Best lab stereo microscopes according to redditors

Cheap: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005C75IVM

Better: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06X9C2VJW

With "Better" one, you also need this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016NBASBK

Even better: used "nikon smz-u" from ebay (~$1500)

Also, if you havent already, check Louis Rossmann's YouTube channel, he talks a lot about equipment for soldering and micro soldering: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCl2mFZoRqjw_ELax4Yisf6w

>BGA needs pretty serious equipment, either xray inspection or edge mirror microscope (ideally both), plus a re-balling setup in addition to a half-decent reflow oven.

This is like comparing a home etched PCB to a professional one. It might not be as reliable and easy but it's doable with just hot air and solder paste + stencil.

OP, look for Louis Rossmann's videos on youtube. He has several videos where he works on BGA's with rather minimal equipment. And don't skimp on tools, I always end up replacing the cheap tools with better ones later on once I realize how much of a headdache the cheap tools are. Louis swears by the Quick hot air station and Amscope microscope, both are relatively cheap but good quality for the money.

From cheapest with the least amount of features to the most expensive with the most features.

SE400 Inspection Scope
-

Cheapest Option, no zoom, but large working distance at .5x Very limited and similar to getting a 250cc bike when you need atleast 1000cc. Great to learn how to scope with, but a waste of money after a month when you could have put the money to a better unit.

---

SW-3T24Z Trinocular Stereo Microscope
-

Trinoc without simufocal so you lose depth of field when the cameras on, ( you can only see out of 2 of the 3 ports at once ) and you cannot pull the scope out, so its got limited rage.

---

SM4B Stereo Boom Scope
-

Basic Binoc scope with decent features, zoom and reach. Decent working area around 5.5 to 6 in

---

SM4TP Simufocal Stereo Boom Scope
-

Best of the best for the price, has capabilty to have cmount camera attached for 3rd viewer on a tv for training or for youtube livestreaming, ect

---

Good luck! and dont forget to buy a ring light!

Without arguing about "free" ...

All those tools are pretty cheap, if you're into electronics or making you may already have them, you might be able to avoid a stereo boom microscope you may be able to get away with a magnifying visor like this (even then Amscope x5/x10 boom scope models aren't expensive in the US - e.g. $185).

Amscope is a reputable dealer but you can get the same microscope even from Amazon (btw, I have no popup but then I am browsing with a fairly aggressive adblocker).

https://www.amazon.com/AmScope-SE420Z-Professional-Microscope-Magnification/dp/B0080L0FYC

If you are in Europe, the GTVision (https://www.gtvision.co.uk/) sells these (among others) and they offer first class service - I have got mine from them.

Adafruit seem to have USB microscopes, which are handy for inspection, but in my experience too laggy for soldering or live work. A stereo optical scope should only be a couple of hundred dollars, and allows you to work at the relevant magnification in addition to inspection.

Edit: Or perhaps a little more with boom stand: https://www.amazon.com/AmScope-SM-4B-Professional-Microscope-Magnification/dp/B006QXBP6I

I have the binocular Amscope, and a middle-of-the-road digital microscope that comes recommended.

I much prefer the Amscope by a large margin. The digital scope is great for putting an image up on a monitor, or recording, or taking photos, bit it has latency, motion blur, and rolling shutter distortions.

For my daily driver of assembling electronics, the Amscope is the winner.

/u/awwende was close, I got myself this one. I am very happy with it except for the light. The light is utter garbage and just acts as a heater since it is very dim yet gets astonishly hot. Like really hot, I am talking bump into it and go "Ow goddammit" and be left with a slight burn hot.

I don't have one, but this looks like it's in your range. It looks to be well rated.

