When you hear ‘microscope’, what kind of microscope do you think about? The traditional model once used in schools – waiting your turn, viewing things one by one and with one eye at a time? Or a microscope that allows for more modern technologies like digital imaging and file-sharing? Today, there’s a wide variety of microscopes in the world, each with their own uses. Below is an overview of 6 basic types of microscopes you’re likely to encounter.
Almost everything you want to observe under a microscope first needs to be ‘mounted’. To get the best view – and to prevent your microscope getting dirty or contaminated – you’ll need to prepare your samples beforehand using glass slides and coverslips. Not to worry, mounting your samples is quick and easy. To get you started, here’s a quick look at 3 of the most common mounting techniques.
Ponds provide a fascinating world of tiny creatures to explore with a microscope. If you’re unfamiliar with microscopy, pond water is a fantastic place to start. Here, you can see an incredible array of microorganisms in one place, everything from algae and bacteria to protozoa and arthropods. Examining pond water is a straightforward and fun experiment, making it ideal for beginners and children. Here’s what you’ll need to get started.
Today’s Zeiss microscopes are high-end and high quality, generally aimed at the research market, industries and universities. Some of their lower-end models are very popular with labs, medical practices and hobbyists. The quality and reliability of Zeiss products means that even significantly older models are still much sought-after in a thriving second-hand market.
If you’re trying to find your own tardigrades, start with any damp leaf litter, moss or lichen near your house. You can also find them on submerged vegetation in ponds or on muddy surfaces. If you’re struggling, check out some local parks or ponds.
Most compound microscopes come equipped with a condenser – a lens or set of lenses that evenly focus light onto your specimen. But is one condenser enough? If you’re after the very best image quality, you’ll find that two is better. Fortunately, you won’t have to constantly swap your whole condenser – you just need a swing-out condenser.
Stereo microscopes (both eyes) have come a long way since they were invented by a French monk over 300 years ago. They’ve gone from handcrafted novelties to sophisticated and varied tools indispensable to science and industry. From surgery and biology to engineering and repair, they’ve become an essential part of our lives – whether or not we know it.
Today, microscopes are a vital part of hundreds of industries and scientific disciplines. But despite their overwhelming importance to our way of life, we know surprisingly little of their origins. Here’s a quick look at what we know of early microscopes and their inventors.
Buying you first camera can be confusing because of the many models on the market.
To help, we have put together this quick guide to introduce you to the basics.
There are a few main types of microscope camera, each with their own pros and cons. The right camera for you is going to depend on what you want to get out of it, as well as the limits of your budget.
