Top Microscopes for Every Budget: Best Picks for 2024

Looking to buy a microscope? This video will help you figure out which one is right for you.

Prefer to see this video as a blog-style webpage where you can compare images from the microscopes side by side?

| Recommended Microscope Purchase Links |

►Mobile Microscopes

►Digital Microscopes

►Compound Microscopes
(Ours comes with a super helpful setup video)
(This microscope is what is used in our Horizons Lite Kit and our Sperm Observation Kit)
(We include our in-house filter kit and reflected light illuminator giving you darkfield, polarized light, rhineberg, and reflected light modes, which is why it is more expensive. This is also the microscope included in our Horizons Kit)
Zeiss Axio Imager: I'm holding onto this for future videos as a stage prop but if you want it that bad feel free to email us and send an offer. Anything under $10k will not be considered.

►Stereo Microscopes

►Microscope Cameras
The Smartphone Eyepiece Adapter that worked the best for us:
A couple of cameras that were our favorites from everything we tested:

| Chapters |
00:00 Categories & Samples
02:19 Mobile Microscopes
07:32 Digital Microscopes
14:16 Compound Microscopes
22:11 Stereo Microscopes
25:32 Microscope Cameras
31:31 Final Awards

In case you are wondering, this video took me 110 hours to make between testing microscopes, recording footage from all of them, and editing. These videos take a lot longer to make than people realize.

[Argosh]

I don't have a microscope. I don't have plans for buying a microscope. I don't have even the remotest theoretical need for owning a microscope.

I'm learning about microscopes today.

[SCUBAdfq]

I purchased an Amscope M150C, alongside a Carson micro flip, and It's been pretty a pretty good choice for me. It was under $100 and it checks all the boxes for a part time hobby.

[SBVCP]

I would love if you guys did a more in depth review of the budget ones for students of medicine, biotech etc, with examples of what to expect of each feature

[Robodie]

WTF is this giant living slide I just saw? Holy crap, never knew those existed and now I can't live without one.

[trumanhw]

What an outSTANDING video! Cannot wait to see this years!!!
Which I really, really hope is coming up!!! You are AWESOME!

[chrisd]

What you think about a Leica BF 200. Mainly for jewelry crafting coin collecting. Thank you

[josephdavis]

Thanks, very well done and informative presentation.

[Kuba-umxj]

Got the (one of the) Mega Chonkster(s) in 2022 from the basement as a start (I DO NOT RECOMEND for starters) and giving a try for the MicroBrite today - portability and giving it to your kids is a thing!

[amandahood]

I want to be able to see & identify Demodex Mites. Would also love to see Tardigrades. Is that possible with the Carson Microbrite? I was actually looking at the Microflip til I saw where you reported that it was difficult to use & not a fave.

[jeinnerabdel]

Great video about microscopes but I was super focused on that nice watch you have! What brand/model is it?

[maureen]

Great video! I’m interested in seeing rocks and geode crystals - will the Andonstar AD246S-M work for that? Thanks.

[rahan]

Hi. thank you for your video. What do you think about the MP-400
MicroPic™ 120x-240x? Is it better than the MM300 60x 120x or is it useless to magnify that much ? Thank you

[tangerinetanglefish]

This was extremely helpful. Thank you!

[NicksStuff]

I didn't think you could get a decent stereomicroscope for $90. Can you install a barlow lens on it to increase the focal distance?

[cameriqueTV]

Thank you so much for your professional guidance. I'm very interested in the Andonstar line, but want something that can magnetically attach to car body panels for paint chip repair. What is your recommendation? Thanks again.

[DanielDan-rgzw]

I found another Carson model Microflip 100x-250x have you tested it?

How does it compare to the Microbrite 60x-120x? Thanks!

[Sengwon]

Question: I found a microscope called Sedumic XSP-112RT is it good? I wanna know it its worth buying it more than the swift SW200DL

[lylelay]

I want to add a caution. Cheap microscope cameras are frequently made from dropout image chips. Twice,  I have been burned on cheap microscope cameras that have numerous bad pixels. As with anything,  paying more tends to get you a better product.

[berrylict]

Great review. Arguably the best video on YouTube for its market! I was wondering though, why are you putting the iphone adaptor on the SW380Ts slanted ocular, and not the vertical one (?)

[gerritbuys]

Hello, wich microscope would you recommend to make high-quality pictures of amber inclusions for a budget around 200 -300 euro?