AMJ Posted June 21, 2013 Share Posted June 21, 2013 Does anyone have any good recommendations for compound monocular microscopes (brands, models, where to get them)? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie of KY Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 I like the one I got from HST. They have several good options and a good table to tell the differences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NittanyJen Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 Does anyone have any good recommendations for compound monocular microscopes (brands, models, where to get them)? Thanks! For grammar and logic stage, my hands-down favorite is the Brock Magiscope. I ordered mine directly from the manufacturer. I used to do high-powered microscopy for a living, and I adore this 'scope. It is of super high quality, is sturdy, and the available objectives and eyepieces are first rate. It is very easy to focus, making the object you are viewing the star of the show, rather than the microscope. A small child can safely handle it. It does not require batteries OR an electrical plug, nor does it use some annoying and hard to adjust mirror, making its sturdy portability even better; it uses a unique fiber optic tube to direct ambient light to the specimen (which also avoids heating them up, which is nice for live specimens). I have taken many hand-held photos right through the eyepiece, using just a digital point and shoot or even my iPad! No special equipment required! It works equally well for slides and opaque objects such as dissections or minerals or flowers. I do not worry about the lack of fancy features such as parfocal objectives, an oil-immersion lens, or a mechanical stage; all of that usage can honestly be learned in about 5 minutes flat. Microscopy at that level is not rocket science requiring years of preparation! The star of the show ought to be what you want to see... and the Brock Magiscope is a wonderfully made 'scope that is sturdy, can go with you on hikes, can be used by even young kids, documented with photography without any special equipment, and has a variety of magnifications to choose from, with none of the drawbacks of a traditional instrument for a young student (fussy mechanics, electrical cord or batteries, bulbs to change, hard to take on hikes, hard or expensive to do photography, lesser optics for the money). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 We are going to purchase a Celestron 44104 for DD. Here's the link on Amazon for the New ones: http://www.amazon.co...4&condition=new Why this model? (1) My wife has a Celestron Dobsonian telescope and it is a "lot of bang for the buck" (2) I read all of the Reviews on Amazon about the Celestron 44104. (3) It is a very solid microscope and can be improved, if one has $ for the accessories. I plan to buy from Beach Camera. Why? Because I sent them a message, via Amazon, and they answered my questions, in about 15 minutes... I sent the same questions to Amazon and they replied they cannot answer any of my questions, because everything is automatic, so we would rather pay an additional $5.96 and buy from Beach Camera... Electronics Basket has Fulfillment via Amazon and they also responded that they had no idea about the answers to my questions, because of the Fulfillment via Amazon... If it was a book, I would go with the lower price, but it is a delicate instrument... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heathermomster Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 For grammar and logic stage, my hands-down favorite is the Brock Magiscope. I ordered mine directly from the manufacturer. I used to do high-powered microscopy for a living, and I adore this 'scope. It is of super high quality, is sturdy, and the available objectives and eyepieces are first rate. It is very easy to focus, making the object you are viewing the star of the show, rather than the microscope. A small child can safely handle it. It does not require batteries OR an electrical plug, nor does it use some annoying and hard to adjust mirror, making its sturdy portability even better; it uses a unique fiber optic tube to direct ambient light to the specimen (which also avoids heating them up, which is nice for live specimens). I have taken many hand-held photos right through the eyepiece, using just a digital point and shoot or even my iPad! No special equipment required! It works equally well for slides and opaque objects such as dissections or minerals or flowers. I do not worry about the lack of fancy features such as parfocal objectives, an oil-immersion lens, or a mechanical stage; all of that usage can honestly be learned in about 5 minutes flat. Microscopy at that level is not rocket science requiring years of preparation! The star of the show ought to be what you want to see... and the Brock Magiscope is a wonderfully made 'scope that is sturdy, can go with you on hikes, can be used by even young kids, documented with photography without any special equipment, and has a variety of magnifications to choose from, with none of the drawbacks of a traditional instrument for a young student (fussy mechanics, electrical cord or batteries, bulbs to change, hard to take on hikes, hard or expensive to do photography, lesser optics for the money). What magnification did you purchase? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stellalarella Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 Can you help me understand how the Brock Magiscope gets enough light to see something? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NittanyJen Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 What magnification did you purchase? I have 5X and 10X eyepieces and 4X, 10X, and 40X objectives. So the magnification ranges from 20X to 400X with the set of lenses I chose. I would not go to 1000X on any microscope, even if offered, without the "bells and whistles" of parfocal focusing, fine focus knobs and oil immersion is a must for that magnification. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stellalarella Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 I have 5X and 10X eyepieces and 4X, 10X, and 40X objectives. So the magnification ranges from 20X to 400X with the set of lenses I chose. I would not go to 1000X on any microscope, even if offered, without the "bells and whistles" of parfocal focusing, fine focus knobs and oil immersion is a must for that magnification. How would these objectives work for HS Biology? I have kids ranging from 4-15 and I am trying to figure out what would be a good buy for us. It's six kids using 1 microscope... