Microscopes

Types

• Monocular student microscope — basic unit for school science labs and demonstrations.
• Binocular compound microscope — comfortable for long use in pathology labs and colleges.
• Stereo (dissecting) microscope — low magnification with a 3D view, for biology, electronics and inspection work.
• Trinocular and digital microscope — has a camera port or built-in camera to display or record images.
• Fluorescence microscope — for specialised research and diagnostic labs.
• Inverted microscope — for viewing cells in culture dishes in research settings.

What to check before buying

• Magnification range and objective lenses, such as 4x, 10x, 40x and 100x oil immersion.
• Optics quality: achromatic or plan objectives, and numerical aperture.
• Illumination: LED lighting is long-lasting and cool, while halogen is older but still used.
• Stage type, focus mechanism and build material, preferably metal.
• Dust cover, spare bulb or LED, immersion oil and slides in the package.
• Warranty, on-site service, training and a GST invoice.

Who buys them

Schools, colleges, hospitals, pathology labs, research institutes, factories running quality labs, NGOs and government offices.

Frequently asked questions

Which microscope suits a school lab?

A monocular or binocular compound microscope with 4x, 10x and 40x objectives is usually enough. Add a few stereo microscopes for biology practicals.

Do I need a digital microscope?

Only if you want to project or record images for teaching or reporting. A trinocular unit with a camera can be added later.

What does a pathology lab need?

A binocular microscope with a 100x oil immersion objective is standard. Common brands include Olympus, Nikon, Zeiss, Labomed and Radical.