microscopes

Microscopes

Discover amazing hidden worlds

Vastly unexplored and with new things to discover the hidden world of microscopic animals, plants and other creatures are waiting for you. Since 1839 the UK has been leading the way in microscopes and studies. 

We have selected a range of microscopes to cover a range of budgets. From students undertaking ecology through to children wanting to explore the mysteries of life, there is a microscope to suit your needs.

It’s probably the last real bastion of ecological exploration. A single drop of pond water can reveal an entire ecosystem at work. 

The Gaia hypothesis of the operation of planet Earth has the microbial world at the very heart of this beautiful, living planet.

Browse our collection of microscopes for sale:

 

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What are good magnifications for a home microscope?

For a good range of uses you only need 3 magnification lens for a home microscope. We need to remember that most home microscopes will come with a 10x eye piece. This means any magnification lens we put in will be multiplied by 10.

A good start of lens if your microscope can hold three is 4x, 10x and 40x.

The 4x will give 40 time magnification is is ideal for larger items to study. The 10x will give you 100 times magnification and that will let you see quite good detail of larger cells structures. The 40x will give 400 times magnification and that will allow you to see some of the larger bacteria.  This is assuming you have a standard 10x eye piece.

For children's microscopes I would go with 4x, 10x and 25x as sufficient.

 

5 essential accessories for a beginners microscope

When you buy your first microscope it's en exciting thing with new things to discover. Here are my 5 top essential accessories to go with your microscope;

  • Smartphone adaptor - share your amazing discoveries with the world using your smartphone. There are adaptors available to help you take those pictures.
  • Prepared slides - while  you get to know your microscope and how to identify things get a case of prepared slides. There's a wide range available and most are ideal for beginners.
  • Wet mount slides - most microscopes kits contain blank slides. These tend to be flat slides for specimens. It's worth buying wet mount slides which have a small dip in to hold things like pond water. This lets you explore living organisms in a drop of water.
  • Specimen bottles - you never know where you're going to find something interesting. Always carry a couple of water-tight specimen bottles with you.
  • Blue filter - getting technical here but a blue filter can help boost resolution under a microscope which can be important as many microscopic specimens can be transparent or semi-transparent. Blue filters remove long-wave light radiation and only allow short-wave through. This gives better contrast and definition.

These are my 5 top extras for novice owners of microscopes. Hope you find my suggestions useful.

Essential educational toy to learn about biology and the living world

Microscopes make great gifts for children interested in science and the natural world. The microscopes offer a close up view of cells and how life functions. 

There's lots to discover in a pond dipping trip if you take water home to look under the microscope. Bugs from soil and leaf litter take on a whole new meaning when magnified many times over.

These wonderful scientific 'toys' can enhance a child's understanding of biology and STEM subjects at school.

Some top tips for choosing a beginner's microscope

This video offers some excellent advice on how to choose a microscope for beginners. There's a wide range of microscopes on offer that are suitable for all ages and all levels and abilities.