Best Microscope under $100

Are you tired of looking for a budget-friendly cheap microscope? One that has all the amazing features? Then take a deep breath and exhale all your worries because this article tells you about the best microscopes under $100.

Microscopes are one of the greatest blessings of science. It has countless uses. From schools and colleges to research centers, laboratories and industries, microscopes have incredible importance. You will be amazed to know that there is a whole new world which we cannot see with our naked eye and a microscope is the means through which we can explore this world.

There is a variety of different types of microscopes available in the market. Each has unique features. The reason for this variety is that every task requires a microscope with different specifications.

It’s a myth that microscopes are a very expensive tool. Budget-friendly microscopes are something very easy to find. There are tons of microscopes available from so many reputable brands that are cheap and have all the features you want.

So when looking for a cheap microscope, you should be very precise about what features you want and what is the purpose of buying that microscope. Microscopes under $100 are the best for learning.

It is always recommended to start with a low priced microscope so that you can first have your hands on a lower price microscope and then move on to an expensive one. So are you ready to start the hunt for a budget-friendly microscope?

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Best Microscopes in our View

To save you from hours of searching, we have listed here the top best microscopes. These are the best ones available under $100. When looking for a budget-friendly microscope, you can select anyone from this.

Quick Comparison

LCD Digital Microscope YINAMA

LCD Digital Microscope by YINAMA is a fantastic microscope to fulfill all your cravings for exploring new things. It’s one of the best gifts for students hobbyists and children. It has features that will take your learning experience to a whole new level.

To provide you with a highly magnified, colorful image of the specimen, the microscope has a built-in 4.3-inch screen. The LCD digital microscope can be connected to a PC via USB cable, so this makes it very easy to view each and everything in detail and also makes teaching and learning very easy.

The magnification levels of the YINAMA digital microscope are 50x and 1000x. This magnification lets you observe the finest details in the specimens. You can observe macro objects like coins, insects, and diamonds through this microscope. It is also suitable for electronic repairs.

Another feature that makes it way better than a compound or a stereo microscope is that it has an 8 GB TF card so you can save the images and videos you are viewing to be observed later. This feature makes it one of the best learning microscopes.

Image clarity is one of the most important features of a microscope. The LCD digital microscope also has coarse and fine adjustment functions. You can adjust the focus by placing the object close to the lens and then rotating the focus wheel.

The batteries of this learning microscope are another feature worth mentioning. They are rechargeable and have a working time of 4 hours. The base of the microscope is sturdy and prevents shaking while observing. So all in all, this is a cheap microscope with incredible features. It is best suited for classrooms and hobbyists. The price of the LCD digital microscope is under $100. You can click the link below to check the price.

Swift Compound Monocular Microscope SW200DL

The Swift Compound Monocular Microscope is best suited for middle and high school students as well as hobbyists. It has a rugged design with a metal arm and base, which makes this microscope sturdy and long-lasting.

It has a monocular head that is 360 degrees rotatable. So it allows you to have a one-on-one discussion. The features of these microscopes make them one of the best learning microscopes for students.

The most important feature of a microscope is its magnification. The compound microscope by Swift has a magnification power of 40x, 100x, 250x, 400x, and 1000x. So you can observe a variety of specimens on low and high magnification.

The Swift Compound microscope has three objective lenses of 4x, 10x, and 40x on a rotatable nosepiece. The eyepiece has a wide field with a magnification power of 10x and 25x.

One amazing feature of this Compound microscope is that you can observe both solid and transparent specimens. It has dual LED lights. So the light under the stage lets you observe transparent specimens, and the LED light on the arm enables you to view solid objects.

The Swift compound monocular microscope is very easy to use. It is sturdy, so it will last for a long time. There are very few cheap microscopes with amazing features.

AmScope M150C-PS25 Compound Monocular Microscope

AmScope MC150 microscope is built with a high-quality monocular compound with interchangeable ten wide fields and 25 x wide-area eyepieces. The microscope contains many excellent features, and one of them is that it comes with a set of 25 prepared slides of various plants, minerals, and animals. It is an excellent addition for students and the labs of schools. AmScope microscope makes and made M150C-PS25 compound monocular Microscopes durable, and all mechanical components are made of metal. The solid metal has a smooth enamel finish, which resists stains quickly.

