An All-Inclusive Metallographic Microscope Buying Guide
ABSTRACT: If you need to buy metallographic microscopes, there are certain things that you need to consider. Learn what makes a metallographic microscope a good buy. Read the article below.
When buying metallographic microscopes, you should consider at least three things: its features, durability, and price. Metallographic microscopes are complex microscopes. These microscopes are specifically manufactured for a defined purpose. They are not your ordinary microscope that is used to merely view a live sample. Metallographic microscopes are use to analyze the composition of metals and its alloys. Being so, most of these microscopes are used in the large laboratories of industrial factories and research facilities.
If you are to buy metallographic microscopes for home or office use, here are the specific points that you should consider:
1. Image Clarity.
Whether the image is produced by an external camera or is viewed through the eyepiece, the device should exhibit optimum resolution while at work. High quality metallographic microscopes are able to produce images to a very high resolution of 3 mega pixels. And so, make sure that the metallographic microscope you will buy works to achieve a good image clarity of 3 MP or better.
2. Magnification Power.
A good metallographic microscope should be able to give you as much as 1000x magnification power. And this is usually achieved by using a 10x wide field eye piece along with a 100x objective lens. Some metallographic microscopes can also work optionally with a 16x eyepiece. Metallographic microscopes such as these are upgradeable to an even higher magnification power of 1600x. You might want this type of metallographic microscope because you will be able to view even smaller samples with them. A good metallographic microscope is equipped with at least four objective lenses.
3. Trinocular View.
There are dual view metallographic microscopes. But if you want to buy the best type there is, settle for the metallographic microscope with trinocular view. Trinocular view microscopes virtually have three eye piece lenses. One of them is a pair of binocular lenses that is used for regularly viewing the specimen. The other would be a vertical eye piece tube that is used either for monocular viewing or connecting a digital camera with.
4. Built-in Illumination System.
A metallographic microscope needs adequate lighting for it to work properly. While there are microscopes that use an external lighting device or just daylight, a good metallographic microscope is equipped with a halogen, fluorescent, or tungsten bulb that is powered by alternating current. A metallographic microscope that uses a built-in lighting system is more preferable because they are a lot brighter than the external ones. Plus, it is easy to use and there’s no need to set it up. Additionally, a built-in lighting system can possibly be adjusted so that the light can be made dimmer or brighter as the users require it to be.
5. Software Compatibility.
Almost all metallographic microscopes are interfaced with a computer system. If the software that is included with the microscope is compatible with the computer system you use, then it is a good buy. However, a lot of metallographic microscopes are normally compatible with Windows based computers only. As such, your computer should have Windows 98, 2000, ME, or XP.
6. Durability.
A metallographic microscope should be created with a firm metal body and weighs at least 25 pounds. Metallographic microscopes should be not too light that it would easily topple over. It should not be too heavy as well that it is impossible for you to move it around.
7. Price.
A metallographic microscope is normally priced a thousand dollars or more. There are a few models that are priced a little over a thousand bucks but their features can be limited. But if what you want is a dark field metallurgical microscope with a camera system included, then you should be prepared to shed at least three thousand dollars for them.
8. What the whole package includes.
If the metallographic microscope you’d like to buy include the camera, two pairs of eye piece lenses, optical filters, and four objectives, then it should be a good buy. Metallographic microscopes amounting to a thousand dollars should be able to throw a camera into the package at least.
These are the different points to consider when buying metallographic microscopes. It is also important to first determine the actual use of the microscope. If it is merely for analyzing a specific sample and not a wide variety of them, settle for a camera that both answers your requirements and fits your budget.