You’ve asked your son’s friends and you’ve found out that what he’d really want for Christmas is a brand new precision microscope. Even if you don’t know which end of the microscope to use for viewing samples, this precision microscope buying guide can guarantee that you’ll come up with the best gift for your son. Ready?

A Basic Guide to Precision Microscopes
Before anything, you need to know what precision microscopes are. It will help you understand and appreciate why it is that your son would like it as a gift. Now, precision microscopes are also known as measuring microscopes. As their names suggest, they’re used for obtaining precise or accurate measurements of various types of objects. Precision microscopes can provide substantial input to projects wherein a miscalculated millimeter can immediately lead to chaos. It can also considerably improve quality of work wherein accuracy is much appreciated.

Precision microscopes are not restricted to just one kind of microscopy. They may take the form of fluorescent microscopes, scanning electron microscopes, or laser microscopes. You’ll have to know more about your son’s work to better determine exactly which type of precision microscope you should buy for him.

Precision Microscope Buying Guide for Mothers
Regardless of what type of precision microscope you need to purchase for your son – it can be a stereomicroscope or a dental microscope – the following features or specifications will still help transform your present into something that directly answers your son’s prayers.

Magnification – If you’re in a budget, you’ll be glad to know that precision microscopes rarely make use of anything beyond low power magnification. If you can afford to spend extra, however, then go for a precision microscope that’s also capable of operating at high power magnification. This will ensure that your son doesn’t have to use another microscope if he suddenly needs to study a microscopic sample that low power magnification won’t be able to make visible.

Now, magnification is a product of eyepiece and objective lens magnification. If possible, add to your purchase an extra selection of eyepieces and objective lenses. Wide field eyepieces will enable your son to study samples with a wider field of view. Oil immersion lenses will add to the resolution of images studied at high power magnification. There are many other types of eyepiece and objective lenses which you can purchase so buy as many as you can if you don’t want your son to lack for anything. You could also try discreetly asking around to see if there are certain types of eyepieces and objective lenses that he need.

Eyepiece Tube – At the very least, you should purchase a binocular precision microscope to allow your son to use both his eyes in viewing the sample. Of course, this is already a given if you are buying a stereotype precision microscope. And once again, if you can afford to go beyond the norms then you should invest in a trinocular precision microscope. The third viewing port may be used by a secondary viewer or it can also be where your son could connect his microscope camera.

Camera – And so we come to this feature. Yes, the latest microscope models today come with their very own cameras. It is up to you if you wish to purchase a precision microscope with a built-in camera eyepiece or buy a camera accessory instead. What’s important is to ensure its compatibility with the microscope, its image resolution, functionality and the degree of control it offers to its owner. Having a camera would make it simpler for your son to record his observations.

Some microscope camera models are also capable of video shooting. Keep in mind however that this expensive feature is only necessary if your son often studies live samples.

Card Reader – Quick and easy storage of data is very important nowadays. If your son has an on-the-go lifestyle, he’ll definitely appreciate a precision microscope that has a built-in card reader. When he’s done observing his sample, a few clicks will immediately store all resulting data into the card. Afterwards, he can take the card out and he’s ready to go! Again, if you’re feeling generous, you can add a bonus to his gift with a brand new 2GB memory card.

USB 2.0 Ports – With these ports, your son can instantly connect his precision microscope to just about any computer, monitor, printer, or any other electronic gadget. If two brains work better than one, expect the same rate of improvement when two or more machines are working in synchrony!

Travel Case – Last but not the least, gather the brand new precision microscope you’ve purchased together with all its accessories then place it inside in its shock and water-proof all-around travel case. Tie a red ribbon around it and you’ve got the perfect gift for your son! Read the entire article