In this article, there are 5 such microscope types that are discussed along with their diagram, working principle and applications. These five types of microscopes are:

You need a very long focal length to capture a detailed close-up picture of the moon without cropping. The image above was captured at 1600mm using an 800mm lens and a 2x extender.

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When picking a lens, one of the first things you must decide on is the focal length or focal range that you want. This is because the focal length describes the angle of view, i.e., it tells how much of the scene in front of you the lens can capture.

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Due to physics, a lens with a shorter focal length has a wider angle of view, and one with a longer focal length has a narrower angle of view. And that’s how we came to use focal length to describe the angle of view of a lens!

The difference in vision between the two eyes is corrected with the help of diopter adjustment. Through diopter adjustment, the focus of the individual eyepiece can be done so that the eyes feel comfortable while observing the sample.

A compound microscope is defined as the type of microscope that has more than one lens. It has a combination of lenses and two optical parts known as an objective lens and an eyepiece or ocular lens. The magnifying power of the compound microscope is given as:

The scanning probe microscope is defined as the type of microscope that finds applications in industries where the examination of the specimen is done at the nanoscale levels. The study of a specimen’s properties, its reaction time and its behaviour when stimulated can be done with the help of a scanning probe microscope.

A simple microscope is defined as the type of microscope that uses a single lens for the magnification of the sample. A simple microscope is a convex lens with a small focal length. The magnifying power of the simple microscope is given as

The depth of field in a microscope is defined as the distance from the nearest object plane in focus to the farthest plane in the same focus. In microscopes, the depth of field is very short and is measured in units of microns.

Ultra-wide-angle lenses exaggerate perspective so distances between objects look bigger. When combined with the wide field of view, it can bring out a sense of space.

Depending on the scene and your intentions, you might not need to go ultra-wide to frame what you want to show perfectly.

Light entering the lens converges (crosses) on its way to the image sensor. This convergence point is known as the optical centre of the lens and has the sharpest focus. The focal length is the distance between this convergence point and the image sensor.

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The basic difference between low-powered and high-powered microscopes is that a high power microscope is used for resolving smaller features as the objective lenses have great magnification. However, the depth of focus is greatest for low powered objectives. As the power is switched to higher, the depth of focus reduces.

Let’s look at what happens when we shoot at different focal lengths from the same position. Note: For ease of illustration, the angles shown in this article are the horizontal angle of view.

The focal length also affects many other aspects of your image, such as perspective and depth of field. To find out more,  see 4 Lens Concepts to Revolutionise Your Photos.

The field of view in a microscope is defined as the diameter of the illuminated circle which is seen through the eyepiece. With an increase in the magnification, there is a decrease in the field of view.

Depth of field microscopeformula

The scanning probe microscope has a probe tip that is mounted on the end of a cantilever. The tip is so sharp that it can move precisely and accurately across the surface of the sample scanning every atom. The tip is placed close to the surface of the sample, such that the cantilever experiences a deflection due to forces. This deflection distance is measured by the laser. The final image after scanning is obtained on the computer.

Any focal length above 135mm full-frame equivalent is considered telephoto. However, 70 to 135mm (full-frame equivalent) is considered short or medium telephoto. These are popular for portrait and product photography due to their natural perspective and comfortable working distance for close-up shots.

Depth of field

A longer focal length… - Captures less of the scene (= has a narrower angle of view) - Makes distant objects appear bigger (= has a higher magnification)

Also see: Why Is a Super Telephoto Lens Necessary for Sports Photography? What is the difference between a 200mm and 300mm telephoto lens?

A standard or “normal” lens gives a perspective that is very close to that of human vision. Most kit lenses are standard zoom lenses. The popular RF50mm f/1.8 STM “nifty fifty” lens is a standard lens on a full-frame camera, whereas the RF28mm f/2.8 STM is a slightly wider standard lens on an APS-C camera.

