My First Lab Duo-Scope Microscope Reviews

• Very Nice Microscope

  
  By A37E0RDYETQ6GF on 2007-05-07
  I bought one of these for my 10 year old. I was very pleased with this purchase. This microscope is well made, durable, and contains quality optics. It is as good of a microscope as you would find in a high school lab. With the upper light you can zoom in on coins, seeds, etc. with clarity. It makes a perfect birthday gift.
  
  

• Hard to beat its total value in a beginner microscope

  
  By A1GALZCXD8FHOR on 2008-01-16
  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. This model 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 this 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.
  
  

• Great first scope

  
  By A2X40EF00KWGNG on 2007-12-25
  I did a lot of searching for a microscope for my 7-year old daughter. I almost bought a USB scope but glad I didn't. I'm pretty impressed with this one. Focus is firm and very smooth. Optics are sound and the upper and lower lights make this very versatile. LED lights are easy on the batteries and no cord is needed to operate. The high power is not usable from above but this is stated in the manual. The slides and include equipment is a nice starter package. My 7-year old is THRILLED with it and I'm pleased with the value for $50. I'm sure we will get many hours of exploration with this scope! The only thing this scope is missing is a good carrying/storage case. The inclusion of that would make this a perfect item!
  
  

• Good scope for the money

  
  By A10DYINBIKKAGK on 2008-07-28
  As a physician, I have a great deal of experience with microscopes. The optics on this scope are quite good for the price, and although some parts of the scope are of cheaper quality(such as the battery compartment), they put the money where it counts. Intuitive design, and surprising illumination at high magnification(400x). As a bonus, this scope also features above-stage illumination, which allows examination of opaque objects such as insects- making the scope easier to use for younger kids who cannot prepare traditional slides. Finally, included supplies such as dust cover(!), scalpel, probe, prepared slides, well slide, stain, cover glasses,small petri dish, lens paper and test tube allow the budding scientist to set up a home "lab". Excellent for ages 8-13
  
  

• terrific starter microscope

  
  By A3TNAFBUK6N7Q7 on 2007-12-31
  I bought this for Christmas for my 7yo daughter. When I tested it before wrapping, one of the lights was out. I called the company directly and received the BEST service. They had a return shipping label emailed to me that day, I sent it out the same day, and they shipped a new one as soon as the old one was entered in tracking. Got it in plenty of time for Christmas.
  A note on the high power lens: most scopes require oil immersion for the high power, which is not included. I might try that on my own. A carrying case would be helpful. However this is a wonderful microscope at a great price backed by super service. Lightweight, durable, and no cord limits.
  
  
  
• Best microscope for the money!
  By A2BPKCDDWSH9ZA on 2008-01-02
  This purchase was prompted when I made the mistake of buying another brand without reading reviews. I'm so happy with this microscope as it is of a much higher (much, much higher) quality than the other one I bought. Heavier, made of metal, with two different light sources, I tested it before giving my nephews another that didn't work and was very impressed (and entertained!) while using it to view the included slides and examine a knife blade and a napkin...two items that were sitting nearby while I tested it, lol. It was so cool to use the magnification features!!
  
  The ONLY thing that I don't like is that the eye-lens just "sits" inside the tube and if you aren't careful, it will fall out if the microscope is tipped at an angle while you carry it from place to place...a big problem for kids. A piece of scotch tape can prevent the glass lens from falling out, but it's one thing I hope the manufacturer will consider in the future.
  
  Great buy!!!
  
  
• Okay for the price
  By A3F53VOXTW6PHD on 2008-06-09
  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 this 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.
  
  
• Great present
  By A4BM1ULPFG2SS on 2008-01-05
  I bought this item for my 10 year old daughter who doesn't like toys. She was delighted with it and has spent many happy hours looking at different things and getting used to operating it properly. She is particularly happy with the dual lighting feature. We have not noticed any problems with the product at all. I ordered prepared slides along with it and they too have provided hours of fun (not to mention learning!) I highly recommend this product for any curious young person.
  
  
• AMAZING Product at a FANTASTIC Price
  By AB55XSQ15RARS on 2008-06-16
  After receiving a 28-piece microscope kit for Christmas that had a plastic scope that broke within 5 minutes, we were in a dilemma: Our son decided he really wanted a microscope, but we didn't want to get burned again. After much research, a science teacher at my school said she bought this for her child. She said the quality was great and that it does things some of the scopes in her high school lab didn't do. We bought it for our son's birthday and it's a huge hit! It is made of very durable materials, is easy to use, and is an extremely high quality for the price. My sons are 7 and 9 and we've had a blast with it! The fact that it's a duo allows you to view slides and objects they pick up around the house. The were amazed when we put different types of print under it to see the difference. I bought a book that Amazon recommended to go with it, and the box of extra slides they listed, and I see us having hours of educational fun. If you don't get a book of experiments and activities, you might run out of ideas quicker. With the great bargain you're getting on the scope, another $10 on a book isn't a huge deal. We haven't used any of the slide-making tools that came with it, but there's a nice bag of goodies. This is a great product that will allow the family to enjoy together and learn in the process. I seriously see this as something we'll use through high school, and will help immensly when the dreaded science projects start being assigned! Don't spend any more money than this. It's just not necessary! From personal experience, research before buying anything cheaper. You'll be compromising on quality and possibly trying to explain to your child why his Christmas present needs to go in the trash.
  
