Celestron Dissecting Microscope
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $449.99 -- our price: $207.57
(price subject to change: see help)
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Features

• One of the best stereo microscopes in its class
• True color with 20x and 40x power using 10x eyepieces
• Rotating turret of 2x and 4x objectives

Reviews (3)

Keep shopping
This microscope only comes with a two year warranty. I found similar microscopes online for the same price that offer a lifetime warranty. Get one of those instead.

YAY FUN
Hi Folks. Let me begin by saying this microscope has been an extremely fun toy to have around the house. I'm a law student (read: not a scientist haha) and this thing has been great fun - for the other novices like me, this microscope magnifies both 20x and 40x, which may not sound like much, but wait until you get a fingernail or a bug under it - EWWWWW. Anyway, this thing is absolutely solid - nice heavy-duty construction, with great optics. For those of you who don't know, this is a "dissecting" microscope which means you don't need slides or any of that stuff - you can just stick anything under it and easily get it in focus. VERY cool, and highly recommended to anyone who is interested in exploring the world of the small and icky. I can't recommend this scope highly enough, ESPECIALLY if you are a novice like me who just wants to look at anything and everything just for fun.

the best
THIS HAND HELD MICROSCOPE IS AWESOME!
I HAVE 1 AND IT GIVES ME THE SIGHT OF EVEN THE SMALLEST THINGS
I USE THIS ON MY TRIPS TO MY COTTAGE AND I LOVE IT
HOPE U BUY THIS ... Read more

Asin: B00006F2VT
Sales Rank: 2283
Subjects:  1. Microscope (Microscopes)   

Perfect for the budding biologist, the Celestron 4030 educational microscope gives you the power and control to study samples with depth and clarity. The monocular unit is a fully coated optical system with two eyepieces (10x, 12.5x) and three objectives, giving powers from 40x to 500x. A positive-click turret and a five-aperture diaphragm complete the package while a plano-concave 50mm mirror provides a source of light. ... Read more

Features

• Great for the budding biologist
• Study samples with depth and clarity
• Two eyepieces (10x, 12.5x) and three objectives

Asin: B00006B1H9
Subjects:  1. Microscope (Microscopes)   

Meade 9460 Microscope
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $430.00 -- our price: $299.00
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

The Meade 9460 microscope comes with a research-level assortment ofequipment, components, and features. The five prepared slides will helpintroduce you to the workings of your microscope. Then, take the five blankslides and be as creative as you want. Use them to investigate plant life,minerals, cells, and anything else that strikes your interest.

The large 110-by-120-millimeter illuminated stage has easy-to-use micrometric x-y controls forcentering your specimen in the field of view. The eyepiece rotates 360 degrees,and is set at a convenient and comfortable 45-degree observing angle. Meade usesan abbe-type condensing lens combined with an iris diaphragm to give you bright,uniform illumination of the specimen.

The microscope's turret-mountedobjective lenses, with magnification levels of 10x, 40x, and 100x, can becombined with the two wide-field eyepieces of 10x and 12.5x to yieldmagnifications of 100x, 125x, 400x, 500x, 1,000x, and 1,250x. Its coarse-and-fine rack-and-pinion focusing mechanism makes this a precision observing tool,and a perfect educational tool for advanced studies in botany and biology. ... Read more

Features

• Slide set with 5 prepared slides and 5 blank slides
• Maximum magnification of 1,250x
• 3 professional-size, turret-mounted objective lenses (10x, 40x, and 100x)
• 2 wide-field eyepieces of 10x and 12.5x
• Abbe-type condensing lens system and iris diaphragm

Reviews (6)

Microscope reviews
Last year I bought a Meade 9460 microscope.I found the 12.5x eyepiece very dark and difficult to use. The x-y controls works ok while moving slides left to right but does not work well when moving the slide back and forth.Also this microscope doesn't come with a 4x objective which comes in handy when trying to locate your specimum on your slide.The microscope is ok but you can buy a much better microscope for a little more money. I looked around the internet and found a microscope for only 33% more than the Meade 9460 and it has 4 objectives, higher power (1600x), much better x-y controls, binocular eyepieces, variable light control, and the objectives are much much clearer than the Meade.For the money the Meade microscope is not a good value when compared to other microscopes out there.

