"Honey, our kids should have a good microscope... "

[Anemone]

... Is what I'm planning to say so I can get one for hobby use.

Does anybody here use a 'scope regularly? What capabilities should it have? Do you mostly view slides, or use as a dissecting scope, or other?

[fishgate]

I bought the below for my kids. It is really good and the same as a lot of schools use. I looked at my own blood and could easily see all the blood cells moving around. Very stable. Highly recommend!

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AM5XB5O?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

[Jon Lazar]

Microscopes can be a full blown hobby all by themselves.  I received a Celestron 44104 as a gift.  I think it's a good entry-level microscope. 

 

You'll need a range of eyepieces and objective lenses to see what you want to see.  Looking at your nanno culture, watching rotifers, examining copepods, and checking scale scrapings all require different magnification.  Too cheap a microscope might have fixed lenses.

 

You'll want a good light source built in to the microscope, with position adjustments and iris adjustments.  The microscope should have some weight to it, and not feel like a toy.  The body should be able to swivel back to allow for comfortable viewing.  You'll definitely want to get a digital camera that attaches to the microscope so you can see things on your computer, and take pictures and movies.

 

If you want to look at larger objects, like things you find on live rock, you might want a low power stereo microscope instead.  Or get one of each!

 

Some kits come with prepared slides.  That's nice, but I wouldn't go out of my way to find a kit with a lot of prepared slides.  You're better off using the world around you: tank water, pond water, flower pollen, a tiny ant, a drop of blood, a hair, or whatever you can think of.

 

One day my niece and I siphoned up some water from the aquarium sand bed, and spent the afternoon exploring with the microscope.  We could see all sorts of crazy things swimming around the slide.  We watched a live amphipod close up, and could see its circulatory fluid pumping through it's clear body.  We could see the egg clusters on copepods, and watch as the copepod fanned the eggs.  She had a blast, and so did I.

 

You'll also want to have extra cover slips, regular slides, and maybe concave slides for wet mount viewing.  Some kits come with this stuff, but it might be only a few of each.  I prefer to take a fresh water sample and prepare a wet mount slide so I can watch things while they're alive.  I've made a few permanent slides too, though.

Edited February 19, 2016 by Jon Lazar

[Origami]

I have a high-quality Bausch & Lomb optical microscope and a more recent model dissecting stage, plus a handheld usb microscope. To be honest, while I purchased the last two after getting in the hobby with the intent on using them in the hobby, I can't say that I use them much at all for the hobby. 

 

Of the three, the dissecting stage would probably be more handy if I were to use it. I have a USB eyepiece for it, also.

[paul b]

I have an antique Bausch & Lomb microscope. It is about 100 years old like me. I love the thing but it only shows me old stuff.

[Origami]

I have an antique Bausch & Lomb microscope. It is about 100 years old like me. I love the thing but it only shows me old stuff.

Mine's about half as old, so I only see half of the old stuff. The top half.

[paul b]

My wife bought it for me in an antique shop. I thought it was a valuable relic, but I looked it up and it is worth almost what we paid for it.

[SandJ]

I have two microscopes and I have a couple digital microscopes (made for kids, can be used as a microscope or dissecting scope). I use the microscope frequently. It is a older Nikon (service sticker is from the 80's) that I bought at a consignment store for $10. I also have a newer AmScope microscope I bought new from eBay, but seldom use it because I like the Nikon better.The kids and I can spend hours looking at tank water. It is amazing what you can find. In one of my older post there is pictures of a Tardigrade (water bear) I found in my tank.

 

The digitals are great for looking at something alive to that you do not want to squish under a cover slip. Also good for inspecting new additions to the tank for pest or disease.

 

This is the  Nikon

 

Fish gills with Nikon

[paul b]

I was looking at new born brine shrimp and found this.

 

[Anemone]

Cute. She's older now? Or is that another one?

 

Thanks to all for the 'scope advice. Lots of good options available at reasonable prices. The Celestron 44104 looks particularly nice for the XY moveable stage. Can you get a decent picture by holding a cell phone camera up to the lens? Or is a camera kit pretty much mandatory.

 

(Should I be surprised that not one person said, be honest with your wife?)

[SandJ]

. Can you get a decent picture by holding a cell phone camera up to the lens?

The photo of the fish gills was taken holding an iphone up to the eyepiece of the microscope.

[paul b]

Yes, she is older now and right behind me talking to the fish