1. First of all, what type of microscope should be used for what kind of sample?
Microscopes are divided into: upright microscopes, inverted microscopes, stereo microscopes, fluorescence microscopes, phase contrast microscopes, polarizing microscopes, metallographic microscopes, laser confocal microscopes, etc., according to the observed samples and different functions. The upright microscope is more suitable for observing slides, the inverted microscope is more suitable for living cells and unstained biological specimens, the fluorescence microscope is suitable for the imaging of autofluorescence and induced fluorescence specimens, and so on.
2. How comfortable is the operating experience?
The comfort of the microscope experience is a major reading point of the microscope. The pictures are displayed synchronously, the screen is displayed, and the saved pictures can be directly modified and edited, which is of great help to liberate the experimenter.
3. What effect do you want, and how much magnification?
Eukaryotic cells: 10-100um; prokaryotic cells: 1-10μm; nucleus: about 7cm; mitochondria: 0.5-1μm; most viruses: 20-100nm. Light microscopy can distinguish at least 200nm; smaller mycoplasma and viruses need to be observed with electron microscopy. Optical total magnification = eyepiece magnification X objective lens magnification, digital total magnification = eyepiece magnification X objective lens X digital magnification. Therefore, it is necessary to choose the appropriate microscope and configuration according to the size of the sample being observed.
4. Is the optical system good or bad?
Resolution is the ability to observe sample details and the speed of image resolution—another important factor to consider. The objective lens is very important in the optical system, the higher the numerical aperture (NA) of the objective lens, the stronger the resolving power. The user needs to see the level of detail and budget, select the appropriate numerical aperture (NA) objective. In addition to the numerical aperture (NA), the degree of correction for spherical and chromatic aberrations of the microscope objective also needs to be evaluated. Choose the best objective within your budget. The quality of the objective lens will directly affect the quality of the data, so this is a very important factor to consider. There are many types and functions of microscopes on the market for scientists to choose from. At times, choices can be one-sided. The best way is to do research based on your own needs, do a comparison of different devices, plus an assessment of current needs and future plans.