The monocular viewing head helps to reduce strain on the eyes and neck. Likewise, coaxial coarse and fine knobs allow in speed, focusing on both rights and left hand viewers. The microscope has a Bright field illumination system that lights up to provide the specimen’s enhanced visibility and present the object with more translucence and transparency. In examining an item, the focus and full view are most important to drive the results.

AmScope microscope allows the user to better focus on LED illumination, and 0.65 NA single lenses provide it with maximum optical intensity and concentric view. A monocular microscope is user-friendly and includes a forward-facing nosepiece. It contains three 4X 10X 40X DIN achromatic full-glass objectives. These three DIN objectives provide high-resolution color-corrected images and enhance the user experience.

Buyer’s Guide

Buying a budget-friendly or cheap microscope never means that you have to compromise on quality. Here I am letting you into some buying tips and tricks so you can have the best microscope below 100 dollars.

Magnification

The first and foremost thing when choosing a microscope is what magnification you want. For viewing solid objects, go for low magnification stereo microscopes. They have a magnification power of up to 50x. If you want to view cells and other micro-organisms, then you should go for a compound microscope that has a magnification power of up to 1000x.

The magnification power of a microscope is calculated by multiplying the power of the objective lens and eyepiece. A compound microscope usually has three to four objective lenses so you can view a specimen at different magnification levels.

Lighting

This is an essential factor to consider when buying a microscope. Some microscopes have a mirror that reflects incident light onto the specimen. Others have an LED bulb, tungsten light, halogen, and fluorescent light.

Among these always prefer LED light because it gives a bright cool light and has a high lamp life. LED bulbs are inexpensive and very easy to replace as compared to others. 

Monocular head vs Binocular head

A microscope has three types of heads; monocular, binocular, and trinocular. If you are looking for a microscope for children, then you should go for a binocular head as children do not have a wide space between two eyes. Here are the best fits for kids. Adults should always have a monocular head.

Coarse and Fine Focus Knobs

Coarse and fine focus knobs are essential components of a microscope. They create a sharply focused image of the object, or in other words, they are vital for image clarity.

When buying a microscope, you should always make sure that the coarse and fine adjustment knobs are of metal. Don’t buy a microscope with plastic knobs as they are not sturdy, and you will end up with broken ones very soon.

Portability

If a learning microscope is portable, then it’s the best thing ever. This is because you can take it with you in a garden or anywhere else to conduct experiments and explore whatever you want. New microscopes are powered with batteries so you can carry them with you. Meanwhile, carrying can be a problem due to size. It is good to go for pocket microscopes if you want to take them outside.

Best Microscopes under $100- FAQ

Here are some queries which people encounter the most while buying a microscope.

What is the Difference between a Stereomicroscope and a Compound Microscope?

A stereo microscope has two optical paths that create a 3D image of the specimen. It is used to view solid objects. A compound microscope, on the other hand, has a single optical path and creates a 2D image of the specimen. Thinly sliced/transparent specimens can be viewed on a compound microscope as it has higher magnification power as compared to a stereomicroscope.

What can you see with a 1000x microscope?

Microscopes have different magnification powers so you can view your specimen at different magnification levels. A 1000x microscope shows details at 0.180 mm. A magnification of 1000x is used to view the details in a cell. 

How can you calculate the magnification of a microscope?

The magnification of a microscope is calculated by multiplying the magnification of its objective lenses and eyepiece.

Why do you have to start with the lowest magnification to see a slide?

When viewing a slide, always start with the lowest magnification that is 4x. This is because the lowest magnification has the highest field of view. So you can locate the specific area you want to magnify.

Conclusion

The above-reviewed microscopes are the best microscopes below $100. My favorite among these is the Swift Compound Monocular Microscope. It is one of the best learning microscopes available in the market below $100. It is sturdy and has a high magnification power.

So now, I know exactly what features I want in my budget-friendly microscope, and you also must be having a choice by far. Just one thing I would like to say in the end is that buying an affordable microscope does not mean that you have to compromise on quality. The microscopes mentioned above are all cheap but have amazing features and are from trusted brands.