this microscope. Those specific cameras are:

1 MP
1 MP USB 2.0
2 MP USB 2.0 the camera is the MD200A
MD200-WF
MD300
MD500
MD1200A
1.3 MP USB 2.0 the camera is probably the MU130
5 MP USB 2.0 the camera is probably the MU500
10 MP USB 2.0 the camera is probably the MU1000

May 2024 conclusion: Although the MD series lack a reduction lens, and therefore they have a substantially reduced field of view relative to normal eyepieces, this results in a much lighter and more compact package. This makes it much more suitable to its use as a field microscope.