This is my first ever owned microscope. It’s a good starter microscope but the instruction manual is a difficult read. It’s mostly specs and theory rather than practical guidance. It was hard to get started using just that, so I had to seek out a few online instructional videos which proved much more helpful than the manual.

The trinocular microscope has two light sources, three fixed viewing lenses and feels sturdy and decently built. It comes with an electric viewfinder, numerous additional viewing lenses, magnifiers, blank slides, 10 preloaded slides containing biological specimens, a brush, needle, droppers, blowers, cotton swabs, utility blade, cover glass, tweezers, and utility knife. It also includes a handy carrying case and dust covers.

The microscope plugs into AC powers for the lights and connects to PC via USB for interaction with the included Strangeview software. I installed the app on a Windows PC but also saw a DMG file option on the disc for Apple OS. The software is a small install and runs lightly on resources. I have an external USB disk drive but for those without a drive, link is provided to download the installation files.

I’m still getting accustomed to the microscope and admittedly haven’t done a ton of viewing. I’ve viewed some of the pre-loaded slides and a couple basic slides of my own but I feel like I’m just scratching the surface of the capabilities. It does have a slight learning curve if you’ve never used a microscope or, like me, haven’t used one in decades. Once I got past the initial learning curve of basic operation, it’s becoming more intuitive to operate.

Since I’m not a seasoned experienced microscope user, I have no point of comparison for quality. To me, it seems fine and is highly educational. I look forward to using it more extensively and getting a better handle on operation.