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Strengths: portability, optical clarity, good working distance
Weaknesses: plastic construction; focus is not as precise as it could be; no tilting of eyepieces or stage, must look straight down; relatively high price
Summary: I have a number of fixed power and zoom stereo microscopes. But none of them are suited for field use, being "heavy metal" and fairly large - I felt this mini fieldscope would fit the bill. It does, with sharp, clear and bright images at a fixed 20x (but no illuminator) and with a working distance of over two inches and a half. Ready for use it stands under 7" high, under 4" in width and depth, and weighs only 400 grams with the neck strap attached. The rotating/folding design allows it to be even more compact and fit in a supplied nylon case that has a belt loop and a velcro-secured top flap. I'd like to see this in aluminum construction instead of plastic, and also have the ability to tilt the stage or the eyepiece body at an angle for easier use instead of having to stare straight down from above at the stage. If you're willing to carry one, though, the standard tripod thread on the stage bottom allows use of a tripod and then one can rotate the eyepiece body to position it as desired. This allows study of objects that might not ordinarily be easily viewed at such a high power (as compared to a hand lens), and without disturbing them as much due to the long working distance. Overall this gets two thumbs up as a versatile and useful little stereo microscope. The street price is still a bit high, so if you want one but are willing to wait keep an eye out on eBay where I have seen them sold for a lot less.
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