Author Topic: Microscopes  (Read 2722 times)

S2L

Re: Microscopes
« Reply #25 on: 12 August, 2019, 11:00:14 am »
Why don't you contact your local University Chemistry/Biology departments?

We really throw away a lot of that stuff these days, 'cause nobody knows what to do with old microscopes, which were top of the range expensive kit 40 years ago

Re: Microscopes
« Reply #26 on: 12 August, 2019, 11:21:36 am »
BTW just to clarify; very many (old, basic) microscopes are set up for (mainly biological) work with slides, i.e. using transmitted light (from below). The (rarer)alternative is a microscope that uses reflected light; if they have high magnification also, these are meant mainly  for metallurgical work.  BITD only a very few high magnification microscopes had the capability to use both reflected and/or transmitted light.  [I am fortunate enough to own one; a Reichert 'Zetopan', but this is very much not a children's microscope.]

So a basic biological microscope has a lamp/mirror below the stage, and a stage that has a hole or a glass plate in it, to allow transmitted light work. Normally opaque materials, when sliced thin enough, can transmit enough light to allow good viewing this way.

When viewing something like a hair, you probably need to turn off the transmitted illumination and instead position a strong light source to the side of the stage, i.e. just above parallel to the stage.

cheers