If you’re out to buy a microscope and are confused, you’re not alone. There are many different types of microscopes out there to choose from, but I believe the easiest way to narrow down your choices is by determining what you are going to use the microscope for. For example, if you’re going to need a microscope with very high magnification to study the internal structure of cells, you’ll probably want a compound microscope. On the other hand, if you want a microscope to examine parts on a circuit board, you will benefit the most from a stereo microscope.
The main difference between compound and stereo microscopes are the images. A compound microscope shows a two dimensional image, while a stereo microscope shows a three dimensional image.
Lighting choices are also important when choosing your microscope. There are many options, but here are a few of the most popular:
Dimmable LED Ring Light: This choice prevents glare and reflections; it’s also ideal for inspecting defects and surface cracks.
Fiber Optic Illuminator with Dual Point Light: The benefit of this light is that it provides intense, shadow-free illumination, and each wand has an adjustable lens focus to allow you to choose the size of your light stream.
All-Spec Industries also carries microscopes that can be used for video inspection. These microscopes will allow you to view real-time images on a television screen.
I enjoyed very much your article, but it could be more comprehensive, exploring more deeply the two types of microscopes.
Very useful info… Thanks.
Thanks Hank! We really appreciate the feedback. All-Spec hopes we can continue to provide useful information.