Compound microscopes, binocular microscopes & high-power microscopes

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About Compound Microscopes

Compound microscopes, also called standard microscopes or high-power microscopes, are designed for viewing small objects at high magnifications. Unlike stereo microscopes, compound microscopes provide two-dimensional images that are usually inverted and reversed.

Compound microscopes typically have 3 or 4 different eyepieces in a rotating nosepiece (turret) with common magnifications of 40X, 100X and 400X). Lighting is usually from the bottom and is transmitted through a thin, translucent specimen that is against a clear background (called brightfield illumination).

Compound microscopes come in the following optical configurations:

Monocular microscope - one eyepiece. These are generally "first scopes" for younger students only.

Dual-head microscope - one eyepiece and a second optical port usually used to mount a camera (or a second eyepiece for an instructor).

Binocular microscope - two eyepieces, one for each eye reduces eye strain. This is the most common configuration.

Trinocular microscope - two eyepieces and a third optical port usually used to mount a camera (or a third eyepiece for an instructor)