AmScope SE400-Z Binocular Stereo Microscope, 10X/20X

This microscope is very solid and well-built. I knew what the other reviewers had said, but even so, I was surprised at just how heavy the box was when it was delivered. It's very solid -- no "toy" feel whatsoever. No worries about it tipping over or anything. However, I almost dinged them a star on their goofy instruction manual download procedure. Instead of having a printed manual included, they had a pamphlet with instructions to go to their website and enter a password printed on a sticker that's on the outside of the shipping box. And then when you do all of that, you find that the manual doesn't say anything that you couldn't already figure out anyway. I can maybe see not including a printed manual with it, as so many people never bother with reading them anyway so why print it when people can just download it? Plus, you can more easily provide updates and additional data. But why the goofy password? It's not like anything in the manual is secret or proprietary or would be a benefit to anyone who didn't own the microscope. They should just post them all online available for free download with no passwords. I bought this scope to do electronics work -- specifically for tiny surface mount parts. However, if you plan to do electronics, you'll want to get the WF5X eyepieces too -- perhaps you should look at the version of this microscope with the 5X and 10X eyepieces to begin with. The one I bought came with 10X and 20X eyepieces and so I had to buy the 5X eyepieces separate. For moderate size parts, the 5X eyepieces are perfect and for tiny (0201 scale) parts the 10X are perfect. I don't know if I'll ever really use the 20X eyepieces. When I bought my WF5X eyepieces, however, I found a strange discrepancy in the reviews and AmScope product specs for the AmScope WF5X eyepieces. Their spec listed the 5X as having only a 11mm field-of-view, which is ridiculous seeing the 10X has a 20mm field-of-view, though another source listed it as being 18mm. The comments from reviewers were mixed -- some seemed to indicate the AmScope 5X and 10X eyepieces were both about the same field-of-view and another reviewer described a much smaller field-of-view, consistent with a 20mm to 11mm reduction. So with all of the mix of data, I opted instead to purchase OMAX WF5X eyepieces (part CS-X2AEX205C) which are spec'd as having a 20mm field-of-view. They work just fine on this scope (as both are standard 30.5mm diameter eyepieces) and I can confirm the OMAX WF5X eyepieces (that I received) have the indicated 20mm field-of-view. The working range for this scope is great -- no worries of crashing your soldering iron or tools into the scope. And the lighting with the single gooseneck LED light is good. However, I opted to also get their 6W LED dual gooseneck adjustable brightness light to use with it and be able to light things from both directions (to eliminate shadows). I do wish that the base of that dual gooseneck light was about 1/2" (~13mm) shorter than it is. If it were, it could be placed lengthwise on the base of this microscope as the perfect "add-on" without consuming more tabletop space. At least it will fit sideways on the scope's base without falling off. The only change I would really make to the scope is in the arm adjustment. Due to the height of my table and chair, using the scope as it was designed puts it a bit too high for me. So, I flipped the adjustment arm upside down so that I could adjust it at a slight downward angle and make it more comfortable. But if you do that, you have to be careful of not accidentally releasing the lever and crashing the head of the scope into your work. It would have been better if they had designed the arm adjustment slightly differently to where the lock position would already be at a slight downward angle (perhaps 20 degrees from parallel instead of the near 0 degrees that it is?). That would extend the control range significantly and still not risk crashing the scope's head. Maybe I should ding it one star for that? Though once you have it configured to your liking, it doesn't matter much. Prior to this scope, I was using a lighted magnifier in conjunction with reading glasses. But this is such a huge improvement. For the price, it was well worth it to upgrade. I have no regrets over this purchase. UPDATE 14 Aug 2023 : I've done some recent upgrades to my microscope setup and thought I'd share. While the WF5X eyepieces have done well over the years, they do have more of a "tunnel vision" effect with a smaller apparent field of view than the 10x eyepieces. The difference is in the diameter of the lens itself. I happened to come across a couple of blogs discussing this and found mention of an alternate 0.5x objective lens. Strangely, AmScope doesn't sell it and neither does Amazon nor any of the Chinese suppliers. However, this microscope is essentially a rebranded Euromex BE-50 (see euromex[dot]com), and they have both a 0.5x and 2.0x objective lens that fits this microscope perfectly (exact fit). So, I ordered the 0.5x objective lens and have found that it in conjunction with the 10x eyepieces (which is still the same 5x overall magnification) gives a much larger apparent field of view with less "tunnel vision" than the WF5X eyepieces with the original 1.0x objective lens. It also has a slightly larger working distance, at 250mm instead of 230mm. The only suppliers I could find that sold the Euromex objective lens were in the UK and Germany. I got mine from optics-pro in Munich. I also found a better solution for the AmScope 6W gooseneck light. On Aliexpress, you can find essentially the same 6W gooseneck light (in fact, the LED goosenecks are interchangeable) that bolts onto the upright post of the back of the microscope and gets it completely out of the way. I have switched to it and like how it has freed up the area on the base of the scope for placing things while working. Unfortunately, though, Amazon doesn't carry it either. The same Aliexpress sellers that have the other 6W gooseneck light also have WF10/22 eyepieces (and maybe even WF10/23) with the same 30.5mm attachment diameter that can improve the field of view even more. And they have a variety of cameras with the same 30.5mm attachment that fits the eyepiece socket of this microscope. I got the 55MP version. While it's not useful for soldering, it does facilitate circuit reverse engineering, as it's easier to glance between a monitor and your paper where you are taking notes than looking through the scope. Though it's too bad this isn't a trinocular scope to where you can leave the camera attached all the time. And one other find was that the "large dollar" (like Morgan and Eisenhower silver dollars) round plastic coin storage tubes with screw tops that hold 25 coins are perfect for storing the eyepieces of this microscope. Those storage tubes are 38.5mm diameter by 59.4mm deep, which is deep enough for the longer WF5X eyepieces that are about 56mm long.