Typical Meade
The 9460 microscope is very good, with outstanding optics, and the "micrometric" slide adjustment was an unexpected pleasure. I'm glad I made the purchase; however...this product suffers from a typical Meade problem (and I own a very expensive Meade telescope too). The documentation is exceedingly poor. The scope comes with a very small descriptive pamphlet written in Chinglish. To Meade's credit, they do mention oil immersion lenses, but there is little, or no, mention of the aperture mechanism (which can be closed and translated), or the depth of field effects of the large objective lenses, etc.

With little effort, they could vastly improve the value of their products and ease the learning curve with more, and sometimes more accurate, descriptive material.

Response to Chris Newman
Scope is very good and Solid.Chris Newman (previous review) had problems with the 100X objective because it is an "Oil Immersion" lens and he was attempting to focus at that High Magnification (1000X) without applying a drop of oil between the objective and the slide.(The 9460 and 9600 come with a little bottle of oil in the box.)

Here is a snippet from a site explaining why oil is needed for this reason.
Remember that the 10x, 40x are dry focus lenses but the 100X requires "immersion oil".

Here is the snippet.

Oil Immersion: A microscopy technique to close the air gap between the tip of an objective and the top of the specimen with a drop of oil compounded with a refractive index to match that of the glass in the objective.  Once the objective contacts the oil droplet of matching refractivity, that portion of the optical system becomes a unit.  Immersion oil is the only suitable oil for that purpose in order to achieve very high magnifications, typically from 500x to 1,500x, and avoid damage to the objective. Because very high magnifications require a very oblique angle of entry for ray bundles, they will tend to reflect, refract, scatter and disperse, without forming a sharp image, unless a unifying medium is used.  Immersion oils are available in indices of refraction to match optics ... Read more

Asin: B00005064C
Subjects:  1. Microscope (Microscopes)   

Meade 9600 Microscope
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $696.00
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Features

• Electric illuminator with diffusion lens
• 360 degrees-rotatable binocular head with interpupillary distance adjustment
• Three professional-size, turret-mounted objective lenses (10x, 40x, and 100x)
• Precision coarse-and-fine rack-and-pinion focusing mechanism
• Abbe-type condensing lens system and iris diaphragm

Reviews (2)

Great Scope
I bought it for my wife (the Microbiologist).

She thinks it's great.

Sturdy scope with all the stuff.
Mechanical stage, 20w illuminator, 10X wide field binocular.

Sure you can spend more to get halogen, but unless your buying expensive plan lenses...why bother.

You can upgrade this scope easily also.

This microscope is wonderful!
Yes this is wonderfull. I tried it and like. If you make researches I think you like and It will be helpfull for you. ... Read more

Asin: B00005064D
Sales Rank: 6843
Subjects:  1. Microscope (Microscopes)   

Tasco 150x-450x-675x Dome Microscope
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $28.58
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Reviews (1)

This is amicroscope the way a paper tube is a telescope!
A VERY disappointing Christmas gift for my son the budding scientist. You can't really see through it at all. It is more of a toy than the "microscope" it is advertised as. I'd recommend spending $20 on something more substantial and not dashing someone's hopes. ... Read more

Asin: B00005JJRK
Sales Rank: 8942
Subjects:  1. Binoculars (Binocular)    2. Microscope (Microscopes)   

My First Lab Microscope
Average Customer Review:
Toy
-- our price: $99.99
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

Future scientists will thrill to the physical world revealed to themunder the magnification of a genuine microscope. A slide containing cells ofhuman skin looks like a magnificent intricate art pattern in rainbow colors. This microscope is the real McCoy. With three objectives--4x, 10x, and 40x--hours of scientific collection and observation await your young biologist.Heavy and heavy duty, this microscope is not for young children and is not atoy. Advertised for those ages 11 and older, it comes with five prepared glassslides. More blank ones could be purchased at a science supply store to createcountless new samples to explore. The model plugs into a three-prong outlet toproduce the light needed for magnification and will probably require adult helpfor initial use. This solid metal scientific tool should pique the curiosity andstretch the imagination and scientific acumen of most preadolescents.--Lair Showalter, mother and elementary school teacher ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Arrived in unusable condition
(...) The microscope is metal which I like however it arrived unusable.I can't comment on the optics because I can't see anything through the lens--very disapointing.Amazon on the other hand is great, they are already sending me a replacement.I hope that this was a fluke and that I will be satisfied with the replacement.