When you look straight ahead with your bare eyes, the field of view in focus is around 50° to 60°. Wide-angle lenses are any lens that gives a field of view wider than that. Ultra-wide-angle lenses are a special kind of wide-angle lens.

There are different types of microscopes and each of these has different purposes of use. Some are suitable for biological applications, while others are used in educational institutions. There are also microscope types that find application in metallurgy and studying three-dimensional samples.

This focal length is measured when the lens is focused to infinity (far into the distance). This is because when the lens is focused to infinity, light rays enter the lens almost parallel. When focused on a nearby subject, they enter the lens at an angle.

Lenses are classified as wide-angle, standard, or telephoto depending on their focal lengths. Ultra-wide-angle lenses are a subset of wide-angle lenses, whereas medium telephoto and super telephoto lenses are subsets of telephoto lenses.

Resolutionmicroscope definition

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A stereo microscope works on the reflected light from the sample. The magnification of the microscope takes place at low power and hence, it is suitable for magnifying opaque objects. It is suitable for thick and solid samples because it uses light reflected from the sample. The magnification of the stereo microscope is between 20x and 50x.

An electron microscope is defined as the type of microscope in which the source of illumination is the beam of accelerated electrons. It is a special type of microscope with a high resolution of images as the images can be magnified in nanometers.

Learn more about what you can do with a standard lens in: Standard Lens Techniques: Using the Point of View to Draw the Viewer In 50mm Portraits, My Style: Creating A Picture of a Memory

Telephoto lenses provide an angle of view that is much narrower than human vision. 70-200mm lenses provide the classic telephoto focal range.

Learn composition techniques that leverage on the characteristics of different lenses in: Professional Composition Techniques (3): Making Good Use of Lenses

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The working principle of a simple microscope is that when a sample is placed within the focus of the microscope, a virtual, erect and magnified image is obtained at the least distance of distinct vision from the eye that is held at the lens.

The working principle of the compound microscope is that the combination of lenses enhances the magnification of the sample. The sample is first viewed as a primary image in the tube and viewed again in the eyepiece.

A shorter focal length… - Captures more of the scene (= has a wider angle of view) - Makes distant objects appear smaller (= has lower magnification)

The metal used in an electron microscope is tungsten. A high voltage current is applied which results in the excitation of the electrons in the form of a continuous stream that is used as a beam of light. The lenses used in the electron microscope are magnetic coils. These magnetic coils are capable of focusing the electron beam on the sample such that the sample gets illuminated. As the flow of current increases, the strength of the magnetic lens increases. The electron beam flow is designed such that it cannot pass through the glass lens.

Learn more about how to make the most of wide-angle lenses in: Exploring Wide Angle Lenses Part 1: Photo Effects of Wide-Angle Lenses 24mm Closeups: 3 Simple Exercises for Mastering Wide-Angle Perspective

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Getting up close to birds and other wildlife requires a special type of telephoto lens: a super telephoto lens. You may want to combine it with an extender for even further reach.

Depth of field microscope definitionquizlet

Ultra-wide-angle lenses take in so much that they are perfect for capturing grand scenes and large objects that are right in front of you, especially in tight spaces where you cannot move further back.

Notice how the buildings don’t appear to converge towards the top. They would on a wide-angle lens due to perspective exaggeration.

A stereo microscope is defined as a type of microscope that provides a three-dimensional view of a specimen. It is also known as a dissecting microscope. In a stereo microscope, there are separate objective lenses and eyepiece such that there are two separate optical paths for each eye.

At 16mm, we can capture the entire façade of the fire station as well as the road and the hedge in the foreground. As the focal length increases, details appear bigger in the frame while more of the foreground and the building is cropped out. 200mm gives us a good close-up of the building name and the crests below it.

The depth of focus in a microscope is defined as the distance between the objective lens and the sample plane. The depth of focus varies from person to person and is also dependent on the quality of focus.

We usually describe a lens by its focal length. What does it refer to and how does it affect your images? Find out in this article.