{"id":563,"date":"2021-02-03T22:10:50","date_gmt":"2021-02-03T22:10:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/scopedetective.com\/?p=563"},"modified":"2021-02-03T22:13:13","modified_gmt":"2021-02-03T22:13:13","slug":"telmu-microscope-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/telmu-microscope-review\/","title":{"rendered":"TELMU 40X-1000X Compound Monocular Microscope [Full Review]"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color: #fafafa; border: 1px solid #7a7a7a; padding: 15px; margin-bottom: 20px; overflow: auto; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.6em; text-align: left;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/chris-152.jpg\" width=\"70\" height=\"70\"><strong>About this Article:<\/strong> I researched a lot of microscopes before buying mine (not this one).&nbsp; If you want to see all the microscopes I researched, see my article on the <a href=\"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/best-compound-microscope\/\">9 best compound microscopes<\/a>. This information was for my personal circumstances only and is not professional advice to you. Read more on the website\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/disclaimer\/\">disclaimer page<\/a>. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/TELMU-Microscope-Magnification-Illumination-Microscopes\/dp\/B07DQQKJNZ?crid=2DEQURTRQLR0J&amp;dchild=1&amp;keywords=telmu+microscope&amp;qid=1612388933&amp;sprefix=telmu+micro%2Caps%2C244&amp;sr=8-1-spons&amp;psc=1&amp;spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzOU40UVNYU0RZTzNaJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMzc0NTU2MVFQWjc5STZITjI2MCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwODA3MDQxUFNTUkpDQVNXOTBDJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ%3D%3D&amp;linkCode=li3&amp;tag=scopedetective-20&amp;linkId=bfe57a3d140bf256f06f9945cde0fb56&amp;language=en_US&amp;ref_=as_li_ss_il\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img class=\"alignright\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?_encoding=UTF8&amp;ASIN=B07DQQKJNZ&amp;Format=_SL250_&amp;ID=AsinImage&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;WS=1&amp;tag=scopedetective-20&amp;language=en_US\" border=\"0\"><\/a><img loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;\" src=\"https:\/\/ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/e\/ir?t=scopedetective-20&amp;language=en_US&amp;l=li3&amp;o=1&amp;a=B07DQQKJNZ\" alt=\"\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" border=\"0\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/TELMU-Microscope-Magnification-Illumination-Microscopes\/dp\/B07DQQKJNZ?crid=2DEQURTRQLR0J&amp;dchild=1&amp;keywords=telmu+microscope&amp;qid=1612388933&amp;sprefix=telmu+micro%2Caps%2C244&amp;sr=8-1-spons&amp;psc=1&amp;spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzOU40UVNYU0RZTzNaJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMzc0NTU2MVFQWjc5STZITjI2MCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwODA3MDQxUFNTUkpDQVNXOTBDJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ%3D%3D&amp;linkCode=ll1&amp;tag=scopedetective-20&amp;linkId=5a19541d264498207ecf4ec5f0402618&amp;language=en_US&amp;ref_=as_li_ss_tl\">TELMU 40X-1000X<\/a> is one of the most popular microscopes available on Amazon today.<\/p>\n<p>The first thing you notice about this microscope is that it\u2019s small and light (it weighs in at about 4 pounds). You could just about hold the whole thing in one hand.<\/p>\n<p>To me, there are four key features central to this scope:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>It\u2019s very affordable<\/li>\n<li>It offers a good magnification range (1000X is good enough to see bacteria)<\/li>\n<li>It has a monocular head<\/li>\n<li>It has a cellphone adapter<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These four factors alone make in <strong>an appealing choice for beginners and hobbyists<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The monocular head shouldn\u2019t be seen as a downside either. With kids, a binocular head can just be a pain and decrease their experience, so <strong>I like the idea of monocular scopes for children and beginners to improve user experience<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color: #f4fcd4; border: 2px solid #7a7a7a; padding: 15px; margin-bottom: 20px; text-align: center;\"><strong>My Verdict: <\/strong>I\u2019ll be honest with you \u2013 I chose not to purchase this model after completing this review. I instead went for the <a href=\"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/amscope-t490b-microscope\/\">AmScope T490B<\/a>. For a comparable microscope to the Telmu that I prefer, consider the <a href=\"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/amscope-m150c-ms\/\">M150C-MS<\/a> which is very similar but has a mechanical stage for improved user experience.<\/div>\n\n<h2>TELMU 1000X Compound Microscope Review<\/h2>\n<p>I usually start from the top and move down when doing my microscope reviews and unboxing videos. So this review will be no different \u2013 let\u2019s start with the head.<\/p>\n<h3>1. Monocular Head<\/h3>\n<p><strong>This microscope comes with a monocular head (meaning you look through it with just one eye).