  
• Great toy for the curious mind
  By A3E6LEP8FH7VDL on 2007-12-28
  I bought this tool for my nephew and he loves it. As a science teacher, I was impressed with the quality of the microscope optics for a beginner scope. I would highly recommend for any 3rd-8th grader interested in science.
  
  
• Great for the price
  By A1G8DZI2RDB6I9 on 2008-07-30
  I just got this to use with my twin 12 year old boys. This is a quality microscope for the price. I got it after getting a 20x stereo microscope. The top lighting feature is great. Just understand you won't get the same effect as a stereo microscope and the depth of field at 40x is greatly reduced, just a limitation of optics. Light is really not too dim at 400x. The supplies that came with it are a good start. From amazon or a place like Edmund Scientific you can get more prepared slides, slides and slide preparation kits. There's enough here to get started but if you are really going to use it I would suggest some supplies. I really can't see a downside to this scope for the price range. It's an excellent value. While there is no fine focus the focus works ok even at high power. Interesting how the stage is moved to focus. The action is nice and smooth.
  
  Just a note from checking things out. The MFL-2 is also listed on Amazon. From looking closer at them the MFL-2 is almost $30 dollars more but I think the only difference is the MFL-2 has rechargable batteries with an external power source. The optics and the lighting features seem identical so if you don't need the rechargable batteries and external power cord are not needed it seems like a lot of money to pay for that with no increase in performance.
  
  
• Educational & Fun!
  By A3A9C8NW6Y6AOV on 2007-12-17
  I bought this for my 9 year old son and he loves it. Doesn't work real well at the highest power, though. The lens is pretty much on the glass which makes what they're looking at blurry. Despite that, the kids have really enjoyed it.
  
  
• excellent choice for a first microscope
  By A1JY4W1J6YAM67 on 2007-12-29
  When Ben (10 years old) opened this gift for Christmas, he was able to start enjoying it right away. It is simple to use and very durable. It is neat that there is a light on the top as well as the bottom so that opaque items can be seen up close as well. Within minutes Ben and his siblings were fascinated by checking out paper with print on it, hair, an onion peel, and more. My only suggestion might be to include more by way of prepared slides. However, it is also good for them to make their own and have their own ideas, too. Plus, the price was an absolutely fantastic value.
  
  
• Worth it
  By A1VM2OJZALMLZS on 2008-01-08
  My daughter who is 11 really likes it, we had to play with it for about 10 minutes just to see the slides, I dont know what was wrong but it wouldn't show anything but then all of a sudden you could view the slides.
  
  
• the best microscope
  By A54845NZWF4G5 on 2008-01-08
  This was given to an 8 year old as a christmas gift. She loves science and loves exploring her environment. The microscope is a nice quality. IT comes with a dust cover but no hard case. It's electronic and has a light bulb instead of a mirror which helps her a lot. It's not overly complicated but advanced enough to keep her entertained for a while. It does come with some not-so-child-friendly pieces that may need to be taken away from younger kids. She makes her own slides and loves looking at carpet fibers, gold flakes, grass, anything. She plays with this more than her video games and dolls. I recommend that you buy a microscope book for kids to go along with it. I used my old Biology book but she needs help with it. I also bought some additional slides to look at. I recommend this product for inquisititve kids and adults even.
  
  
• Great first microscope
  By A1RONJL6EEN9L9 on 2008-01-09
  Great value! I bought this for my 6 year old son. He loves it! My husband was quite impressed with the quality of the optics. The low cost is such a bonus! It is plastic, which is good from a weight perspective when my son is handling, I just wonder how durable it is. Only time will tell. I highly recommended this product!
  
  
• No Instructions
  By A3EA04NEHN7NSJ on 2008-11-17
  The microscope is great and fairly easy to use. But it came with no instruction booklet! You really need an instruction booklet for a microscope. I checked to see if the company had the booklet on line - not this model. But I did find lots of people who never got the instruction booklets with their microscopes. Now I have to see what I can do about getting the instructions. I would not order this item unless you already know how to work with slides and microscopes. Chances are, you won't get directions!
  
