Today’s Battle of the Microscopes brings us two brands frequently difficult to distinguish from each other–AmScope vs. Omano.
We’re looking specifically at the AmScope B360B vs. the Omano OM118-B4.
Put on your boxing gloves, because here we go again!
Just like last time, we’ll rate the units on a few different categories first (optical quality, features, expandability, and price point), then give an overall summary of the items. If you’re short on time, skip down to the bottom and get the quick scoop!
Optical Quality:
AmScope B360B
The B360B uses achromatic objectives, like much of AmScope’s student microscope section of their product line. This essentially means that your field of view will be color true and abberration (strange artifacts in your image) free, and that your view will have about 70-75% from the center out in focus, and the edges of the field will be blurrier. This is because achromatic lenses are generally basic curved lenses. So, at the far extremes where the curve is most drastic, the image isn’t focused.
Overall, there are better objectives out there on the market, but for a beginner or hobbyist, you don’t need anything more advanced than these, as you probably won’t notice it unless you’re using the microscope for 4-8 hours per day.
Score: 7/10
vs.
Omano OM118-B4
The OM118-B4 has achromatic objectives as well, offering about the same optical quality, clarity, and field of view. It doesn’t get much different here, unfortunately, which is part of why comparing these are so complicated at times–they can be SO similar, even to a trained eye! All in all, there’s no difference to talk about here. They carry the same field of view, clarity, numerical aperture (NA) ratings, thickness of cover slip to be used with it, etc.
Score: 7/10
Features:
AmScope B360B
I really like AmScope microscopes when it comes to their feature set included with their microscopes. Even for the low prices they tend to have, they really go all out when it comes to ensuring that their units have everything you’d expect from a higher quality microscope. The B360B comes feature loaded, with things such as:
- 3D Mechanical Stage
- Allows you to move the slide in X, Y, and Z dimensions by moving the stage around.
- Abbe Condenser & Adjustable Iris
- Condenser focuses light on slide, adjusts hole size for image quality. 1.25 NA to match objectives for oil immersion techniques (used on 100x objectives).
- Coaxial Coarse & Fine Focus Knobs
- Both knob types are independent of each other, but are located coaxial to each other for ease of use. Tension adjustment options are present to tighten up a loose stage.
- Halogen or LED Lighting Options
- Although you have to pick one or the other, they do make this model both ways for all preferences and needs. LED is better for live samples as it gives off less heat, but halogen is better for true to color imagery.
So all in all, the unit does come loaded with just about everything you need, and when we get to expandability, you’ll see it can also take a great deal of things that you may later need as well!
Score: 10/10
vs.
Omano OM118-B4
While also boasting an impressive feature set, the Omano OM118-B4 unfortunately just doesn’t hold itself up to the same par as the B360B. The important ones are there, whereas some of the extra goodies and bonuses that make the AmScope microscope a pleasure to work with are missing from the Omano microscope. Let’s take a look feature by feature with the AmScope:
- Mechanical Slide Holder
- The slide clips are mechanized, which allows for movement of your slide, but the stage itself is stationary except for the vertical dimension for focusing.
- Abbe Condenser & Adjustable Iris
- No problems here. The condenser maintains the same NA rating, and same set of features, including vertical travel. Aesthetically different, functionally the same.
- Coaxial Coarse & Fine Focusing Knobs
- Same deal here as well. Knobs are both present, and are located on the same knob, just different sections of it (tip for fine focusing, base for coarse focusing). Tension adjustment is present as well.
- LED Lighting Only
- I didn’t find any halogen version of this microscope in my searches. It’s possible I missed it, but it wasn’t apparent at first glance. Not necessarily a bad thing, but probably sets this to more of a hobbyist microscope or a student microscope as opposed to a professional one.
Score: 8/10
Expandability:
AmScope B360B
Like the rest of the AmScope microscope line, the B360B shines where it comes to expandability.
While coming only capable of brightfield viewing out of the box, there are options available to add to this microscope to make it capable of darkfield (for live blood cell analysis) as well as for phase contrast (for water treatment inspection or urology samples). Click each title to learn more about that kind of microscopy in a new window if unsure what those are.
The only downside I could find is that I didn’t see a way to tweak this into a fluorescent microscope. Granted, that would be a very expensive conversion (as fluorescent kits can easily be several thousands of dollars) which may be better served by a better microscope in the first place, I’ve been asked a few times if it’s possible, and I can’t find any answer to that myself either.
Also, you can indeed use a digital USB camera (microscope specific) on this microscope, even though it isn’t trinocular. It uses a 23mm ocular port, so you would need to be sure that the camera you’re looking for will fit it (the MU300 I typically recommend works well.)
Score 9/10
vs.
Omano OM118-B4
The OM118-B4 also carries a removable condenser like the B360B, so we’re looking at the same situation as well. Darkfield and phase contrast are both additions that will work with this microscope, and interestingly enough, they use the same size ones as the B360B. As well as the same lack of fluorescent support. So, we have another perfect match up between these two compound microscopes.
Even the camera size for the ocular tube is the same! So that MU300, or any other 23mm sized camera (or adapter) will fit, replacing an eyepiece and digitizing the analog image for digital viewing/printing purposes.
Score: 9/10
Price Point:
The microscopes are both right on the money in terms of industry pricing for similar standards and features. Rather than talk about each unit and get long winded, there really isn’t too much to go over.
Makes me a bit sad to not have much to say from time to time in a review, but I have to be honest, as the two compound microscopes we’re looking at here are typically within $5-$10 of each other. I’ve noticed they do fluctuate, as they’re a tad newer on the market, so the manufacturers and resellers are likely looking for that median sweet spot still. Either one would be a worthy purchase, but if I had to give one the edge here, I’d say the B360B has the slight edge here regardless if it’s currently higher or lower in price, as that mechanical stage feature versus the mechanical stage clips is much more convenient to use.
Score: 10/10
Final Score:
B360B – 9/10 || OM118-B4 – 8.5/10
Our winner of this round of Battle of the Microscopes comes to AmScope’s B360B (but with the OM118-B4 in a very, VERY close second)!
To check out either unit or get more information on purchasing either unit, you can head to either one from here: