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Swift Optical
Swift SW380T
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Best Microscopes · head-to-head
Swift SW380T vs National Optical DC5-163
A sourced, side-by-side comparison. Swift SW380T is cheaper at —. Every spec and price links to its source.
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National Optical & Scientific Instruments
National Optical DC5-163
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Full spec sheet
✓ marks the stronger figure where "more" — or "less", for price and weight — is unambiguously better.
| Spec | Swift SW380T | National Optical DC5-163 |
|---|---|---|
| US price | — | — |
| Brand | Swift Optical | National Optical & Scientific Instruments |
| Released | — | — |
| Max magnification | 2500 | 1000 |
| Head type | Trinocular, Siedentopf, 360-degree rotation, 30-degree ergonomic tilt | Binocular, 30-degree inclined, dual diopter, with 3-position beam-splitter (100% binocular / 100% camera / 70:30 split) |
| Illumination type | LED, built-in | 12V 20W halogen with variable rheostat |
| Objective count | 4 | 4 |
| Mechanical stage | Yes | Yes |
| Condenser type | Abbe, coarse and fine adjustment | Abbe, N.A. 1.25, iris diaphragm, rack-and-pinion focus, swing-out filter holder (clear/blue/green/yellow) |
| Camera compatible | Yes | Yes |
| Focus mechanism | Dual coarse and ultra-fine focus controls | Coaxial coarse (tension-adjustable) and fine (graduated) |
Sources — Swift SW380T: microscopecrew.com (verified 2026-08-01). National Optical DC5-163: homesciencetools.com (verified 2026-08-01).
What's the difference between the Swift SW380T and National Optical DC5-163?
Where the two actually differ on the specs we track (5 of 8). Matching specs are omitted.
- Max magnification: Swift SW380T 2500 vs National Optical DC5-163 1000
- Head type: Swift SW380T Trinocular, Siedentopf, 360-degree rotation, 30-degree ergonomic tilt vs National Optical DC5-163 Binocular, 30-degree inclined, dual diopter, with 3-position beam-splitter (100% binocular / 100% camera / 70:30 split)
- Illumination type: Swift SW380T LED, built-in vs National Optical DC5-163 12V 20W halogen with variable rheostat
- Condenser type: Swift SW380T Abbe, coarse and fine adjustment vs National Optical DC5-163 Abbe, N.A. 1.25, iris diaphragm, rack-and-pinion focus, swing-out filter holder (clear/blue/green/yellow)
- Focus mechanism: Swift SW380T Dual coarse and ultra-fine focus controls vs National Optical DC5-163 Coaxial coarse (tension-adjustable) and fine (graduated)