If I press the edge of the microscope flat against a thin piece of paper, I can get only 85x magnification. That's on a 27 inch monitor. Why?

This is a confusing issue and the vendors aren't helping with their 2BazillionX magnification claims. In reality you are looking at focal lengths as far as "real" magnification goes and display size as far as "apparent" magnification goes. For real magnification what we are doing is focusing an image on a sensors surface. If we are closer to the subject we are going to cover more sensor surface with the image. This is measured in aspect ratio. If my focused image is the same size on the sensor surface as the subject itself the aspect is 1:1. If the image size is half the life size it's .5:1, etc. So with a 1:1 ratio a 1" subject would yield a 1" image on the sensor surface. 1:1 is usually considered nirvana for macro (super closeup) photography. You can "blow up" a 1:1 image a whole lot without it blurring. This is where the "monitor size" blather comes in. The more dots (pixels) the sensor had the more I can expand my display and still see good detail in the image. (Take a printed image and a decent magnifying glass and you will see the dots) If I expand my display size too much it will blur to the point it's useless to my eyes because my 'dots' are too far apart. The gist of this is that you change true magnification by moving the focus point (focal plane) closer or farther from the image sensor in the microscope. For the scopes smallest image size (lowest magnification) raise the scope body higher and use the focus/zoom wheel on the scope to focus the image. For the largest image size (magnification) you want to get as close to the subject as you can. Then the maximum "magnification" (display size) you use is simply determined by the number of pixels the sensor has. This scope has 5 million. That's a bunch! The photos you get will display well on a projector screen for an audience. As for true magnification this scope will focus down to the point the clear plastic hood touches the subject. This yields about 67X - which is really good for what you paid. Just a few years ago we would be discussing thousands of dollars (and Celestron products) to get clear images this size. I hope this info helps, it should be useful in understanding the measurement function of the software as well. The measurement function is really great for teaching purposes!

Hi. Is there anyone who want to make an experiment for me? Can you see any algae or any kind of life in a drop of water?

Depending upon the magnification, many "things" can be seen in a drop of pond water. http://www.microworldsphotography.com/Galleries/Microscopic-Creatures/i-cKDFwMC

Manufacturer	Celestron
Part number	44308
Item Weight	648 g
Product Dimensions	22.86 x 17.78 x 12.7 cm; 648 g
Item model number	44308
Colour	Grey/White
Style	Digital Microscope Pro
Material	Plastic
Power source type	USB
Voltage	5 Volts
Item Package Quantity	1
Number of Pieces	1
Light source	LED
Included components	HDM Pro hand microscope, Oak wood panel, Stand. Software (cannot guarantee software is in English). Quick start guide (cannot be guaranteed that this will be in English)
Batteries included?	No
Batteries Required?	No

44308 Handheld Digital Microscope Pro, 20x-200x Magnification, Grey/White

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