Poothoh Trinocular Compound Microscope, 40X-5000X Magnification, Mechanical Loading Stage,Abbe Condenser, Research Grade trinocular Compound Microscope for Adults lab

Got this to use with my grandson while he is here to introduce him into the world of the small and something that will last him a long time and grow with him. Very well built and has tons of features that we are still learning how to use. The phone attachment works well and makes it much easier for me since I wear glasses. It came very well packed and it fairly easy to use. This will keep us busy for a long time trying to figure out everything. Very satisfied.

To begin with no matter what you would do the image was double vision,, the head that has the eye pieces on it and swivels was wobbly and after a lot of frustration it took a bit of time to realize that it was not attached properly only one screw was holding it in place the others were nowhere to be found. After tightening up the one screw, we discovered one other screw but still there were only two screws after the head was tightened up the double vision issue was resolved the image is very clear and the microscope appears to be working. Focus is good, objective lenses work welI, lighting condenser is adjustable and good. I don't know if this was a return as it seems everything else is accounted for. This either occurred in shipping or it was most likely a return that was abused. While it is a nice trinocular compound microscope one thing we do not like is the trinocular setting needs to be changed with the sliding mechanism in the photo,making it so that you cannot view at the same time as using the trinocular for recording. We will more than likely not waste any time or frustration with the phone attachment as we have learned they can be very frustrating we will most likely use the five megapixel USB camera that we have. The inability to not be able to use the trinocular at the same time as being able to view the objective is a deal breaker for us. It makes you wonder why that would be something that would be implemented? We have had similar microscopes and they did not have that implemented and you would be able to utilize both features. Overlooking the fact that the microscope came in what you would consider incomplete or damaged condition, based on the issue with the trinocular we cannot recommend this microscope at this time.

I have used microscopes quite a bit both in university and at work. This is a pretty good microscope, especially for the price. Everything functions as well as a much more expensive research quality microscope, but it isn't built as well in a way you can just feel. However, given the fact that microscopes are delicate and treated with care regardless this seems more than capable of standing up to a lifetime of heavy home use and probably even decades of research use. It is a well built, though obviously economically built microscope.My biggest complaint is the proprietary power source plug. In a world where everything is usb, having a port type adapter with plug was just a poor choice. Not a huge deal, but certainly an odd choice that doesn't make sense for a microscope much more likely to land on the desk of a hobbyist than professional.The monocular is close to being in the same focal field, but not exactly. This will work very well for an added (separately purchased, reasonably priced) camera insert. The smartphone attachment kinda works, but really isn't practical and doesn't provide great images or images easily for that matter.There weren't instructions, and if you aren't familiar with this type of microscope that could pose some issues - but instructions are easy to find online and shouldn't discourage you from purchasing this for yourself or your science inclined teenager.For the price, this is a great high magnification optical microscope with the easy ability to expand into high quality photos and videos if you are so inclined.

I'll start by saying that I like this scope. It's not some high-end $2-10K planoachromatic trinocular, but it doesn't pretend to be. For roughly $250, it's not a bad deal, in my book. Whether it is preferable to a used older higher-end scope (which also can be had at this price point), I can't say. I think it depends what you're looking for. This is a nice kit for a kid or starter. The scope itself feels well-built. There are some plastic parts, but they don't strike me as shoddy. There also are some nice touches: binoc readings to simplify adjustment, threaded screws to allow swiveling of the head (which, when tightened, secure the head quite nicely). The knobs feel firm, and I had no trouble bringing slides into focus. The objectives are parfocal (meaning that you can change between them without losing focus). I also like that they include an oil immersion objective. [However, if you're unfamiliar with such things do NOT use this objective without the (special) oil and a delicate touch on the (fine) focus knob. Otherwise it can get damaged. Some immersion objectives have retractable lenses, but I doubt this one does --- and I wasn't going to find out the hard way]. A few sample slides were included, but they weren't very thinly sliced. There also is a basic slide-making kit, which notably does not include any fixative. Nor do they include oil for the immersion (100x) objective. I'm not sure if there are import restrictions on such things, but that would have been nice to include. The camera tube is plastic, but not flimsy. However, you cannot store the scope in the foam case with it attached. This means wear and tear on the delicate threading, since it has to be attached/detached each time. Unlike a similar scope I tested a while back, these guys include paired binocular eyepieces (2 x 10x and 2 x 25x). It would have been nice if they included rubber caps too --- so they could be stored on the scope --- but they did not. Another quibble is that the power cord, though USB on one end, has a circular port on the other. This means you have to use their cable rather than one of the uquitous usb-usb ones. My guess is they originally had a wall-wart and swapped it out for one of these. Putting aside my minor complaints about incomplete accessories, etc, they pass quite well when it comes to the important things: the optics are decent and the mechanics work well. My only structural concern is that the base feels quite light, making the whole thing is top heavy. Some ballast would have been nice. I found the included instructions helpful and filled with technical specs. In summary, I recommend this scope --- with the caveat that you'll probably want to get some immersion oil and slide fixative and a few higher-quality sample slides separately. You'll probably also want a decent microtome if you're making your own slides.

I like this microscope, especially for kids just starting out. It's great for beginners, though when it arrived, it was a bit dusty and needed a quick wipe down—no big deal. The only downside is that the view is smaller than I expected, but overall, it’s a good product and I’m happy with it.