Question: Vevor scope
- Thread starter Darko
- Start date
Travis Fry
Member
I have. I bought one because they're cheap enough to roll the dice on, and I think it will pleasantly surprise you. "Quite good" is probably an apt description.
I've used Meiji EMZ-5, had an older Omano (now Amscope I think), and use a Leica A60 at school, and while the Vevor isn't quite as nice as those, it's really surprisingly good. Clarity is on par with the Omano/Amscope. The mechanics feel a lot cheaper but work fine; the focus knob in particular is not as smooth as I'd like but is adequate. The stand is adequate, but too lightweight and not as robust as the others. All those things being true, I still ended up giving away my much more substantial Omano to my brother and keeping the Vevor because it fits my bench layout better.
I would not get one if you're wanting to engrave full time, professionally. If that's your goal, cry once and get the Leica or, if that's too much $$, the Meiji. If your goal is occasional use for a hobby (and this goes beyond engraving, you'll find uses for the scope everywhere once you have it) you'll not be disappointed with the Vevor. I'd call it ideal also for those who have a habit of switching hobbies often. It's good enough to not hold you back, cheap enough to not hurt too bad if you move on, and cheap enough to replace if you need to upgrade.
I've used Meiji EMZ-5, had an older Omano (now Amscope I think), and use a Leica A60 at school, and while the Vevor isn't quite as nice as those, it's really surprisingly good. Clarity is on par with the Omano/Amscope. The mechanics feel a lot cheaper but work fine; the focus knob in particular is not as smooth as I'd like but is adequate. The stand is adequate, but too lightweight and not as robust as the others. All those things being true, I still ended up giving away my much more substantial Omano to my brother and keeping the Vevor because it fits my bench layout better.
I would not get one if you're wanting to engrave full time, professionally. If that's your goal, cry once and get the Leica or, if that's too much $$, the Meiji. If your goal is occasional use for a hobby (and this goes beyond engraving, you'll find uses for the scope everywhere once you have it) you'll not be disappointed with the Vevor. I'd call it ideal also for those who have a habit of switching hobbies often. It's good enough to not hold you back, cheap enough to not hurt too bad if you move on, and cheap enough to replace if you need to upgrade.
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Thank you very much. You gave me exactly the answer I needed. I am a jeweler by profession, but I like to sometimes do engraving on the jewelry I make. Some engravings are simple (some initials) and sometimes I engrave pendants with more complex engravings...currently under the hood of my glasses, which is quite stressful for me. If I ever have more work as an engraver, I will buy a better microscope.
Travis Fry
Member
If you've been doing stonesetting without a scope, your world is gonna be totally rocked with one. You think your work was clean. You will see that it wasn't. Thought you filed that prong smooth? Nope! You think you got a good polish. You will see that you didn't. Welcome to the dark side.
My use case is probably 60% engraving, 35% knife making stuff (guard fitting, checking polish, handle sculpting for wire inlay, etc.), and 5% everything else (best splinter removing tool you'll ever buy!). I've found that your brain can make your hands manipulate astronomically small items if you can see them clearly. It's quite amazing really.
Your eyes can overcome optical defects in a microscope without you knowing it, and after hours of use you may develop headaches and eye strain and not know why. My eyes deserve the best optics I can afford, and I wouldn't buy cheap eyeglasses knowing they are less clear and sharp. Just my 2 cents.
Travis Fry
Member
I agree with this statement wholeheartedly, but I also recall a lot of conversations with my fellow community college engraving classmates who loved the class but found the startup costs to do it with their own equipment so prohibitive that they never engraved again. If the affordable price of a "good enough" $287.00 Vevor scope is what keeps them engraving and practicing, that's worth the downgrade in quality in the short term. If they put in the effort it takes to outgrow the cheap scope, by that point the $3k expenditure for a Leica starts to make a lot more sense. To extend the eyeglasses metaphor, you certainly don't want to skimp on quality. However, there's a time in life (for me, right now!) to buy grocery-store readers if that's all you need in your situation, until your situation requires a prescription.
I'm finally at the point in life where I can afford the "buy once, cry once" price tag, but I also built my knifemaking shop/brand/reputation starting with $300 and never spending more on new equipment than I made from the hobby for the first 12 years I did it. I've always bought the best equipment I could afford at the time I needed it so that I could keep working, but that was never the best equipment available until literally 3 months ago, 15 years into the craft. Has that cost-neutral strategy held back advancement in my craft? Yeah, a little, but it kept me in the game when I otherwise would have been forced to drop out. It also let me keep the hobby fun, since I never felt like I HAD to work on uninteresting projects in order to justify all the money I'd spent on the best equipment. And that has also been important to keeping me in the game.
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Yes I get that. Those learning watchmaking go through a similar phase of buying the inexpensive knock-off tools only to have to buy good Swiss tools later and then end up giving the Chinese tools away or selling them for next to nothing. Been there and done that myself.
