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Thread: Looking to get a microscope can anyone advise

  1. #1

    Default Looking to get a microscope can anyone advise

    have been looking around and the brunel advanced set looks like the choice but whats the diffrence between http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Profession...item20c4e8acbe

    any help would be much appreciated

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    Whilst waiting for Ruary to hopefully make an appearance (general guru on all things microscopy), it might help if you could elaborate a little on what it is that you want to do. If Nosema sampling was your primary aim, it looks like you could do that a lot cheaper, with one of the Advanced set 'scopes rather than buy the whole set or have the swishy looking one from ebay.

    These days, as handy as being able to take images via USB sounds, 640x480 isn't much to crow about. I dare say that capability would be useful, but these days it's not far off like looking at a stamp when it comes to monitor resolutions, the iPhone can display pictures at a greater resolution than that.
    Last edited by Neils; 03-05-2012 at 01:05 AM.

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    Thanks for the vote of confidence Nellie.
    When you get to reading the description of the ebay item one item that stands out is 2000 magnifications. This is impossible with light microscopes the maximum is about 1000X because of physical limitations of waveform light. any larger magnification just gives a bigger picture with no more detail than the X100 limit.( like digital zoom on a camera)
    Would you trust a dealer with that sort of statement.
    Secondly it talks of adjustable interpupilary distance fine if the microscope is binocular but can not be done on a monocular microscope as you need two eyepieces to adjust the distance between them.
    Third they reside in India how are you going to contact them if there is a fault and how long will it take for the replacement to arrive.
    Ruary

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    To second what Nellie said,
    Decide what you want to do with the microscope first. Acarine detection needs a stereo dissecting microscope.
    The other diseases require a compond microscope:
    Nosema spores need no more than X400 for normal use. Pollen using Sawyers data table is reliant on X400 with the occasional foray into X600. Serious pollen analysis goes up to X1000 and uses very strong chemicals to expose the exine.
    Bacterias (AFB; EFB etc) require X1000.
    If you are going to use the microscopes a lot, then binocular compund is easier on the eyes. If you have astigmatism (as I do) you really need to get eyepieces which allow of their use. (They are called high eyepoint have a spectacle symbol on the side with the magnification markings).
    Not all microscopes give the same clarity Randy Oliver tried several before he found the best one (for him) for nosema checking.
    If you are going to do a lot of photography then a tri-ocular microscope comes in handy. I am just using a compact digital camera clamped to the ordinary eyepiece and though awkward it does a very satisfactory job. If you are doing photos then you do need plan objectives, certainly for the X40 and larger ones or else jst take the centre of the field.
    Hope this helps
    Ruary
    Last edited by Ruary; 03-05-2012 at 11:33 AM. Reason: data omission + tidy up

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    Ruary, thanks for that, I learned a lot from it I've stickied the post for future reference as I think for general advice there's a lot of useful info here.

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    Well Santa came this year and bought me Brunel Microscope's primary set for bee disease/dissection:

    [/url]
    Untitled by tehNellie_, on Flickr

    I think I'll figure out how to actually use the things before I start worrying about taking photos.

  7. #7

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    £49-95 Lidl had a Biolux made in Germany with usb cam resolution 1280x1080 didn't open box but has all the magnification required for beekeeping
    that was last week they might still have them Last time they sold them was April

    The fish guys seem to like them
    http://www.pond-life.me.uk/forum/vie...hp?f=30&t=6169
    Last edited by The Drone Ranger; 29-12-2012 at 03:19 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by The Drone Ranger View Post
    £49-95 Lidl had a Biolux made in Germany with usb cam resolution 1280x1080 didn't open box but has all the magnification required for beekeeping
    that was last week they might still have them Last time they sold them was April

    The fish guys seem to like them
    http://www.pond-life.me.uk/forum/vie...hp?f=30&t=6169
    Magnification by itself doesn't mean much what you want is resolution and for nosema a good field of view.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ruary View Post
    Magnification by itself doesn't mean much what you want is resolution and for nosema a good field of view.
    What do you think of this one from Lidls? Would it be ok for a beginner to microscopy like me? Would it be enough for exam purposes, or just a toy?

  10. #10

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    It is better than a toy but not really suitable for the microscopy exam as the optics aren't that brilliant and you don't have separate fine and coarse focus knobs or oil immersion lens.

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