Start here
Plain-English help
Guides
Plain guides to choosing, using and getting more from a microscope, written by the person who runs the shop. Start with Which microscope do I need? if you’re new to this.
How toHow to use a microscope: setting up and focusing your first slide
The ten minutes with a new microscope that avoid the "it's all blurry" problem: setting up, focusing from low power, using the lights, stereo and digital differences, and looking after it.
How toMicroscope magnification explained: why 2000x on the box means nothing
How the magnification figure is calculated, where useful magnification stops and empty magnification starts, what you can see at each power, and the GCSE formula with a worked example.
Buying guidesThe best digital microscope with a screen (and why it beats a USB stick)
Screen model or USB microscope, how to read the magnification and sensor figures, and which Levenhuk DTX suits coins, electronics, nature or a classroom.
Buying guidesThe best microscope for kids and home education
Which type suits which age, why glass lenses beat a 1200x sticker, what to look at in the first week, and our picks under £50, under £100 and for secondary school.
Buying guidesThe best microscopes for hobbyists in the UK
Our picks for a first microscope, a compound microscope for school and hobby biology, a stereo for insects and coins, and a digital model with a screen, with the trade-offs on each.
