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617 of 631 found the following review helpful:
 Hard to beat its total value in a beginner microscope Jan 16, 2008
By Daniel L Edelen
Let's cut to the chase: If you're looking for an inexpensive microscope for younger children, the Duo-Scope would be very difficult to beat for features, quality, and cost.
After reviewing several sources on inexpensive microscopes, I took a chance for Christmas on this less documented model. I'm glad I did.
PROS:
* Solid construction. Despite its light weight, it feels like a coherent whole and has no rattling pieces. The objective lenses click nicely into place and the mechanics have a silky feel when operated. This model considerably betters the microscope I had as a child growing up in the Sixties, so some items ARE better made today than yesteryear.
* Smooth focusing wheels that don't clunk through the mechanism's gearing.
* Permanent, bright light sources from two separate LED bulbs. Far better than mirrored scopes.
* A pointer in the optic field--a nice addition to a low cost scope.
* A plethora of accessories including four prepared slides, six blank slides (including concave/well), slide covers, stains, tweezers, scalpel, lens wipes, vinyl dust cover, and more--just about anything you would need to get started on a basic level (except for three AA batteries).
* A detailed manual of a higher quality than most will expect, especially considering the microscope's country of origin.
CONS:
* Made in China.
* The upper and lower lights cannot both be turned on at the same time for maximum illumination of semi-translucent objects.
* When using the highest power objective, the optic field is still too dim.
* Users can ram the highest power objective into the slide without realizing it, breaking slide covers and possibly damaging the objective (This is a problem on most inexpensive scopes. The stage does have some give, though, so while slide covers may break, it's doubtful slides will.)
* Though the ocular appears to be on a swivel base, it's not, making it less convenient for two people to share the microscope.
* The diaphragm, which controls the amount of light reaching the stage, doesn't appear to make much difference on most of its settings.
*No secondary fine-focus knobs. (However, this won't be missed because the scope's macro-focusing mechanism is smooth enough to compensate if given a light touch.)
All things considered, the cons are minor.
Some have said this microscope is mostly plastic, but that may not be the case. The main upright portion that features the focusing rail of the scope is definitely a powder-coated metal. Considering that this part is the one that truly matters for overall integrity of the microscope, I'd have to say that this makes the scope an even better deal for the money.
All the positives of this entry-level microscope make for a very good purchase that should last for several years. It's also a great deal for parents testing the waters to see if their children would enjoy owning a microscope. Better to invest in an inexpensive, but good quality, scope than to pay hundreds more and end up with something that gathers dust on the shelf.
The box recommends this scope for children 10 and up, but with parental instruction and supervision, children a few years younger would enjoy it, too. (Steer clear of the scalpel that comes included, though!)
A worthy product that would be a fine gift to a budding scientist.
205 of 211 found the following review helpful:
 Very Nice Microscope May 07, 2007
By D. EMERSON
I bought one of these for my 10 year old. I was very pleased with this purchase. This microscope is well made, durable, and contains quality optics. It is as good of a microscope as you would find in a high school lab. With the upper light you can zoom in on coins, seeds, etc. with clarity. It makes a perfect birthday gift.
110 of 111 found the following review helpful:
Great first scope Dec 25, 2007
By R. Paul Grunwald
"Paul Grunwald"
I did a lot of searching for a microscope for my 7-year old daughter. I almost bought a USB scope but glad I didn't. I'm pretty impressed with this one. Focus is firm and very smooth. Optics are sound and the upper and lower lights make this very versatile. LED lights are easy on the batteries and no cord is needed to operate. The high power is not usable from above but this is stated in the manual. The slides and include equipment is a nice starter package. My 7-year old is THRILLED with it and I'm pleased with the value for $50. I'm sure we will get many hours of exploration with this scope! The only thing this scope is missing is a good carrying/storage case. The inclusion of that would make this a perfect item!
78 of 78 found the following review helpful:
Good scope for the money Jul 28, 2008
By DocSab
As a physician, I have a great deal of experience with microscopes. The optics on this scope are quite good for the price, and although some parts of the scope are of cheaper quality(such as the battery compartment), they put the money where it counts. Intuitive design, and surprising illumination at high magnification(400x). As a bonus, this scope also features above-stage illumination, which allows examination of opaque objects such as insects- making the scope easier to use for younger kids who cannot prepare traditional slides. Finally, included supplies such as dust cover(!), scalpel, probe, prepared slides, well slide, stain, cover glasses,small petri dish, lens paper and test tube allow the budding scientist to set up a home "lab". Excellent for ages 8-13
118 of 122 found the following review helpful:
 Okay for the price Jun 09, 2008
By BruisedAlmighty
"HomeBoii"
I purchased this as a gift for my 9 year old son. He likes it, and finds it fun exploring the microscopic world. This thing seemed pretty much durable, and could hold up to some beating. I see no good reason for a microscope manufacturer to not put lights on both the top and bottom of a platform, as I find it to be a real necessity to see anything down there. So I thought, it's great that this product has that feature.
The only thing I didn't like about this is that, we can't get the highest magnification to work. I don't know why. I didn't bother that much to figure out what was wrong. My son is pretty much happy with what he can view so far, but we're probably missing a lot for not seeing things on the highest magnification.
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