Levenhuk Rainbow DM500 LCD Digital Microscope

The Rainbow DM500 is a digital microscope with a 5-inch screen that tilts, and lights above and below the stage, so it shows solid things such as coins, stones and insects and also see-through things such as prepared slides. Optical magnification is 7x to 50x, and the digital zoom takes it to 200x. That low range suits whole insects, leaves and the twelve prepared slides in the box, but it won't show individual cells the way a compound microscope at 400x does.

It runs on its built-in battery for three to four hours (Levenhuk says a full charge takes 16 to 20 hours) or from the mains adapter. Photos save at up to 12 MP and video at 1080p to a microSD card, which isn't included, and a wireless remote takes the picture so the microscope doesn't shake; the remote needs two AAA batteries, also not included. It doesn't connect to a computer.

The twelve slides are a locust wing, a honeybee wing and leg, laver, pine and carnation stems, a canary feather, cow hair, a goldfish scale, potato starch, corn stem and onion skin, and the stage has clips and blank slides for your own samples. For cells on a screen at up to 500x, the Bresser LCD 50-2000x is the step up.