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This guide is designed for physicians, practice managers, and buyers evaluating the requirements for integrating dermoscopic imaging into their clinical workflow. We start with the essential equipment and then address specific considerations based on your clinic's setting, budget, and needs.
The Basics of Imaging
First - Which Dermlite dermatoscopes can take photos?
All MagnetiConnect-compatible Dermlite dermatoscopes can be used for dermoscopic imaging. However, it's worth clearing up a common misunderstanding:
The dermatoscope itself doesn't actually take or store photos. Instead, the camera/device to which they're attached (via the MagnetiConnect adapter) is what performs the image capture. The dermatoscope acts as an extension of the camera, providing the lighting, magnification, and optical clarity needed for proper dermoscopic imaging.
What do I need to purchase to take dermoscopy photos?
A dermatoscope and a camera (traditional camera, iPhone, etc.) are the first two components. While photos can be taken by simply holding a camera directly up to the lens of a dermatoscope, doing so is cumbersome and unsteady, which negatively affects image quality. This is why MagnetiConnect adapters are the third necessary component for dermoscopic imaging setups.
How exactly does the MagnetiConnect system work?
As the name implies, MagnetiConnect adapters use magnetism to connect the lens of the camera with that of the dermatoscope:
On the camera side, a magnetic adapter surrounds the lens which then bonds with the ferromagnetic ring surrounding the eyepiece of each compatible dermatoscope.
With the basics covered, it's time to consider your answers to the following questions:
If your clinic needs to capture dermoscopic images using UV (365 nm) lighting, the Dermlite DL5 is currently the only MagnetiConnect-compatible device which will allow you to do so.
If you simply need traditional white-light 10x dermoscopic images (still the clinical "standard" for image analysis), a much broader range of device options (e.g., DL4, Foto X, DL1, DL200 series) are available.
If images will be attached to charts for documentation, patient monitoring, or publication, then priority should be given to devices with:
- 25 mm or larger lens diameter (DL4, DL5, Foto X) to ensure full-lesion capture.
- 10× magnification, the clinical standard for dermoscopy.
Smaller-lensed devices like the DL1 produce professional-quality images, but their limited field-of-view may prevent the full breadth of a larger lesion from being captured in a single image, making them less appropriate for professional documentation of larger lesions.
For research environments, the highest degree of consistency, largest lenses, and stable illumination are important. You would want to consider:
-
A dedicated, MagnetiConnect-compatible 10x dermatoscope with at least 25mm lens diameter, plus either…
- A high-resolution (“mirrorless” or DSLR) camera paired with a MagnetiConnect threaded adapter, or…
- A dedicated, high-resolution iPhone/iPad to ensure consistency across study images.
If clinicians will use the same dermatoscope for both imaging as well as performing dermoscopy (during skin exams), traditional handheld dermatoscopes (DL4, DL5, etc.) will offer the greatest versatility. MagnetiConnect compatibility will allow them to be used for imaging, while their handle-based form factor also makes them suitable for traditional “handheld” dermoscopic exams.
Alternatively, if the devices will be used solely for dermoscopic imaging (and each clinician will separately have their own dermatoscope to use while performing skin exams), then you may find the smaller, lighter “handle-less” options (like Foto X, Handyscope, or DL1) to be easier to manage when attached to phones/tablets.
In environments where many users—some of them unfamiliar—will take dermoscopic images, simplicity is critical.
Recommendations:
- Prefer iPhone-specific DermLite cases. When paired with clinic iPhones, the MagnetiConnect “case” adapters provide an imaging device which is “ready to go” at any moment. While the MCC (“clamp”) adapter can be left in place, some customers report that they’re more prone to being “bumped out of place” while not in use (and therefore require realignment, tightening, etc. each time pictures again need to be taken).
- Minimize device complexity; extra modes/lights/buttons can confuse untrained users. For example, the Handyscope is a simple, “straightforward” device to apply and operate, even by the untrained. Devices which offer more options (focal length adjustment, variable lighting/polarization, etc.) can add to the device complexity for those who are new/untrained.
If dermoscopic imaging will always be performed by knowledgeable, trained staff, then these recommendations carry less weight.
The MagnetiConnect Clamp offers the flexibility to purchase a single adapter which can be shared between multiple devices (iPhones, tablets, etc.). However, this versatility comes at the cost of added steps—aligning, tightening, and repositioning the clamp—each time it needs to be used on a different iPhone or tablet.
The alternative (of each iPhone or camera having its own MagnetiConnect case or adapter) would eliminate the time/complexity associated with reapplying and realigning the MCC (“clamp”) every time a different device needs to be used. However, this added convenience would come at the expense of purchasing an adapter (e.g., iPhone case) for each and every device.
If you plan to use iPhones/iPads for taking pictures, and iPhones/iPads are already in use in your clinic (e.g., for patient intake, charting, etc.), the question is, “Do they already use a specific protective case/cover?” If so, those cases may need to be removed whenever dermoscopy photos are taken—unless each device can be permanently assigned its own DermLite case to replace the current protector being used.
The smoothest workflow is achieved when the DermLite adapter case never needs to be removed, making the iPhone/iPad ready to use at any moment.
While the MagnetiConnect Clamp adapters are compatible with most Android devices, DermLite does not make device-specific cases for Android devices.
Just keep in mind that the adapter options vary depending on the device being used:
- iPhones: MagnetiConnect phone cases OR MCC ("clamp") can be used.
- iPads: MCC ("clamp") is the only option for late-model iPads (MagnetiConnect iPad cases are no longer available).
Some iPhone models are known to cause difficulty for those trying to capture dermoscopic photos due to “automatic lens-switching,” leading to the dermatoscope suddenly realign over the “wrong” lens. A feature called “Macro Control” can help avoid this issue, but it isn’t available in all models.
Please visit here to learn more:
https://dermatoscopes.com/blogs/dermatoscope-reviews/how-to-take-dermoscopy-photos-with-an-iphone
So if you haven’t yet committed to a specific iPhone model, consider avoiding the “non-Pro” models of iPhone 13, 14, or 15 (which do not include “macro control”).
In a sense, “the simpler, the better” applies to using iPhones for dermoscopic imaging. The “automatic lens-switching problem” can only happen when there are multiple lenses to switch. For this reason, some clinics find the solution is to use the single-lens 2nd-generation or 3rd-generation SE. The newer version iPhone SE models produce image quality comparable to newer iPhones—but without the “multi-camera complications” that can interfere with the dermoscopic imaging process.
The magnetic bond created by MagnetiConnect adapters is strong. When staff are careful and avoid sudden, jarring movement, there really is no need for concern.
However, in “hectic” clinical settings where staff are prone to bumping into equipment (or each other), the stability of the MagnetiConnect bond should be considered. Lightweight, compact devices (Foto X, Handyscope) are less prone to being “knocked off” as compared to larger, heavier handheld units (like the DL5).
Then once you've determined your needs...
Visit our Dermatoscope Feature Finder:™
Feature Finder™will allow you to check off the features which are best for your needs (e.g., MagnetiConnect-compatible, Large lens, etc.) as the devices matching those characteristics are shown.