The range of powers of magnification are usually from 4x to x. The eyepiece of the compound microscope also adds an additional magnification of 10x. On the other hand, stereo microscopes are often used for observing specimens that require lower powers of magnification.
The types of samples observed with a stereo microscope include insects, rocks and leaves. This type of microscope has a magnification range of 6. Most stereo microscopes can also be considered binocular microscopes because they often come equipped with two eye pieces.
It is also important to think about if you need a microscope with one, two or three eye pieces. Monocular microscopes, microscopes that are equipped with one eye piece, can magnify samples up to 1, times. If you need a microscope that magnifies at higher levels, a binocular microscope is right for you. Monocular microscopes are often used in classrooms and laboratories for observing slide samples.
Stereo microscopes are available as monocular microscopes, but compound microscopes are only available in binocular and trinocular models. Trinocular microscopes come with a third eye piece. This separation of views allows us to perceive depth and see in true 3D. Stereo microscopes come in many different forms but generally have a magnification range of 7x to 45x are used for applications such as engraving, watch repair and inspection of manufactured parts.
They are also commonly used by mineral, stamp and coin collectors. Flat field microscopes also known as compound use a single objective lens to look straight down on a specimen and provides a flat 1 dimensional image.
It may use a single eyepiece or binocular viewer but still only has a single optical path. Here is an example of what you would expect to see while using a stereo microscope:. An important thing to consider when choosing a microscope is its head type.
Monocular, binocular, and trinocular head types are designed differently and suited for particular types of observations. Monocular microscopes have a single tube that houses an eyepiece at one end and an objective lens at the other. The design means that specimens will appear flat and without depth when you look in the eyepiece.
Monocular microscopes are easy to use and ideal for classrooms or as a home microscope for kids and teens. Binocular microscopes have two tubes and eyepieces, and this can make it more comfortable to examine specimens. Binocular head pieces can be used in educational, research, and commercial settings. Trinocular microscopes are similar to binocular ones except that they have an extra port for attaching a camera and taking photographs or videos. This makes the trinocular head type ideal for educators or researchers.
Each microscope type will be further defined below in their respective section, however, a very simple way to determine what kind of microscope you need is by thinking of the sample type you want to view. Compound microscopes tend to require samples that you can pass light through to create an image, as the light comes from the bottom of the microscope up through the sample transmitted illumination. Stereo microscopes, on the other hand, tend to work best with samples that you cannot pass light through, as they have upper light sources reflected illumination to shine down and bounce off of those samples to create an image.
A coin cannot pass light through it, so, you would be better off with a stereo microscope with a reflected light as well as because you want a big field of view to see the whole coin. Conversely, if you wanted to view a bacterial cell, you would want to use a compound microscope with a transmitted light, because a reflected light would wash your sample out, as it does not reflect enough light to make an image as well as because you need the higher magnification to view such small details.
You would probably see a very small outline of the cell, without much detail inside, if any at all, trying to use a stereo microscope with a reflected light with a slide that had a cell sample on it.
Within each of these basic microscope types, however, there can be far more demanding requirements, and a variety of advanced microscopy methods or techniques exist within each base type of microscope. We will go over those in more specific sections, however; if you have a very specific or unique application, you may need a highly specialized microscope or special accessories to equip with one of our products.
With our wide range of microscopes and accessories, we can help you configure an instrument for almost any application. We are more than happy to apply our knowledge and years of experience in the microscopy industry to help you succeed at whatever your application is with our equipment.
Compound microscopes are what most people visualize when they think about microscopes. They are available in monocular, binocular, and trinocular formats, which refers to the number of ocular tubes that the microscope has. We've discussed these above, but not in respect to only compound micrscopes. Many compound microscopes also have a lens underneath the stage that focuses the light from the light source through the sample and into the objective lens, called a condenser.
Some have simply a disc that controls the amount of light allowed through, called a disc diaphragm, while others have a slider with an iris and adjustable positioning, and even more have a completely replaceable condenser, allowing more advanced microscopy methods to be used, such as darkfield and phase contrast.
Otherwise, you can continue on to read about the other major type of microscopes—stereo microscopes. Unlike a compound microscope that offers a 2-dimensional image, stereo microscopes give the viewer an erect upright and un-reversed , 3-dimensional image because they use two completely independent paths of light one to each eyepiece that are created using objectives that are focused at slightly offset positions in relation to the sample.
These are very similar in nature to stereo microscopes, however, they only have a single ocular tube, so they provide a flat image view of larger, opaque objects, rather than a true stereoscopic view. We classify these here as they are capable of viewing the same sample types as stereo microscopes.
Stereo microscopes are particularly useful for biologists performing dissections , technicians repairing circuit boards , paleontologists cleaning and examining fossils , or anyone who needs to work with their hands or tools on small objects, that are large enough to be seen or handled without the aid of a high power compound microscope. Thus, stereo microscopes have a very broad set of potential applications across many industries.
Fixed power stereo microscopes have a set number of fixed position objectives, and offer only the magnification options listed; nothing in between.
0コメント