Amscope SE400-Z: Received a day earlier than expected. It assembles in minutes. Instructions are basic but don't need much. The base is sturdy. It came with the 10X eye pieces installed. It works great for circuit boards with surface mounted parts and tiny silk screen text. The 20X were in bags. The single gooseneck light works fine, good white light. It came with a plastic cover to keep the head clean. Very nice and just what I needed. Lots of room to work -- a little less than 9 inches as I set it up for initial check-out. For circuit board rework the 10X makes things close -- nice for inspection. I read what Donna W. wrote -- very informative. It was suggested to buy a 0.5X objective to get 5X overall for rework but to not buy the eye piece lens as the objective will give a better view. I just ordered from GT Vision in the UK -- GXM-0.5X. Will see how that works. For now, the 10X will work. I don't know when I would use the 20X eye pieces. Update: ordered the 0.5x objective on 2023.12.14 and received it on2023.12.21 (GXM-0.5X slide-in objective for C2-D microscope). Fits perfectly and with a total 5X works better than the 1.0x objective/10X eyepiece. I can still see details on and between pads but see more parts making assembly easier. Cost: 40.50 Sterling, about 35 Sterling shipping.

I bought this because I recently had to solder a circuit board with super tiny traces and couldn't see if the joint was soldered appropriately. I researched the scopes out there and saw the prices were either super cheap or super high. This fit somewhere in the middle and had good reviews everywhere I looked. The scope was packaged in a ton of foam and came perfectly shipped. Setup was a snap. I'm using the 10X default lenses and it's more than enough zoom to solder. The included light is perfectly adequate for illuminating the circuit board. I find no need for additional light. One of my main concerns was if I was going to be able to move the head above the circuit board far enough away to still get a soldering iron under it and this is no problem at all. You have a TON of room. I have no concern at all about hitting the scope with the iron. Not of any fault to the scope but I'd highly recommend you get a fume extractor. With your face so close to the scope and soldering, the fumes go directly into your face. Otherwise it's perfect. I felt like Louis Rossman using it the first time.

Overall, it is a pretty good microscope. I use the 10X to solder and repair surface mount devices and it does a good job for that kind of work. There is room to get a soldering iron and tools between the eyepiece and the board and the optics are good enough to see the board clearly. I doubt I'll ever use the 20X. That being said, I had some problems. When I powered on my first microscope, the LED top light didn't work. I got to looking at the packaging and the Styrofoam package has no place for the LED light and gooseneck to go. The gooseneck sits on top of the eyepiece/object assembly with no protection. I'm guessing, but that may have contributed to the broken top light. I suspect that when they added the gooseneck for the LED, they didn't re-design the packaging. Overall, the packaging on this microscope isn't great. I called AmScope, talked to an actual human being (!!!) who looked up my order and told me I needed to call Amazon. Amazon provided good customer support. A day later I received a new microscope that worked fine out of the box....but someone added a sticker to the outside of the box that covered the download code for the manual (the microscope doesn't ship with a hard copy manual, you have to enter a code from the outside of the box to download it from AmScope's website). Argh.... On the other hand, if you need a manual, the device probably is too complicated. For the price, the microscope works well and I'm happy I bought it.