Nice, I don't have that kind of budget, I use this, originally bought for my rock collection. http://www.amazon.com/AmScope-SE306-PZ-Dissecting-Microscope-20x-40x-80x/dp/B0058WX16U

Hello dear Jessa,
congrats at your team and yourpersonality,
i post a question about hot air station, you and Luis used this 2 machine, weller and jvc but it's very expensive. do you know other ways? i have heard a lot of people use the station AOYUE Int 2703A+, what do you think about this?
another little question:
i need to change my microscope and in your tech store you use a sm-4tp,
i have see on amscope website the sm-4tz (3.5X-90X) it's better than 45X? https://www.amazon.com/AmScope-SM-4TZ-144A-Professional-Trinocular-Magnification/dp/B004UBNIMC/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1472747068&sr=8-1&keywords=SM-4TZ

I have a microscope. It comes with a tungsten light, but that is pretty hot for the arthropods, so I usually use an LED desk lamp instead. I used the tungsten light for this guy because I was able to position him, turn on the light, quickly snap the pics, and turn it off. I usually put specimens in a portion cup - one of those things you get salsa in. This spider was pretty calm and easy to steer, so I actually put him directly on the stage, and then put the lid of the portion cup over him - see how it has kind of a bubble top in the center? In this case, it worked pretty well to shoot directly through the lid - a couple times, I also positioned him and lifted the lid to shoot before he bolted. That would be when I screwed up and he ended up falling off the desk and running across the floor...

Btw, each of the pics above was comprised of a focus stack of 3. The time it took to take 3 pics while changing focus is about the longest he would sit still.

Ditch the USB microscope and get a real scope. I tried the USB and it was terrible. I ordered this scope and have had no regrets.

I have this Amscope setup which I am mostly happy with. I'll have to measure it when I am back at the office on Monday. I think it might meet the 1 cm at 10X that you are looking for.

I haven't been around a proper lab inspection scope in a while, so I can't say how it compares to the really expensive stuff, but it definitely works well enough for my electronics assembly work.

The 0.5x lens really helps open up the field of view and give you a greater clearance to work in. My main gripe is that I didn't spend the extra money for the boom stand -- I can survive without it, but in retrospect, I would have paid the extra $50ish premium for it. Also, the focus shifts as you vary the zoom. My understanding is that the more expensive ones keeps the focus on target as you adjust the zoom -- this one does not.

Like you, my aging eyes can't do small things like they used to. I'm much more reliant on my scope now to do all my interesting solder work. It's gotten to a point where I wanted to have a scope at home so that I didn't have to drive to the office at 2 am just to install a component. I got one of these "kids" binocular microscope through eBay for $35. It's a fixed 40X and seems to have about 1.5 mm DOF, which translates to about 2-3mm of working height, since I can tolerate some blurriness while working. It's just a bit on the narrow-angle side... But, hey, it is just $35...

I have one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/AmScope-SM-3BZ-80S-3-5X-90X-Binocular-Microscope/dp/B006QN5T5G/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1408588448&sr=8-10&keywords=dissection+microscope

I use it for instrumentally inseminating honey bee queens....and for doing smb work/rework on my various electronic projects. Its design lets me fit my various equipment under it.

I don't know if you will consider it a good price, though. But I think it is good price for a decent quality very articulable dissection microscope.

Depends an awful lot on what type of scope you're looking to pick up; compound or stereo?

If stereo, this is a really nice scope for the price. I picked it up for entomological use, and it is really a better scope than its price would have you believe. The light is really nice, too, though it could be brighter when using the 2x barlow lens to push mag to 90x. Again, for the price point, it's one hell of a scope.

If compound, I'd look at Amscope's offerings (just because I'm so impressed with my stereo scope from them). Check out their website, you can put together a scope specifically for your needs.

I'd say the $300-$400 range is perfectly reasonable for a compound scope. For example, this scope (again recommending AmScope just because I'm so happy with mine; I'm sure there are other good "budget" manufacturers out there) seems quite capable; 40-2000x, bright/darkfield, trinocular (makes hooking a camera up to your computer a lot more convenient).

