Announcement

We are proud to announce that we have recently joined the Southeastern Microscopy Society. They are an established society consisting of professional microscopists dedicated to advancing science through the use of microscopes. We suggest that you take a look at their website at http://www.southeasternmicroscopy.org/index.html.

Tips for Buying a Quality Microscope

When buying a microscope there are several things to consider.  Though price will always play an important role in a purchase decision, it should not be the first thing that you should look for when buying a microscope.   A microscope purchase is a  big investment for most people, so you want to get the most out of you money. One common mistake is buying a microscope based on what it looks like in the picture. A microscope may look interesting and modern but is actually constructed very poorly.

One thing that must be decided before going any further is what you are planning to be studying with this microscope. If you want to study things such as blood, bacteria, algae or any smaller specimen you will want to choose a compound microscope. These specimens require a higher power of magnification in order to see all the details. A compound microscope generally has 3 or 4 objective lenses that range in power from 4x to 100x. Providing that you are using a standard 10x eyepiece, this will give you 40x to 1000x magnification.  This is the standard in magnification for grades K-college.  Some cheaply made microscopes claim to have up to 1200X-1400X magnification.  These are microscopes to stay away from.

If you want to study specimens that are larger such as insects, leaves and rocks, you will want to choose a stereo microscope.  These specimens require less magnification to see their detail. A stereo microscope has at least two eyepieces and provides a three dimensional image off the specimen you are looking at. Two common forms of stereo microscopes are dual power and zoom magnification. A dual power stereo microscope has two set magnifications, such as 2x and 4x objectives. Providing you are using standard 10x eyepieces, you will get 20x and 40x magnification. A zoom stereo microscope there is a continuous zoom range from its lowest power to its highest power. One such configuration would give you continuous zoom from 10x to 45x.

Now that you have decided what you want to study and which type of microscope is right for you, it is now time to decide on what brand to purchase.  There are many sources of microscopes on the internet.  One safe rule of thumb is to research several microscope sites and try to find a common brand carried by many companies.  Many reputable manufacturers will not sell directly to the public but do have legitimate web sites where they can be contacted.  This will allow you to see that the microscope is backed by a real company in case warranty work is ever needed.   Many microscopes might meet the same specifications but if you want this instrument to last you will want to choose a reputable microscope manufacturer.

Metal construction, brass gears, approved electrical and glass optics is a must for any microscope. 

One way to make sure that you are getting the best quality microscope is to use a reputable supplier. You want to trust that they did their research when they picked the microscopes to be in their product line. Since 1989, Capital Microscope Services, Inc. has done just that. We are committed to providing our customers with quality products at very affordable prices. You can rest assured that every product that we show on our website meets our rigid standards before we ever put them out there for you, the customer to buy. You may find cheaper microscopes out there but we feel that the microscopes we offer will give you the best instrument for your money. If you should have any questions concerning buying a new microscope, please don’t hesitate to contact us.