this post was submitted on 24 Oct 2023
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Asklemmy
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What do you mean by "useful for other stuff"? It's still double the investment, what do you gain for this much, realistically, from a purely hobbyist, I'll check things with my 6yo, PoV? Are we talking genuine trash to good, or more like acceptable to great?
We’re talking gimmick/toy vs basic research tool. You won’t be limited by what’s more or less a low end webcam with a cheap plastic macro zoom lens in front because you’ll have higher quality optics you can use with your eyes. You don’t run the risk of it not working anymore with newer hardware/software. If there’s ever a science project from school or the child is interested in science later on, a proper microscope will still work in 10 or more years, and you’ll be able to upgrade stuff.
You might need to buy used though although the stuff from Amscope and similar companies can be quite cheap while it’s new. Depends on what features you want.
For looking at teeth you’ll want a stereomicroscope which is cool because you can just throw stuff on the stage and look at it like it is and you get a 3D image. It doesn’t have the high magnification of compound microscopes though. Of course if you invest more you can also get good digital microscopes but for $50 it’s not gonna be great.
Can you recommend a model?
I've always wanted one of my own and want to show my kid.
The Amscope SE120 is the cheapest one I could find for $60 with 20x zoom but it’s a a kids version. The 306 is more advanced but costs $160 already. For one with continuous zoom you’ll need to spend more, swift has some cheap ones. I bought one from Motic which is was quite expensive but I’m very happy, they also offer cheaper models. It’s always worth checking the market for used premium brands like Zeiss, Nikon, Leica or Olympus because those are usually better than China imports (Amscope, Bresser etc) but it depends on your luck of course. I’d see if I can find a used one by reputable brands, buying a new expensive one was good but I could have saved a lot.
I just noticed that I’m quite high, might change stuff tomorrow
Lol
Eh, seems more or less alright.