joyfulhomeschooler Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 Can anyone recomend a good quiality microscope for a decent price? Is there such a thing or am I looking for the impossible? I have two kids 8 & 6 yrs old so it doesn't have to be completely high tech... but I would like it to last for a while and be able to be used at least through middle school maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheHomeScientist Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 I'd recommend the National Optical 109-series scopes, which you can find at numerous on-line vendors, typically discounted to $100 or a bit more. These are serious microscopes, much better than toy microscopes. They're smaller than full-size scopes, suitable for elementary and junior high or middle school students. They're quite rugged, offer magnifications of 40X, 100X, and 400X, and are excellent value for the money. In a pinch, one of these scopes could also be used for highschool courses that don't require 1,000X magnification (e.g., AP biology). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristenR Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 We spent $70 on this one a few years ago for my dd who was 4 at the time. My husband and I didn't want to spend too much for such a young child but we were both pretty impressed with the quality. Down the road we can envision getting a better one (maybe high school time) but for now we can't complain. I see it is on sale for even cheaper now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheHomeScientist Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 We spent $70 on this one a few years ago for my dd who was 4 at the time. My husband and I didn't want to spend too much for such a young child but we were both pretty impressed with the quality. Down the road we can envision getting a better one (maybe high school time) but for now we can't complain. I see it is on sale for even cheaper now. That's also an excellent choice for a starter microscope, probably the best of the sub-$100 microscopes. I've seen several of these, and was surprised at how inexpensive they are. At the price Amazon sells it, it's a steal. It's not as well-made or durable as the National Optical model, and the optics aren't quite as good, but it's still a good compromise for a first microscope. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristenR Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 That's also an excellent choice for a starter microscope, probably the best of the sub-$100 microscopes. I've seen several of these, and was surprised at how inexpensive they are. At the price Amazon sells it, it's a steal. It's not as well-made or durable as the National Optical model, and the optics aren't quite as good, but it's still a good compromise for a first microscope. Yes, that is how we felt. We are really pleased with it. However, dh and I were discussing how we would like to get one of those microscopes that are front lit and you can place larger specimens on. What is that compound? Or steroscope? We would like to add one of those to our resources sooner rather than later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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