What a great starter scope! Many of the features you'll find on a more expensive scope are now available for the young scientist. This battery operated (3 AA batteries are not included) microscope has:
- rotatable nosepiece with 4X, 10X, and 40X objectives
- 10X widefield eyepiece on an inclined head
- 6 hole disc diaphragm
- real optical glass lenses
- 3 " x 3 " stage with spring mounted stage clips
- coarse focus knob
- dual LED lights
- powder-coated metal construction with sturdy plastic base
View slides using the light below and solid objects with the upper light. You won't find this feature on any of our other microscopes. See slides up to a 400X magnification and solid objects up to 100X magnification. Look closely and you'll be able to see Abraham Lincoln sitting in his memorial on the back of the penny!
This microscope comes with a nice accessory set which includes: 5 blank slides, 4 prepared slides, 1 concave slide, cover glass, pipette, forceps, lens paper, small plastic test tube, small plastic Petri dish, and red and blue dye. A 10-page users manual explains how to prepare slides, operate the microscope, and offers suggestions for observation.
The LED lights burn longer and cooler than incandescent lighting, so no chance of little fingers getting hot. An automatic stage stop is helpful in keeping the objectives from touching the slides; however, it doesn't work well with the 40X objective. This objective is longer and the stage doesn't stop soon enough before putting pressure on the slide. You'll also notice that there is no 'fine focus' knob. I thought that would be a problem getting things in focus, but really had very little difficulty. I looked at several slides and objects on all of the settings of this microscope. I'm really impressed with the features offered for such a low price. ~ Donna
If you're not sure which microscope best fits your needs, check out our Microscope Comparison Sheet for a side-by-side comparison of all microscope models we offer.