At the Printable Electronics Exhibition in Tokyo, 3R Systems was showing off their newest model of pocket microscope, the A200. Unlike the previous Vitiny model, which shot at 300,000 pixels, the A200 has a 2 megapixel (2,000,000) CMOS sensor and kicks out images of about 1600 x 1200 pixels.
The LED viewfinder on the back gives you a preview of what the lens underneath is looking at, and marks the target area with crosshairs on screen.
Now, we're not entirely certain who exactly would be in need of a such a pocket microscope, but surely there must be some vocation out there that requires 200x magnified photography on the go, right? Perhaps it could be used on the spot in forensic science or crime scene investigation, rather than always having to take samples back to the lab. The money you'd save in ziploc bags would certainly pay for the camera over time, no doubt!
The A200 saves in standard jpeg file format, and has 32 MB of memory along with a micro SD card slot. The body dimensions are 5.1 x 2.4 x 1.1 inches (130 x 62 x 27.5mm) and it weighs in at 3.5 ounces.
3R has priced the A200 at JPY46800, or approximately US$500. The product page links to a Yahoo Japan store that's no longer selling, so you may have to contact the company directly if you want to get your hands on this camera.
Check out the video demo below to see the A200 in action:
