AmScopeSM-1BSW2-L6W Professional Binocular Stereo Zoom Microscope, WH10x Eyepieces, 3.5X-225X Magnification, 0.7X-4.5X Zoom Objective, 6W LED Gooseneck LED Light, Pillar Stand, 110V-240V

I'm an aquatic entomologist who wanted a microscope for home use. At the lab we use $5,000 Leica's, so I have some knowledge about using high quality scopes. This review will also be applicable to the AmScope 3.5X-225X Trinocular scope, as they are exactly the same except for the addition of the third port.First off, AmScope customer service is top-notch. There was a small glitch in the order that I received, but they fixed it immediately and courteously at no charge to me.The scope itself is rather high quality "despite" being made in China. The base is solid, metal, and wide. Very stable. It is an attractive scope. The scope has all the features you'd want in a professional scope, and the optics are very sharp. The range is not a continuous 3.5X-225X--and isn't even on our Liecas, as on those you also have to screw in a 2X barlow lens for maximum power. So, what continuous ranges does one have?With the 0.5 Barlow lens, the range => 0.5 * 10x (eyepiece magnification) * (0.7 to 4.5) = 3.5X-22.5X--you can quickly switch out the 10X eyepieces for the 25X eyepiece for a 8.75X-56.25 range.With no Barlow lens (X1), the range => 1 * 10X (eyepiece) * (.7 to 4.5) = 7X-45X, or with the 25X eyepiece for a 17.5X-112.5X range.Not enough power for you? Then add the 2X barlow for 14X-90X range with the 10X eyepiece or 35X-225Xrange with the 25X eyepiece. Our Leica's at work don't go that high. Right before 225X, office paper becomes three dimensional. The one downside with any barlow use on any microscope is that you lose workspace between the barlow lens and the base. So, I go with the 17X-125X range unless I need more magnification, then quickly screw in the 2X barlow.Now, how about them goosenecks? Well, I'm used to a halogen derived fiber optic gooseneck that provides pretty serious white light. They also burn out frequently. These LED lights are bulkier because they do not use fiber optics to transmit the light, but they are not overly bulky. They are not as quite as bright as the halogen goosenecks I'm used to using, but they are adequately bright enough for viewing macroinvertebrates on high power. They are good, but not great, and are a little bulkier than I'd prefer, but I am glad not to have to replace halogen lights.So I got the trinocular (versus a binocular, despite where this review is posted) to add a camera later on. I had read bad reviews about AmScope's USB microscope cameras, so I shied off for now, and will experiment with a handheld 10MP camera, and may break down and try out an AmScope camera as long as I can return it easily if it does not work well. For just a few extra dollars, you can get the trinocular option, so I went for it. I like flexibility. One note, if you use the third port, the left eye piece goes dark. Not a huge deal, as you'll probably be projecting the image on a computer screen.Overall, this scope is well worth the money. I am not at all disappointed with its performance; it's exactly what I was hoping I would get at a great price, and AmScope's customer service is the cherry on top. I wanted the most power dissecting scope I could get at a reasonable price, and this is it.There is more information on the AmScope website, and you can order there for the same price, but I choose to go through Amazon for a little added piece of mind vis a vis consumer protection.

Works just as described. Zooming in to 225x is surprisingly clear. Got this scope really cheap brand new. Only down side is that you have to manually focus when zooming. Other than that this is a really great scope for the price.