How to Choose a Digital Microscope 

When choosing a microscope, the first thing that usually comes to mind is the magnification. However, the field of view (FOV, also called the observation range) is just as important, if not more so. To understand how they’re related, let’s look at the following example.

For this example, let's use our compact PC microscope DS-3A and examine the letter "A" printed on white paper. The borders around the “A” represent the edges of the monitor screen. The vertical and horizontal dimensions are the area displayed on the monitor by the microscope. This area is our field of view.

When the microscope is set to 50 times magnification, a range of 8mm x 4mm is displayed on the screen.  As we can see in the first image, a small letter A is projected in the field of view.

The following images show that as the magnification of the microscope is increased from 50 times → 100 times → 200 times → 400 times, the letter “A” is enlarged and the details are easier to see. 

So, if you increase the magnification from 50 times to 100 times, the size of the “A” will double. 

However, the field of view is halved both vertically and horizontally. When the magnification is increased from 50 times to 400 times, the size of the “A” becomes 8 times larger, but the FOV becomes 1/8 of its original size.  The main point is, the higher the magnification, the smaller the field of view.

For that reason, it’s recommended that you choose a microscope based its field of view, not its magnification - carefully consider how much you need to magnify and look at. Please contact us if you have any questions about the FOV or magnification of our microscopes - we are happy to assist you in selecting the perfect microscope for your needs!