Swift SW350T Compound Trinocular Microscope,40X-2500X Magnification,Two-Layer Mechanical Stage,with 5.0 mp Camera and Software Windows/Mac Compatible and 5 PCS Prepared Slides and 5 PCS Blank Slides

Bought this microscope for my home schooling 8 year old granddaughter. I spent much of my career sitting in front of a microscope so I know a good microscope from a cheap one. This one is really nice. It has no design flaws that I have been able to notice. The resolution of the optics is quite good...much better than I was expecting. We have not yet used the 100x oil objective so I cannot comment on that one, but the other three are excellent quality optics and both the 10x and 25x objectives are good. The stage moves smoothly and the light is strong enough to get good visualization. The trinocular allows for a camera but also allows her and I to view the slides together and discuss them. My granddaughter loves it and is learning the joys of seeing the hidden details of her world. We wanted to get her a microscope that would last her through her college years and I believe we have accomplished that with this particular instrument. I would highly recommend it! Only downside (which is ridiculously minor) was the thin little plastic cover is totally inadequate, way to small to accomplish its purpose. We ended up buying a KitchenAid mixer cover for less than $20 which fits it nicely and provides good protection to keep it clean and dust free.

I plan to buy a nicer more expensive scope later but to learn the basics and make all the rookie mistakes on I finally chose this scope after extensive researching. Found my first Tardigrade and was happy with what i was able to see, expectations met!

This Swift SW380T microscope is just about everything I could have wanted in a scope for my research on marine cyanobacteria. For anyone who has been stuck using a single tube standard student-model scope (like my 1927 model Leitz), this is one fabulous upgrade! No more bending down sideways to position the slide, no more eyestrain, no more hours of standing over the scope causing neck and back strain, no more switching between the eyepiece and the c-mount scope camera! No more adjusting the mirror while positioning an external illuminator. The 30-degree viewing angle is perfect, no strain on the neck and back muscles. I can even lower my desk chair a bit. The ease of adjusting the interpupilary distance and the left eyepiece to match the image sharpness of the right eyepiece...these features, while common to stereo microscopes are luxurious. With both the modular trinocular head and the mechanical stage facing me, the stage controls as well as the course and fine adjustment are on the right-hand side of the scope, only the illuminator adjustment knob is on the left, which, being right-handed, makes it easy to work with this unit. The microscope came with a pair of 10X WF (wide field) eyepieces, and a pair of 25X WF eyepieces, and in the turret, 4X, 10X, 40X, and 100X eyepieces, giving a total range of magnification between 40X and 2500X. Now, occasionally, I need either lower or higher magnifications, and fortunately, I already have a pair of 15X Swift WF eyepieces, scavenged from old, damaged microscopes. And I bought a 5X eyepiece and a 0.5X C-mount lens from Amazon...so I just need to order another 5X eyepiece. I also have a 20X eyepiece, again from Amazon, so I repeat that order, as well...which I think I'll do, tonight. Now, I don't often use a 4X objective for most specimens, because my study critters are extremely tiny, so, I put the 10X objective where the 4X was, and took the 20X Plan Achromatic objective from my Leitz scope, and put it where the 10X had been, so the objective series is now 10X, 20X, 40X, 100X. Of course, if I could get a 5 or 6 lens turret, I could... The built-in illuminator is an adjustable LED (light-emitting diode), and should be sufficient for most of my work, although at its brightest, and with the diaphragm wide open, it's a bit dim at higher magnifications. I wonder if I can get a halogen illuminator for work at higher mags??? Anyway, I've tested these eyepieces and objectives against a stage micrometer (also from Amazon), and the system produces beautifully wide fields, sharp over about 85 to 90% of the field, which to my mind, qualifies the objectives as plano lenses. Oh...the C-mount BTER camera (also from Amazon), works perfectly with this microscope on the adjustable vertical tube...so as to be par-focal, in focus at the same time as the eyepieces, the ultimate grace and purpose of having a Trinocular head. Overall, for an independent researcher, someone without university or industry support, the SW380T is a dream come true!

This is a great microscope for the price. The power cord can be a bit finicky to plug in securely, but once connected, everything works well. The lens quality is clear and sharp. My eyepieces arrived dusty, so I had to clean them before use. Overall, it’s easy to operate, just like a standard microscope, and the built-in light is nice and bright.

I just got this microscope yesterday, and it far exceeded my expectations. The controls are easy to learn, the fine focus makes a huge difference in getting perfect shots, etc. It's very sturdy, made with high quality materials, the LED is extremely bright so you can see practically every specimen you want to, and it's the perfect size for a microscope. Overall 10/10 microscope, completely worth the money.

Received and tested this microscope. it is robust as i expected. High quality components. doesn't show any bad finished at all, even if this is intended for school. Definitely something up to college/graduate students. Not recommend to spend money in cameras included because low quality, and those that are good, are too expensive. Instead, recommended to buy the cel phone adapter made by same Swift Co., and take pictures with cellular. It worked for my daughter (12 yo) science experiment/fair and was a great addition to have pictures and even movie in her presentation. It was easy to use, she was able to do most of the zooming and media capture.

I bought this as a gift for my husband. He loves it! He’s been trying to find things to look at. It’s not as big as professional/college level microscopes, but it functions the same, is great for the home scientist who’s looking for germs and microscopic movement! Picture quality is good once you find what you’re looking for on the slide. It takes practice, but we’ve enjoyed looking at different things with it.

I bought this to hunt and photograph tardigrades commonly referred to as water bears or moss piglets. It’s been great fun. I know nothing about microscopes, although I’m sure I used them in high school many years ago. It’s easy to use and a great value. The camera works great.