Transform Your iPhone into a 40x Microscope: Learn How

Although many times during the week, my iPhone 15 Pro Max is my go-to camera, I’d never considered using it as a microscope. Now, a new offering from Sandmarc has me thinking about the potential. Sandmarc has been a longtime purveyor of accessories for iPhones, most notably add-on wide angle lenses and macro lenses. With most configurations, you specify the iPhone you have, and you are sent the lens and a case that has the needed screw on hardware so you can get the lens on.

The Microscope Lens Edition, as it is called, has just started shipping, and it’s actually a pretty exciting accessory. As mentioned, I have an iPhone 15 Pro Max, but the microscope accessory lens works on several of the recent iPhone models. Check the Sandmarc website to see if you can get a match to your gear.

Here are the specs on the lens: Magnification: 40x Height: 12.8 mm Diameter: 42 mm Field of View: 68°

And in the box, you get: Microscope lens iPhone 15 Pro Max case (other cases for other iPhones are available) Clip-on mount Lens pouch Front and back lens caps

Using the Microscope Lens Edition I have to say, opening the box and looking at what was included was a complete mystery to me. There’s not a word of instructions to be had. I went to the Sandmarc website to get some details, and found some helpful videos, but really, after buying this thing customers are certainly entitled to a quick start guide. So, after getting past the silent treatment, I got my iPhone in the special case provided. I wondered how you would use the microscope in closeup, because it looks the lens needs to be right on top of your subject. So, how to light it? Sandmarc thought of that.

The lens has a ring light that is adjustable in brightness. It’s rechargeable, and you get a USB-C cable to plug it in. There’s an LED light to tell you when the light is fully charged. It’s very clever. The lens is not a zoom, but depending on your phone, you can get differen