Clip this little lighted scope onto your smart phone and use the phone's zoom feature to show images (and take photos) up to 30X magnification. Our Optics Guru Paul says it has no business working this well for under ten bucks. Measures 2-5/8" x 1-1/4" and comes with (3) replaceable button-cell batteries for the light. Fits most major brands, like iPhones and Androids and Windows (oh, my!), and probably most tablets, too.

Good things come in (2) different small packages. Our pocket microscopes are compact and perfect for a clear, close look at stamps, coins, flora, insects or assorted minutiae. The 30X version measures 5-3/4" x 1-5/8" x 3/4" in black plastic with a focus knob, on/off switch, small LED for illumination, and a vinyl carrying case. Requires (2) "AA"s. The 60X version is a microscopic 3-1/4" x 1-3/16" x 3/4" and has a built-in white LED illuminator powered by (3) coin-cell batteries that are included. Magnifies from 60-100X, with coarse- and fine-focus knobs, and has a vinyl carrying case.

When you peer through your magnifying glass at this specimen, or focus your microscope on it, even at the lower magnifications which work best, you're looking at one big bug. Make that (4) big bugs. The insects are real, encased in clear acrylic blocks 1-3/4" x 1-1/4" x up to 11/16" thick, and ready for inspection. Set 1 includes a scorpion, giant ant, wasp and a flower bug. Set 2 is a cricket, locust, yellow leaf beetle, and crab. No, not a crab louse or a crab spider, but definitely a crab ugly.

Microscope glassware for examination of blood, pond water, mold, and other minutiae. All of the microscope slides are optically clear glass 26mm x 76mm (about 1" x 3"), between 1mm and 1.2mm thick. The well slides, of course, have a concave well to hold a drop of liquid. Our each is a package of (12) well slides, or a box of (72) standard slides with ground or beveled edges. Cover glasses are the smaller and very thin pieces of glass used as the top of the glass slide sandwich. They are often used temporarily by simply dropping them onto a drop of liquid to flatten and spread it and to minimize evaporation. More confident microscopists will cement them in place to permanently preserve a specimen. Our each is a package of (100) cover glasses 18 mm square, #1 thickness (0.13mm to 0.17mm). If you need one, you need both.

Up close and personal. From My First Lab™, these prepared microscope slides are Biology 101 in a box. Fungus slides (“Fun Guys”) have bread mold, penicillum, lichens, mushroom and yeast samples. The guts group has human stomach, heart and blood, plus brain and kidney cells from a small mammal. For ages nine and up.

Choose either the 25- or 100-slide selection of 3" x 1" prepared microscope slides from Celestron®, both in sturdy hinged wooden cases. The selections include a wide range of bacteria; plant, animal and human tissue; insect or reptilian specimens; and a list of each of the slides.

The sport of the future? No, cork-lined polystyrene boxes for holding microscope slides, complete with numbered slots and inventory sheets on the lids. The boxes are 8-3/4" x 6-3/4" x 1-1/3" with hinged lids. They are stackable, and you might get them in a variety of colors.

Mini scientists need appropriately sized lab equipment, and, what a coincidence, we have a Mini Duo Scope from My First Lab™ with your kid's name on it. It's two microscopes in one, and won Creative Child Magazine's 2015 Product of the Year Award. Has 40X, 100X and 400X magnification, top and bottom LED illumination, and includes more than (40) pieces and accessories, including brine shrimp eggs and yeast specimens. Ages 8 and up, and requires (2) AA batteries. Today, the Mini Duo. Tomorrow, the Large Hadron? Hey, it could happen.

From Levenhuk®, this nice student microscope has an adjustable Barlow lens and objectives at 40, 100 and 400X. Has an adjustable iris and course focus. Comes  with a blow-molded storage case, (5) blank and (5) prepared slides; pipette; brine shrimp, yeast, sea salt and glue samples; forceps; a microtome; 58-page overview booklet; and 27-page manual. Has metal housing with glass optics, and a lifetime guarantee. Dual adjustable LED illuminator is powered by (3) included “AA” batteries or a 5VDC adapter.

New, international-standard, full-sized illuminated student microscope, professional quality at a student price. Now comes with a variable intensity 5.5V LED cool illumination system with a built-in rechargeable battery and wall transformer for use or charging. It has turret-mounted achromatic objectives, fine and coarse rack-and-pinion focus and substage diaphragm light control, and a metal frame. It is built to international DIN standards and accepts all DIN eyepieces and objectives. With extras like focus stop for slide protection, adjustable tilt and (2) spring clips, it is a fine instrument for most home science work and projects in the field. If you are looking for more magnification purchase the spring loaded 100X (oil immersion) objective lenses. Brings your scopes total magnification up to 1000X magnification. Our (36) piece assorted specimen set comes on (12) slides. All are great additions.

