Your microscope's magnification...

[Jason Green]

Hi all,

I take it a few of WAB'ers here have microscopes used for dissection and confirming IDs. If so, what is the magnification you use on average?

What is 'Sufficient' for most things?

Thanks

Take care,

Jason

[ChrisR]

I have a Meiji EMZ stereo-zoom microscope which has a 0.7x - 4.5x range so when coupled with the standard 10x eyepieces I get 7x - 45x magnification, which has always been fine for my needs. I use it on everything from bumblebee-sized insects down to tiny chalcid wasps only a few mm long.

One word of caution though - magnification isn't the only thing you need to think about. We use magnification to resolve objects on the specimen, like hairs etc, but with better optics you can often see things at low magnifications but with poor quality optics you'd have to zoom right in to make out the features. Also, it really helps to have a very strong, cold, flat light - pump more light at the subject and you can see a lot better.

My Meiji is at the fairly good end of the optics spectrum and many people have commented that they like it compared to entry-level scopes. But I have also used Nikon & Leica and can testify that they are *much* better than mine ... but for 2000-pounds and upwards you'd expect quality

Go test some scopes and see what you like

[Meta menardi]

I have a Meiji with a long reach stand (mounted on an arm that is fitted to a vertical pillar) and with 2 sets of eyepieces and 5 different objectives it will go to x200. as it is on a stand, I can gett anything up to the size of a small dog under it. With a following wind, it works very well, but illumination is as important as a good microscope. My next spend, perhaps.

[Jason Green]

Thanks Chris. I'm looking at a stereo model with a non-zooming but replaceable 20x eyepiece (to 30/40x with others) and LED illumination. How does this sound? Specific uses being barkfly wing venation, antennae, you know - typical microscope-to-confirm stuff!

Can anyone post any photos taken through theirs, please? It doesn't have to be taken using a camera-mount, just held up to it. I have a fairly big Fuji S5600 pro-sumer. Theoretically would this work without a mount?

[Rossco]

I've got an old zoom Vickers which goes from about 5x to 60x. If you're looking to buy one then have a look at the various industrial auction sites on the web, because even an relatively old Nikon, Zeiss or Leica the optics really are in a different class, especially if you can get hold of a cold-light source.

[Meta menardi]

Originally Posted by Jason Green

Thanks Chris. I'm looking at a stereo model with a non-zooming but replaceable 20x eyepiece (to 30/40x with others) and LED illumination. How does this sound? Specific uses being barkfly wing venation, antennae, you know - typical microscope-to-confirm stuff!

Can anyone post any photos taken through theirs, please? It doesn't have to be taken using a camera-mount, just held up to it. I have a fairly big Fuji S5600 pro-sumer. Theoretically would this work without a mount?

The biggest worry about just holding one up to the other is a sound like 23.59 on December 31st, as one expensive piece of glass is gaily banged against other to a shout of "Cheers".

[ChrisR]

Originally Posted by Jason Green

I'm looking at a stereo model with a non-zooming but replaceable 20x eyepiece (to 30/40x with others) and LED illumination. How does this sound? Specific uses being barkfly wing venation, antennae, you know - typical microscope-to-confirm stuff!

Bark flies are fairly small so I'd expect you to use the full range of x10 up to x40. I wouldn't recommend changing eye-pieces too much - it lets loads of tiny dust particles in. Most non-zooming scopes though have 2-3 magnification settings on the objective lens so you should be able to step through 0.7x to 2x to 4x as necessary.

Which model are you thinking of? Do you have any links to the manufacturer's site?

LED light sources are usually adequate but the ones I have seen tend to put-out a bluish light, which to me feels a bit odd. There's nothing to stop you using a fluorescent angle-poise table lamp though to supplement it if you find out that you need more light

[Rossco]

There's an outside chance I may be able to get hold of some used Olympus SZ60 stereo-microscopes as my partner works for one of the large pharmaceutical companies and they regularly replace their lab equipment. They're not going to be dirt cheap, but they're excellent microscopes as we used to have them in my old entomology lab. Here's a pic:



They come with 10x eyepiece lens and zoom objective lenses that take the magnification up to around 70x.

[tristanba]

I really do need a proper microscope light and have been meaning to get one for a while - does anyone have any affordable suggestions?

Cheers
Tristan

[ChrisR]

Originally Posted by Rossco

There's an outside chance I may be able to get hold of some used Olympus SZ60 stereo-microscopes as my partner works for one of the large pharmaceutical companies and they regularly replace their lab equipment. They're not going to be dirt cheap, but they're excellent microscopes as we used to have them in my old entomology lab.

Blimey - put me down on the list for a first refusal and let me know the price when you know it! I used an Olympus once and it was very impressive.