The best microscopes for college and university use may depend on exactly what you wish to view with the microscope. Below are some guidelines for choosing the best college or university microscope.
Compound Microscopes
Compound microscopes are also known as biological or high power microscopes. These microscopes are used for viewing prepared slides and can only be used to view samples that allow light to pass through them. The best microscopes for college or university use will have total magnification of 40x, 100x, 400x, and 1000x. A microscope that advertises magnification above 1000x is providing empty magnification and should be avoided.
Look for a microscope with Plan Achromat objective lenses. These are a higher quality objective lens and you can learn more about the differences between achromat versus plan achromat lenses here.
Based on quality, value, and performance, these are the best microscopes for college and university use.
RB20 Lab Microscope
PROS:
- Infinity Corrected Plan Achromat 4x, 10x, 40x, 100x Oil Objectives
- Built-in Mechanical Stage
- LED Illumination (long lasting, bright and cool)
- Phase Contrast Option
- 5 Year Warranty
- Available in Binocular, Trinocular, 5.1mp USB Digital, and Digital HD
CONS:
- No Cordless Option
UX1 Cordless Microscope
PROS:
- Plan Achromat 4x, 10x, 40x, 100x oil Objectives
- Built-in Mechanical Stage
- Cordless, Rechargeable Microscope
- LED Illumination (long lasting, bright and cool)
- 5 Year Warranty
- Available in Trinocular and Digital WiFi
CONS:
- Fixed Tube Length Objectives - Not Infinity Corrected
Panthera C2 University Microscope
PROS:
- Infinity Corrected Plan UC Achromat 4x, 10x, 40x ,100x Oil Objectives
- Built-in Mechanical Stage
- LED Illumination (long lasting, bright and cool)
- 5 Year Warranty
- Available in Trinocular
CONS:
- No Cordless or Digital Options, although a camera can be added to the trinocular microscope.
RB20-LCD Digital Lab Microscope
PROS:
- Infinity Corrected Plan Achromat 4x, 10x, 40x, 100x Oil Objectives
- Built-in Mechanical Stage
- 12" HD LCD Monitor with HD camera for Live Image, 2mp Image Capture to SD Card.
- LED Illumination (long lasting, bright and cool)
- Basic Phase Contrast can be added.
- 5 Year Warranty
CONS:
- No Cordless Option
Stereo Microscopes
Stereo microscopes provide low magnification and are ideal for viewing greater detail of an object you would hold in your hand, such as an insect, leaf of a plant, or a coin. For college and university use stereo microscopes are used for dissection, to view worms, or for botany. Stereo microscopes are available with fixed magnification, but for college and university use a zoom stereo microscope is recommended. Both reflected and transmitted light are ideal, and LED illumination is preferred, as it is bright and cool, so it will not harm living samples.
Based on quality, value, and performance, these are the best stereo zoom microscopes for college and university use.
S850 Stereo Zoom Microscope 8x - 50x
PROS:
- Zoom magnification of 8x - 50x
- Dual LED Illumination (top light has 24 LEDs, bottom light has 36 LEDs)
- Large working area
- 5 Year Warranty
- Available in Binocular or Trinocular
CONS:
- Only a 0.4x c-mount camera adapter is available, which may limit the ability to mount certain cameras.
S6 Brightfield / Darkfield Stereo Zoom Microscope 10x - 67x
PROS:
- Zoom magnification of 10x - 67x
- LED Brightfield / Darkfield Illumination
- 5 Year Warranty
- Available in Binocular or Digital WiFi
CONS:
- Does not include reflected illumination, although this could be added.
SMZ168 Stereo Zoom Microscope 7x - 50x
PROS:
- Zoom magnification of 7x - 50x
- LED Dual Illumination Stand
- Variety of eyepieces and auxiliary lenses available to change magnification
- 5 Year Warranty
- Available in Binocular or Trinocular
CONS:
- We couldn't find any - for the price this is a great microscope.
S6-HD Digital HD Stereo Zoom Microscope 7x - 45x
PROS:
- Zoom Magnification of 7x - 45x
- LED Dual Illumination Stand
- 12" HD Monitor and HD Camera with SD Card Image Capture
- HDMI Ability Allows for LCD Projection of Images
- 5 Year Warranty
CONS:
- Camera and microscope must be plugged in, so if you require cordless, this microscope is not the best option.
If you have any questions about which college or university microscope is best for you, contact Microscope World and we will be happy to help.