OMAX 3MP Digital Integrated Microscope with LED Illumination - 40X-2000X Magnification - Binocular Compound Microscope with Coaxial Coarse & Fine Focus

The following are my opinions based on my purchase and use of this microscope and 35 years of experience teaching science.A. Easy to put together, and works well.B. Looks like a professional model with heavy metal construction.C. Stage has smooth action (x, y, and z dimensions) and spring loading clips for holding slides.D. Two pairs (10x and 20x) of ocular lensE. Calibrated transition of objective lens: 4x, 10x, 40x, and 100x. (I did have to tighten a couple of lens on my scope before theyworked appropriately).Notes!Magnification Tip: Total magnification (in two dimensions or area) can be calculated by multiply objective by ocular lens, (e.g. total magnification would be (100x)(20x) or 2000x. The magnification in one dimension (length or width) would be the square root of the total magnification or about 45x for 2000x. Students /hobbyists typically use more magnification than is appropriate so only use the oil immersion lens when absolutely necessary.ViewingTips and Adjusting MicroscopeA. Typically raise brightness as magnification increases (but using too much light, is a very common error).B. Incorrect adjustment such as lighting, focus (including vertical stage distance), iris control, and magnification can be very detrimental for appropriate viewing.1. Students often (except animal histology and microbiology application) use a higher magnification than is appropriate. Avoidusing the oil immersion lens unless it is absolutely necessary. If it is used, make sure oil is applied and never use thecourse focus or vertical stage adjustments. Because there are no safety brakes (typical with most compound microscopes)using this magnification incorrectly might easily damage the objective lens and slides are very possible.2. Usually, the objective lens are installed so once the focus is obtained, moving to the next higher lens should only require thefine adjustment (typically about one complete turn in one direction or about two turns back in the opposite direction).3. If your microscope does not comply with the previous tip, make sure your lens is screwed in tightly, If this does not work,the "O" ring (gasket) might be missing,damaged, or the wrong size. (I have made temporary gaskets from several differentcardboard thicknesses to check the size needed. They will work fine unless you get them soaked with oil or water etc.).C. Instruments (especially microscopes) are often blamed when the fault is due to inappropriate use. Manuals are sometimes poorly written when produced in some countries, but most compound microscopes work the same way and other manuals might be more applicable for you. As always, the more you use it, the greater your skills will become. (Some negative reviews are inappropriately given because the user has poor skills or familiarity with the product).Seriously, this microscope is an excellent value that you will not regret purchasing (assuming you learn how to use it). Some negative comments appear to be from individuals who don't know how to use/adjust the microscope (software may be more problematic depending on what computer system you have...windows 8.0 worked great but I had problems with an older laptop. I was a college science instructor (including department head responsible for purchasing microscopes) for over 30 years and have never seen microscopes this nice for less than $1000 and these did not have the computer hook-up. If you need a microscope, this is a wonderful deal.

Very well made microscope and at a great price. Almost everything on the scope seems sturdy and assembled well. The mechanical stage is smooth and precise without any excessive play. The lenses are all free of defects and artifacts. The ocular inserts seemed just a little too snug requiring a bit of finesse and jiggling to get them to insert into the head assembly. The LED bulb appears to be as bright and white as the older halogen style without the incredible heat. All the control surfaces seem sturdy and accurate with the exception of the condenser set screw, head assembly set screw, and coarse focus lock mechanism. The two set screws feel like they require a steady and gentle hand to prevent damage and/or promote longevity. The coarse focus lock lever seems less well designed or included as an afterthought as it is clumsy in operation and doesn't engage in a manner which inspires confidence. None of these are deal breakers, just identified weaknesses. The image is not quite as great as what I'm accustomed to from much more pricey microscopes, but at 1/3 of their price this is an easy tradeoff to make. This unit was purchased to instruct biology, histology, and microscopy for homeschool. It will work wonderfully for that purpose using the included USB camera and software. I typically instruct 5 kids at once and this feature alone will reduce the amount of time during demonstration as they can all view the live image at the same time from a 32" monitor to include all adjustments made and methods used to accomplish the tasks being demonstrated. Overall, I am very pleased with the value of this purchase and quality of the microscope.Note: The software does not scale it's measurements according to the objective lens you have active, so you must set up and calibrate a scale for each objective. It is a straightforward process using a calibration slide on the X and Y axis under each objective lens and saving a calibration "ruler" file labeled by magnification for easy identification later. It is a little tedious as it requires you to load the proper ruler file for measurements on each different still image capture, but an easy enough dialog to navigate.