The D01 Visual Soldering Iron offers a more versatile alternative, as it's equipped with a smartphone-connected camera.

Currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign, the D01 is made by Hong Kong electronics company Fusion Lab.

As you solder, an onboard HD camera (resolution unstated) and an 800-lumen spotlight capture all the action, and stream it live via Wi-Fi to an accompanying iOS/Android app on your smartphone. The idea is that you can sit up straight and easily see what's happening on the phone's screen, no hunching, squinting, or positioning everything below a magnifying glass required.

The soldering iron itself offers five temperature settings which are displayed in metric or imperial on its LED panel, and it heats up to the selected operating temperature in just nine seconds. It uses standard soldering iron tips, and comes with three types – a point, a chisel, and a knife.

One 90-minute charge of its 3,000-mAh lithium-ion battery is claimed to be good for 40 minutes of runtime. That said, the D01 can run continuously while it's plugged in for charging.

Assuming the D01 Visual Soldering Iron reaches production, a pledge of US$99 will get you one. It's demonstrated in the following video.