Now and again, you may have thought: I must get a microscope, so I can discover and explore the fantastic world around me.
Or you've thought that it would be a great gift for your children, or for someone who has just retired and needs a stimulating hobby.
If you need a nudge, here are some key tips to help you decide what kind of scope to buy.
A microscope is a wonderful educational toy, or tool, for children. With it they can explore the world around them in a fun way, while also learning and developing their scientific skills.
For a retired person, it can provide hours of fascinating exploration.
How then do you decide what microscope to get? Microscopes vary greatly in quality and cost, and each type suits a different need.
First, what do you need to know when selecting one?
Two important features of a microscope you should know about are its light source and its magnification.
1. Microscope light source
The more light, the better the contrast between the object you're examining and the background. Cheap microscopes often have a small light bulb or a mirror for their light source. If the light is inadequate, you can't see the object clearly. If the light is excessive, the object is blurred.
It's best, then, to avoid cheap microscopes that use mirrors for light.
2. Microscope magnification
Dissecting microscopes (also known as stereo microscopes) magnify objects that you can already see with your naked eye. They are low-magnification microscopes, magnifying by from 10x to 40x actual size.
They let you see an object in greater detail, and are fine for children who want a closer look at objects such as flowers, leaves, insects, their fingers, etc.
If you want to see more, you need a compound microscope. It has two sets of lenses that combine to give you high magnification, from 40x to 1000x.
You use these to see objects in huge detail, or things you can't see with your naked eye. They open up the invisible world all around us. With them we can look at pollen grains, bacteria, etc.
Note that the high-magnification microscopes can be difficult for small children to manipulate. They also reveal detail that small kids cannot relate to. If they don't know what a pollen grain is, seeing one will not mean much to them!
The main types of microscope
Dissecting or stereo scopes: Magnification typically ranges from 10x to 40x. They're good for examining larger objects. Focusing is easy for children because of the low magnification. For reasonable quality, you usually need to pay upwards of $70, but prices vary according to quality.
Compound scopes: The magnification is higher, so they're good for examining tiny objects but can be hard for younger children to work with. They suit junior high and high school children. A good-quality scope will cost above $100.
Computer scopes: With these, you can examine objects on your computer screen. Magnification ranges widely, from 10x to around 200x. They are useful for science projects because you can save images as a graphic file, or print them. If you just want a toy scope, you can buy one of the cheaper digital scopes (under $100), but if you want the images to be of a high quality you'll need to pay around $150 and upwards.
Think before you buy
In brief, then, think a little about how the microscope will be used before buying one. If it's for fun, and for a child, then a cheaper one should suffice. If you want better quality, you'll have to pay the extra, but it will be well worth it - just consider how the lucky owner will enjoy hours of fascinating discovery.
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