Nikon SMZ-10 worthwhile purchase?

[Sinar]

I’m looking to upgrade my entry level amscope stereo microscope, I use it for general observations as a hobby, I want my new one to be trinocular.

My options seem to be a new Chinese microscope or a second hand older branded one. On eBay there is a Nikon SMZ-10 with a trinocular head for £700, I do find the option of taking stereo photos interesting, but it’s not essential. I’d love to hear opinions of the microscope or any suggestions of others around that price point.

Thanks for reading

[92111]

In my opinion,don't purchase Nikon SMZ-10,too old.

[jfiresto]

Could you unravel that for me?

There are plenty of good microscopes from that era, microscopes that were built to last.

[Scarodactyl]

In my opinion,don't purchase Nikon SMZ-10,too old.

Age is a concern but when they're in good condition they are really good. They show their age a bit with doming at lower mags and more limited fov (22 or 23mm fn). The trinocular head is a lot nicer than an intermediate attachment in many contexts. You can also mix and match some parts with newer Nikon smz units as well as Chinese clones.

[PeteM]

Another plus for the Nikon SMZ-10 trinocular head is that you can switch the camera port from one side to the other. This helps if you ever want to make stereo pairs.

It's a decent microscope - and that might be a fair price in your area. My only hesitation, apart from evaluating condition, is that the same money might get something like a Nikon SMZ-U, an Olympus SZH or a Wild M8. Those are microscopes I'd put a tiny bit ahead (apart from the unique stereo imaging bit) of the SMZ-10 in terms of optical quality and potential for upgrades.