AmScope B120C Microscope Review

AmScope B120C is considered one of the best microscopes for students, researchers, and microbiology enthusiasts at an affordable price.

Previously AmScope B120C did not come with a camera, but now you can choose your preferred camera resolution to buy with the microscope. Choose from 1 MP, 3 MP, or 5 MP cameras, or purchase one without the connected cam – all up to your preference.

It is an adequate choice of a microbiology microscope to examine cells, tissues, fungi, bacteria, and virus specimens. High magnification, Siedentopf rotatable head, precise controls, and multiple choices of camera lenses make it among the best ones.

AmScope B120C is Amazon’s Choice for “microscope 2500x magnification” and #3 in Lab Compound Binocular Microscopes.

AmScope B120C Review

1MP/ 3MP/ 5MP camera	High-quality LEDs	Sleek design
6x adjustable magnifications	Double-layer mechanical stage	Value for money

Key Features of AmScope B120C Microscope 

AmScope B120C microscope has a sturdy steel cast body, ergonomic design, and high-quality optic-glass lenses. It has six magnification levels and three options of camera resolution to choose from. The microscope is affordable and gives you crisp results through widefield eyepieces and achromatic objectives.

Ergonomic Design

B120C microscope has an ergonomic design that reduces neck strain and offers ease of use. The Siedentopf binocular head is 30 degrees vertically inclined and rotates at a 360-degree for complete coverage.

You may also adjust the interpupillary distance between the eyepieces for convenient observation of samples. The microscope allows interpupillary adjustment of 53 to 77mm with diopter readjustment to set the lens to your eye strength.

Moreover, it is made of an enamel-coated cast-steel body. The enamel coating prevents corrosion and stains and keeps your microscope in good shape for longer.

Six Magnification Levels

It is essential for a biology microscope for students and researchers to have a high magnification. A microscope with a lower magnification will not be able to observe cells, components of bacteria, or blood samples. Thus, most schools, labs, and industries prefer a high magnification microscope. It allows you to observe live cells in light microscopes, unlike electron microscopes.

The AmScope B12C has six magnification levels that you may choose by combining widefield eyepieces and DIN achromatic objective lenses. The microscope can offer you 40x, 100x, 250x, 400x, 1000x and 2500x magnification.

It comes with 4 optic-glass DIN achromatic lenses 4x, 10x, 40xS, and 100xS (oil immersion) to provide magnification per need. The achromatically corrected lenses improve color accuracy and resolution. It also has interchangeable widefield eyepieces of 10x and 25x for desired magnification.

Double-layer Mechanical Stage

While the AmScope B120C is not a very expensive microscope, the features are no less than top-quality. It has a double-layer mechanical stage with slips that clamp your slide to ensure your observations and images are clear. You can observe the whole of the specimen without having to move the slide through mechanical movements.

The microscope allows you to move the slide on the stage right, left, up, and down to scan around it properly. It is beneficial with specimens widespread on the prepared microscope slide. You may also improve the magnification and imaging of the sample by using the coarse and fine focus knobs. They help you obtain crisp images at high magnifications without blurring them.

Illumination

This high-quality microscope comes with LED illumination for clear and bright images. The LED sub-stage lighting is mounted on a fly-eye lens. It is a fine setup and outweighs many other compound microscopes because of its quality.

The 1.25 NA Abbe-Rack & Pinion condenser with an iris diaphragm is ideal for observing specimens through any compound microscope. It also supports brightfield microscopy.

Camera

The basic model of this microscope does not have a camera. Yet, the manufacturer has introduced options to buy the AmScope B120C with a camera as well. You may choose from alternatives ranging from 1 MP and 3 MP to 5 MP.

The low-resolution cameras are often chosen for studying biological specimens among young children. On the other hand, schools and hobbyists may prefer a higher resolution to make better inferences. You must remember that the price of the microscope varies depending on the camera resolution you opt for.

Affordability

This microscope is not only popular among hobbyists and young science enthusiasts; schools and colleges also prefer it over others. Besides the affordable price, the main reason for its likeability is its high-quality observation and imaging.

