microscope

[tinca]

have just got a stereo zoom microscope magnifys 7 thru to 32 what a eye opener just looking at a house spider is a revalation no messing about with slides like on my compound scope and id of woodlice and ground beetles is now so much easier nnd its 3d dont know how i mahaged with a loupe all these years lol

[Jason Green]

What loupe did you use, and are they any good in general? I've often wondered about getting one to check certain features/sex before pootering one for later examination.

Welcome to WAB.

[Acutipuerilis]

I use a loupe in the field for palaeontology all the time, and they're simply essential (assuming you can get a good one). However, they can be tricky to use as the working distance is often tiny (especially for a 20x, which is what you want) and light can be a problem unless you can manipulate the subject to make the most of sunlight. For insects, I use them to check whether the leafhopper in my pot is male or female, and sometimes to confirm species (e.g. in Eupteryx). If the beastie is staying still, the camera is nearly as good as a microscope, but if it's not, or you need to see the underside, then getting it into a little plastic box and peering at it with the lens is the only way.

You used to be able to get good ones from the BGS store in the NHM, but I know they had supplier problems a while back. Worth a look, though. A good 20x is quite hard to find, and common problems are a small lens size combined with marginal distortion (often extreme, so you have to look only through the centre of the lens). They can also be generally fiddly to get used to (high-mag ones need to be virtually stuck to your eyeball), but once you get used to it, it's something you'll never be without.

[Jason Green]

Thanks, Joe.

[tinca]

my loupe or should say loupes are ruper 6x and a double 10 and 18 only advice i can give is get widest possible and look through them first avoid plastic lenses there are some illuminated ones now with built in leds i had a go with one and was impressed