A recipe from the Elizabethan Cable Food Network? No, just a couple of samples from our collection of (48) specimens preserved for your classroom examination, with (4) well-labeled specimens on each of (12) standard-size slides. You get animal, plant, insect, textile, and pollen and spore specimens, including camel hair, camellia leaf, plant louse, fruit fly, fern spore, bee wing, nylon, wool, lily pollen, bamboo shoot, goldfish scale, and three dozen more, including our homonymic favorite, hare hair. Grades three and up.

This 20-200X digital microscope from Celestron® has a built-in 5-megapixel digital camera that will take still photos and video of any scientist's discoveries. It's easy to use--perfect for looking at stamps, bugs, coins, rocks, circuit boards, plants and tons of other tiny things. Good for professionals but completely appropriate for curious kids, too. Has a manual trigger on the USB power cord, plus an 8-LED illuminator and a 6" adjustable stand on a 6-5/8" x 4-3/4" base. Comes with Celestron® Micro CapturePro software for Windows XP/Vista/7/8 and Mac OSX 10.6-10.7. USB 2.0.

From Levenhuk®, this Rainbow Plus student biological microscope has a 16X eyepiece; magnification of 64X, 160X and 640X; dual adjustable LED illuminators; adjustable iris; and coarse focus. Can be powered by (3) “ AA”s or the included adapter so you can do microscopic viewing in the field or at home. Includes the K50 experiment kit with specimens, forceps, slides, pipette, brine shrimp and more, along with an overview booklet and user’s manual. Metal body with glass optics. Has a lifetime warranty through the mfr.

Our newest Celestron® compound (biological) microscope is even better than the last one we offered. This one comes with a 3.5" color LCD viewing screen that rotates 180° for easy sharing in a lab, classroom or at home. It has an upgraded 5-megapixel camera that can record 625 hi-res photos or 20 minutes of 30fps video to the included 1GB SD card. The 4X, 10X and 40X objectives provide 40X, 100X and 400X optical magnifications, and the digital zoom raises it up to 1600X. On-screen, button controlled settings allow you to easily adjust exposure, image effects, a digital measuring reticle and other visual tweaks. Top and bottom independently adjustable LED illumination and a built-in 6 position filter wheel allow complete light adjustability. Also included are an AC adapter with 3 extra European adapters for those who travel, (5) prepared slides, USB and video out cables and a rigid lined 15" x 7" x 8.5" OA carrying case with a suitcase-handle and shoulder strap, for storage, field work or classroom visits. Carries a 2-year manufacturer's warranty.

Begin their microscopic education here, with this 40-640X student microscope from Levenhuk®. Featuring an adjustable eyepiece, variable white LED illuminator, and adjustable iris. Comes with a cover; (5) blank and (5) prepared slides; pipette; brine shrimp, yeast, sea salt and glue samples; forceps; a microtome; 58-page user guide; and a 23-page manual. Includes (2) “AA” batteries and a lifetime warranty through the manufacturer.

My First Microscope from GeoSafari® Jr.® is a colorful plastic 8X binocular inspection scope for pre-preschoolers. Includes a built-in white LED top illuminator, over-sized rubber eyecups and simple focus knob. Fixed stage holds flat or 3D objects, so there's no need for slides. All you add is (3) "AAA" batteries and a bunch of stuff for them to peer at, like insects and coins.

Get 5ml of microscope slide stain in a nifty plastic squeeze bottle with a dropper top and white plastic screw cap. Bottle is approx 2" tall x 3/4" dia, like a standard food-coloring dispenser. You pick red or blue stain.

Microscopy marches on. This 20-500X portable digital microscope with a video recording function has a 3” LCD, 5Mp sensor, resolution between 1.3-12Mp as well as VGA, 8-LED illumination and a rechargeable battery, which will power it for 4 hours. Includes a 5 volt adapter for charging, a ball and socket pedestal stand, A/V cable, carrying pouch and chamois. Does some nifty tricks, including extrapolated measurements from kilometers down to microns. Measures 5” x 4” x 1-1/4” overall and weighs just 4 oz. It’s from Levenhuk®, with a lifetime warranty.