microscopes

[carld]

Which would be better lightfield or darkfield for a compound microscope?

[zzffnn]

It depends on your sample, application or preference.

Brightfield works well for samples that have intrinsically high contrast, such as stained histology slides or green algae.

Darkfield works well for low-contrast samples, such as a vorticella or mounted diatoms.

[Pau]

carld, welcome aboard!

You want both illumination methods, and also the ability to do oblique illumination and likely polarisation too.

You can do all the former illumination techniques with most microscopes often with just some filters and trics. What's your microscope or project and in what kind of subjets are you interested on?

[phil m]

That's a little like saying , which is better on a hot day; water or beer. Like water, bright field is the default microscope system. It has a simplicity and versatility that places it first and foremost as a microscope illumination system.

Dark field is used in certain environments and to enliven viewing, for certain subjects.but like beer, it can lead to false perception if overused.

Start wih BF and add DF to the system , when you are ready for it. It takes maturity and skill to use effectively.

[carld]

Thanks for all your replies, what I ended getting was a trinocular compound with both light and darkfield illumination. It's made by AmScope and is a fluorescent type.

[Olympusman]

I always use darkfield for my initial survey of a slide using a 5x objective. It's far easier on the eyes and really makes very small subjects pop for examination with higher power objectives.

Mike

[carld]

Just received my Varimag II camera to microscope adapter from the postman. Can't wait to set it up using my laptop as a focusing unit.