The Frey Scientific compact student microscope is a compound microscope for middle and high school students, has an inclined monocular viewing head with a 10X widefield eyepiece, separate coarse and fine focus, 4X, 10X, and 40XR DIN objectives, LED, fluorescent, incandescent, or mirror illumination, and a durable cast aluminum body with enamel finish. Microscopes are widely used in education, lab research, biology, metallurgy, engineering, chemistry, manufacturing, and in the medical, forensic science, and veterinary industries.

This microscope features a viewing head with a 45-degree inclination and 360-degree rotation capability. A revolving pointer in the eyepiece orients to objects or features in the center of the field of view. The optics have revolving turret objectives that are parfocal, to stay in focus when objectives are rotated, and parcentered, so that the specimen remains in the center of view when the objectives are rotated. Color-coded objectives identify magnification levels. A 110 x 120mm plain stage moves up and down. Locked-on clips hold a specimen in place, and low-position coarse- and fine-focus control knobs provide visual adjustment. Illumination shines light up from below the stage through the specimen. Models with LED and incandescent illumination use 110V AC and come with a US/North American plug. LED illumination is energy-efficient and provides cool illumination equal to a 20-watt tungsten bulb. Tungsten incandescent illumination is bright but also produces heat and is not recommended for viewing live cultures or specimens. Plano-concave mirror illumination directs ambient light up through the hole in the stage and requires no external power. A 0.65 numerical aperture (NA) condenser with a 5-hole disc diaphragm varies the amount of light passing through the stage opening to properly illuminate the specimen and to increase contrast and resolution. The microscope comes completely assembled with a clear vinyl du