Everything You Need to Know About Monocular Microscopes

Monocular microscopes are a type of microscope with only one eye piece on the optical head. The other types are binocular and trinocular. 

What you'll learn in this section is all about monocular microscopes and their uses. Knowing about these microscopes can help you determine if it is the right optical head type for you or if another option is better. 

We know that choosing the right microscope can be difficult as there are many options. It includes selecting the optical head type for the best user experience.

The Monocular Microscopes

Modern light microscopes can be classified as stereo or compound. Compound microscopes are ideal for small specimens where light can pass through because of their high-power magnification. On the other hand, stereo microscopes are used to observe solid objects at low power magnification.

Monocular microscopes have one eyepiece and eyetube that can magnify samples up to 1,000 times, commonly use to view objects mounted onto glass slides with no depth.

Monocular microscopes are almost identical to binocular microscopes, but the latter has two eyepieces for less eye strain.

When using a monocular microscope for extended periods of time (more than 15 minutes in one session) the user may experience headaches due to eyestrain, if you intend to use a microscope for extended periods of time we always advise you choose a binocular head.

Meanwhile, trinocular microscopes have a third eyepiece that allows you to mount a camera onto it without having to interrupt your study.

Uses of Monocular Microscopes

Monocular microscopes can be used to examine microscopic animals, plants, and cells. Magnifications range from 40x up to 1000x.

You can find monocular microscopes commonly used in laboratories and classrooms to observe slide samples.

Compound or Stereo?

Refer to what kind of specimen you have to deal with when choosing your microscope. Compound microscopes view the type of specimens where light can't pass through such as cross sections and bacteria.

Meanwhile, if you need to examine solid specimens where light cannot pass through them then a stereo type microscope is required for looking at gemstones, insects, and rocks for example. 

Metal or Plastic Construction?

If you're looking for stability and durability, choose a monocular microscope with a metal build. It is generally a better option compared to microscopes with a plastic build.

Microscopes with plastic construction have a few advantages, especially if you prefer portability and affordability over quality. 

They won't be much of a problem if you have to use one for a short time. However, expect that you might not be able to hand it down to your younger siblings or associates as microscopes with the plastic build are generally poor in quality. 

Plastic or Glass Lenses?

If you're going to buy a monocular microscope for your child as a toy, a plastic lens can be an excellent low cost option. 

However, for a more serious application, such as education and research, only buy a microscope with a glass lens as the plastic ones are inferior when refracting light.