Microscopy as a hobby: the good, the bad, the ugly... and the funny!

[@DP-qb1zw]

For people in the USA, the best deal on a quality microscope is the American Optical brand. The AO10 and AO110 have infinity optics and have very rugged stands. They are unique in that the stage is stationary and extremely stable and the objectives move. The downward movement is by gravity so it won't crush the slide. You can buy a high quality, professional microscope that retailed for 2000 to 4000$ back then for 300$ or less.

[@johnbauby6612]

I decided to buy a swift SW380T. After looking at a load of videos reviews I decided to take a leap of faith and just get it. It has been many years since I used scopes and I was amazed at how cheaply built everything is. It came in a generic brown box, not even with markings or a company logo. The scope itself had a little yellow sticker indicating at least this scope was a Swift. Clearly these scopes are made in a big factory for many different "brands" and they just slap a sticker on them as they go out the door. The scopes I used in University were solid and metal and bomb proof but this one does not feel nearly as solid. I have no complaints with the optics so far and the stage and focus are very smooth. I paid around $400 for this one but it could very well be out there under a different name for more, or less than that. I am glad I didn't drop more money on another scope because it probably would have been the same build quality for more money. A sign of the times we live in where everything is built as cheaply as possible and built to be thrown out when it no longer serves. For what I plan on using this scope for I am sure it will be fine. Mycology work and simple low volume research but in a classroom setting this would be broken quickly. There are many older used scopes out there for one or two hundred dollars and I believe they would be a better bet as they were built to last nd though they are older they will be around for many years. Yes, everything is made in China or another country where people are paid slave wages and that is because of the end consumer only caring about the bottom line rather than longevity and quality. The scope market is a tough one. There are not millions of people looking to buy a new scope every day so the market is limited. Professionals will be spending professional money in the thousands nd they will get a good well built scope but for the rest of the world who need a basic scope for basic work or an introduction to microscopy unfortunately there are only cheaply made scopes. As I stated, I am happy so far with the Swift I bought but it was really eye opening to see how it arrived in a generic package. These companies are fly by night operations. One day they are here and the next day they are under a different name or out of business. Just as I bought a cheap Chinese fridge and three years later when it was not working properly and the company had gone out of business and there were no parts available to fix it, the same will hold true for these items. They are not meant to be fixed, just thrown out when they have an issue so enjoy them while they work.

[@CalvinHikes]

Excellent, thank you.

[@lilarosa8357]

@taktforalt you may attach a microscope objective to a bellows, i did it using a nikon bellows and several adaptors, think it was RMS to M42 and M42 to Nikon Bajonett. But: you need a lot of patience and a good light source as well. alternative is using a enlarger lens (Componon-S for example) from an old Durst enlarger or similar.

[@xj11w2c7]

If you're learning more about fungus and microscopes check out some of Alan rockefeller's stuff.

[@irfanroy8440]

Like your videos. Studied microbiology in my university Pharmacy course . I am from Pakistan now based in london

[@cheeseburgero1]

photo solution has gotta change frum usb to hdmi, maby they can build the cams into the microsope in the future and just leave a hdmi port on the back. 32:15

[@abcd74845]

semi plan objective has SP written on it so SP means semi plan.

[@DP-qb1zw]

Hello from Saudi Arabia

[@keithvoller4424]

Keith -Wales UK