Review on 🔬 AmScope B490B Compound Binocular Microscope: High-Resolution Optics, 40X-2000X Magnification, Brightfield Illumination, Anti-Mold, and More by Radney Taala

First of all I am a State Microbiologist and have experience with the most expensive microscopes available including dark field, phase contrast and others for clinical bacteriology, histology (tissue) and parasitology. I've also had to use some of the worst around, so I have a lot of experience. Having tested many scopes in this price range with similar features, I can say that for most non-professional purposes it is definitely worth the money. In fact, pairwise comparisons (I brought it into our lab and literally did side-by-side comparisons) show that it performs almost as well as our $10,000 oscilloscopes right out of the box; however, there are caveats (see below). First, I should clarify that I was specifically looking for a 2000x dual-eye stereo oscilloscope with no trinocular or other accessories. I went with a halogen light, for many reasons I won't go into that (DO NOT buy an LED) and not the PLAN of a lens. I haven't checked out other options, although in hindsight I'd like a "training" version with a trinocular so a second person can see what I'm doing. The field of view in focus is about 60% instead of 90% with PLAN, but the image quality of what is in focus is identical. If you plan on going through a lot of large fabrics, PLAN might be a good option, but it costs almost twice as much. To view the cells I don't even notice the difference. Some positive points; 1) The lenses are inclined to reduce slide breakage for novice users; 2) The deck lock mechanism is good for the same reason, although I think it's a little tricky to use; 3) seems fairly robust for the most part - doesn't look like it will hold up to rough handling or 20 years of use (the fine focus in particular tends to have some relapse even if you tighten the focus lock, although I usually do everything refocus the time I don't notice much) but that you'll get plenty of it if you're careful and keep it closed; 4) Easy assembly - just screw on the lenses. Some cons; 1) Weak focus as mentioned above may be unique to my scope as others have not mentioned it; 2) The deck feels a bit rough when getting on and off, not entirely sure why but it works; 3) You can't see anything on the right side of the slide because the hole in the deck was designed too big, but again if you just use the middle of the slide you should be fine; 4) eyepieces fall out too easily, although this is more of a matter of habit (why tilt the scope?); 5) (and this is the biggest) I've noticed that after a while I get some dust/smudges on the top two lenses and I can't clean them - I clean them after every use and keep them closed so I can . Can't tell exactly where it's coming from - I would open the top and clean the inside but I really hate doing it without instructions from the company on how to clean it as you never know how they are made inside and Most people don't have the right equipment for cleaning it. All in all, other lab workers couldn't distinguish our large telescopes from this one, except for the reduced field of view, which is impressive. So far for me the pros far outweigh the disadvantages as they are more of a nuisance than functionally defective and the benefits bring unexpected joys for such a cheap scope. Recommendations: If you don't want to spend more than $800-$1000 then this is your range (unless you want to add options like a trinocular). The PLAN lens and phase contrast options are great I'm sure, but the vast majority of people don't really need it unless they have an extra $400 on top of that cost. The company was extremely accommodating when I called them to ask various questions about their areas and although the guy sounded young he clearly knew what he was talking about. I'll try to contact them soon about the cleanup (still a bit surprised they don't have a manual on it). Stay away from all digital cameras offered on these sites; Their software is risky at best, they cost a lot more than they should, and some generic digital cameras with a cheap scope adapter will work just fine. Bottom line, there are some minor issues, but I'm really happy with the scope and amazed at how it performs for the price. I hope that was helpful. Attached is a $100 handheld camera video (sorry for the bias), no blemishes, just 400x. I have the best photos in 2000x but am limited to posting videos.