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heathermomster Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 I have 5X and 10X eyepieces and 4X, 10X, and 40X objectives. So the magnification ranges from 20X to 400X with the set of lenses I chose. I would not go to 1000X on any microscope, even if offered, without the "bells and whistles" of parfocal focusing, fine focus knobs and oil immersion is a must for that magnification. How difficult is it to change the lenses? Thank-you, h Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne115 Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 I just bought a National Optical LED microscope. I am very pleased with it. Suzanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NittanyJen Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 Can you help me understand how the Brock Magiscope gets enough light to see something? I wish I understood the physics of it better. You can certainly ask the manufacturer; he is very accessible and will answer questions, as they will build these microscopes to order (they are made in the USA, rare for microscopes). As a basic answer, his "lumarod" (it looks like acrylic) is a U-shaped thing that sits underneath the stage and pokes out in front a bit. It seems to be able to collect a fair amount of light from a reasonably lit room or outdoor sunlight. Occasionally I have turned the microscope away from the sun just a tad, as the lumarod was collecting too much light for my viewing preferences. Reading the website, it looks as if he has even made a few more improvements to his design since I purchased mine, using a few more sustainable materials, and adding a couple of rivets to provide just little more control to prevent hitting the slide during close focusing, but without sacrificing the simplicity and durability of the design. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NittanyJen Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 How difficult is it to change the lenses? Thank-you, h Not at all difficult. The eyepieces pop in and out; the objectives screw in and out just like a professional microscope would when the lenses are replaced, as they are professional lenses. They come with the expected containers (the lenses screw into the caps of the hard plastic containers, so you do not need to provide or preserve any cushioning material around them; they are essentially suspended in air inside their containers). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stellalarella Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 NIttanyJen, how does the Magiscope do on 400x magnification? Thanks for your helpful help. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NittanyJen Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 How would these objectives work for HS Biology? I have kids ranging from 4-15 and I am trying to figure out what would be a good buy for us. It's six kids using 1 microscope... For high school, it would depend upon the goals of the children. For a basic, good, solid, studying microorganisms and cells and plant structures and some dissection close-ups biology course, this microscope will work just fine. If your kids want to be English majors or physics majors or mathematicians or computer scientists, this microscope will be fine. If you are aiming for AP Biology or have a serious bio-phile on your hands, you might want to look at your local high schools and universities, and keep an eye out for a microscope with the traditional look-- the coarse and fine focus knobs, mechanical stage, parfocal lenses, and oil immersion lens (which will of course require immersion oil to go with it!)-- and wait to grab one on sale when they swap out old equipment for new. The "old" equipment is often still in fine working order. For example, a school just up the road from me just shuttered its doors, and the microscopes sold for $25. Teachers were lining up at the door at opening time and beelining right for the science room, and they got a good deal on good equipment. (Sadly, in some cases they were teachers who used to work at that school, purchasing equipment from their own classrooms to take to any new jobs they might land. Talk about dedication! I was tempted to make a donation!). With six kids, you will get some seriously hard use out of a microscope. If it were me, I'd probably go with something sturdy with a good solid warranty from a US manufacturer like the Brock, and wait to find the fancier one at a fire sale, if somebody really needs it. You can really do pretty much everything except the very finickiest microscopy at 400X. You only want to use oil immersion for viewing things of 1-2 micrometers across, and no more than a few micrometers thick, and that are dry mounted-- such as individual bacteria, or muscle striations. We are talking very, very small microscopy, before going to very specialized microscopes. If you go this route, you will want to supervise your student very closely and instruct the student carefully first; this is not microscopy for young students, as the focusing is done very close to the sample, and it is easy to crunch a coverslip and damage a very expensive lens, or spread oil to other lenses if the rules about not switching back to other lenses after viewing a slide under oil immersion are not followed. The oil immersion lens must also be carefully cared for after use. it is very rewarding microscopy, but it is very detailed and requires patience. A student will probably only do 1-4 labs using oil immersion unless they are focusing on a course that is specializing in some sub-field of biology that year as well. This is why I only recommend these microscopes, as much fun as *I* believe they are, for AP Biology students and students who have a high interest in the field-- otherwise, it isn't worth the investment, as all of the practical microscopy can be carried out at 400X magnification. Here is a very nice website about microscopy, with some how-tos and background information, from Rice University: http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~bioslabs/methods/microscopy/oilimm.