Buki FranceMR500 - Binocular Microscope 3D

Excellent starter microscope. Brought for my daughters 7th birthday and she loves it. Don’t expect to see things on a cellular level, but it’s a great way of introducing children to the “microscopic world” around us.

This isn't a traditional microscope as in place of the normal single lens, you have binoculars to look down through - which we have found from visiting friends and relatives is great for younger children who don't like having to try and close one eye. We have Buki's more traditional microscope set, which my secondary-aged daughter loves. This is a very different thing - there is only relatively low magnification - 20x, which is great for looking more closely at bugs and fibres, but it's not going to take you down to cellular level, like the BUKI MR600 - Microscope, which goes to x1000 magnification (and costs less at the time of writing). Both products are aimed at 8+, but this one is definitely easier to use - but there is more scope for more difficult experiments with the more traditional microscope.If you want a traditional microscope - go for the BUKI MR600 - Microscope, if you want something easier to use for a little one interested in mini beasts (insects) or geology - this is a perfect set, not least because it comes with some samples of acrylic set insects and rock samples for analysis!

Christmas present for 9 year old girl. Easy to set up very happy with it. I also bought extra slides to go with it.

I bought this for my granddaughter's eighth birthday. It is sturdy and easy to use.

Grandchild loves it

This is a very decent beginner’s microscope. In spite of the tacky box and rather limited instruction/”experiments” booklet, it’s decently made, gives a good image and seems robust enough to stand up to the sort of treatment it will get in the hands of a young person.The microscope itself is made of metal and feels solid. The ratchet and illumination work well (you need to supply your own 2xAA batteries) and the accessories are pretty good. The suggested age range is 8-18; provided an adult takes charge of things like the scalpel and supervises closely, I think younger children could also enjoy this, but I think the upper range is optimistic – it’s not good enough for A-Level biology, for example. The booklet of “experiments” is a rather uninspiring list of suggestions of things to look at, but young ones will soon find their own ideas.The microscope is packaged to look like a disposable toy, but that’s misleading. Overall, this is a properly made item which is fun to use and which gives genuinely good images. I think it’s decent value and should give a curious child a lot of interest and pleasure. Recommended.

I got this for my young son, who’s current ‘hero’ is Barry Allen (alter ego of The Flash, the TV series) who works for a police forensics lab, and this microscope fits in perfectly with this profile, and if this is what it was always meant to be then this would score 5 stars.However, I was hoping this microscope would help fire his enquiring mind but it doesn’t, it only serves as a prop is his self-directed adventure stories.Therefore, it’s a great looking mini-microscope, and comes with a couple of specimens for studying, but for anyone used to looking through these at a magnified world the appeal quickly diminishes, and I can’t help feel this is more strongly designed as a toy rather than something practical (although I keep hoping I’m wrong).There are other factors I’m not keen on; e.g. the eye pieces are too loose, turn the scope upside down and they’ll slide out.For the money, I think there maybe better scopes out there, that either come with more lighting or magnification options, or are supplied with a greater range of viewable objects.

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