detail not apparent to Single magnification naked eye but not so only (usually 20x). much as to make it Tend to rely on natural unrecognisable. light which can be tricky Single eyepiece may be in some contexts. easier for young children. No sample preparation required: pop it under and go. Stereo microscopes Binocular with each Wide field 3D image the Binocular eyepieces £75 upwards depending Easy to relate image to eyepiece giving slightly right way up is easy to may be insufficiently on versatility of the object and able to look different view to create relate to the specimen adjustable for model selected. at whole range of 3D image. under view. children. common 3D objects Upright image. Good for opaque 3D More complex to use without needing to Low magnification subjects. especially if prepare the specimen No sample prep interchangeable or fiddle with artificial Good depth of field. required. objectives. light sources. Low More complex models Height adjustment risks magnification means have interchangeable objective lens toppling less abstraction from objectives with different on to specimen to the real world. magnifications. detriment of both. Binocular may be Focusing knob plus confusing. height adjustment on More versatile models stand for larger or are significantly more smaller objects. complex to use. Built in lighting at top and base (depending on model).
detail not apparent to naked eye but not so much as to make it unrecognisable. Single eyepiece may be easier for young children. No sample preparation required: pop it under and go. Single magnification only (usually 20x). Tend to rely on natural light which can be tricky in some contexts. Stereo microscopes Binocular with each eyepiece giving slightly different view to create 3D image. Upright image. Low magnification Good depth of field. More complex models have interchangeable objectives with different magnifications. Focusing knob plus height adjustment on stand for larger or smaller objects. Built in lighting at top and base (depending on model). Wide field 3D image the right way up is easy to relate to the specimen under view. Good for opaque 3D subjects. No sample prep required. Binocular eyepieces may be insufficiently adjustable for children. More complex to use especially if interchangeable objectives. Height adjustment risks objective lens toppling on to specimen to detriment of both. £75 upwards depending on versatility of the model selected. Easy to relate image to object and able to look at whole range of common 3D objects without needing to prepare the specimen or fiddle with artificial light sources. Low magnification means less abstraction from the real world. Binocular may be confusing. More versatile models are significantly more complex to use.