These tend to be more common for finding these kind of errors. They are easier on the eyes and its fixed focal length can make it much faster

wfish's is better than mine, but mine was much less expensive

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005C75IVM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I've used it with 0603 components and 0.5mm pitch chips; so far so good. I find I rarely switch above 10x for components and inspection.

I haven't used a usb microscope but my understanding is that depth perception can be a real problem. I use an AmScope binocular stereo microscope. It does have a port for a camera that blocks one lens. If I want to record, I would use a separate usb microscope. This is rather pricey and I just happened to get a great deal at an auction. There are cheaper options, but that may give you an idea of the ideal optics. The barlow lens helps with the wider field of view and the lights are great. Another option is a headband magnifier like this. It may be enough an even if not, would still come in handy when the scope is overkill.

Looks like the same one I have on my bench. I got mine here. It's not the greatest, but it does it's job nicely.

for surface mount, you need a hot air rework station, and most likely an AmScope or similar.

I would suggest watching a few of Louis Rossmann's videos to get an idea of what would be involved.

i got it on amazon

its from amscope.. I also needed a ring light and a barlow lens.. a barlow lens increases your working distance

heres the links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007LBD8KA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004V1M412/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00JZJO7YC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have not used one like that, but I have used the USB attachment that came with my microscope and wasn't a big fan of it. I found it much more natural and less disorienting to be looking through the microscope while cleaning than looking at the screen and cleaning. When trying to clean minute details, at least for me it is very spatially disorienting looking at the screen than looking oriented towards the coin. It is definitely more comfortable and easier on the neck and eyes looking at the screen though.

It depends a bit on how much you want to spend. There are inexpensive 20x and 40x step stereos that might be cheap enough to test out. https://www.amazon.com/AmScope-SE306R-PZ-Microscope-Magnification-Objectives/dp/B005B1TR16/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1539852360&sr=8-1-spons&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=stereo+microscope&psc=1

If you want to take photos, or want a wider range then the standard 7x - 45x Chinese zooms can be surprisingly good. I like the ones with the transmitted and incident light sources. https://www.amazon.com/7X-45X-Dual-Trinocular-Stereo-Microscope/dp/B00X4LKO9E/ref=mp_s_a_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1539852360&sr=8-12&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=stereo+microscope

Talk to your local microscope supplier and they’ll likely let you test one out.

The links above look a lot like the ones I am familiar with.

I'm using a SZM7045B1 but that's probably overkill (I bought it for electronics rework). The key thing is to get something you can use interactively (ie see what you're doing) so you need a bit of clearance and a holder. I know someone who used a USB (camera-based) for this, but I'm doubtful of how good of a clear magnification you can get if you're limited by the camera's resolution.

+1 on taking a sample

I use a cheap student quality binocular microscope to examine my bud samples; SOOOOOO much better than trying to fuck with a loupe or phone microscope; https://www.amazon.com/QUNSE-Microscope-Students-Binocular-Objective/dp/B07NXPDM1P/ref=sr_1_7

*and then you get to smoke the sample :D

A microscope will help tremendously. Get one with an LED light and an adjustable viewpiece. This is the microscope I use at work. It does pretty well.

Grab some kapton tape and a good vise or very solid pair of helping hands.

A multimeter, quick alloy, desoldering braid, solder sucker, a collection of tips would be my next purchases in your shoes.

EDIT: Spend the money on the soldering iron. A good soldering iron will give consistent heat for quicker, cleaner work.

It's this microscope.

http://www.amazon.com/AmScope-SE306-AZ-E2-Microscope-Magnification-Objectives/dp/B0080IGZHG/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1414797369&sr=8-11&keywords=amscope+dissecting+microscope

Looking at the description of the camera on the chart detail, it says 40x and that the camera name is MD200 (Also says this on the camera). So, I've let myself become confused over the model numbers of the microscope and the camera. My apologies.

But the label of 40x for the camera is kind of general and obscure. 40x by itself, or is it 10x and has a maximum of 40x with the 4x objective?