Accessories

The AmScope B120C comes with various accessories to help you experience observing specimens under a microscope with high precision. However, the box does not contain slides you must purchase separately. Here’s all you get with the AmScope B120C microscope:

• 4 DIN achromatic Objective lenses (4x, 10x, 40xS, 100xS oil immersion)
• Two 10x widefield eyepieces
• Two 25x widefield eyepieces
• Immersion oil bottle
• A color filter (blue)
• Dust Cover
• Instruction manual

Applications

You can use the microscope anywhere from schools, colleges, research labs, and clinics to industries per need. It is suitable for observing bacteria, viruses, fungi, cells, tissues, and blood samples readily.

Top Alternatives of AmScope B120C Microscope

Besides the AmScope B120C, a few other trinocular microscopes offer the same function with added qualities and lesser price. Some may be lighter on the pocket while others come with an extended warranty. Some have photo ports to connect to your computer or projector. Here are some AmScope B120C alternatives to help you choose the most suitable one.

OMAX M82ES-SC100-LP100

The OMAX M82ES-SC100-LP100 is the closest to the AmScope B120C microscope in function, lenses, and magnification. The only drawback is that it does not come with a camera, and you will need to use a separate camera.

It has a sturdy build with a 45-degree inclined revolving head for easy examination. The body has a stain-resistant enamel finish, making it a preferred choice for schools and young enthusiasts. 

You can observe your samples at low and high magnifications per need on the microscope. The achromatic DIN 4X, 10X, 40X(S), 100X(S, Oil) objective lenses combined with wide field 10x and 20x eyepieces give it a high magnification of up to 2000x. The adjustable interpupillary distance and ocular diopter setting on the eyepieces also improve the quality of observation.

The OMAX M82ES-SC100-LP100 is a high-quality microscope for observing viruses and bacteria. It helps create crisp images through its transmitted LED light with adjustable intensity. It also has fine and coarse adjustment knobs on either side for clear imaging.

The best part about this best OMAX microscope is that it has a 5-year OMAX warranty against manufacturing defects. The box contains 100-piece blank glass slides and coverslips besides 50 lens cleaning paper sheets. 

It is a steal at this price!

AmScope B490B

If you are looking for a beautiful and functional microscope at home, clinic, or science museum, there is nothing better than AmScope B490B.

It is a common use compound microscope used by researchers and scientists. AmScope B490B is a gorgeous white color with a delicate design yet robust body. Contrary to most modern microscopes, this microscope has a halogen light source for a warm light effect. It is suitable for both bright field microscopy and phase contrast microscopy. It has a brightfield condenser. Yet, you will need to attach a dark field condenser if you require it.

This easy-to-handle microscope makes science fun and learning-oriented at the same time. Observers can scan the specimen through the eyepiece lens on the 30-degree inclined 360-degree swiveling binocular compensation-free head. It enables you to magnify the sample to 40x, 80x, 100x, 200x, 400x, 800x, 1000x and 2000x.

The box contains the microscope with 4 DIN objectives of 4x, 10x, 40x, and 100x, two pairs of 10x and 20x wide field eyepieces, immersion oil, color filters, power cord, and spare fuse, spare halogen bulb, manual and dust cover.

You get a 5-year factory warranty for the AmScope B490B microscope.

AmScope T490B

The AmScope T490B is a Professional Trinocular Lab Compound Microscope with 3D Two-Layer Mechanical Stage.

Trinocular microscopes are the ideal choice for researchers and YouTubers for precise pictures and videos. The eye tube on the trinocular microscopes makes compound microscopy work easy. You can also observe the sample while taking pictures for added precision.

The Siedentopf head is 360-degree rotatable and 30-degree inclined for ease of usage. It produces high-quality images by the 6v/20w halogen illumination system. The halogen bulb throws an adequate amount of light per need to view the sample clear and bright.

You can upgrade the microscope’s functionality by using the attachments and accessories listed. It also has a 23mm photo port that can change to a C-mount port through a C-mount adapter. Check the instructions from the manual or download them from the product link.

Besides the instructions manual, the box also contains a c-mount adapter, 4 objective lenses, two pairs of eyepieces, color filters, a power cord, a spare fuse, a spare halogen bulb, and a dust cover.

AmScope LED Digital Binocular Compound Microscope

This microscope by AmScope is a well-known using compound microscope with an in-built camera without a screen.

