Educational Insights MicroPro Elite Microscope Set - 98 Piece Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)We purchased this microscope for our adopted Chinese 11y son, as his first microscope ... he wants one for Xmas.
We found the built in illumination good, the optics good, the prepared slides very good, and the instructions OK. Wish they had provided more experiments, slide making instructions, etc..
We found the camera mounting accessory rather weak, but we can use strong rubber bands to assist holding the digital camera we got to use with it.
The projection accessory seems good for such an inexpensive set. We tried it in a dark bath room.
We found that one must be careful when screwing in the eyepiece lens, so one does not mess up the threads.
All in all ... we think, for the PRICE, that this will be a great first starting science learning toy/science tool for a child at age 11. Remembering back to the 1960s when we had them as kids, this is much better than what we had.
We also like that everything fits into the case and can be safely and nicely put away in a boys room, without being scattered all over the place, or in shoe boxes.

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98-piece Microscope Set 50x, 150x, 300x, 450x, and 900x magnifications With the GeoVision MicroProElite, young scientists can investigate the hidden wonders of the microscopic world.

Perfect for individual or classroom use, the glass optics and power settings from 50x to 900x provide superior precision viewing. The 98-piece kit has professionally prepared slides as well as everything you need to make your own specimen slides.

There is also a camera mount so you can photograph your findings and a projection/drawing device to display images for tracing or group viewing. The GeoVision MicroProElite is appropriate for learning at any age.

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Nature Series: Science on a Nature Walk Review

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(More customer reviews)My daughter (6) put this on her wishlist for Christmas and finally got it for her birthday. She loves it. It's educational and fun. But it is over priced. It's basically photocopied papers with a very cheap magnifying glass, cheap butterfly net, cheap binoculars, plaster mix and mesh. If the price is not a consideration, then go for it. She loves it and received it as a gift ... so we're all happy here. I would suggest you put in on your child's wishlist and have someone else overspend!

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Field experiments galore! What can be more fun than exploring science through real field experiments on a nature walk? Find animal tracks and fossilize them. Find treasures on a scavenger hunt. Make your own compass. Perform leaf chromatography. Make a bug house. This Young Scientists Club Kit includes all the necessary tools such as binoculars, butterfly net, magnifying glass with whistle, chromatography paper, data entry book, plaster, tracking guide and waist belt pouch to carry some of these items. Put on your shoes and get ready to discover and explore.

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Planet Toys Planet Earth Digital Microscope Kit Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)It's actually good, FOR THE PRICE. All the criticism or not so enthusiastic comments that follow should be viewed while keeping in mind that you don't pay a lot for this kit. If you would like to test your kid(s) scientific leanings or you just want to encourage or stimulate their curiosity, this is one inexpensive way to do it.
As happens to be the case with some of these entry-level offerings, the goal is to give you what appears to be 'a lot' for not so much money. This specific kit has, besides the microscope and its 'must have' accessories (slides) also a pair of tweezers, a CD-ROM with some moderately-useful software and, of course, the camera.
The microscope itself can magnify things up to about 1000 times. This sounds good but the kids do need to put some work into slide preparation if they are to see anything that looks remotely interesting. A good microscope should be able to do 2000 times magnifications [please see the 'comments' section for a discussion on what is reasonable to expect from a good microscope - note added on Dec. 7] but, remember, this is an entry-level unit and it's inexpensive so it's good for what you are paying.
The camera can be attached to the microscope and lets you shoot some low-res pictures of what the microscope sees. It connects to the computer through a USB port. I was not impressed by it and I see it as a gimmick because it could have been easily integrated into the microscope's body. The fact that it could be used as a web camera is more of a distraction from the microscope than a true enhancement. I wish the resolution was a bit higher. The way it is, it can be a little frustrating and makes you wish you had something better.
The book and the CD-ROM are okay, not great but okay. My expectation was to see the kids actually looking at things themselves rather than reading about what you could see if you really had some expensive tools and you really knew what you were doing. The software on the CD-ROM should help my kid with a science project, should he choose to do one on a topic that requires magnification.
In 'real-life', my kids played with it for one hour or two after we opened the box than they came back to it a couple more times and we worked together on preparing some interesting slides. It's not as easy as it appears on TV. They agree that they would consider the microscope next time they need to do a science project.
Given that I paid less than I would for the typical PS3 or Xbox game, I do not regret this purchase.
P.S. - You will need 3 AA batteries.
P.P.S. - I am now ordering a second kit for one of their friends' birthday.

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Planet Earth Toys are designed to evoke children's natural curiosity to explore and learn about our extraordinary world.Includes everything you need to magnify nature.Observe and learn about planet earths microscopic world, use the webcam to create a snapshot of your slide, and connect the webcam to the microscope and view objects on your computer.The all-in-one digital microscope, digital camera, microscope and web cam!

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Big Bad Booming Bugs Electronic Observation Station Review

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(More customer reviews)We got this for our four year old, bug-obsessed son. I was skeptical, but it actually works. So far we've been able to listen to a cricket, a cicada, and a click beetle. It's quite bizzarre to hear the insects' wings buzzing as they fly around or their feet pitter-pattering when they walk across the bottom of the dome. The click beetle so far was the coolest--each time he "clicked," the sound was incredible. Two things it's important to know before you invest money in this toy: 1. It requires some patience. We haven't had much luck with smaller bugs, and even larger ones aren't very interesting if they aren't moving a lot or are crawling on the walls instead of the special sensitive floor. Be prepared to sit patiently and wait for the insect to cooperate. 2. Younger kids may be too rough to use this toy alone. We sit with our son and don't let him carry it around with the earphones dragging along while he looks for bugs. All in all, I'm glad we picked this one out. It gives us something new to do with all the specimens our son picks up from day to day!

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A super-powerful microphone and sound surface amplifies every movement an insect makes. Now you can hear bugs crawl. Listen as the bug's crunch their food. Hear the sounds of insects combat as ants battle each other. Powerful 3x lens magnifies insects so you can see and hear them. Once you put on the headphones you enter into the world of Big Bad Booming Bugs. Operates on two "AA" batteries, not included.

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