Review on 🔬 AmScope SM-1TZ Professional Trinocular Stereo Zoom Microscope with Ambient Lighting and Large Pillar-Style Table Stand - 3.5X-90X Magnification, 0.7X-4.5X Zoom Objective - Includes 0.5X and 2.0X Barlow Lenses by John Stowers

I bought this primarily to identify grasses and sedges where a portable 10x magnifier sometimes just fails. In general, it is excellent for this purpose. The microscope has a magnification range of 7x to 45x and comes with a 2x screw-on Barlow lens that zooms from 14x to 90x and a separate 0.5x Barlow zoom lens that zooms from 3.5x to 22.5x. .The magnification range without the Barlow lens attached is sufficient for most applications. Even closely examining small seeds (like reeds), hairy structures, or tiny insect pests (aphids, whiteflies) rarely requires an additional lens. I find I'd rather have an extra working distance for this job, so I use a 0.5x Barlow lens attachment for most of the work. The optical quality is excellent. As a light source, I bought an AmScope LED-56S-ZK (this model does not include a light source), which is necessary for higher magnifications. I did not notice any optical deviations or defects. None of the lenses were oily, everything was ready to use. Assembly was easy; You probably won't even need an owner's manual to figure it out. The ergonomics are good. As a wearer of glasses, I'm used to the fact that many binoculars are difficult to use, but with the eyecups folded back I have a clear view and can see what I'm working on. Bilateral white/black is useful (black for hair viewing, white for everything else in my case). The build quality is better than expected for the price. Examine far enough that there is no vibration, but while the knobs hold the microscope head upright, they can still rotate fairly easily. In use this isn't a problem, but I loosen them when moving the microscope to avoid wearing out the tripod. I have used Zeiss and Olympus stereo microscopes in the past and while these are undeniably good devices, the AmScope represents excellent value for money and will certainly meet the needs of most users outside of professional labs.