AmScope 120X-1200X 52-pcs Beginner Microscope STEM Kit with Metal Body Microscope, Plastic Slides, LED Light and Carrying Box (M30-ABS-KT2-W),White

So I bought this as a gift for my niece and nephews we have been doing various science experiments and we've gotten to biology. My niece and nephews range from 3-year-olds to a 10-year-old. The oldest took to it very well and was able to use it on his own the littler ones needed assistance and couldn't really get the microscope to work properly. I was able to focus it and find the specimens under the microscope for them so they could look at it. They absolutely loved finding things in the backyard putting them on the slides and getting to see them underneath the microscope. I even tested the water in my turtle tank hence that nice little creature in one of the images. I would like to purchase more of these so each kid can have their own. But the microscope itself feels cheap. The body itself I think it is metal but it just feels so light. The actual neck of the microscope is plastic so are the dials to move it up and down and the light housing is plastic as well. That being said for the price and how amazing it actually works it's great. This was meant as just a small project for me and my nephews and niece and has only got them excited to do more. When they are older I might invest in a more high quality microscope but for anybody who is looking to do small experiments with children just for the fun of it this was an amazing buy. You have all the tools you need to get started and look at some small things. It gives you a few pre-made slides so you already have something to look at. The next addition we are going to get is to purchase some petri dishes and grow bacteria so that we can look at them underneath this microscope. For the price and the item that you get I could not be happier I would suggest purchasing if you have kids who are curious or you want to do some little STEM projects with them as well. It's a great starter for a cheap price to introduce them.

Really cool for kids that loves science! Great quality. Ease of use

This microscope has been a solid purchase and works really well for the price point. The build feels sturdy, and the lenses provide clear, sharp images once properly adjusted. It’s great for casual use, school projects, and even some light hobby work. The adjustable focus is smooth, and the magnification levels are more than enough for basic viewing needs. That said, it isn’t perfect. The lighting could be a little brighter, and the instructions weren’t as detailed as I would have liked, which made the first setup a bit tricky. Still, once everything is in place, it performs very reliably. Overall, this is a great microscope for beginners and hobbyists who want good quality without spending a fortune.

This is nice for children to learn with.

Great beginner microscope. I suspect that the majority of the low reviews for this microscope are from people that either have little microscope experience or were expecting it to do things it was never designed to do. I have a degree in biology (although I'm not employed in a biological field), so I have plenty of experience using lab quality microscopes. This microscope produces a reasonable level of clarity and magnification. Children will be able to see individual cells, and even nuclei. Yes, it can be a little bit hard to focus at times since there is no fine adjustment, only coarse, and yes, your field of view does move a bit while adjusting it. But again, this is a $40 microscope made for kids. This is more than good enough to introduce your child (or even adults) to the world of microscopy. The kit is great, and will give the user plenty of things to do with the microscope. A few prepared slides, and tools to make some simple slides of your own are included, along with the brine shrimp kit. I was pleasantly surprised by what this microscope can do, and can't wait to give it to my daughter for the holidays (I took it out of the box and tested it first due to some of the bad reviews on here). If you are inexperienced with microscopes, here are a few tips: make sure that what you are trying to view is in the center of the aperture (where the light comes through), and always start on the lowest magnification.

An okay, cheap microscope for trying out the scientific tool and process. It would probably be great for a particularly scientific young person. Wigglewarts and active adventurers . . . maybe not. I wanted the kids to be able to experience the microscopic world for their science lessons, and the process of preparation and careful use of the table-top microscope while we are educating remotely. Overall everything about it fits the price. My first thought seeing it out of the box was that it was a lot smaller than expected, which makes it harder to use. The chrome looking pieces are plastic and feel flimsy; the "scalpel" blade also seems to be plastic . . . To see if this was an item worth keeping I took a quick look at the prepared slides. I got it to focus fairly well at all three magnification levels with little interference. The slides were a little air bubbly but you could see the detail of the specimens. However, the clarity and color just wasn't spectacular comparatively (* see below). I ended up returning this for lack of quality, which adversely effects the interest in using it. * We had also purchased a couple pocket microscopes which were a huge hit - suited for exploring outdoors as well as desk learning. They have a clearer image (less magnification, but enough for our level of learning) and can go anywhere and produced a LOT of interest, which has led to more self-guided learning. I got some blank slides so they could practice making their own (but they aren't necessary) and it's enough for making science fun for our lessons. Plus they each got their own.

I got this for my daughter for Christmas next month. I thought I would give it a try since I saw all these bad reviews. This is an amazing microscope for the price and works really well. I have a history of working with them and found it very easy to find the samples on the slides. They also showed up really nicely. The key it to start with the smallest magnification (300), once you have found your sample and focused on it then attempt using the higher magnifications. Some of the slides are not meant to be seen with the highest magnification. Also be sure to clean all slides before viewing as all of ours had dust on them. It will be harder to see anything with dust on the slide. The eye piece also needed to be cleaned because it was dusty. The microscope is metal, the stage is plastic with plastic clips. I did find it a bit annoying that I could not move the stage from side to side, so when viewing I had to move the slide its self. I have not used the hatchery or any of the other things as I am gifting this in a month. Even without using those items I am very pleased with this product. It was better then I could have imagined. I cant wait to make slides with my daughter and see what we can see. I have included some images I captured of each slide with my camera. These are not as clear as they are when viewing it through the scope with your eyes. However I wanted to show everyone that this microscope does indeed work. I found all of the samples with in a matter of minutes besides the corn root (blue slide with small round circles on it all in rows). The corn root is pale yellow, making it hard to see with the light shining on it. So I used the blue light filter to help bring it out better. I hope this helps you all feel more comfortable about making your decision with this brand. The carrying case is a nice plus too.

Great set, everything was as displayed