We really like our microscope!!
For the past three years we have been on the hunt for a microscope that would fit our current family's needs but could also grow with the children as their science became more involved in the high school years. Now I have to admit when I first started my search I was very ignorant of what I wanted.My dad has spent his life's work behind a microscope as a Paleontologist so this is where I began my search. He was very helpful in pointing out the different kinds of scopes out there on the market. Then my head began to swim with all the different facts so I started to ask around my home school community to see what others were using.
I was given a lot of different recommendations and the closest that came to what I was looking for that was within my price range was the Sonlight Microscope ($197) and Nature Plus Workshop Microscope ($200). The only problem with both of these scopes at the time was that they both used tungsten bulbs. This type of bulb poses a problem that if the scope is left on longer than 20 minutes then it really heats up. This was a problem for me because I wanted the children to have all the time they needed to sketch their observations and if we were to do any wet mount slides the heat would dry out the specimens. I see that Sonlight has since changed over to the fluorescent bulb.
At the time I could not find anything better on the market so I actually settled for the latter of the scopes because it was on sale for $195 with free shipping. Well the very week the scope arrived I was on line doing some research for free 'microscopic experiments' when I ran across this wonderful website. Now why I hadn't run across it before in all my many many many microscope researches on line before I will never know???GreatScopes is operated by veteran homeschoolers and even offers a discount to home schoolers on their scopes!!! I called the company for more information and within 24 hours they returned my call and answered all my questions. I found their customer service fabulous and their prices beat everything on the market hands down!! For the same quality microscope I could purchase this one for only $179 and even better they used a fluorescent bulb verses the tungsten bulb!! But, I have to admit what I found even more appealing was that the microscope could actually grow with our family. I didn't have to buy all the bells and whistles up front but could add them to my scope as the need arises!!
So I promptly returned my other scope and purchased my Observer.
I have to say we absolutely love it and HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend it!!!