Engraving startup costs don't have to be large. Most of us old timers started with next to nothing. My first gravers came from a mail order catalog (Dixie Gun Works) for just a few dollars.
As far as scopes go, I have tested a LOT of them for companies and 99% I would have taken straight to the trash bin (not joking). It's quite possible they've gotten better now. Keep us posted on your progress.
Cheers!
Engraving startup costs don't have to be large. Most of us old timers started with next to nothing. My first gravers came from a mail order catalog (Dixie Gun Works) for just a few dollars.
As far as scopes go, I have tested a LOT of them for companies and 99% I would have taken straight to the trash bin (not joking). It's quite possible they've gotten better now. Keep us posted on your progress.
Cheers!
That is exactly the question of the current situation... should I buy Vevor and start working or wait until I spend 2000-3000$ and buy the real thing. And what if it doesn't happen that I don't collect that money for the microscope in the next 3 years? Have I progressed or regressed? Rather, it will happen that $300 will earn much more expensive and better, and I learned a lot in the process...and I will not suffer with longing watching a video on YT of how some masters there are enjoying themselves.
Darko
Good decision. Buy what fits your needs now. I read that the Vevor was a decent but not great scope. But starting out you just need enough to get you started. And for a couple of hundred dollars it will be a big improvement over not having one.
Allan
Good decision. Buy what fits your needs now. I read that the Vevor was a decent but not great scope. But starting out you just need enough to get you started. And for a couple of hundred dollars it will be a big improvement over not having one.
Allan
EngraverHand
Elite Cafe Member
I haven't tried the Vevor but I have a Meiji EMZ that I was luck to get for $350 at ebay a few years ago. Sometime later I was going to have an inhouse class and I really needed a trinocular microscope with a camera so i could show what I was doing and inspect the student on a TV screen.. it was a similar cheap priced one as the Vevor.
Man, I so regret I was wasting my money on the cheap Vevor type microscope. The Meiji I can use a full day without any problem, but the other one gives me headache and eye strain only after a couple of hours.. leaving the studio I have focus problems and I feel really tired in my eyes. THe build quality is really bad too..
Even though I needed one for having the class, I really regret.. and I´m not sure if I even want to sell it as I feel I would fool anyone buying it. As soon as I can afford it I will defiantly upgrade to a Leica or Zeiss trinocular.
Honestly if someone on YouTube says it´s really good, it´s a good chance they are sponsored. Vevor is a well known company that makes knock off of everything, and I haven't heard anything good about their scops, except the sponsored ones.
If you could, I would try to save up a few hundreds more and get a 2nd hand good scope.
Man, I so regret I was wasting my money on the cheap Vevor type microscope. The Meiji I can use a full day without any problem, but the other one gives me headache and eye strain only after a couple of hours.. leaving the studio I have focus problems and I feel really tired in my eyes. THe build quality is really bad too..
Even though I needed one for having the class, I really regret.. and I´m not sure if I even want to sell it as I feel I would fool anyone buying it. As soon as I can afford it I will defiantly upgrade to a Leica or Zeiss trinocular.
Honestly if someone on YouTube says it´s really good, it´s a good chance they are sponsored. Vevor is a well known company that makes knock off of everything, and I haven't heard anything good about their scops, except the sponsored ones.
If you could, I would try to save up a few hundreds more and get a 2nd hand good scope.
DaveAtWeirs
Member
I second the idea of getting a second hand scope too. I also got a Meiji EMZ-5 second hand, for 550 euro from a friend. If you get the chance, they're absolutely worth it and there's a few tutorials on youtube on how to clean/fix them up too though it can be pretty involved.
I used almost my entire savings to get properly started with engraving just before lockdown and the only things I've never had any regrets about spending money on are the Meiji and my lindsay classic graver. If I was starting again, those are the two things I'd drop the big bucks on again with no hesitation.
It's a genuinely good investment too because not only will it save your eyes from damage, plus even if you end up not using it you can resell it later for pretty much the amount you bought it for. But you will use it, even for goldsmithing.
If you absolutely cant get a quality scope, maybe look into getting those glasses loupes that dentists use, I cant remember the name of them. They can also be pricey, but I've seen 10x ones for about 400 or so. (was tempted to get them for engraving trophies because they can have crazy working distances of about a foot or more)
I used almost my entire savings to get properly started with engraving just before lockdown and the only things I've never had any regrets about spending money on are the Meiji and my lindsay classic graver. If I was starting again, those are the two things I'd drop the big bucks on again with no hesitation.
It's a genuinely good investment too because not only will it save your eyes from damage, plus even if you end up not using it you can resell it later for pretty much the amount you bought it for. But you will use it, even for goldsmithing.
If you absolutely cant get a quality scope, maybe look into getting those glasses loupes that dentists use, I cant remember the name of them. They can also be pricey, but I've seen 10x ones for about 400 or so. (was tempted to get them for engraving trophies because they can have crazy working distances of about a foot or more)
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