Sorry for throwing this on you. I'm just trying to learn.. and Amscope is pretty bad about clarity in documentation (and in microscope cameras, from what I'm reading).

I bought one of these instead of a loupe and I love it.

AmScope SE306-AZ-E2 Digital Binocular Stereo Microscope, WF10x and WF20x Eyepieces, 20X/40X/80X Magnification, 2X and 4X Objectives, Upper and Lower Halogen Lighting, Reversible Black/White Stage Plate, Arm Stand, 120V, Includes 2MP Camera and Software https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0080IGZHG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_FxgDDbM9PZ4HM

/u/CunningLogic uses this scope with 10x eyepieces and swears by it. You could get it directly from AMScope.


I went with something a bit more expensive and got ahold of a really nice used Nikon with zoom.


When buying glass, you usually get what you pay for so it comes down to how much do you want to spend?

What do you want to see in particular? You won't be able to see nosema with a dissection scope.


Edit:
You could also consider a USB scope if frame rate isn't a concern. They're incredibly cheap these days.

I am new at this, but the setup I had for electronics seems to be working well for mini painting. I am using one of these binocular microscopes:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005C75IVM/

and two LED lamps which total about 1600W 1600 Lumens of 5500K light.

Edit: Whoops, 1600 Watts would be blinding.

ah alright, so if I have a b&l with 10x objective, max i can get is 30x. I see...

Since you seem to know your stuff, what do you think about this scope:
http://www.amazon.com/AmScope-Dissecting-Binocular-Stereo-Microscope/dp/B005B1TR16/ref=cm_cr_pr_sims_t

Thanks for all of your help!

What you are looking for is a dissecting scope like this. The light field on those things aren't great, and you will probably want an external light source like this one at some point too (that one is super expensive though!!).

AmScope, which I've linked above, makes really nice entry level scopes but I don't think they make one with a camera port - you'd have to take the photo through the eyepiece with your camera or use an eyepiece camera like this one. Olympus and Nikon make mid-range scopes, Zeiss and Leica make the high end scopes - you can find used ones on LabX.

If you're interested in more field photography, a former colleague of mine named Kent Loeffler did some pretty rad things with a borescope a few years ago.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004UBNIMC/ref=psdcmw_393248011_t2_B004TOZ6AW this is what I used for most repair of course it depends on who you ask but since sometimes Im stuck soldering for multiple hours I like to be comfortable, I mostly stick with my f-888 hakko and a very fine j-tip for most work I don't really use hot air unless required or for removing either the ps4 or Xbox port which both are huge and dissipate alot of heat for my soldering gun im sure you could go cheaper by you are either gonna blame the shitty tools are eventually outgrow them and will wanna upgrade

I bought this one at Christmas:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004UBNIMC/

I already own a Nikon YS (Picked up on Craigslist for $100) without the trinocular port, so I knew I wanted something that was lit from the top. You can probably get just the head:

https://www.amazon.com/AmScope-SM7180T-7X-180X-Trinocular-Microscope/dp/B005MKI5NW/

The Nikon allows me to see individual red blood cells moving around, the Amscope doesn't get that kind of magnification and the lighting is wrong. You can record video through holding the phone as well and I've done video of the red blood cells moving around.

Found it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rkeCcYyCVI

How about a nice way to look at them? I was thinking one of these or one of these.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004SQQCHC/ref=pe_175190_21431760_M2T1_SC_dp_1

It looks like he is using a PCB microscope with a built in camera. You can pick up a similar one with a 5MP camera for around $700 in the US. You might be able to find one cheaper on ebay or Aliexpress.

Edit: Just checked the video again. It looks like he bought an SZM but I cannot tell which model. You can see the HDMI port on the camera when she is putting it together in the shop so the top device is definitely a camera of some sort using the third optic port. The camera doesn't look like one I've seen on them before so it may be a aftermarket item.

Pretty sure this is it minus the camera.