Buying a boom microscope should not be stressful. It should be enjoyable. Now that being said, there are a lot of points to remember when buying a microscope. This may be too overwhelming because of the information overload but you shouldn’t be daunted by all the points that you would have to take in.

You shouldn’t also settle for the first boom microscope that you see. There is a wide range of boom microscopes out there on the market and you should carefully inspect their quality. There are the plastic ones that are cheap and there are the expensive kinds because they came from Japan and Germany.

Know the kind of Microscope that you want
Do not walk into that microscope store completely clueless. If you’re unlucky, the salespersons there might take advantage of your naivety. Therefore, you should read up on microscope as much as you can before stepping into that store. You should also know the terms used when discussing about microscopes.

Most importantly, you should know what kind of microscope you need. There are a lot of microscopes out there, boom microscope is only one of them. There are electron microscopes and ultraviolet microscopes. These are quite expensive and they are used for scientific applications.

Boom Microscopes are used for forensic document examination, watch repair, art restoration and document restoration, circuit board repair, repair and inspection, fossil preparation and restoration, firearms engraving and surface mount device to name a few.

Know the application
Boom microscopes are configured in such a way that makes them suitable to the user’s application. It is necessary that you buy a microscope that is appropriate for what you have in mind. Regardless, there are three important pointers people buying boom microscopes should know.

1. Light microscopes have two sources for their magnification. The primary source is through the objective lens. The other source is through the eyepiece lens. The magnification is obtained by multiplying the power of the objective lenses with that of the eyepiece lenses.

2. Most boom microscope buyers are reeled by the fact that the microscopes they are eyeing have high magnification levels. Do not be fooled. The majority of these light microscope applications also require the magnification levels that are below 60X.

3. Ask yourself whether you really need a boom microscope. Sometimes those who are really in need of a stereo microscope or compound microscope make the mistake of purchasing boom microscopes instead because of the similarities.

Before Buying Boom Microscopes
For you to be entirely convinced that you do need a boom microscope, you should know the standard categories of a microscope: there is the compound microscope and the stereo microscope. Respectively, they are known as high power and low power.

Compound microscopes are used to view small specimens like bacteria, water organisms, blood samples and pond scum. These specimens require a high powered magnification in order for the viewer to see the complete detail. This is the very reason why compound microscopes are coined as “high power microscopes.”

Generally, compound microscopes have a 3 to 5 objective lens ranging from 4x up to 100x. The total magnification of a compound microscope could reach up to 1000 times. These microscopes are also integrated in the body and the base in order to form a unit that is integrated.

Stereo microscopes are used in viewing substantial specimens like bugs, rocks, gems, leaves and insects. These require low power. 6.5X to 45X is enough. Therefore, they are known as “low power microscopes.”

Stereo microscopes have two eyepieces that provide three dimensional image of the subject. These are available in two configurations: the zoom and the dual power. The microscope also has two magnification levels that allow it to continuously zoom through the lowest power and up to the highest power.

Now that you are assured you do need a boom microscope after differentiating this from the compound and stereo microscope, we shall continue with your buying guide.

Quality is important
So you have spotted the boom microscope which you believe is right for you. There are other factors you should consider before you pull out your wallet, card or check. You have to consider the quality of the microscope above all. The quality depends on how the microscope is constructed, the lenses and the illumination.

Other considerations in buying boom microscopes should also include the abbe condenser, the iris diaphragm and the mechanical stage. These basic variables determine whether you should get the boom microscope you have been eyeing.