TopTenREVIEWS

By David Aamodt

If you’re in the market for a new or used microscope, OpticsPlanet.com should be on your short list of microscope stores to visit before you make a purchase. As the name implies, OpticsPlanet.com specializes in everything related to light and lenses. In addition to a huge selection of eyewear, telescopes, binoculars, camera lenses and specialized equipment, OpticsPlanet.com has an impressive array of microscopes available. Whether hoping to share the joys of science in the classroom or upgrading the equipment in a medical lab, OpticsPlanet.com will have something to offer. With microscopes available for every budget, OpticsPlanet.com also offers the accessories you’ll need to succeed everywhere from high school science courses to the clinical laboratory.

Standout Features

Large inventory of brand name compound and stereo microscopes
Over 200 microscopes available for under $100
Active community forum, customer reviews and helpful articles
Authorized dealer of Celestron, Konus, Carson, Nikon, LOMO, Meade and other microscopes
Free UPS Ground on orders over $29.95

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Inventory:

OpticsPlanet’s inventory will probably be of more interest to hobbyists and amateurs than it will be to forensic scientists and clinical research professionals. You won’t find multi-thousand dollar electron microscopes or customized, military grade equipment suitable for handling hazardous materials. Instead, OpticsPlanet.com aims to bring a wide variety of cost-effective compound and stereo microscopes more ideal for the classroom, college lab or enthusiast’s basement. That’s not to say that OpticsPlanet doesn’t offer any advanced microscopes. The site has a number of high end microscopes offering the latest in technologies used in microchemistry, mineralogy, crystallography and forensics.

At the moment, OpticsPlanet.com doesn’t sell Leica, Swift, Zeiss or Olympus microscopes, but indicate that they plan to add the prestigious brands to their site in the near future.

Site Features:

Among online microscope stores the layout of OpticsPlanet.com can be overwhelming. The sheer amount of information, bolded keywords and menus squeezed onto their homepage might lead to some eyestrain, but after you find their microscopes portal you shouldn’t have any problems. Products are searchable by price, brand and type.

OpticsPlanet’s product pages are replete with useful information such as the applicable uses of a given microscope, included accessories and general tech specs.

Support and Shipping:

OpticsPlanet.com’s microscopy-specific blog strikes a good balance between the technical and the comprehensible. Between their blog, user forums, buying guides and user reviews, microscope enthusiasts and beginners alike can learn a lot on OpticsPlanet.com.

Making a purchase at OpticsPlanet is safe and secure. Purchases over $29.95 qualify for free UPS shipping. Expedited shipping and USPS shipping is available as well. Foreign customers will be pleased to learn that OpticsPlanet can arrange to ship your order internationally.

Summary:

For both the budding scientist and the established researcher or clinician, OpticsPlanet offers a variety of quality microscopes at a decent price. We were especially impressed by the range of affordable midrange stereo and compound microscopes. While we would like to see a larger selection of brands on the site, for cost-effective microscopes for the classroom, lab or basement, OpticsPlanet can’t be beat.

Read reviews of our top three microscope stores, Microscope.com, Amazon.com and Microscope World.

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