Microscope for mushroom identification

right now this is at $51. A hell of a deal​, too bad it will be several hundred before it is over I see several worth fixing up on there, but I am brave and some people are not edit; oops, forgot the link http://www.ebay.com/itm/Zeiss-Illum...463?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cd10fb99f

 

I seen that one earlier SG. I also did a nice few hours of reading threads and articles on scopes as well as browsing them and I realized i definitely need to go with something a little fancier. The amscopes do look very nice. I have read that anything over 1kx magnification is empty magnification or something? I would like to view all stages of growth including mycelium but i'm also reading hand scopes or glasses might even be better for that, but I want it to be multipurpose for anything i come across.

 

about the empty magnafication; sort of. Here's the deal. The objective lens is what is hooked on the turret and says "4x, 10x, 40x, and 100x oil(for example)" that is your magnification. The eyepieces (oculars) also magnify (they are 10x in a 1000x max scope[IE 100x objective x 10x ocular =1000x] in a 1500x scope you have 100x objective and 15x oculars and in a 2000x scope you have 100x and 20x) imagine the objective is like the lens of your camera, maybe 15 megapixels. Then you can look at the ocular as the zoom. If you zoom in on a picture far enough, you still see all of the pixels, the picture doesn't get better when you zoom in, it's still the same picture you took. It's the same relationship with microscopes, wether you have 10x or 20x oculars, the resolution of the objective is still the same, so the picture quality is the same, the 20x is just like zooming in further on a pic If.......you know what I mean

 

So.....two and a half months later..........after patiently learning all I could about scopes, I was about to finally make a decision and was going to get an omax model from amazon when I got an email from someone at the university I had made contact with almost a year ago looking for a scope and lost contact with. Well I gave him what I was looking for and he seemed astonished at what I knew about scopes, as little as it may seem sometimes, and about mycology and what my needs were. I thank the community for that But anyways I emailed back and forth a few times then spent over a half hour on the phone with him and he says he has what he believes the perfect scope for me, an american series 10. I looked this up and it seems to be a nice piece of equipment. Especially since he can give it to me in my price range of 2-300! I will be going to meet with him in the next week or so to try out some scopes and learn a little and he told me if I feel it doesn't suit my likings , he'll help me find and order one that does. My enthusiasm seems to be paying off and he would like to introduce me to others in the bio department at our university which I cannot wait for!

 

Sounds like a really good opportunity at the university. Ask them if you can come back and use the scopes sometimes - That way you can use scopes that are worth many thousands, and will have some expert instruction on hand to answer your questions. You can learn more in a few hours of microscopy with an expert than you can in years of dicking around with scopes in your bedroom.

Ask them if there is any volunteer work you can do in the lab, you might be able to learn there for free...

I don't know much about the scope you are talking about, but try a few out and see which ones you like.

The scope that was $40 looks to me more like its worth $10 to $20. I have a few of those and I can't give them away...

 

I'm definitely going to explore every opportunity I can! And as for the 40 dollar scope, that was before I truly knew a lick about them. I googled the model he thinks I will like and they are all in the thousands refurbished and this one will be professionally cleaned and oiled and what not itself before I took it home. Not to mention all the extras he offered that he came upon by a chance encounter himself. From talking to him I seemed to get the feel he felt my ambitions as much as I do and it excited him and I don't think I'm going to get a better deal or hands on advice in the least anywhere. Plus he studies caterpillars and I'm going to collect some specimens from the property for him.....bonus points these are the kind of relationships and professional connections I need to do something w my passion and I'm EXCITED to say the least!