 "Great Microscope for the price!!!" | 2009-11-12 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2O8SDQQGDGVI2 |
I have tried other microscopes and was very disappointed with the results. This microscope however is great! The price is very reasonable, it is very sturdy, and it is easy to adjust to view your specimens. The eye piece takes a little getting used to, if you put your eye too close you will see your eyelashes when you blink. I found that using my thumb and forefinger to make a circle then resting it over the top of the eye piece and then resting my eye on my hand with the rest of my fingers on the eye piece tube works well. Now, I can look through the eye piece without getting to close. I love being able to view the specimens with the above light and the below light which allows you to see different aspects of the specimen. I have found that using the above light shows a lot more detail of the specimens, it really makes the specimens sort of come to life. I ordered pre-made slides which one is of an ant and when I look at it with the above light it is amazing. Even hair looks amazing. I am very happy with my purchase and can't wait to share it with the kids.
Also the microscope comes with the following accessories:
5 Blank Slides
4 Prepared Slides
1 Concavity Slide
Slide Labels
Cover glass
Plastic Dropper
2 Bottles of non-toxis "stain" - (which is actually food color 1 red & 1 blue)
Forceps
Lens Paper - (which is a pad of approx. 50 sheets)
Test Tube
Petri Dish - (which is small, the size of an Eisenhower dollar coin)
Straight Teasing Needle
Cotton Swab on a long thin stick
Long thin stick with no cotton |
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| "Excellent for homeschoolers" | 2009-11-09 |
| - Reviewed By imrich13 |
| In my quest to look for a decent microscope, I found that most were far too expensive. A parent gets caught up in "how much can you get for your money" or the worries of "will it be worth the money?" This microscope is excellent for the price. You can see details on slides easily with each of the magnification pieces. We even put a sample of skin underneath and the cells could be seen. The box comes with dyes, blank slides, tweezers, and many other items. It's excellent for young children as well as adults. It's absolutely perfect if you are homeschooling. It's light, portable, uses batteries so you can go outside to be near samples, etc. The first thing that will initially throw you off is the box that the scope arrives in. It looks like a toy and gives you the feeling as if you've just wasted your money. But the actual item is of great quality! Don't get scared and purchase an expensive scope when this one will do what you need and want. |
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| "The scoop on the scope" | 2009-11-05 |
| - Reviewed By jennbatt |
I bought this for my son's 9th birthday after reading many glowing reviews. It comes with a packet of prepared slides, slide covers, stain, scalpel, forceps, and a few other accessories. The microscope has been a treasure for us and we have all enjoyed it, including my 6-year-old son. My biggest disappointment with it is that there have been many specimens which we could not get to come into focus except using the "10x" objective. The other two seem a little unnecessary when so often only the 10x works.
A few days ago, after warning the kids a million times to be extremely careful with the microscope, I unfortunately knocked it off a shelf from a height of about 3 feet. The black scope at the top was broken off. We taped it back onto the base and incredibly, the scope still seems to work exactly as it did before. It actually concerns me a little bit that it works just as it did before, but I won't complain.
Somebody mentioned how easily the slides can be broken by accidentally lowering the objective onto the slide. This is true. Several have been broken.
Overall, we love this item and I think it has sparked my boys' interest in science and microbiology. |
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 "very accurate microscope" | 2009-10-28 |
| - Reviewed By User: A22GURPEUINUG4 |
| I was very satisfied ,and I was glad that I hunted to find the best one. You can see the samples very clearly. I would recommend it to others. Price is not astronomical, either. |
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| "Not just a toy..." | 2009-08-14 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2HA7023B2R8PR |
About who might enjoy using it:
This toy was purchased for my eight year old daughter who is very curious about the natural world and she loves using it. She's looked at plant matter, insects, foodstuffs, plastics, paper and even things like hairbands and stickers - anything that will fit on the stage and under the objectives. I was suprised that my nine year old daughter, who is more interested in the material world, began to use it as well. My son, who is 5, also likes to look through the monocular but he needs help to position and focus objects. My husband and I enjoy using it as well. As an aside, it assisted me with determining that one of my children had a case of pediculosis (head lice). I had no previous experience with head lice, and seeing that little critter under the 'scope allowed me to confirm the cause of her itching and begin home treatment immediately (but I am not recommending this as a substitute for proper medical care).
About the microscope itself:
I am very pleased with the quality for the price. I'm also impressed that it has both transmission (look thru transparent or translucent objects) and reflectance (look at three-dimensional detail) modes. The objectives give clear, sharp images and the magnification range is very good for recreational/educational purposes. The LED light source is bright and lasts a long time even when powered by regular alkaline batteries (3 AA). It is lightweight and portable and while not very small (~12" high), it's robust enough to survive camping trips or time at the cottage. The kit comes with four prepared slides that got my children interested right away. They have since learned how to prepare their own slides with the blank slides provided. The only issue that could be considered a drawback is that the distance between the stage and the objectives is not very big, so it is difficult to look at thicker/larger objects such as fingers, pens etc. It also requires some manual dexterity and patience when positioning objects for viewing.
The reason I say it's not just a toy is because it has become like a routinely used appliance in our home. It resides in a common area and is available for use whenever someone has something interesting to look at. And even I am surprised at how many mundane things there are in our home that become very interesting up close! |
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| "Great home microscope" | 2009-05-30 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2EY6QQNBPS57T |
My wife and 9-yr daughter love this microscope. I wish I could post the picture of my daughter with a big smile while working with it. I've spent a lot money on junk for my kids, but this microscope is one the smartest purchases I've ever made.
The duo-scope is awesome for looking at some things. For example, we studied a scab. Under the microscope (light from bottom) we could see blood cells, and then with a flip of the switch, we turned on the macro-scope (light from top) and could see details of the harden outer cells.
Construction is of sturdy metal and not the cheap plastic of many kids starter microscopes. The lenses are good for studying common environmental items you can find around your house. This a great tool for getting your kids interested in science. |
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