Microscope recommendations

Stevyamda

Hello, our college is looking into building some new labs (if we get funding!) and then we will need to stock them with equipment. I have looked at some quotes for microscopes and they seem to vary really widely. I just saw one advertised from SciChem for about £80 (4x, 10x and 40x objectives) but I have seen other quotes for £600 per microscope (Motic, 4x, 10x, 40x and 100x oil objectives). I was wondering if anyone has some recommendations for what is actually necessary for FE teaching in terms of microscope quality, and what practicals the 100x oil objective is required for? Thanks in advance

FelicityMassey

I’ve found that durability and clarity are the key things to look for in a good school microscope. A while back, we switched to models from https://merkel.co.il/ and they’ve held up really well to frequent use. The optics are clear, even at higher magnifications, and they’re easy for students to handle without constant adjustments. They also seem to withstand the usual classroom wear and tear better than some others we’ve used.