It is a high-quality microscope specially designed for clinical observations and demonstrations. The unmatched manufacturing quality makes it suitable for all applications, including teaching hospitals, schools, and laboratories. It is an advanced system with better functionality, including Siedentopf head adjustments, better illumination, and a replaceable condenser.

You can adjust the eyepiece effortlessly to fix it according to your convenience. Furthermore, the diopter readjustment allows clear imaging for everyone. It comes with multiple eyepieces and objective lenses to make observation better than ever before. The 25x eyepiece extends the maximum magnification to 2500x besides 1000x, 400x, 250x, 100x and 40x magnification. The lenses are achromatically corrected for enhanced color accuracy.

The illumination source is an LED sub-stage lighting that provides energy-efficient illumination with a cool hue. The fly-eye lens distributes the light evenly at optimum brightness to improve resolution and colors. The camera captures the images adequately that you can view on a laptop, computer or projector.

Last but not least, it has a two-layer mechanical stage with stage clips and focuses knobs. The controls are also near the focus knobs for streamlined flow during working.

You can use the AmScope LED Digital Binocular Compound Microscope to observe live cells, soil, water samples, plant components, viruses, and bacteria under a microscope.

AmScope T490A-PCS

The AmScope T490A-PCS weighing only 24.55 pounds, is one of the top choices for observing cells, tissues, and germs under a microscope. It has a pretty classic design with optic glass manufacture.

This microscope can magnify the specimen up to 1600x using WF 10x and WF 16x eyepieces for precise observation. Many biologists prefer it over other microscopes because of its brightfield, halogen illumination with a controller. The double-layer mechanical stage with stage stop also helps reduce stage drift. You can easily observe and record the details of the sample with mm divisions on the stages.

The AmScope T490A-PCS comes with several accessories to make microscopy more fun and less work for you. It contains a pair of WF 10x and WF 16x eyepieces each. The four achromatic DIN lenses of 4x,10x, 40xS, and 100xS improve the colors and accuracy of images with the help of PH 10x, 40x, and 100x phase-contrast objectives and condenser.

The package also contains a bottle of immersion oil, green, blue, and yellow color filters, a spare halogen bulb, fuse, instructions, power cord, and dust cover.

AmScope T690C-5M

While there are unlimited options, AmScope T690C-5M is the last on our list of alternatives for AMScope B120C. It is a digital trinocular microscope that you cannot go wrong with! 

It provides high magnification and precise, crisp images with its 5MP camera that you can connect to a projector or computer using a USB 2.0 output.

The trinocular microscope with a binocular head and vertical port for the camera ensures that you get the best pictures. Despite having three eyepieces, it does not strain the neck due to its 30-degree inclination.

The AmScope T690C-5M has everything you would look for, in an ideal microscope. It has a Kohler condenser, two iris diaphragms, a longer working distance, and halogen illumination with controllable rheostat.

The graduated fine and coarse knobs on the side of the stage make it incredibly easy to study bacteria, viruses, tissues, and blood cells.

Besides all the amazing features, the microscope also comes with a Software CD to help you understand the working of the microscope better.

However, the AmScope T690C-5M is a bit expensive if you are looking for a microscope for young children.

AmScope B120C vs. AmScope M150C-I

While all Amscope Microscopes are excellent in their capacity, each has unique characteristics that make it more specialized. AmScope B120C is more suitable for detailed observations of microscopic organisms. On the other hand, AmScope M150C-I is better for student-level use as it has a comparatively lower magnification of 1000x.

Another factor that makes AmScope B120C better than AmScope M150C-I is the presence of a mechanical stage. You have to move slides by hand in the latter as it lacks an adjustable stage.

The Bottom Line

The AmScope B120C is among the best AmScope microscopes in schools and research labs because of its functionality and affordability. It is not too heavy on the pocket and comes with unique features. You can observe samples to as much as 2500x magnification using widefield eyepieces and DIN objective lenses. The high-quality LED illumination helps produce bright, crisp images on the screen.

The AmScope B120C offers a variety of camera options to choose from. You may purchase a microscope without a camera or select a 1MP, 3MP, or 5MP camera for clear photographs.

However, it is not the right choice to observe cell organelles like ribosomes and mitochondria due to limited magnification.

This microscope is quite affordable and definitely a good choice for students and researchers to observe live cells, tissues, soil samples, blood cells, germs, bacteria, etc.