Carson Micro Max Lighted Microscope

It is what it is and works well for the price and quality. I found it a little difficult to operate, but when you get everything right it does a good job of magnifying the objects. I bought the AAA battery with an incandescent bulb. I would have rather bought the model with the LED but that model uses nonchargeable disc batteries. I'll replace the incandescent bulb with an LED bulb at a later date because the incandescent bulb illuminates with a yellow hue. The LED will also last longer and use less power. Overall I like the product and would recommend it for whatever you might need it for.

This little pocket microscope is a useful tool for identifying e.g. deer ticks and the like. It does not do microbes very well but none of the little ones do. It is pretty rugged and is useful to me in the field. Basically tells me whether I need to take a closer look with a better microscope that I cannot carry around with me.

The light isn't really bright enough to see things well (looking at plant parts) and it drains the battery quickly; but it fits with the cheap price.

I was looking for a portable microscope, that's why I bought this one. I was highly disappointed with it.
It didn't have the resolution I wanted.
The lighted feature was a plus, but not enough to change my opinion of it.
If you are looking for a portable microscope, to look at your plants, THIS IS NOT THE ONE YOU WANT!

What would you expect from an under-ten-dollar, Made in China 'microscope' that claims to do 100x magnification and supply its own light? Believe it or not, a lot less that what you actually get if you buy Carson's Micro Max.

What you get is a little, 2.25" by 1.5" body that holds the optics and 2 AAA batteries (not included). It has an on/off switch for the light, a 'zoom' dial to set magnification to anywhere between 60x and 100x and a 'focus' dial. To observe, after you set the desired zoom level and focus properly, you simply place the 'microscope' over whatever it is that you are studying. On a flat surface, it will stand on its own but you will probably have to hold it while fine-tuning the focus.

To my surprise, you can see very well, the oblique, yellowish, incandescent lightbulb helps reveal the details of whatever it is you are looking at. Of course, this is the lowest end microscope you can think of and it's not always the easy to use. You can't prepare samples to observe and, since you are probably touching the body of the microscope while observing, you hold it very steady because every move you make will move the object of your study out of your observation area. But, let's not forget, this is an under-ten-dollar microscope that actually works.

I bought this for my kids to help stimulate their curiosity and to encourage their exploratory/investigatory instincts. If they are truly interested in more deeply investigating the micro worlds, they will get something a lot better later.

Briefly, what I like about this device was:

- price - of course
- ease of use - takes about 30 seconds to 'learn' it
- solid built - it really seems to be quite durable
- portability - you can carry it in your pocket, if you happen to be a kid out exploring
- quality of image

The not so good features would be:

- requires steady hands to operate
- it being recommended for 13 years or older - what's wrong with 10 year old using it?


I am quite happy with this purchase.