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NittanyJen Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 NIttanyJen, how does the Magiscope do on 400x magnification? Thanks for your helpful help. :) Andrea, I get beautiful images at 400X, very sharp with little distortion. If you are on Facebook, you could look at the images I have uploaded there, though do keep in mind I took those pictures hand-held and very quickly, so the images don't do the "live" version justice :) Looking through the Magiscope in vivo is of course much sharper than my photos, though the pictures are cool :) The optics on mine are first-rate. And hey, I used to photograph fluorescent tags on individual genes on chromosomes as part of my job, needing to separate 3 different loci spaced very closely together . . . working on a microscope so sensitive it had to be floated so that cars passing by on a road nearby wouldn't shake it too much, while the person on the next microscope over was photographing individual proteins moving around inside neurons. I'm a little picky when it comes to microscope optics-- I was spoiled LOL!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nrself Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 Would you link us your fb pics? I'd love to see them too. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NittanyJen Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 Would you link us your fb pics? I'd love to see them too. Thanks! Okay, I have set some of the photos to public; see if these work. Please do remember that I take these hand-held, mostly with my ipod or ipad, and very quickly. The actual image through the Brock microscope is actually of much higher quality. Please do not distribute, but use for your own use freely. DS12's first attempt at making his own slide-- onion skin, stained with eosin: I wasn't sure whether these were the brine shrimp eggs or the yeast we put in to feed them-- I think they were the eggs: interior of chicken bone at 100X, from our bone dissection and muscle lab: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10201019374388635&set=a.1274450383448.42189.1295583256&type=3&theater interior of chicken bone at 40X: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10201017573183606&set=a.1274450383448.42189.1295583256&type=3&theater prepared slide of paramecium: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4724627595722&set=a.1274450383448.42189.1295583256&type=3&theater Random flatworm from local stream water: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3910199555530&set=a.1274450383448.42189.1295583256&type=3&theater Center of dandilion: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3560479252741&set=a.1274450383448.42189.1295583256&type=3&theater Center of another flower from my lawn, at 20X: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3541118688739&set=a.1274450383448.42189.1295583256&type=3&theater Stamen and pistil of another flower at 20X: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3541228251478&set=a.1274450383448.42189.1295583256&type=3&theater Lotus root prepared slide at 40X: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3478960094813&set=a.1274450383448.42189.1295583256&type=3&theater Copper ore at 40X: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3477422696379&set=a.1274450383448.42189.1295583256&type=3&theater Dragonfly wing at 40X: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3477372935135&set=a.1274450383448.42189.1295583256&type=3&theater pistil of an azealea (one of my earliest photos-- not the best quality): https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4651852976402&set=a.1274450383448.42189.1295583256&type=3&theater Okay, that's a pretty wide sampling. Clearly, the kids and I have fun taking photos through the 'scope :) It's pretty easy to do when you aren't super fussy about making them perfect! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TCB Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 I just bought a National Optical LED microscope. I am very pleased with it. Suzanne Would you mind telling us which model etc. ? There are so many microscopes that it's hard to decide, so it would be really good to look at the specific one you are pleased with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NittanyJen Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 NIttanyJen, how does the Magiscope do on 400x magnification? Thanks for your helpful help. :) Andrea (or somebody) could you satisfy my curiosity-- does clicking on my links above now give you access to all of the photos in my album (by hitting "next") rather than just the ones I linked? It won't freak me out much, I would just like to know what exactly I just made public-- informed is better than not informed. I can't really test it myself, because of course I have access to all of my photos, as do my friends and family . . . Thanks! I think I just set all of my photos to public by default :/. So these links may become "inoperable" in a week or two, and need to be re-opened by request in the future if others wish to see them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne115 Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 Would you mind telling us which model etc. ? There are so many microscopes that it's hard to decide, so it would be really good to look at the specific one you are pleased with. Sure, I bought this model: http://www.amazon.com/National-Optical-134-CLED-Intermediate-Illumination/dp/B009WXFAQ0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372030134&sr=8-1&keywords=national+optical+cled+microscope Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 Andrea (or somebody) could you satisfy my curiosity-- does clicking on my links above now give you access to all of the photos in my album (by hitting "next") rather than just the ones I linked? I can't access any of the photos even when log into Facebook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NittanyJen Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 I can't access any of the photos even when log into Facebook. Odd! Well, if you wish to friend me on FB to see them, I won't be offended if you do so and then unfriend me right away-- I promise not to go peeking through your life ;). I don't know what else to do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nrself Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 Odd! Well, if you wish to friend me on FB to see them, I won't be offended if you do so and then