Overall, I got a product well worth what I paid for it. The image quality is terrific, and overall construction is perfectly good.
N.B.: The product description says: "3.5X-90X continuous zoom power with great flatness & contrast" -- but what they don't say is that the actual zoom range of the microscope head is 7x-45x, and that you have to attach the 0.5x objective lens to get 3.5x - 22.5x, or the 2.0x objective lens to get 14x-90x. You don't get one continuous 3.5x-90x range which, in retrospect, makes sense. I wish I had known that ahead of time, as I would have opted for a different configuration.
Although I did want to have the 90x magnification, I primarily wanted the scope for doing electronic circuit board work. If I wanted a microscope strictly for doing board work, I think I would have been better off spending just a little bit more for the trinocular 3.5x-45x 3D-boom unit with the 144 LED zoned ring light. (The SM-4TX-144A)
The product did not come with a manual. The single photocopied leaflet pointed to a URL that supposedly has the manual -- but at the time of this writing, AmScope had apparently redesigned their website, and I could not locate the manual anywhere on the site. I did, after some false starts, figure out how to put everything together and sorted out the purpose of the 0.5x and the 2.0x lenses. I wish they would have at least thrown in a 1.0x lens to act as a protection lens for the primary optics.
Overall, this is a great product and it would have earned 5 stars. But I'm dinging them a half-star for the misleading product description and another half-star for the lack of a manual. I hope AmScope adequately addresses both of these issues.
---
UPDATE 2014-02-25:
Amsco has provided a link to the user's manual (see the comment to this review).
After having the scope for several months, I'm more satified with my purchase. I've made good use of the 1/2X and 2X lenses for various work, so I'm much more happy about having the add-on lenses than I was originally. (I still do think the description could have been more clear about the zoom range.)
I'm undinging them, so it's 5 stars for the product.
I do now wish I had spent a little more and gotten the trinocular with the double-arm boom stand, though. I've had a few times where I have wanted to take pictures of my workpiece. And, I've occasionally had the head flip down when the arm was not tightened down (the double-arm would have prevented that).
http://www.amazon.com/AmScope-SM-4TX-144A-3-5X-45X-Circuit-Microscope/dp/B004UDFFSU
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This Item  AmScope SM-3B Series Binocular Zoom Stereo Microscope - 3.5X-90X Magnification - Includes 80 LED Compact Ring Light & Single Arm Boom Stand | Recommendations  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | $536.86 | $219.99 | $632.99 | $549.99 | $355.99 | $580.00 |
| Delivery | Get it as soon as Monday, Oct 21 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Oct 22 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Oct 22 | Get it as soon as Friday, Oct 25 | Get it Oct 23 - 30 | Get it Oct 22 - 23 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Sold By | Pattern Professional | Andonstar Technology Co., Ltd | Pattern Professional | Pattern Professional | AmScope | Vision Scientific Inc. |
| max magnification | 90 multiplier x | — | 90 multiplier x | 90 multiplier x | 30 multiplier x | 90 multiplier x |
| light source type | LED | LED | LED | LED | Fluorescent | Tungsten |
| power source | Corded Electric | DC | Corded Electric | Corded Electric | Corded Electric | Corded Electric |
| real angle of view | 45 degrees | — | 45 degrees | 45 degrees | 45 degrees | 45 degrees |
| objective lens | 0.7-4.5x | Achromatic | Achromatic | Achromatic | Achromatic | — |
| material | Alloy Steel | 10.1'' LCD display, 13" Pro metal stand, HDMI output, Windows pc output | Alloy Steel | Metal | Steel | Steel |
| voltage | 110 volts | 240 volts | 240 volts | 0 volts | 120 volts | 240 volts |
