The AmScope M158-2L monocular compound microscope has one 10x widefield eyepiece, a forward-facing nosepiece with three DIN achromatic objectives, upper LED and rheostat-controlled lower LED illumination, coaxial coarse and fine focus, a 0.65 NA single-lens condenser, and a plain stage. The forward-facing revolving nosepiece has 4x, 10x, and 40x DIN achromatic full-glass objectives that provide high-resolution color-corrected images. The monocular viewing head has one 10x widefield eyepiece on a fixed 45-degree vertical inclination to reduce eye and neck strain and 360-degree rotation capability to provide a more comprehensive view and enable sharing. A compound microscope is used for inspection and dissection of specimens when two-dimensional images are desired.

The microscope has upper (episcopic) reflected illumination that reflects light off the specimen for enhanced visibility of opaque specimens, and lower (diascopic) Brightfield illumination that transmits light up through the specimen for enhanced visibility of translucent and transparent objects. Brightfield (BF) illumination allows the specimen to absorb light, resulting in a dark image on a light background. LED illumination provides bright, cool light for working with temperature-sensitive or live specimens. Lower lighting has rheostat-control capability that allows the viewer to control light intensity. The 0.65 NA single-lens condenser and disc diaphragm control the amount of light illuminating the specimen. The plain stage is 3-1/2 x 3-1/2 inches and has an opening for light transmission and stage clips to secure the slide or specimen in place while viewing. A stage stop prevents the stage or specimen from coming into contact with the objectives. Coaxial coarse and fine focus knobs are nested to speed focusing for left-and right-handed viewers. All mechanical components are constructed of metal for precision and durability, and the solid-metal frame has a stain-resistant