<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You essentially need to choose between a binocular and monocular head when choosing a microscope. There\u2019s also the option of a \u2018trinocular\u2019 microscope (the third section being for a camera).<\/p>\n<p>A binocular microscope can be really nice for a personal microscope. But if you\u2019re working with kids, binoculars can be a nightmare. Kids want to adjust them constantly when it\u2019s their turn to look through, and they have trouble seeing through them in general.<\/p>\n<p>So a monocular head is better for working with kids or sharing between adults.<\/p>\n<p>And you can tell this model is made for sharing because the head is designed to rotate to point at whoever is looking through it. In reality, the rotating head feature feels pretty pointless. It\u2019s not hard to swap seats, and frankly feels more natural.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Overall, the head reveals that this microscope is clearly designed for use with children and sharing between teacher \/ parent and child.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3>2. Eyepiece and Cell Phone Adapter<\/h3>\n<p>The two eyepieces are 10X and 25X. This is pretty normal and not something worth writing home about. The larger eyepiece allows for stronger magnification (up to 1000X) while the smaller will allow for magnification down around the range you would expect of a lower-magnification stereo microscope.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll get these features with all comparable compound microscopes on the market today.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The one appealing feature about the eyepiece is the cell phone adapter.<\/strong> It allows you to place your cell phone\u2019s camera over the eyepiece and get pretty decent footage stored on your cell phone.<\/p>\n<p>This cell phone adaptor option is not as good as a dedicated microscope camera, but it will do for someone trying to get set up on the cheap.<\/p>\n<p>The eyepieces also don\u2019t come with a pointer, which is by no means a deal breaker, but it would be good to have one of these for teaching purposes.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Objective Lenses<\/h3>\n<p>The objective lenses are the main lenses you\u2019ll be rotating between to find focus. Usually you can get compound microscopes with between 3 and 6 objective lenses. This model has 3.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s not a bad thing though.<\/p>\n<p>Most hobbyists would find that \u2013 even if they had a microscopes with 6 objectives \u2013 they\u2019d only use the first 3 most of the time. That\u2019s because additional objectives would likely give <em>too much <\/em>magnification.<\/p>\n<h3>4. Magnification<\/h3>\n<p>The objective lenses in this model are &nbsp;4x, 10x, and 40x magnification. Combine those with the eyepiece magnification and you can see the range for this scope is 40X (4X objective multiplied by 10X eyepiece) up to 1000X (40X objective multiplied by 25X eyepiece).<\/p>\n<p>This is plenty of magnification for most people\u2019s needs. To give you an idea, 400X magnification is enough for high school biology students \u2013 so this is above and beyond. You\u2019ll be able to see bacteria clearly at 1000X magnification.<\/p>\n<h3>5. Stage<\/h3>\n<p><strong>The stage on this model is one of the reasons I didn\u2019t choose to get this microscope.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Most entry level compound microscopes like this one have stages that adjust vertically, but not horizontally.<\/p>\n<p>In other words, you can use the stage to adjust the focus but you won\u2019t be able to \u2018scan around\u2019 your specimen.<\/p>\n<p>And that\u2019s the case with this one.<\/p>\n<p>Imagine the object you\u2019re trying to look at is on the periphery of your vision. You\u2019d have to move the slide or petri dish 2-3mm to the right. Your only option will be to unclip it, adjust it that 2-3mm, re-clip it, then check to see if the vision is better.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s a pain for anyone.<\/p>\n<p>But especially for kids. Kids don\u2019t have the fine motor skills so it becomes a real user experience issue with children.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why I always go for a model with a \u201cmechanical stage\u201d and will pay the small additional fee for it. If you\u2019re after a model very similar to the TELMU with a mechanical stage try the AmScope M150C-MS.<\/p>\n<p>However, for a stage that only moves on the vertical axis, it\u2019s nice that it has both fine and coarse focusing knobs for accurate focus.<\/p>\n<h3>6. Price<\/h3>\n<p>While I\u2019m not allowed to directly share the price on this article (because Amazon prices change regularly), you can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/TELMU-Microscope-Magnification-Illumination-Microscopes\/dp\/B07DQQKJNZ?crid=2DEQURTRQLR0J&amp;dchild=1&amp;keywords=telmu+microscope&amp;qid=1612388933&amp;sprefix=telmu+micro%2Caps%2C244&amp;sr=8-1-spons&amp;psc=1&amp;spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzOU40UVNYU0RZTzNaJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMzc0NTU2MVFQWjc5STZITjI2MCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwODA3MDQxUFNTUkpDQVNXOTBDJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ%3D%3D&amp;linkCode=ll1&amp;tag=scopedetective-20&amp;linkId=5a19541d264498207ecf4ec5f0402618&amp;language=en_US&amp;ref_=as_li_ss_tl\">check the price directly on Amazon<\/a>. Overall, what I will say is it\u2019s one of the most affordable microscopes on the market because it\u2019s an entry-level piece of equipment designed to minimize cost as a barrier of entry into <a href=\"https:\/\/rsscience.com\/beginners-guide-microscopy\/\">beginner microscopy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3>7. Lighting<\/h3>\n<p>This model has both an overhead light and a light underneath the stage. The overhead light is best for viewing visible specimens like rocks, coins, leaves and feathers. The underneath light is better for opaque specimens like bacteria from saliva. I like this setup.