unfriend me right away-- I promise not to go peeking through your life ;). I don't know what else to do! I get a not available on all the pics so I searched on FB for Nittany Jen and "friend"ed you too. Hope that is ok. Nicole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NittanyJen Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 I get a not available on all the pics so I searched on FB for Nittany Jen and "friend"ed you too. Hope that is ok. Nicole Hi Nicole, request granted! The pictures are spread out among a few different photo albums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nrself Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 Hi Nicole, request granted! The pictures are spread out among a few different photo albums. Thank you so much Jen! I really appreciate your taking the time to share your pictures and opinions with us. Nicole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsmith Posted June 26, 2013 Share Posted June 26, 2013 I purchased this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004UOIIQK/ref=oh_details_o02_s03_i04?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I really don't know anything about microscopes, so I hope it is easy to use and works well. I plan on setting it up next week and playing around with it. but I would like to purchase a decent set of prepared slides. Our science kit only came with two. I haven't made my own slides since high school, so I would like to brush up on that next week also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantone Posted June 27, 2013 Share Posted June 27, 2013 Going to jump in with recommendations made by the author of the RSO Biology 2 curriculum. Off another board: "I am so glad you have decided to do the microscope labs. A microscope opens your eyes to a new world: a microscopic one. With my microscope I have seen cells and organelles, hairs on insect wings, fangs on a spider, individual bacteria, and much, much more. You and your kids will see them too this year. It can be a hard decision, though. A decent microscope can be expensive, and there are so many options. (I should warn you, looking at things under your microscope can be rather addicting. We still use ours and we are not studying biology this year.) One of my goals for students with the microscope labs was that by the end of Biology 2, they would be very good with all the basic microscope techniques and terminology. So good that most of them could get a job in a lab that used microscopes. For that reason, there is a lot of text for the procedure portion of the first 3 microscope labs. I want teachers and students to know what they are doing and how to use the piece of equipment they are doing it with. Biology 2 was written to be used by teachers of all science backgrounds, from teachers that have a strong science background to those who do not. I tried to make this text accessible to anyone who uses it. I had to give lots of information for those educators who have never used a microscope before. If you already know a lot about microscopes, you won’t need all the information. If you don’t know anything about using a microscope, all that text is my way of holding your hand while you learn how to use it. The print copies arrived at my publishers on Monday she sent them out to vendors yesterday, which means they will probably be available next week to be shipped from vendors. I love to shop with Amazon, but their prices on the RSO science books is higher than any other vendor sells them for, so you might want to shop around if you were planning on buying from Amazon. As to microscope recommendations, here are some general notes. As to a specific recommendation all the labs were done using two different microscopes. I love my binocular microscope. I see better using it than with the monocular. Some people prefer the monocular. I have never used a digital scope, but my understanding about them is that the resolution is not as good. I am not a fan of cordless microscopes but I have never tried one. The 2 microscope I used: monocular http://microscope-depot.com/seriesO.asp O-01217, O-1315, or O-1415 binocular http://microscope-depot.com/special.asp 1. Power source for the light – I like a plug, not a battery. The problem with a battery is, just like with your flashlight, the light will come on even when the batteries start to go bad. So you can have light but it might be dim. 2. Magnification – you need at least three: these will be 40x, 100x, and 400x. My microscope also has an oil immersion lens that magnifies at 1000x. This is nice but not essential and is not used very often. If cost is an issue, do not worry about oil immersion. Another possible problem with the oil immersion is that if oil gets on the other lenses it can ruin them if you do not get it all off. You will need a special cleaning solution for the oil immersion. 3. Binocular or monocular – I use a binocular. I see better with it. But it is really a personal preference. Monocular scopes cost less. 4. I have used a microscope with a 5-hole diaphragm and one with an Abbe condenser. The Abbe condenser is smoother to use but more expensive. 5. You want both a coarse and fine focus knob. 6. I use a halogen light as the light source. I have not used the other possible choices, some of which advertise that they are brighter. Most of the time though as far as light and microscopy goes, more is not better. It is surprising how often you need to scale back the light for the best view. Other supplies 1. Do not use plastic slide covers, use glass. A veterinary supply shop is a great place to get unprepared slides and slide covers. 2. I experimented with a number of different stains. The labs that use stain in my book only use two stains: methylene blue and iodine (betadine). The other stains gave the same results as far as what they brought out in the specimen. A pet store is a good place to get methylene blue and betadine is available at your local pharmacy. 3. I like an X-acto knife for making slices. 4. A small syringe 5. For prepared slides: Home Science Depot has really nice slides. 6. A flashlight or lamp that is easy to move for top lighting. If the specimen is too thick to get enough light through, you will need a light source to shine down onto the specimen. This is called using top lighting. Blair Lee" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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