Best microscope on Reddit

142 reviews from r/microscopy, r/metallurgy, r/consolerepair and 18 more subreddits

142 reviews from

and

By Brand

By Product

AmScope

4.0

(28)

"100% recommended both for compound scope and stereo scope."

"Amscope is the right tool for the job. It's the bees knees and will help you immensely."

"Absolutely great quality for the price point."

"I use AmScope SE400-Z Professional Binocular Stereo Microscope that I bought for less than $160 USD."

"Search the AmScope and Swift websites. Lots of choices, most will suit your uses."

"I bought a stereo microscope too (AmScope, under $200) so now I use both kinds."

"It's better to have an optical stereoscopic microscope with a digital camera attachment for pics/projection (like an Amscope)..."

"Buy an Amscope or Swift in trinocular, so that you always can use an external MicroCam."

"For what they cost, the Amscopes are surprisingly good."

"I’d recommend going with a cheaper brand microscope like an Amscope."

Zeiss

4.2

(23)

"Better option for higher magnification."

"Simple to operate and shows 3D objects magnified significantly."

"A stereo microscope is essential for work with bryophytes."

"Very useful for looking at creatures in water samples using petri dishes."

"I have no complaints albeit it the only microscope I really have ever used. It has been in use for more than 5 years now."

"If it is not defect or damaged then I would definitly buy it."

"It's an excellent deal for a Zeiss Standard 16 with phase contrast condenser II Z."

"Try Zeiss. They are pricey but worth every penny."

"Zeiss Axiolab would be the best, but it's very expensive."

"80x magnification is sufficient for hobby use."

Olympus

4.4

(12)

"The BH2 is an excellent scope."

"I highly suggest getting them over swift or amscope."

"Especially look out for Olympus Bh-2 and Motic BA310. Both of these microscopes are one of the best in the market."

"These 1980's scopes were built to last forever and still have much better optics than most 'bargain' scopes you can buy now."

"I love my Olympus, got it second hand."

"The general consensus here seems to be that the Olympus CH-2 is the best option."

"I have an Olympus BH-2, got it for $350 shipped."

"The Olympus BH-2 seems to be the go-to for many people here."

"The Olympus BH2 is a great choice for fluorescence applications."

"With some patience, you could probably get a complete Olympus BH2 off eBay in that budget."

Amscope

4.6

(11)

"I got an Amscope B120 used on ebay for $150. After cleaning it up, it works like a charm!"

"The best you can get for your budget."

"This IQCREW inverted microscope from Amscope is the very best one to give to kids that age."

"I grabbed a b120 from Amscope off their website for my first one and it's been amazing."

"It's basically a clone of an Amscope T390B."

"Amscope is having a clearance sale up to 80% off, with a nice phase contrast kit for half price at $260."

"The B120 model is highly recommended for its quality and features."

"I just ordered an amscope 490t for $300."

"I'm torn between the Omax M82 and the amscope B120."

"Amscope seems to have the best bang for your buck these days."

Swift

4.6

(10)

"Get one of these, they’re amazing for the price. Comparable image quality to the Swift SW380t."

"We bought the Swift SW380B listed here, and the quality is fantastic."

"I got a Swift for like $375 and it is perfect with a max 100x objective."

"I LOVE my microscope and was already using a Swift at my work (vet clinic)."

"The Swift 380B is surprisingly good both optically and mechanically."

"Impressed with it, mechanically and optically."

"For beginners any of the swift/amscope/omax microscopes in that price range should be perfectly good and all of similar quality!"

"These things have held up over 14 years now."

"I have this one, is a bit pricier tho."

"Any recent Swift models would be a good choice."

Nikon

4.3

(10)

"Olympus BH2, Nikon Optiphot, Zeiss Axioskop."

"The 160 MM Nikon 20X PLANAPO produces the sharpest and most accurate color rendition of any lens I have ever encountered."

"Bacteria are really hard to see with anything other than a 100x oil lens."

"Any of the big four manufacturers should be fine- Nikon, Olympus, Leica, & Zeiss."

"A fluorescence scope, used units often come with pretty high end objectives."

"You could get a Nikon Labophot (entry level lab grade) or Alphaphot (educational grade) on eBay for $500."

"Using a 2.5 Nikon PLI relay lens with a Nikon phototube worked best for photography."

"Microscopes are simple for beginners and a good Nikon DSLR with the right adapter can enhance photography."

"The MA-200 has great ergonomics and is highly recommended for metallography."

"Nikon is the best choice for a dedicated inverted metallographic scope."

Keyence

3.3

(6)

"100% recommend Keyence upright microscopes (VHX series). They're so so nice."

"The Keyence VHX6000 is superior in every way and has been used daily for many years."

"Pretty good for high depth of field imaging, particularly for fractography and 3D printed comments."

"The VHX7000 has less choice on optics and slower stitching compared to the VHX6000."

"Keyence's sales team is incredibly poor, which reflects badly on their otherwise decent product."

"Keyence products are overly aggressive in marketing and not suitable for metallography."

Andonstar

3.8

(5)

"I've heard good things about andonstar but never used one myself."

"Currently using the AD409 Pro. Both have served me well, and there's no notable delay."

"I've personally used the Andonstar AD407, and currently using the AD409 Pro. Both have served me well, and there's no notable delay which impacts my abilities being a digital microscope."

"Used the Andonstar AD407 for some time and recently upgraded to the AD409 Pro."

"It does the job but lacks easy zoom and lens adjustment."

Motic

4.3

(3)

"I highly suggest getting them over swift or amscope."

"I understand that Motic has a decent inverted scope for $69 or so."

"I would definitely get a used one if possible, save lots if you can find one like a Motic BA200-300."

#10

Amazon

4.0

(3)

"They have some good ones for like $20-$40 that are pretty good that would be perfect for kids."

"Get the 2k 7 or 10 in screen microscope from amazon. out of your price range but you'll get way more out of it than the cheap ones."

"There's quite a few on Amazon, starting at $35 up."

#11

National Geographic

5.0

(2)

"Also comes with pre-prepared slides."

"The nat geo one is pretty awesome tbh."

#12

Bresser

4.5

(2)

"Super happy with it. They seem to have less problems according to a lot of user reviews."

"I went for the Bresser DST-1028 which was available with Amazon Prime at 140.00 Euros."

#13

Leica

2.3

(3)

3.0

(1)

"I have a koppace microscope and it does the job."

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