For $200, this is a fantastic deal. I'm using it for hot air SMD board assembly; and post assembly inspection. The 10X is good enough to see a 402 discrete and 112 LQFP. I also soldered a 200 pin, 1/2 mm pitch header. The 20X is really too much for assembly, unless you are doing some very small parts (maybe a 201 package), but is good for very close up inspection work. I personally would have preferred the 5X loops over the 20X. A 5X would offer a wider field of view yet have enough magnification to do most SMD assembly (the higher the magnification, the less of the board you'll see in the eyepieces). With the 10X I can only see about 1/2 of the 112 LQFP package in the eyepieces. As noted, the base is not the most sturdy I've worked with, but it does appear to be adequate (just don't try to use the head at a right angle to the base or spin the base around backwards so that the length is pointing away from the head). You want the length of the base aligned with the arm where the microscope head mounts. The only real complaint I have about the microscope is the height of the stand. It is about 1" too short for me to place my PCB pre-heater under the head (an Aoyue model 853A) and still have adequate height to focus the image. I had to sit the microscope on a 1" board to get the extra height needed. The optics are good, the lighting is adequate, and the controls are easy enough to use. I've had no issue with the image bouncing around while soldering components. The manual is pretty minimal but, as noted by others, really isn't needed. As an engineer I've spent 25 years designing custom electronics. At my day job I have a higher end AmScope and, after 5 years of use, I have no complaints. My work scope has too short of a focus to use for assembly but is great for inspection. Given the price of my scope at work, I was beyond shocked at the $200 price tag on this one. For my home use I had purchased a digital microscope for inspection, not knowing that a better option was available. By the way, I don't advise the $100 digital microscopes for any PCB work. The focus is literally less than 1" from the end of the microscope, making it pretty much useless for assembly / inspection work. Prior to purchasing the this AmScope, I used a stationary magnifier and reading glasses for my assembly work (at home). You can get adequate magnification, but it will cause sever eye strain after about 30 minutes. As with any wearable magnifiers, when the distance between your head and the work shifts the image will loose focus. For small variations, your eyes can compensate, but it does make them very tired in short order. I know this because I have a pair of surgeon's glasses I use at work for PCB inspection and (limited) assembly. These $1500 glasses are specially fitted and typically have a 5X to 7X magnification. The magnification is good enough for most assembly but barely adequate for inspection. The problem is going with a higher magnification will amplify any head movements and make it much more difficult to maintain focus on an object. Even guys who do assembly for a living have told me 2 hrs with surgeon's glasses is about the best you can do before taking a break. Beyond magnifiers, surgeons glasses, and inspection microscopes, the only other tool I know of is the Mantis Elite. This is a very high dollar microscope ($3K) that has a viewing screen instead of eyepieces; but at $3K this is way beyond the price of most hobbyists. One final note, if you get a camera with this, don't attempt to use the camera image for assembly. You have no depth information from a 2D camera image and will most likely either not heat the part or crash the soldering iron into the part. For the money, this AmScope is one of the best investments I've made for PCB work. At some point in the near future I will most likely purchase the 5X loops to go with this setup.

I'm having a weird form of buyer's remorse - that I didn't buy this years ago! * UPDATE * Don't bother buying extra 5x eyepieces - they suck! The field of view shrinks leaving you with the same FOV as the 10x! I do electronics work and have long used magnifying visors (which remain absolutely indispensable for their wide field of view, convenience & portability) and have always meant to get around to buying a binocular microscope. I was to spend about $500 on a slightly fancier Amscope (still a great deal; friends have spent thousands on theirs) but noticed this very inexpensive puppy - with its huge working distance - and the reviews convinced me to give it a shot. Just unpacked it and WOW it's terrific value for money; doesn't feel cheap in the slightest; nice heavy base, the gooseneck LED light is bright and works well (a decent cost compromise compared to a more expensive ring light), the eyepiece comfort and image quality is excellent. Can't see myself ever using the 20x optics; 10x appears ample for SMD work; solder joints on 0402s and QFPs are very clearly visible. Most of all, the working distance is excellent; there's a ton of room for hot air / soldering iron. The relatively narrow field of view you get with microscopes means I'll probably still do a fair amount of soldering with my beloved magnifying visors but this scope looks to be extremely well suited for electronics work and ridiculously good value for less than $200. Highly recommended. Maybe I'll treat myself to a Metcal now :-)

