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A field microscope is a portable, small, and lightweight compound light microscope with a long focal length objective lens. It can be configured for brightfield, darkfield, and phase contrast microscopy and can be monocular or binocular. Field microscopes are used by professionals in various fields and vary in price.
A field microscope is a small compound light microscope with a long focal length objective lens. Its purpose is to perform microscopy in a variety of locations, so portability, small size, and light weight are primary considerations for a field or handheld microscope. Many are small enough to hold in the hand.
A compound microscope has two lenses: the eyepiece lens and the objective lens. The objective lens is the most important part of a microscope, as it is the closest lens to the object. Focal length is the distance between the objective and the specimen, and field microscopes have a long focal length to accommodate larger specimens such as an entire leaf or rock, and for ease of use when switching between slides.
All field microscopes are light microscopes and can be configured for brightfield, darkfield, and phase contrast microscopy. Inexpensive ones use ambient light, but this light isn’t enough for good resolution in some situations, so some field microscopes have a battery-powered light source. High-quality models use light-emitting diode (LED) light sources, while others use incandescent bulbs.
A field microscope can be monocular or binocular. They often use low magnification 10X or 20X fixed lenses, but higher magnification lenses are available in more expensive models. Field microscopes usually do not have rotating nosepieces, so when switching from one objective to another, the objective must be removed and replaced. Some field microscopes have camera attachments so that images can be captured on the spot, while others can be connected to a digital camera via a universal serial bus (USB) connector.
A field microscope can be anything from a simple ambient light compound microscope used for exploring the world in the backyard, to serious equipment used by professionals. Forensic scientists can use field microscopes at crime scenes. Physicians on medical missions in remote areas without electricity depend on field microscopes for laboratory analysis, and biologists may request a field microscope to examine specimens in their research outdoors or in remote locations. Field microscopes vary in price, depending on characteristics such as the light source, the quality of the objectives, and the number of objectives.
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