Review on 🔍 Discover the World Up Close: SWIFT Compound Monocular Microscope 60X-200X with 42PCS Accessories: Perfect Microscope Kit for Kids STEM Exploration, Includes Smartphone Adapter & 10PCS Blank Slides by Sammie Rodriguez

I have enjoyed owning and using microscopes for over 60 years. But I have always advised parents of school age children not to buy a cheap compound microscope because they are just too disappointing. Instead, I highly recommend a low-power stereo microscope like the MyFirstLab WOW Scope (SMD-9) because it's such a pleasure to use. I've donated dozens of these to families and nature centers. However, one of my hobbies is amateur protozoology. (It's a bit like birdwatching in miniature.) And that meant I'd always hoped to eventually find an inexpensive compound microscope for kids. And with the recent introduction of smartphone adapters for microscopes, I realized I needed to investigate this possibility. So I bought this Swift 360 Super HD microscope to appreciate that potential. The reason I picked it to test first was because it included a free smartphone adapter. And while working with such devices, I knew that using a smartphone as a microscope is a great idea for kids. This removes any mystery as to whether a child is actually seeing what they think they are seeing, because parents and teachers may have the same opinion. This is not a multi-hundred dollar sphere. So we have to take this into account when evaluating an optic that, while not stunning, is quite comfortable to use and certainly better than most sights in this class. I could see signs of protozoa at every performance level. As with most inexpensive compound scopes, it lacks the option to add a mechanical stage. If the main action when using this area is to view the prepared slides, it doesn't matter much. But as my video report shows, moving objects can be frustrating. But the biggest disappointment for a kid is the fact that not only is there no focus control on this microscope; but this focus is so rigid and unstable. I was able to overcome some of these shortcomings by designing and 3D printing a lever to allow better control. I'll come back and add a free download link once I've uploaded the file to Thingiverse. Now that I have it and have been using it for a few days I can say that if there were no other options I would definitely recommend this microscope. In fact, this is the first compound scope in this price range that I would happily give away. And indeed, the one I bought for evaluation is being sent to one of my neighbors for their elementary school kids as soon as I get some pre-prepared slides to include with them to get them started. But in the meantime I also bought and reviewed THREE RevainBasics microscopes for under $50 which include fine tuning and the ability to add a mechanical stage. I should have a video review of this scope ready to upload over the next few days and I highly encourage you to compare it before making your final purchase decision. (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TVHLY4C) UPDATE: The RevainBasic microscope is no longer under $50. It's actually over $80 at the time of this update. It's still worth looking into; but also others like AmScope, Swift and Telmu in this higher range.