So. This microscope is pretty decent. However it has some drawbacks. Pros Inexpensive. I paid $180 USD for mine on sale. Ideally you pay less due to the cons I list. Proper mirrored microscope. No camera sensor, no delay. Bi-ocular/stereo. Able to tell depth of field. Comes with a bag to cover the scope while it is not in use. It works well. However should of had a draw string of some sort so you can seal it off at the end. I use a draw string at the end to do that with. Left eye pieces focus can be individually adjusted. Say for a camera in that eye. However if you're looking through both. You need to ensure both are focused in correctly. Else it could lead to eye strain. Cons Little to no upgrade path. Mainly due to the rectangular objective. No 0.5 objective lens (to my knowledge) No Barlow lens due to the rectangular objective size. A Barlow lens increases your FOV, so you get more working area while looking down the scope. This is a major con. 20x lenses are useless as others say. I've only used the 10x ones. Need a 3D print to adapt a ring light to the objective. The base is by far the worst. If you move the scope too far to the left or right. The microscope falls over. The base limits your working angles. Meaning if the board you're working on is big. You're bumping it into the base and cant get to the area you want to work on. You're constantly trying to find a different angle to get what you need to work on in frame of the objective. I'm trying to find a different way to mount mine. The built in goose-neck light always seems to be in the way. Your hand is either blocking light from it, or its too bright causing glare from the board you're working on. I'm always moving mine around. It is bright though. Since its only stereo, you have no camera port. You can adapt something to fit on the left eye piece. However then you lose that eye piece/depth of field. Another con would be Amscopes support is abysmal. I contacted them about eye strain I was having. I bought a microscope to avoid this. Prior I was using jewelers glasses for magnification and it was giving me headaches. This scope was initially doing that to me. However it seems my eyes have gotten used to it. Amscope support took forever to get back to me. When they did they recommend I buy new silicone eye pieces. I did not. At first I thought it was the "collimation" of my objective lens. I tried talking to Amscope about that in the support emails but they seemed to have no idea what I was talking about. "KainkaLabs" on YouTube talks about how he had to adjust the collimation on his, else he was also getting eye strain. However I did not do this and my eyes have seemed to get used to the scope. My issue could of also been that my left eye piece was out of focus since I did not initially realize you can adjust it individually. All in all would I recommend this scope? For the right price, yes. Ideally around $150 USD. I paid $180, and with all the cons I described I would not of paid that if I knew I would of had these issues. It is a good beginner scope. If you have any issues, it can easily be exchanged or refunded through Amazon. You can get better, more up-gradable Tri-ocular scopes from Aliexpress. However if you have a issue, it is not as easily returnable. That was the main reason why I went with this scope. Having a microscope is definitely a game changer. I have been able to solder 0402 resistors, and work with 30awg kynar wire for xbox 360 modding.

The scope is of very good quality. Nice Styrofoam packing for safe shipping . It has a adjutable LED light for lighting circuit boards or other items under scope. I purchased the scope to use it for soldering circuit boards with very small parts. The scope comes with 10x and 20x lenses. The 10x lens brought the circuit board in too close for my taste. So I ordered .5x lenses from Amazon and dropped them into the scope and they do give you are larger viewing area of your work which in my case is circuit boards. The 10x and 20x lenses are great for up close inspection after soldering. The .5x lenses just works better for me to solder under. Your preferences may vary. The stand is of very good quality. The height adjustments are nice and smooth. One thing that is there appears to be a hole for mounting a camera in front of the fine height adjustment. The price for this type of scope is on target. It gives you a large working distance from the scope to your work piece which was another thing I was looking for since my main use was to be able to get a soldering iron under the scope and work comfortably. I use a air purifier with charcoal filter to draw the fumes away from the scope lens. With a .5x lens I get 8 inches of working area from the lens to the circuit board I am working on. Heavily made steel base, arms etc. Not a cheap plastic toy. Highly Recommend.

Fantastico prodotto. Pochissima plastica, molto metallo. Solido. La qualità ottica è ottima per l'uso che intendo farne (lavorare su movimenti di orologi). La distanza di focalizzazione è abbondantissima, circa venti centimetri, e permette, anzi, richiede di lavorare seduti con la schiena eretta. Un piano di lavoro alto probabilmente richiederebbe l'uso di uno sgabello. Ovviamente, data queste distanze di focalizzazione, nessun problema per intervenire sul pezzo in lavorazione. Il campo visivo con l'oculare 10X è poco meno del diametro di un movimento eta 2824 (circa 26 mm). Viene fornito con un cavo di alimentazione dotato della enorme spina a standard britannico e con un ugualmente enorme adattatore Schuko (la spina "tedesca" con terra laterale, quella delle lavatrici per intendersi. Il cavo con spina italiana a terra centrale si trova a pochi euro online, comunque. Consiglio senza riserve.

Works so well while working on watch movements the viewing height allows the use of tools while viewing through the microscope. Good quality and powerful.

easy usage no problems

Exactement ce que je cherchais : une bino avec tête décalée, un éclairage orientable et surtout une garde importante entre l'objet et l'optique. Cette bino est destinée à l'aide pour la soudure des circuits électroniques type CMS. Il fallait donc une garde importante pour manipuler le fer à souder, ce qui n'est pas le cas des binos destinées aux sciences naturelles. En plus, le champ couvert est satisfaisant et la qualité excellente.

The Amscope SE400 is an excellent microscope for the hobbyist whether it be micro electronics, jewellery, wrist watches or anything else that requires a very closeup view to work on. With the 9 inch working distance, there is plenty of room to get your hands under and yet still see what you are working on. It is inexpensive yet very versatile.