Where to buy
a microscope?Welcome to Where-to-buy-a-microscope.com!
Where
to buy a microscope as well as other microscope buying tips are the
focus of this website. A question about where to buy a microscope or
find used microscopes often revolves about what kind you need
and who carries it. Tips and information are provided about this so
that one can find the best place where to buy a microscope that
satisfies their requirements. Hobbyists, students, and even professionals may find the information useful.
There are several classes of microscopes for sale:
Cheaper Price Microscope Options
- Low-end, Budget Price
Microscopes($200-$1500)
- Digital or PC Microscopes ($50+)
- Toy Microscopes (<$200)
Moderate to High Price options
- New, Medium-end Microscopes ($700-$5000)
- Used High-end Microscopes ($500-$15000)
- New High-end Microscopes ($3000-$50,000+ Nikon, Olympus, and Zeiss)
Our Microscopes for Sale
page lists
pre-screened options from various sources to help buy the right
microscope for the money. We don't sell microscopes; we just use our
knowledge to point you in the right direction to focus on the best buys
instead of wading through various dealer sites.
New Low-End, Budget Price Microscopes
I work in a commercial laboratory, and we actually use budget
microscopes for some of our scopes (stereoscopes) for certain
tasks Budget microscopes can be a good option for students
and amateurs and even professionals depending on the application.Optics Planet is a good place to start when first looking where to buy a microscope. It is a major optics dealer that also carries a huge selection of microscopes, both budget and mid-range models. Microscopes.com is one of their stores.
Amazon is a good option because their website includes not just Amazon but their entire partner network of dealers. Several microscope dealers are part of the network, and Amazon.com provides a one stop solution to see all thier products for sale at one location. A sampling of these are displayed below.
eBay is also a good place to look because many dealers use storefronts there to sell their new micrsocopes, not just used ones.
Check out our page Microscopes for Sale for more pre-screened options.
Digital or PC microscopes
The definition of a digital microscope can vary -
- integrated lens and sensor unit that connects directly to a computer
- sensor unit that replaces a camera on a regular microscope
- a microscope that comes with a sensor and maybe an output screen
- a microscope that comes with a $50,000 CCD system
Just about everybody sells these microscope systems anymore, and it is just a matter of shopping around and finding a system that matches your needs and prices. The usual suspects such as Amazon and eBay are good places to start your search for the more affordable models.
Toy Microscopes
Amazon and eBay are probably the best options on where to buy toy microscopes. eBay has resellers that import and sell new products in addition to used products. Depending on who you are getting it for and what your budget is, you may want to consider a budget microscope instead though.Used High-end microscopes
The best deals on used microscope is usually Labx or eBay. If you are not in a hurry you can a used version of a high-end microscope like Nikon or Olympus for one tenth of the new cost (though not so much necessarily on stereomicroscopes and basic biological microscopes.)Sometimes though you cannot wait for a great deal to come along, and then where to buy a microscope might be at a used microscope dealer. These kind of dealers tend to be very knowledgeable as well, and can help you with your buying decision.
New Medium-End microscopes
There are microscopes out there for sale that don't quite measure up to Olympus, Nikon, and Zeiss, but yet they are often better than the budget models. LOMO and Meiji are examples of these mid-grade microscope options.These new models will often compare in sale price to used Nikon and Olympus models, and sometime it is just a matter of personal taste whether you want something brand new and shiny with slightly inferior optics or something with some wear and tear, but better optics.