AmScopeSE305R-PZ Forward Binocular Stereo Microscope, WF10x and WF20x Eyepieces, 10X-60X Magnification, 1X and 3X Objectives, Upper and Lower Halogen Light Source, Pillar Stand, 120V , White

This scope is a bargain for its quality and ease of use. I already feel I made the perfect choice for a first scope for our children (ages 10, 9, 7,3). It was very easy to set up. Within minutes we were viewing slides (bought the set of 25 from Amscope). Then we grabbed a Japanese lady beetle off the floor and put it under 30x. Creepy! Amazing! Crisp images of its still twitching legs and mouthparts. Great view of its compound eyes. Wife practically jumped off the chair when she saw it! We have also looked at: moss, fungus, lake water/gravel (complete with tiny live clams), coins, toothpick, a band aid, rock salt. Can't wait to find some spiders!Things I like about this scope: inexpensive, metal construction, crisp optics, bright light, easy to adjust inter pupillary distance, ability to throw just about anything you find under it, kids' delightful responses to seeing things, stereo optics.Things I don't like: nothing yet.If you are looking for a great easy to use, quality scope this seems like a perfect choice. This is a high value item to bring into your home.Will update review in a the future. Happy shopping!Update 1: (one hour later) Couldn't resist going back to 'the scope' tonight. Found what appears to be live midge larvae and an aquatic worm in the lake sand sample. Sucked them out with a pipette. They are now waiting in small bowl for my kids to check out when they wake in the morning. This thing is so darned cool! Also I dialed in the diopter on the left eyepiece and the image clarity went from crisp to ultra HD.Update 2: (about three months later) It is great to own this scope. We throw anything under it and are amazed by what we see: feathers, bugs, coins, etc. I just brought it to work to check out some high tech sandpaper we just bought. It was incredible to see it at 30X. My colleagues couldn't stop looking for things to put under the scope, and one even said "I have to get one of these!" So, I recommend this for anybody for a home scope of low/med power that is great for kids and adults alike. Very easy to set up an use.BONUS: You can use an iPhone (I have an iPhone 6) to take pictures through the eyepiece! See attached photos.

Very happy with this purchase. Well design, excellent quality, easy to use with or without instructions, has a nice weight to it--no cheapy feel, has top and under slide lighting (important feature: under slide lighting allows you to see transparent/see-through objects; top lighting is more for solid objects viewing from the top), ergonomically designed so that I can comfortably reach all nobs and levers comfortably, comes with multiple power lens, well suited for various novice to semi-serious educational uses, comes with a cover, len chambers are clean and clear (some cheaper microscopes have dust/particle trapped inside the len chamber which interferes/corrupts observation), excellent pricing, smooth operating parts--I have nothing bad to say about this microscope. Everyone loves using it--we put anything that fits under the scope to view a whole new world for awareness/knowledge. It is a jewel in our family and no one abuses it; it is used and left in its pristine condition to make this gem lasts.

I received the Microsoft with the heads unassembled and no installation instructions. I've read other reviews probably not from this supplier that they come assembled. Mine did not. I've looked online and on youtube to know avail to how the heads that hold the eyepieces are installed to the microscope. I downloaded the manual from AmScope and it says the heads are already installed and gives no instructions how to attach them.

On a tight budget and having to buy things out of pocket for work at a startup. They went to 0402 (sized components) without any prototyping. I looked for about a month for something I could afford. Almost bought used scopes more than once for more $ than this one cost new.When the shipping rang-up at about $3 I was worried that the unit was actual size in the photo. But when I opened this puppy up... wow! It's a real microscope! Absolutely full size, heavy, and solid. More than that, it is absolutely perfect for what I am doing. One of the options for changing magnification is a quick turn of the large circular, bottom lens carrier to select "1X" or "3X". When you turn it, it clicks in and out of place very smoothly, locks into new position very firmly and has the perfect resistance during the turn. You just know that the people that designed it, and the people that built it nailed this one. I am so impressed, and so happy to be able to write a positive review. If you check back through my reviews of a wide variety of products, they are all negative because I am too lazy to write positive reviews. But this microscope is so well built that ... I have to write about it.The unit comes assembled. There is a second pair of higher power top lenses supplied, but I found that the lower power ones that come pre-installed are perfect. As mentioned, the bottom lens changes between 1 and 3 power. That turns out to be perfect. You will usually use it at the lower power. It is powerful enough to see and solder 0402 sized components, but weak enough that you can see a little bit of the surroundings to orient yourself on the board. To more closely examine a solder joint, you can swivel that bottom piece to the 3X position. In doing that, you don't lose optical position. This thing is very precise. Very very good deal.Note that there are two halogen lights provided, one above, and one below the specimen platform. If you are using it as I was, for electronics, perhaps you should remove the bottom light. Use a rag or paper or something since you are not supposed to get skin oil on those halogen bulbs. Of course do it cold. There is a power switch for selecting the high light, the low light, or no light. There is also a cover for if you are not using the bottom light. It makes sense to remove the bulb if you are not using it so that you don't overheat that bottom area if you accidentally turn that light on with the metal cover in place. They probably designed it to handle the heat, but just in case, I would remove it.The halogen lights provided are generally better than LED lights. The color is better. Everything is great on this microscope as far as I can tell. I love it! The people I work with are also quite pleased with my purchase.

returned this item. image was hard to focus almost like a double image.