Read these thorough customer reviews before you purchase the My First Lab Duo-Scope Microscope by C&A Scientific.
The most helpful favorable review
+++ Hard to beat its total value in a beginner microscope +++
Let's cut to the chase: If you're looking for an inexpensive microscope for younger children, the Duo-Scope would be very difficult to beat for features, quality, and cost.
After reviewing several sources on inexpensive microscopes, I took a chance for Christmas on this less documented model. I'm glad I did.
PROS:
* Solid construction. Despite its light weight, it feels like a coherent whole and has no rattling pieces. The objective lenses click nicely into place and the mechanics have a silky feel when operated. My First Lab Duo-Scope Microscope considerably betters the microscope I had as a child growing up in the Sixties, so some items ARE better made today than yesteryear.
* Smooth focusing wheels that don't clunk through the mechanism's gearing.
* Permanent, bright light sources from two separate LED bulbs. Far better than mirrored scopes.
* A pointer in the optic field--a nice addition to a low cost scope.
* A plethora of accessories including four prepared slides, six blank slides (including concave/well), slide covers, stains, tweezers, scalpel, lens wipes, vinyl dust cover, and more--just about anything you would need to get started on a basic level (except for three AA batteries).
* A detailed manual of a higher quality than most will expect, especially considering the microscope's country of origin.
CONS:
* Made in China.
* The upper and lower lights cannot both be turned on at the same time for maximum illumination of semi-translucent objects.
* When using the highest power objective, the optic field is still too dim.
* Users can ram the highest power objective into the slide without realizing it, breaking slide covers and possibly damaging the objective (This is a problem on most inexpensive scopes. The stage does have some give, though, so while slide covers may break, it's doubtful slides will.)
* Though the ocular appears to be on a swivel base, it's not, making it less convenient for two people to share the microscope.
* The diaphragm, which controls the amount of light reaching the stage, doesn't appear to make much difference on most of its settings.
*No secondary fine-focus knobs. (However, this won't be missed because the scope's macro-focusing mechanism is smooth enough to compensate if given a light touch.)
All things considered, the cons are minor.
Some have said My First Lab Duo-Scope Microscope is mostly plastic, but that may not be the case. The main upright portion that features the focusing rail of the scope is definitely a powder-coated metal. Considering that this part is the one that truly matters for overall integrity of the microscope, I'd have to say that this makes the scope an even better deal for the money.
All the positives of this entry-level microscope make for a very good purchase that should last for several years. It's also a great deal for parents testing the waters to see if their children would enjoy owning a microscope. Better to invest in an inexpensive, but good quality, scope than to pay hundreds more and end up with something that gathers dust on the shelf.
The box recommends this scope for children 10 and up, but with parental instruction and supervision, children a few years younger would enjoy it, too. (Steer clear of the scalpel that comes included, though!)
A worthy product that would be a fine gift to a budding scientist.
The most helpful critical review
+++ Okay for the price +++
I purchased this as a gift for my 9 year old son. He likes it, and finds it fun exploring the microscopic world. This thing seemed pretty much durable, and could hold up to some beating. I see no good reason for a microscope manufacturer to not put lights on both the top and bottom of a platform, as I find it to be a real necessity to see anything down there. So I thought, it's great that My First Lab Duo-Scope Microscope product has that feature.
The only thing I didn't like about this is that, we can't get the highest magnification to work. I don't know why. I didn't bother that much to figure out what was wrong. My son is pretty much happy with what he can view so far, but we're probably missing a lot for not seeing things on the highest magnification.
