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This article provides general information on borescope, their different uses, types and parameters.

The borescope is an optical device which can have either a flexible or rigid tube with an eyepiece on one end an objective lens on the other connected together by a relay optical system, which is surrounded by optical fibers that illuminate the remote object. A borescope allows the person to view a magnifying image of a remote object, which is hard to reach by any other means. Depending on the tube, borescope are divided in two types - rigid or flexible.

Both rigid and flexible borescopes have their advantages, therefore you must pick one depending on the type of area that must be inspected. The rigid borescopes are the more commonly used type, because of their better cost vs. performance ratio. The advantage of the flexible borescop is that it lets you see inside spaces that a rigid borescope can't penetrate.

However, the image quality of rigid borescopes is higher compared to flexible models, plus rigid borescops are easier to use and can spot flaws as small as 0.001. If movement is not your main priority, buy a rigid borescope. Flexible borescopes can be used to access cavities which are around a bend. But at the end, if you can buy both types that will be ideal, otherwise choose according to your specific situations that you are likely to exhibit.

The conclusion is the when choosing a borescope to buy, you must have a clear idea where exactly you will be using it. Once you know the type, then you have to choose the diameter, so that the borescope will be able to enter the smallest hole required. It's always best to plan for some degree of free movement, that's why get a slightly smaller diameter than the allowed minium.

The mangnification of a borescope is a measure of howw large and object appears when viewed through the borescope as compared to its actual size when viewed from the same location without the borescope. But keep in mind that if the object moves further, the magnification doesn't increase automatically with object distance. The images produced by a borescope can be captured on a certain digital cameras.

But the compatibility between borescope and camera can be a problem, it all depends on the models. Consult yourself with the seller, check on the Internet or read the instruction manual of both devices to see if the particular model you will be is supported. To have the image fill up the entire screen, get an objective lens with long focal length.

You should also make sure that the optical zoom range on your camera goes out to a 350mm or longer telephoto, which is equal to 35mm focal length. For a 3MP camera, a digital zoom with the power of 3x will be fine. Also make sure both the borescope and camera are well supported, so that there is no over-strain on the lens, otherwise they can break.