Prepared Slides

[MickH]

I'm pretty close to hitting the button on a new Swift 380T which seems to be a good 'starter' microscope with potential. I'll do this as soon as my refund for a dreadful Bresser NV comes through.

As this will be the first microscope I've owned for nearly 40 years does the team think it's worthwhile buying a box of (Swift) prepared slides just to get my eye in, so to speak, or should I just buy some blanks & covers and just 'go for it'?

Thanks

[BramHuntingNematodes]

I think it is useful to have a variety of professionally prepared slides to use as a reference, particularly when starting out. Sargent-Welch is one of many suppliers that does a very good job for relatively cheap, sometimes even in vintage collections available for not much money at all.

[MickH]

Thanks a lot Bram.

[ailevin]

Hi MickH,

I am in the same boat, thinking about a first microscope. Were you able to discern any differences between the Swift 350 and 380 series? I did a search here and found some discussions of filter holders, but as best I could tell the 380 is just a newer model of more or less the same features and optics.

Thanks,
Alan

P.S. With respect to my other earlier introduction and questions, I am now considering a compound microscope for myself and a lower power stereo microscope for my granddaughter.

[MicroBob]

Hi Mick,
how useful prepared slides are depends. I have a lot of them, some made myself, some by other amateurs, some made by real professionals, but i rarely look at them. I much prefer to make slides and look at them when the project is hot and from time to time again. Others never feel the urge to make something themselves and enjoy their slide colletion and use it a lot.
It also is a question of quality: A slide made by a real master might be something that none of us can make ourself and be a joy to look at. But much that is offered today is of cheap toy quality and not useful as a reference or to enjoy it. Forum memer Mrsonchus makes great slides professionally so he might be a good adress to contact to get something valuable to really enjoy.

Bob

[Greg Howald]

I use a lot of prepared slides. I do notice a problem that is consistent with many of them. I like to use polarization and Rheinberg filters a lot and for most of the prepared slides they are fine in brightfield but the mounting medium is somewhat crystalized or somehow affected by the different types of lighting which interferes with the true image of the specinen. I do not know which mounting medium They use but it appears that even though labeling and such may be different, and brand names may differ, most of them are either made the same way or by the same manufacturer.
Slides ordered from places like Carolina Science or Wards Science are more expensive and worth every cent because they are professionally made rather than being someone's seconds.
Greg