Educational Insights GeoSafari MicroPro 95-Piece Microscope Set, Prepared Slides, Instruction and Activity Guide, Ages 8 and up

I'll start out by pointing out that this is a $35 microscope. It has its limitations, and I doubt if this model is in use at the CDC. But for the money, it's an excellent buy.We got this one for our five-year-old son, who enjoys it very much, and is able to use it. He started out with quite a bit of adult guidance, but he is now able to use it by himself.As far as I can tell, the optics are quite good. There do appear to be a couple of minor flaws, so that if the microscope is out of focus, some phantom images come into view. But as it is focused, they disappear, and you get a clear image.From some of the other reviews, it appears that the lamp sometimes fails to work. Ours works much better than expected, but I wouldn't consider the electric light to be critical. The microscope is actually easier to use with the mirror, and you generally get a better image. The trick is to place a bright light in front of the microscope, shining on the mirror. A desk lamp works well. Then, before attemting to focus the microscope, move the mirror around until the light through the eyepiece is brightest. Only then should you begin to focus. Start with the lowest magnification, carefully focus the image, and then carefully move the slide around to center the image. After you have focused it with the lowest magnification, then increase the magnification (without moving anything else), and then repeat the process of focusing. In most cases, it's best to stay with the lowest magnification. But you should always start with the lowest magnification.If the bulb burns out, it should be possible to replace it at any almost any hardware store. Simply show them the bulb, and they will find one the same shape and size. The only other piece of information you need to give is the voltage, which would be three volts. But again, if the bulb burns out or fails to work for some reason, better results can be obtained with the mirror. In any event, a burnt out lightbulb shouldn't induce the levels of trauma suggested by some other reviewers. You certainly shouldn't just stop using the microscope and simply wait for the manufacturer to send you a new bulb.Louis Pasteur probably didn't have an electric light on his microscope, and you child doesn't need one either!If you understand the limitations and take care when adjusting the focus knob, you will get excellent results from this microscope. It comes with enough prepared slides so that you can begin looking at things right away. I would recommend starting with the prepared slides. Once you've figured out how the microscope works, you will be able to move on to other items.Other reviewers have pointed out that many of the accessories are of very poor quality. The slides are actually quite good, and since they're plastic, you don't need to worry about breakage. Another reviewer correctly pointed out that the warning about sharp objects is absolutely unnecessary, since the "scalpel" is made out of plastic, and is incapable of cutting, intentionally or otherwise. We originally intended to remove the scalpel before giving the microscope to our son, but that was not necessary. The various other petri dishes, eye droppers, etc., are perfectly functional.This is not a toy microscope. It is a completely functional microscope that happens to be cheap enough that it can be given to kids as a very educational toy. It's an exceptional value for the money.

I have a 7 year old daughter who thinks that this microscope is the coolest Christmas gift she received. It's easy to use and works really well. I, myself, having worked in an environment where microscopes were used on an hourly basis am very impressed with how well this microsope actually works. I would suggest finding glass slides and coverslips if you decide to try and make any permanent slides of your own. The ones supplied in the kit are plastic which are fine for limited use. With repetative use they will get scratched and unusable (lots of use - class room or home school setting). The premade slides that come with the kit are high quality and making your own slides is as simply as it should be. I would recommend this product highly.

This microsope was a huge hit with my oldest son. He's been using it nonstop since opening it. While overall it's a good product, I do have some criticisms...+ The entire body is plastic. I almost broke off a critical part making what I would consider a minor adjustment. Be very cautious.+ The two eyepieces that came with it screw on and off (instead of slipping in), and do not do so easily. They were very easy to cross-thread and even when I had the threads correctly aligned, it was difficult and jerky to screw them in and out. I was sure I was about to break something.+ The two clips that hold slides in are stationary. They should at least be loose enough to swivel. Also there is no way to move the clips in an x-y coordinate system as I would expect from a decent microscope--instead you have to manually push the slide around with your finger, which obviously can be a very clunky process.+ The slides have a square in the middle for the specimen, but the slide covers are ROUND and too big to fit entirely into the square. What the heck? Horrible design decision there.+ Scalpel looks VERY real! It's non-dangerous plastic, though, but from more than 12 inches away it's hard to tell.Despite the above "cons" overall I really like this microscope and for the money it's a great value. It's received heavy use in the last week and hasn't broken, which is more than I can say about most mass-produced plastic toys these days. It has introduced my son to the microscopic world, and anything that can so significantly distract his attention from video games is a fantastic product in my opinion.

This little scope is really pretty good for the price and intended age of user. I like the built in light that makes it easier to use then finding a light for the mirror. However, some of the pieces that go with the scope that make it usable are problematic. There must be more interesting specimens for young children as an introduction to a microscope than two leaves that demonstrate a monotonous array of undifferentiated cells. These are the two prepared specimens that we got. To create a specimen for viewing there are usable glass slides, but the cover slips, essential for most viewing, are flimsy pieces of plastic that bend easily. I have used a microscope for many years but I could not make reasonable samples for the children to enjoy with these covers, so I had to go to a lab and get some of the proper ones .. they are so inexpensive that this company really ought to provide them, and also some more interesting prepared slides, because this would be a small investment that would make a big difference in the value of this product..