OMAX LED Binocular Compound Microscope

(UPDATED REVIEW) This is an update to the review below. I must state that, after I wrote the first review I was immediately contacted by OMAX customer support. To be honest, I am not sure how they got my phone number...I assume through my Amazon account. A "tech" called and left a message. He stated that he would be happy to try a few things to get the microscope working properly. Unfortunately, I had already packed and mailed the first microscope back to the factory so it was too late. I agree with some reviewers that the microscope needs to come with a BASIC instruction manual. I am not a first time user of microscopes so it assembled with ease. However, I am sure some people would really need a basic guide. My second microscope arrived and is working PERFECTLY. Thanks! Thanks to OMAX for the amazing customer support and for reading the reviews on Amazon. It really shows they care! I have not had the same luck with their competitor Amscope. They were quite rude to me when I needed assistance. (BEGIN ORIGINAL REVIEW) When the microscope arrived I was really exited and began to assemble it immediately. One of the FIRST things I noticed, while assembling, was that the lens at the base of the viewing scope (the one that faces down when you attach the viewing head to the base with the knurled locking screw)was glued in place at a slight angle. It wasn't flush in the hole that the lens was supposed to go in and there was a large glob of glue (optic cement) on the side. I desperately wanted this NOT to be an issue and, when I first started using the scope...it didn't seem to be. Then, as I increased magnification more and more, I began to notice that focus was IMPOSSIBLE at 1000x or 2000x magnification. I tried slide after slide and to check the focus. I could NEVER get a clean or crisp focus and I became fully aware that this lens placement was the issue. So, with a heavy heart, I decided that this microscope HAD to be exchanged. I am going to order another one of these microscopes because I am SURE that the first one suffered from human error during the manufacturing process and feel the microscope, if built properly, must be a good product from all that I have read. So, here we go again...

Within an hour of setting up my microscope for the first time, I can now say that I've seen live bacteria with my own eyes. Let me tell you, those tiny little guys bounce all over the place! I bought this microscope purely for fun; I always wanted one. I had a cheap microscope as a kid, one that let me see details on coins, spider's eyes, etc. But this OMAX microscope is a whole different animal. To my eyes, it looks, feels and performs like something in a laboratory. To test it, I started with one of my own hairs. The detail was razor sharp and otherworldly. Very cool, but for the big test I needed bacteria. An obvious (if not gross) way to acquire some bacteria was to floss my teeth. Afterward, I smeared the floss on a slide, sandwiched the gunk with a top glass -- all of these accessories are included with the microscope, by the way -- and stuck it beneath the lenses. After a few minutes of focusing and fiddling, I found what I was looking for. Bouncing, dancing, fascinating, horrifying bacteria. All of my experience with microscopes comes from grade school, which was a long time ago, but I was still able to get the OMAX up and running immediately. It comes with everything I needed to get started, including a generous amount of slides and top glass. If I was forced to gripe about something, it would be that the most powerful objective, the 100/1.25 OiL, isn't the sharpest and the lamp really isn't bright enough to use it. The second-most powerful objective is best for up-close stuff. There's no top light so i'l have to use a flashlight or something to look at opaque things, but that's pretty typical. Overall, I'm absolutely shocked by the high quality of the OMAX microscope. If you want one, buy it.

For the price point, this is a high quality instrument. The objectives are achromatic and are surprisingly good, providing sharp, crisp views. If you plan to do photography Omax offers Plan objectives and an eyepiece camera. The condenser is a standard abbe design and I don't see any reason to upgrade to a Kohler. It has a standard 33mm filter holder and a diaphragm lever to adjust contrast. Omax makes a dark field condenser and also offers a phase contrast upgrade.. The lighting is LED, which I prefer because it provides white illumination and does not generate the heat that a halogen lamp does. The microscope feels solid and is well made. All the controls operate smoothly. I've read some reviews that criticize the scope for having too much plastic, but the only plastic on the instrument is on the focusing knobs, which are very solid. Some of the other microscopes at this price point do have soft, cheap feeling plastic knobs, but not the Omax. The only criticism I have, and it is a small one, is that the fine focusing should be at a higher ratio, something like an 8:1. But that is a minor quibble. All in all you have a very solid, professional grade microscope at a very attractive price point. Highly recommended. Update: I had a question and contacted the seller. They promptly replied with a very detailed, helpful email. It's nice to know the company provides outstanding customer support.

Quede sorprendido, porque es pequeñito, pero luego me alegre, es una verdadera cucada, tiene todo lo necesario para cualquier trabajo rutinario de campo claro, muy buena iluminación LED , sencillo, con condensador ajustable por cremallera, otros de mucho mayor precio , no lo tienen, sistema binocular de funcionamiento perfecto, y óptica en general, como los de primeras marcas, presentación bonita, pintura y mecánica bien. Soy de los pocos que tienen ,microscopio biológico optico de transmisión estereoscópico a grandes aumentos , existen pocos. Si cuando estudiaba hubiera tenido el OMAX me hubiera vuelto loco de contento.

C'est moins cher que les produits professionnels comme Olympus, mais c'est professionnel. Idéal pour les étudiants et la recherche. La qualité de fabrication est très professionnelle. Bien sûr, il y a des petits problèmes qui peuvent être négligés.

For 139 this microscope does almost every thing your could want and appears to be very good quality. Comes with a 2-pin plug for the light, as mentioned in other reviews, but I had an old shaver\toothbrush plug adapter which it fitted. My Schuko adapter did not fit. I also purchased some rubber eye pieces and I am trying to order a 60x 160 objective to replace the 100x oil objective, hopefully that will work. This flexibility is one of the advantages of getting a 4-objective standardised system. Comes with a plastic dust cover but no hard case, other than the polystyrene packaging. I haven't used the 20x eyepiece as it gives false magnification at the top end and is probably only of use to give 200x in between the 100x and 400x. I debated about paying more for a trinocular scope but at £100 more for very little-used functionality decided against it. The scope came fully assembled but with no usage instructions, so if you are new to these I would recommend viewing some youtube videos to understand the features, e.g. the condenser aperture, and the practical experiments you can do with it. While very much personal taste I like the look of the scope - it looks utilitarian and professional, more like a scientific tool than like a toy, and therefore seems to get a more respectful treatment from my just-started-secondary-school children. Overall I am very happy with the purchase and I hope it will last a long time.

Usato come regalo il cui ricevente è stato felicissimo e ne parla benissimo

I love it