Great for Beginners
All Metal construction, decent objective lenses, integrated light source, fine and coarse focus knobs, a small specimen kit, and a very good price all add up to make this an outstanding purchase for the budding scientist.

This microscope would do well in a high school lab or even as a solid backup in an undemanding college lab.

I bought one for a twelve year girl, and she has no idea how to use it, but she's willing to try, especially since we know it will WORK unlike the plastic garbage being sold in the sub-hundred dollar range.

This is a good buy.

Exceptional beginner microscope
I bought this microscope for my daughter, age 5, to answer her questions relating to how things grow or how people get sick. Explaining bacterial or viral infections and cell mitosis just isn't the same as showing it and giving a point of reference to understand the microscopic world. Now she has that point of reference and her wonder at the microscopic world has just begun.

This microscope came with 5 excellent slides that show plant and animal cells and insect parts.

We looked at salt, rice, sugar, hair, onions cells and root tip cells which further amazed her.

The quality of this microscope is amazing for the price. I used very expensive microscopes in several of my classes (i.e. bacteriology, embryology) and the lenses of this microscope rival the expensive ones. The stage dosn't have a left / right, forward / backward adjusting wheels on it so you have to manually move the slides around. But the price for the quality makes this microscope one of my daughters favorite gifts. ... Read more

Asin: B00005J377
Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Science   

Tasco 1200x Zoom Microscope w/Case & 68 Piece Kit
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $60.00
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Reviews (3)

Junk.
The only thing this piece of junk will accomplish is to disappoint a child and discourage them from develping scientific interests. It's useless. Literally. It cannot be used as a microscope.

Either buy a better microscope, like the Meade sold by Amazon, or buy a quality hand-held magnifying glass.

Don't waste your money.Get a Meade.
I know that's blunt, but the images are completely unacceptable on this microscope.As a child, I had a microscope much like the TASCO I purchased.Now, as a working scientist/laboratory technician with considerable microscopy, I know why I was so unhappy with that microscope.For the same reasons I don't recommend this microscope, because it's difficult to focus and even when focused the images are poor.For an additional 30 dollars, your child could have a microscope that actually works, and might not merely gather dust after the New Year.

Suitable for kids but not adult starters
The kit is good enough, but the plastic material from bottom to top including the slides, that is something to note, it is lightweight as mentioned. I did not like the plastic toy in our tables. Anyway great kit for your kids. ... Read more

Asin: B00005JJRJ
Sales Rank: 6838
Subjects:  1. Microscope (Microscopes)    2. Binoculars (Binocular)   

Microscope 8200
Average Customer Review:
Toy
-- our price: $79.99
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

The marvels of the microscopic world around us are accessible tochildren over age 8 through this high-quality microscope made of metal and hardplastic. This model includes three rotating optical glass lenses and a 10xeyepiece for variable magnification power of 40x, 100x, and 400x. A rotatingdiaphragm and an adjustable small mirror underneath the instrument work tocontrol the lighting, and there is also an additional battery-powered light fordirect illumination (requires two AA batteries; not included). The focusingknobs and spring clips to hold slides are easy to use, and a clear directionsheet describes the microscope's use and care. A set of 10 slides is included:five prepared slides and five blank slides for individual experimentation. Amicroscope is a basic tool of scientific inquiry, and this sturdy, well-builtinstrument provides an excellent introduction to microbiology for any curiouschild or young adult. --Marcie Bovetz, mother and former children'slibrarian ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Don't waste your money!
I bought this for my eight-year-old daugher thinking it would be a decent entry-level microscope for her.It turned out to easily be the most disappointing Christmas gift I got.

First of all, it's very cheaply constructed almost entirely of plastic.More importantly though, the focusing knob didn't work at all.Right out of the box there was no way to adjust the focus.It was completely useless.What a disappointment!

