| Most of us remember the traditional optical microscope | | | | real-time. Any number of students can now see the |
| from our school science classes. I remember carefully | | | | image on the screen, or print it on any inkjet printer, |
| preparing a specimen, usually of an insect part or slice | | | | from a single specimen. A digital microscope still uses |
| from a leaf or plant stem, and sealing this into a glass | | | | optics but has a built-in digital camera which works just |
| slide. You then spent the next ten minutes peering into | | | | like a webcam but with magnification. The software |
| the eyepiece and fiddling with knobs and small mirrors | | | | that comes with these cameras will let you take still or |
| trying to get everything in focus. Sound familiar? As | | | | video pictures while magnifying the image by 200 |
| often as not, you ended up breaking the glass as you | | | | times or more. You can then use regular image |
| tried to get everything in focus. Even if you didn't break | | | | software to manipulate and use the picture in many |
| the glass, you then had to alternately peer into the | | | | ways. |
| eyepiece and try and remember enough to create a | | | | Although these microscopes are obviously great in a |
| passable drawing of your specimen. | | | | science classroom environment where a teacher can |
| With the advent of computers and the digital era things | | | | present and discuss a rapid sequence of images, don't |
| have improved a lot. | | | | neglect their home use. They offer a fascinating insight |
| You can now buy a handheld digital microscope for | | | | into the world around us from a rarely seen |
| less than $100 which plugs straight into the USB port of | | | | perspective. You will be amazed at the complexity and |
| your computer and displays and records the image in | | | | detail of everything you find in nature. |