The FTDI FT232R chips are an incredibly well supported and common way of building USB to serial adapters (usually 3.3V or 5V TTL levels). The chips have built in drivers on all major OSes, they’re easy to find - and almost all the cheap ones adapters there are using fake chips.
(Comments from Blogger)
2017-03-06 by snowbird
I think PL2303 type USB to Serial interface can do the same job.
I have plenty of that from Aliexpress under $2, they perfectly work so far.
Another cheapest alternative is CH340/341 chipset interfaces.
2017-03-06 by MaC
Just avoid FTDI… Their driver operation was stupid.
2017-03-06 by Russell Graves
I agree, but as I don’t use Windows, it doesn’t really bother me, and their chips are solid performers.
2017-03-07 by underwood
PL2303 doesn’t work well with Win10. I prefer CH340 at the moment. Haven’t tested CP2104 or CP2102 yet.
2017-03-09 by Aaron
If you want better close-up photos, get an old m42 mount macro lens such as http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nice-Manual-Focus-VIVITAR-Auto-Macro-55mm-f-2-8-Lens-M42-Mount-screw-on-GOOD-/162418997808 which will go 1:1 macro. m42 has cheap adapter rings for pretty much all digital SLR/ILC cameras out there. Add a tripod and if you want to go crazy, focusing rails (http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-Way-Macro-Focusing-Rail-Slider-for-Close-up-Shooting-4-Canon-Nikon-Sony-Sigma-/190593632627) and some cheap extension tubes (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Camrea-Macro-Extension-Tube-Ring-for-M42-42mm-Screw-Mount-3-Ring-Adapter-L8D-/200747508262) for >1:1 magnification.
If you’ve got a camera with Live View (probably do), then you can also use it as a decent magnifier, possibly even better than the one you’ve got. Need plenty of light to stop down so you get enough in focus. You might even be able to hook up via USB to get Live View on a monitor.