  
• Great choice for 12 year old son
  By A2P76Y0HFXMKEW on 2008-01-18
  My son is a bit of a science nut--and he loved this gift! He got one of the "microscope kits" (900x) when he was 9, but the focus and quality were both lacking. The kit came with all kinds of slides and accessories, but that microscope was frustrating. However, my son does not usually take good care of things and so I was hesitant to buy an expensive microscope. This Duo-Scope seems like a good compromise, as the quality is good enough that he can actually use it with success but it was inexpensive enough that I don't worry he might harm it. [It does not come with a lot of "bells and whistles" but it did come with a few prepared slides and a dust cover. I hate the fitted case his other microscope came in but I know it isn't safe in his room with just a cover, so we found a plastic tub that fits his microscope and related items.] Our son can see well through the lens and has looked at both larger items and small items. He wanted a 900x microscope but has agreed that this is much more satisfying than his old one, which has the higher power. He also received a gift of school quality prepared slides and has had a great time looking at them through this microscope. My only concern is that this doesn't look super durable--only time will tell. In the meantime, I'm a satisfied customer and my son is a happy scientist in the making!
  
  
• Great Scope!
  By A10M0VE6I266ND on 2008-04-25
  I bought my 8 year old a science kit for his birthday and the microscope that came with it was very disappointing. After a lot of searching on the web, I found this one which was in my price range and had great reviews. My son and I have had so much fun looking at slides and solid objects under the lens. It reminds me of the kind of microscopes I used in high school biology. On the highest setting, it's hard to focus, but the 2 lower settings are so great, you hardly need the highest magnification. I know he'll be using this scope for many years, yet it's simple enough for him to enjoy now as well.
  
  
• good option for younger scientists to be
  By A28GXMYJ7NTP3M on 2008-05-31
  We bought this item for our 7 year old son. He was excited to receive a "real" microscope. We're still learning about it. Lights are not as bright as we had hoped and read on other reviews. Seems durable. Focus knobs are smooth. Must be careful when adjusting lens up and down. Would recommend for first time microscope users.
  
  
• Top Notch
  By A2XISAAL1LXFFU on 2008-01-16
  Great price, Great Optics (given the application). If you have a budding scientist or just a curious mind buy this for some great learning and fun. My son loves the top and bottom light (duo-scope), it makes this instrument much more versatile than I would have thought. The battery power makes it great for dragging it out into the field. I couldn't be more happy. One niggle is the focus knob will drive the platform into the largest optic if you're not careful, easy enough to work around but sometimes an annoyance.
  
  
• gift for 9 year old daughter
  By A1G6F89BPOCWZA on 2008-04-21
  I got this microscope as a gift for my 9 year old daughter. so far, it has been great. She loves it. It came with some sample slides to get her started as well as some blank slides so she can look at her own things. She is having a lot of fun with it. It is definitely a good starter microscope for a child who is interested in science.
  
  
• Great for your little scientist
  By A2S1A8JBE2EKP9 on 2008-04-23
  This microscope is great for the budding scientist. It is relatively durable & lightweight. Our family has used it to look at everything from hairs to bugs. It comes with everything you need to get started quickly - specimens, slides, tools. Its easy to set up, in fact you can use it right out of the box. My children love this toy and I have to admit it takes me back to my own love of science.
  
  
• Hours of entertainment!
  By A2Y53R91LVZXLN on 2008-05-07
  I bought this for my daughter's eighth birthday. She asked for a microscope and after reading reviews, I chose this one. So far, we have really enjoyed it! It's easy to use, and works well. My daughter loves it! She's been looking for things to view EVERYWHERE and her friends even ask to play with it when they come to visit. Definitely worth the price! We bought an extra set of prepared slides, but you wouldn't need that, because you can have more fun finding things yourself! As far as durability, there is a degree of "carefulness" you have to teach, but completely appropriate for my 8-year-old.
  
  
• My First Lab Duo Scope Microscope
  By A1R4D3WB0CY00W on 2008-09-16
  Got the toy in time for my kid's recognition day at school. He was amazed by the toy's capability! The magnification was okay up to the 10x option but image is a little blurred when you crank it up to the 400x. Just be careful when rotating the magnification knob, it might get loose easily. Also the light below the slide blinks a bit . Sort of loose I guess but with proper adjustment, it will work fine. Get more of those pre-prepared slides for continual enjoyment with your kids. Great scientific experience for them!
  
  

• Learning Resources Prepared Slides Combination Set, 48 Specimens
• World of the Microscope (Science & Experiments Series)
• Prepared Microscope Slides - Insects
• Prepared Microscope Slides - Sea Life
• A World in a Drop of Water: Exploring with a Microscope