What Is A Trinocular Microscope?
First of all, what exactly is a trinocular microscope? It’s basically any type of optical microscope that is built with a trinocular viewing head, meaning, three eyepieces composed of a typical binocular viewing head and a third separate monocular eyepiece.
This is so that two people can look at the specimen being observed at the same time. Alternatively, the third eyepiece can also function as a mount for a digital camera to be attached to the microscope to capture and record images and videos of the specimen in real time.
What Is A Trinocular Microscope Used For?
The design and build of a trinocular microscope makes it highly beneficial in various applications, such as in teaching students or working with a colleague, since the microscope allows two people to look at a specimen simultaneously.
More importantly, however, is that trinocular microscopes are great for recording the progress and behavior of a specimen over a long period of time, since it can readily be fitted with a digital camera while still allowing the observer to periodically look at the sample himself.
Viewing head versatility
One important thing you need to understand about these trinocular viewing heads is that they should offer three viewing positions, wherein one allows all of the light to be directed to the binocular viewing head, and the other two positions direct certain percentages of this light both the binocular head and the third eyepiece or camera, or solely to the camera.
This is important to take into account, since this is one of the main factors that make the microscope as versatile as possible. Being able to control how and how much of the light is directed affects what one or two persons can see, or what a camera can see.
Illumination
In relation to the positioning of the viewing head is the illumination system of the microscope. For example, bright field illumination functions differently from dark field and fluorescence microscopy, and this will affect how you see specimens, not just in how the specimen is illuminated, but also in how the light interacts with the viewing head.
The type of light and where it’s located also factors in. Arguably the best light source is a halogen light bulb, but it’s costly. Hence, LED light bulbs are insanely popular, since they’re bright and energy efficient. There are also fluorescent and tungsten light bulbs that you’ll find.
Magnification
As with all microscopes, since their main purpose is to magnify images of a specimen, one of the most important factors to take into account is the trinocular microscope’s magnification power, as this will determine what and how much you can see through the eyepiece.
With compound light microscopes, a high magnification range is to be expected, which can reach up to 2500x, especially when oil immersion objective lenses are used. The more important question is,however, do you really need that much magnification?
Camera
If you want a digital trinocular microscope, then the camera component should be one of the things you need to evaluate. You are going to want a high quality digital camera that offers a high resolution, but you should know that 10+ MP cameras are not easy to find.
What’s more important here is that you have a large viewing screen or monitor, so the camera’s zoom function actually serves a purpose. Moreover, the integrated software should be compatible with your device, and offer plenty of functions for you to use.
Versatility
Do you need to use a microscope for other purposes and by utilizing other microscopy techniques, such as dark field microscopy, phase contrast microscopy, or polarization? Then you need to look for a microscope that can give you that.
Rather than purchasing separate microscopes for each individual purpose, there are versatile and intelligently engineered microscopes with multifunctional capabilities, including a few on this list. This makes things more cost effective, and enables you to use the microscope for various applications aside from bright field microscopy.
Overall quality
Of course, the overall quality, performance, reliability, and durability of the microscope is essential as well, since you don’t want a microscope that you can barely use. Otherwise, you’ll be wasting hundreds or thousands of dollars for nothing.
Don’t skimp out and buy plastic microscopes just because they’re cheap, but more importantly, make sure that the optical lens systems of the microscope, and the camera if applicable, are reliable and noteworthy.
Final Thoughts
Trinocular microscopes are highly useful and beneficial optical microscopes that can be operated by two people at the same time, or can be used with a digital camera that captures the specimen under the microscope.
When it comes to the question of which one is the best trinocular microscope out there, there technically isn’t one right answer, since it actually depends on what you need and what you’re looking for.
That said, I personally recommend the AmScope T690C-PL-10M trinocular compound microscope, since it’s one of the most high end trinocular compound microscopes with all the best of the best features and specs, including an impressive magnification range, halogen lighting for illumination, and a 10 megapixel digital camera.
