I have used it to inspect the gears on a mechanical clock and to read a very faint imprint that had been made in a piece of wood. It works great! I can see myself using this quite a bit in my hobbies, and for some repair projects involving small parts. I am sooo glad that I purchased the light as well. Gone are the annoying shadows that used to irritate me when trying to get adequate light on small or recessed parts. My hands no longer interfere with my lighting.