What to Look for When Buying a Microscope

Now you know about microscopes, but now you’re unsure of which one you want to buy. Let’s review some of the important factors to consider before making your purchase.

What factors are important in selecting a microscope to buy?

When buying a microscope, there are several factors to consider to ensure you get the right one for your needs. Here are some things to look for:

Magnification

Microscopes have different levels of magnification. Consider the level of magnification you need for the objects you want to observe. A pocket microscope can be as low as 10x or 20x, whereas the most powerful light microscopes can go up to 1600x total magnification.

Different applications have different magnifications, but you usually want to pick the lowest power that will work for you – this will give you the best image quality and the lowest cost. Sometimes too much power can be too zoomed in and not actually deliver the image you want.

Quality of Optics

The quality of the lenses and optics is crucial for clear and sharp images. Look for microscopes with high-quality optics. This can be hard to evaluate unless you are testing the microscope, below is another section on how to evaluate optical quality.

How do I evaluate the optical quality?

Brightness, focus, resolution, and contrast are all important factors that affect the optical quality of a microscope. Overall, these factors are all important in evaluating the optical quality of a microscope.

A microscope with good brightness, focus, resolution, and contrast will provide the user with clear and accurate images of the specimen, which is essential for research, analysis, and other applications.

Illumination

A microscope’s illumination system can affect the clarity and brightness of the image. Look for microscopes with adjustable illumination. You should also consider the type of illumination and light source as this may influence your choice depending on the specimen you want to look at.

For example, for more opaque samples you would probably want a biological microscope that has both transmitted and reflective light, so you aren’t just limited to semi-transparent prepared slides. Or perhaps your sample is a live cell that is hard to see with bright field illumination. If this is the case, you might need a phase contrast microscope to get a clear view of the details you need to observe.

Price

Microscopes can vary widely in price. Consider your budget and choose a microscope that offers the features you need within your budget. The lowest price point to start is a pocket microscope and can increase as you move towards a professional full size laboratory grade compound microscope.

Size and weight

Consider the size and weight of the microscope, especially if you need to move it around or store it when not in use. Portable or pocket microscopes are great to start off with for many applications. We often recommend starting smaller and then once you know more about microscopes and what you need them for, you can build up your microscope collection from there!

Accessories

Some microscopes come with accessories such as slides, coverslips, and lens cleaning materials. Consider what microscope accessories you may need. Some microscope kits only have basic slides that can get boring fast. However, many microscope slide kits are sold separately, letting you buy exactly what you need instead of what comes with a microscope kit. Overall, consider your specific needs and uses for the microscope when choosing which one to buy.

Focus

The focus of a microscope refers to the ability to produce a clear image of the specimen being viewed. It’s important to have a microscope that can focus precisely, as a blurry or out-of-focus image can make it difficult to observe and analyze a specimen.

Keep the following in mind when shopping for your next microscope: a microscope with good focus allows the user to view the specimen in detail and with accuracy. Some microscopes may have objective lenses with high power, but they are un-focusable – this is a false magnification because you can never actually achieve a focused image at the stated power.

Resolution

Resolution refers to the ability of the microscope to distinguish fine details in the specimen being viewed. A microscope with high resolution provides users the opportunity to inspect small components in the specimen and allows for a more detailed analysis. A high-resolution microscope is especially important for research purposes or when viewing tiny or complex structures.

Brightness

The brightness of a microscope is determined by the amount of light entering the microscope and illuminating the specimen. A bright image is important clear and accurate viewing of the specimen. When buying a microscope, you’ll want one with good brightness to see fine details in the specimen with clarity.

Contrast

Contrast refers to the ability of the microscope to distinguish between different parts of the specimen. You’ll want to choose a microscope with good contrast so you can see different structures within the specimen with clarity and accuracy. This is important for identifying different components of the specimen and for understanding its structure.

As you compare Carson’s full line of microscopes, ask yourself important questions about your experience level with microscopes, as well as the subjects you’re planning on studying through their lenses. If you have questions before making your final decision and adding it to your cart, please reach out to our customer care team. We’re always happy to assist you in making the best microscope purchase that meets your skill level and needs!