[meteorite-list] Microscope search

[STARSANDSCOPES at aol.com]

Hi list, Richard is absolutely right when he  said.  "so a simple $100 
stereo microscope might be enough to get your feet  wet and help solidify the 
direction you want to go if, I mean when you purchase  your next microscope!"


He touches on an aspect that meteorite and  microscope enthusiasts have 
known since our first scope.  It is more  interesting close up.  Any specimen 
in your collection is much more  interesting when you can observe the 
subtleties that make it different from the  rest.

If you care to look at the micrographs of Angrites in my gallery  you will 
know what I am saying.

I might also add.  I have  inexpensive some Xpol scopes that are beautiful 
to look at thin sections  in.  I don't take micrographs with these scopes 
but for observation they  are wonderful and even with the setup I use to take 
micrographs on, the view  first hand is 10X better than a picture.  I would 
even say that the  observational view in one of these inexpensive scopes is 
better than the best  micrograph I can produce.


Tom


In a message dated 2/19/2010  7:40:05 P.M. Mountain Standard Time, 
damoclid at yahoo.com writes:
Hey  Paul.

A seemingly simple question with literally hundreds of answers. I  just 
purchased a microscope, but I think my needs were possibly very different  than 
many of the people on this list.

Here's a few questions to ask  yourself before you can narrow down the 
microscope that is right for  you.

How much can you budget for the microscope?

Do you only want  to view individuals and slices at lower power to see the 
details you mention  better, or do you want to view thin sections in 
polarized light at high  magnification?

Do you want to do photography of your  meteorites?

Do you want to view things other than meteorites, ie.  biological specimens?

If you simply want to view your specimens magnified  and have no plans to 
view or photograph thin sections, you can find a reasonably  good 10x - 30x 
stereo microscope for about $100. For another $50 you can find a  VGA webcam 
that can be mounted where one of the eyepieces goes and view your  specimens 
on your computer screen.

Of course if you want to have a  microscope that can "do everything" you're 
going to have to have a very large  budget. But, as you can see on Tom's 
page, he has multiple microscopes to do  what he needs, so a simple $100 
stereo microscope might be enough to get your  feet wet and help solidify the 
direction you want to go if, I mean when you  purchase your next microscope!

I can tell you more about the microscope I  just purchased and why I got 
what I did privately if you are  interested.

--
Richard Kowalski
Full Moon Photography
IMCA  #1081


--- On Fri, 2/19/10, Paul G. Spears <pgspears at cox.net>  wrote:

> From: Paul G. Spears <pgspears at cox.net>
>  Subject: [meteorite-list] Microscope search
> To:  meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
> Date: Friday, February 19, 2010,  3:20 PM
> Hi, all:
> My eyes need a little help seeing the finer  details of
> metal, mineral, shock, and crystals in meteorite
>  slices.  A microscope would be helpful, and I surmise
> that many of  the scores of scopes out there could be
> useful.  Has anyone been  particularly impressed by
> his/her scope's features and functions when  used for this
> purpose?
> 
> Any tips, or cautions, for  selecting a starter microscope
> will be appreciated.  I would be  willing to pay more
> for a scope with features everyone feels are  essential, and
> would consider new or used, if anyone has recently  upgraded
> and has a reliable unit that needs a new home.
> 
>  My wife, Grace, and I had an unbelievably great experience
> at the Tucson  show!  It was our first time there and,
> if you have never attended  before, we encourage you to be
> there at your first opportunity as it is  an experience you
> will never forget.
> Regards,
> Paul G.  Spears
> IMCA #3272
> 
> 
>  ______________________________________________
> Visit the Archives at  
http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html
>  Meteorite-list mailing list
> Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
>  http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
>  



______________________________________________
Visit the Archives at  
http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing-list-archives.html
Meteorite-list  mailing  list
Meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list