(...)

Don't go into the light! With a Meade 8200
This could be a very nice item for its intended use.However, a major drawback that would have me express concern to future buyers and recommend against its purchase has been mentioned before in these reviews.The light not only doesn't work, but the batteries fit loose with over 1/4" of play.This was apparently designed by a committee who could not decide whether to wire them in parallel or series because neither is complete.The whole mechanics of the light is dangerous to sell to the intended market as it can result in an 8 to 12 year old attempting to repair and wind up creating an excessive and dangerous amount of heat.Since "only" 40% of the buyers of the Meade 8200 have a problem with a crucial part of the microscope according to these reviews, it equates to a coin toss on receiving a Meade 8200 that is not defective.I would recommend caution to those whose light works and be aware of not leaving it on unattended.If the manufacturer left contacts and tension springs out of mine, et al, there may be workable ones that are inferior also.Since this was a gift for my niece I bought her a small light and a mirror to reflect to the microscope.

No Problem with Mine
We have not had a problem with the light or batteries. This microscope works as we expected and we have been very pleased with it. The quality of the images is very good. The manual is very easy to follow, even for my nine-year-old. ... Read more

Asin: B00004TCX5
Subjects:  1. Learning    2. Science    3. Microscopes    4. Astronomy    5. Biology    6. Activity    7. Space   

The Microscope Book
by Shar Levine Leslie Johnstone
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (30 June, 1997)
list price: $10.95 -- our price: $10.95
(price subject to change: see help)
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Reviews (5)

A fun and enlightening introduction to microscopy
This is my favorite kids' microscpoe book. I wish that I had had it when I was a child, enraptured by my first microscope. The book uses clear directions, specific lists of materials needed, accessible drawings and actual photographs.

The first section, Lights, Lenses & Microscopes, explains the priciples of how a microscope works and why. It also covers how to measure and how to keep a journal of your findings. I wish that kids would read this section, but many may skip directly to the experiments in the next several sections. The book also has some safety tips, but parents should read those parts with the child so that they make sure that these are not skipped.

The biology section shows ways to view plants, fish scales and other items. I liked the section on how to build your own microtome using a wooden spool, a carrot and a screw. The geology section is shorter but has some good ideas about looking at crystals. There are also short sections on forensics and fibers. The section on food and the environment include fun activities using mould, yeast and mushrooms.

Each activitiy description is short enough to keep an older elementary-younger middle school kid entertained. The author puts in educational snippets that enlighten but do not overburden the young reader.

This book is a fun introduction to the microscope that will encourage kids to explore more.

A Great Book for Kids
This is an excellent book for kids learning about microscopes.It identifies the parts of a microscope and how to use one.It has a lot of well explained experiments (preparing all sorts of slides) for kids to do.There are photographs of what the slides should look like under magnification.The drawings and cartoons throughout the book make it fun and interesting.

Great color pictures & Photos and easy experiments
My son wanted a microscope for his birthday.I had already bought some microscope books. This one was the best for beginners. On every page there are detailed but cute color pictures explaining all the technical stuff. ALSO, on each page that talks about viewing a particular object under the microscope, there's an ACTUAL PHOTO of the object under the microscop, so you don't have to guess if you're looking at the right thing.This is a really fun book. Before I looked at this book I was getting discouraged because the other two books seemed way too complicated and thus boring for my 8 year old son.

NOT ONLY are the pictures and experiments great, but this book talks about SAFETY, it tells you what overall SUPPLIES you will need, for each individual experiment what SUPPLIES you will need, it explains--in a FUN WAY--how the microscope and other lenses work.ALSO, in the authors own words, "THE MICROSCOPE BOOK is intended to teach children basic techniques and observation skills WITHOUT DESTROYING ANY LIFE FORMS."

I commend the authors Shar Levine & Leslie Johnstone and the Illustrator David Sovka. ... Read more

Isbn: 080694899X
Sales Rank: 163106
Subjects:  1. Children's 9-12 - Science    2. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    3. Experiments    4. Juvenile Fiction    5. Juvenile literature    6. Microscopes    7. Microscopy    8. Science    9. Science & Technology    10. Science & Technology - General