<\/p>\n<p>Note that the lights can\u2019t be used in conjunction \u2013 only one at a time.<\/p>\n<p>The lights are powered by 3x AA batteries, making this a nice and portable microscope, too.<\/p>\n<h2>Additional Goodies \u2013 Prepared Slides<\/h2>\n<p>Another big sign this microscope is made for beginners and children is that it comes with 4 prepared slides and 6 blank slides. The prepared slides have animal legs, onion, wood and cotton in them so you can get started straight away.<\/p>\n<p>Keep in mind you might be a bit confused about what you are looking at without a guide \u2013 so consider getting a workbook or watching YouTube videos to learn what to look out for and get explanations of what you\u2019re seeing.<\/p>\n<h2>Downsides and Reasons for Upgrading<\/h2>\n<p>Most people would be satisfied with this model for entry-level microscopy all the way up to high school use. I\u2019d be comfortable with this magnification level for most people.<\/p>\n<p>But there are some key reasons why I personally stepped up to another model:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Stage is not Mechanical \u2013 <\/strong>It\u2019s important to me that I have a mechanical stage as it significantly improves user experience. I\u2019d pay for this additional feature.<\/li>\n<li><strong>No Digital Camera \u2013 <\/strong>There\u2019s a cellphone adaptor eyepiece here which can get you started. But a camera eyepiece is much more preferable if you want to record what you see. Cameras are great for students so they can capture images that can then go on presentation slides or posters for class presentations. I personally bought the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amscope.com\/accessories\/adapter\/canon-and-nikon-slr-dslr-camera-adapter-for-microscopes.html\">CA-CAN-NIK-SLR camera adapter<\/a> from AmScope to attach to my microscope.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Final Verdict<\/h2>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/TELMU-Microscope-Magnification-Illumination-Microscopes\/dp\/B07DQQKJNZ?crid=2DEQURTRQLR0J&amp;dchild=1&amp;keywords=telmu+microscope&amp;qid=1612388933&amp;sprefix=telmu+micro%2Caps%2C244&amp;sr=8-1-spons&amp;psc=1&amp;spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzOU40UVNYU0RZTzNaJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMzc0NTU2MVFQWjc5STZITjI2MCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwODA3MDQxUFNTUkpDQVNXOTBDJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ%3D%3D&amp;linkCode=ll1&amp;tag=scopedetective-20&amp;linkId=5a19541d264498207ecf4ec5f0402618&amp;language=en_US&amp;ref_=as_li_ss_tl\">TELMU microscope<\/a> is a good entry-level microscope that provides all you need to get started. While I didn\u2019t personally go with this one, I can see it making most people happy about their purchase.<\/p>\n<p>Personally, I was willing to pay a little more for a mechanical stage which helped improve user experience. I also grabbed a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.digitaltrends.com\/photography\/what-is-a-dslr-camera\/\">DSLR<\/a> camera to microscope adapter to fit on my microscope. Check out <a href=\"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/microscope-projects\/\">my setup here<\/a> which cost me less than $200 and had those additional features I liked.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>About this Article: I researched a lot of microscopes before buying mine (not this one).&nbsp; If you want to see all the microscopes I researched, see my article on the 9 best compound microscopes. This information was for my personal circumstances only and is not professional advice to you. Read more on the website\u2019s disclaimer &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/telmu-microscope-review\/\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">TELMU 40X-1000X Compound Monocular Microscope [Full Review]<\/span> Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":98,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[4],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/563"}],"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=563"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/563\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":567,"href":"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/563\/revisions\/567"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/98"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=563"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=563"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scopedetective.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=563"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}