> Go to my full review of the Telmu Microscope here<\/a><\/p>\nA Few FAQs<\/h2>\n
If you\u2019re not sure about anything, I\u2019d encourage you to browse around this website. I\u2019ve tried to provide as much beginner-level information as possible. Below are a few answers to what I think would be the most common questions first-time buyers have.<\/p>\n
Is a Compound Microscope Right for Me?<\/h3>\n
There are two types of microscope: compound and stereo.<\/p>\n
Compound microscopes are for looking at specimens invisible to the naked eye. Examples include: saliva, bacteria in pond water, onion skin cells, fingerprints, and mold.<\/p>\n
Stereo microscopes are for looking at visible specimens like rocks, leaves, coins and feathers. They\u2019re fun, but they\u2019re really just glorified magnifying glasses.<\/p>\n
Having said that, there\u2019s value in both types. I\u2019d say if you\u2019re a rock or coin collector or into jewelry repairs, a stereo microscope would be okay. Otherwise \u2013 go for a compound microscope. They\u2019re the most popular and common variety.<\/p>\n
Why isn\u2019t there an Above Stage Light?<\/h3>\n
Above stage lights are used for illuminating visible samples like rocks and coins. Sub-stage lighting is used for viewing translucent specimens like bacteria and cells. Above stage lights are just about useless for compound microscopes because you\u2019ll want to illuminate your translucent specimens from below.<\/p>\n
Does Everything Come in the Package?<\/h3>\n
Usually, everything you need to operate a microscope is included in the purchase. That includes a power cord, stage, and lighting equipment.<\/p>\n
Some beginner level home microscopes are also shipped with starter kits, which commonly include shrimp eggs, brine, dyes, and prepared slides. As a general rule, if the microscope is shipped with a starter kit, it\u2019s usually not a great microscope (sounds harsh, but it\u2019s kind of true).<\/p>\n
Having said that, I did really like the starter kit and book provided with the Levenhuk Rainbow 50L PLUS, and I think the microscope is great for beginners, too. Here’s the kit you get with this microscope:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re really keen on getting started with microscopy, I\u2019d probably still recommend the AmScope B120 and suggest you get an experiment kit separately.<\/p>\n
Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n
While I generally like to recommend just one <\/em>product to help you cut the wheat from the chaff, the truth is you need to choose one that fits your needs.<\/p>\nOverall, I think most people would be most satisfied with the AmScope T490B [1<\/a>] if you can afford it. It\u2019s a really nice workhorse of a microscope. The step down to the Levenhuk Rainbow 50L PLUS does feel like a big step down, but it\u2019s still a nice product for beginners.<\/p>\nI do hope this review has been useful to you and good luck with your microscopy!<\/p>\n
Cheers,
Chris<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Overall, I think most people would be most satisfied with the AmScope T490B if you can afford it. It\u2019s a really nice workhorse of a microscope. The step down to the Levenhuk Rainbow 50L PLUS does feel like a big step down, but it\u2019s still a nice product for beginners.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":96,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[3,8],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=271"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":565,"href":"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271\/revisions\/565"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/96"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=271"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=271"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}