Bresser Erudit Basic 40-400x Binocular Microscope

The Erudit Basic is a binocular compound microscope, which means you look with both eyes. That's more comfortable over a long session, and Bresser pitches it at school and hobby use. It's for slides, such as thin plant sections, pond water and blood smears, and Bresser also suggests it for checking pets and livestock for parasites.

Magnification is 40x, 100x and 400x from achromatic DIN objectives (4x, 10x and 40x, with the 40x spring-loaded so it gives if it touches a slide) and two 10x eyepieces. 400x is the top, so it needs no immersion oil. Under the stage is an adjustable Abbe condenser with a diaphragm and a filter holder, the stage moves the slide on two axes against a scale, and focus has coarse and fine controls on one shaft. The head turns all the way round, so two people across a table can take turns.

The LED light runs on three AA batteries, which aren't included, so it works away from a socket; no mains adapter is listed. It comes in a carry case with a smartphone holder and a box of prepared slides, blank slides and cover slips. If you need 1000x for bacteria, the Erudit DLX has an oil objective, with one eyepiece rather than two.