Learning Resources Illuminated Pocket Microscope

I guess you get what you pay for. This is probably the best you can get for this price range. Still, everything sort of looks the same under the microscope. My son has fun with it, though. He especially likes looking at sugar which I agree is the most fascinating thing we have looked at so far. Keep in mind that this is a toy and don't expect more than you pay for.

This product does what its supposed to... magnifies 30x. The light works well. The only issue i have with it is that it quite difficult to keep it steady on the subject and it really needs to be on a flat surface. If not, good luck keeping it on your focal point. And if your trying to look at something that shouldn't be handled or touched, forget it, you'll never get a steady view and you'll have a hard time keeping it focused. That's my two cents.

We use this in an industrial setting with good results.

Pros: white LED light means long battery life;
focus range is good;
the LED can be moved with a little lever on the side (so can illuminate your sample from top or side, or at an angle - handy!);
it's pretty solid so it survives drops

Cons: very few - batteries can be hard to insert b/c case is tight/not molded perfectly. But because it's LED, you'll do this rarely!

I wouldn't hesistate to buy more, if the need arises.

This toy can be addictive! You'll find yourself hunting for things to look at when you take it out of the box. Comes with a lightweight case, which is nice for storage, and definitely easy to use. At first, we found everything to be a bit blurry, but then - oops - found the focus knob! That definitely helped a lot, LOL. Don't expect the quality of a science lab microscope, but for general household objects (i.e. salt, skin, hair, tabletops, etc.) it's great. A nice change of pace from video games and television for the kids. Uses 2 AA batteries (not AAA as stated in one other review). This would make a great gift for any child over age 5 or 6, so you may want to get several to keep on hand for those birthday parties that pop up!

great product. easy to use. better than the pocket microscope you can get at radio shack and much easier to operate. only one wheel for focusing instead of two. highly recommended.