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

I have used various light microscopes for academic and research purposes for 45 years. Now that I'm retired, I needed an inexpensive microscope to quantify parasite eggs in goat feces at about 100x magnification. A $55 toy microscope might be good enough for this, but I didn't think it would satisfy me and I might want to study critters at higher magnification for fun. The Amscope B490B is a good compromise between cost, optical quality and mechanical stability of the microscope. In particular, the packaging was secure, the components were clean, and the assembly of the microscope was easy. No parts were missing. It had a plastic dust cap, an extra bulb, a spare fuse, and some immersion oil. All components (coarse focus, fine focus, stage movement, nosepiece rotation, etc.) ran smoothly. The body of the microscope looks good. built to fairly tight tolerances (with the possible exception of slightly loose eyepieces). The microscope illumination was centrally located and the illumination was intense (and adjustable). The lenses are quite parfocal. Image quality is good, especially for the price (compared to a $10 research light microscope system). The manual was written with some strange phrases and terms, but the content was adequate for me. The attached image was taken using a handheld iPhone with a B490B LM eyepiece.