GX Optical offer the largest range of biological upright microscopes from these major manufacturers:
GX Microscopes, Leica, Olympus, Meiji and Motic. 

We have arranged the microscope selection below based on the level of microscope user and technology required.
For a full explanation see the
Biological Upright Compound Microscopes Range Datasheet

PLEASE CLICK ON A PICTURE BELOW TO SEE PRICES AND DETAILS OF MICROSCOPES IN EACH RANGE:

Research, Routine & University Teaching Microscopes
We are offering a large range of this class of microscope from al of the major manufacturers at the great prices you would expect from GX Optical
These microscopes typically have:
> superior optics
> a choice of binocular and trinocular heads
> mechanical stage
>magnifications of up to 1600X with accessories
> halogen or LED illumination
> a wide range of accessories such as darkfield, phase and camera attachments

Digital Microscopes

Digital microscopy is a particular area of expertise for GX Optical.  We have the widest range of digital microscopes.
 Some of these microscopes are conventional biological upright compound microscopes with built-in digital cameras.
These link to your PC via a USB lead and some have the ability to write images to a memory card without the need for a PC.

Hobbyist & Student Microscopes

GX Optical have a great choice of microscopes for schools, colleges, amateur societies and the home enthusiast.
this is a group of users that we are particularly keen to support which is reflected in our bargain prices.
Every microscope in our range has been very carefully selected and includes binocular, monocular and digital microscopes suitable for all ages

How We Classify Different Types of Biological Upright Microscopes

Biological Upright Microscopes also known as Compound Microscopes or High Power Microscopes, all have the same common elements of an eyepiece tube, turret of objectives, specimen stage and some form of illumination which is designed to shine through the specimen.

These microscopes are designed for looking at slide-mounted, semi-transparent subjects, typically this would be a thin section of tissue (usually stained), cells (eg blood or smears), bacteria, waterborne microbes and miscellaneous specimens such as hairs, filters, crystals etc.

This section does not deal with fluorescence microscopes which are shown in other sections of our website and in other datasheets.

Microscope Heads
The head of a microscope contains the eyepieces and, optionally, a camera port.  All GX Microscopes heads are inclined for comfortable viewing.  There are three types of head available in the GX Microscopes range:

 Monocular
A single viewing port with a single eyepiece
commonly found in basic level microscopes.
GX Microscopes models that have the suffix ‘HMG’ are always monocular and there also many other monocular models, for example:



 Binocular
Containing two eyepieces for comfortable viewing. 
Most binocular (and trinocular) GX Microscopes are equipped with an adjustable  interpupillary distance (allows you to set the correct distance between your eyes)
GX Microscopes models that have the suffix ‘HBG’ are always binocular, eg L3000 HBG     L1500 HBG

 Trinocular
A trinocular head is a binocular head with a prism which diverts some or all the light to an additional ‘photo tube’ so images can be captured using a camera. 
GX Microscopes models that have the suffix ‘HTG’ are always trinocular other models are only available with a  trinocular head, eg: L3200, L1500B HTG

 Digital or Video
Sometimes microscopes are supplied as ‘Digital Microscopes’ or ‘Video Microscopes’ in these models the camera is built into the head

In a few models both a camera and a monitor are built into the head:           GXM DMS600
 Digital Microscopes with built in cameras can provide live digital image output typically via a USB connection to a PC where a software application will display the image and allow you to capture and manipulate the images.  Some have memory card slots for image capture without the need for PC.
Video microscopes have a video output for direct connection to a video display monitor or projector. Some Digital Microscopes also have a video output.







 



Objective Nosepiece
The objective nosepiece holds the main magnifying lenses of the microscope known as objectives.  In a compound microscope the objectives screw into the nosepiece and they are very accurately aligned. 

Some nosepieces can take up to 5 objectives, others only 3 or 4. 

 Some nosepieces are reversed (see L3000 quintuple reversed nosepiece left) to make it easier to load specimens onto the stage.

Objectives
These are the lenses that will collect the light from the specimen. There are many types of objective lenses offered in the GX Microscopes range, the tables in the objectives datasheets show the specifications.
Microscope objectives are the most important parts of an optical microscope because they are responsible for initial image formation and determine the quality of images that the microscope can yield. Objectives also determine the magnification and resolution that can be observed in the microscope.
The Objectives here are ranked in order of image quality, highest quality first:
1.Infinity Corrected Plan Apochromatic
2.Infinity Corrected Plan Achromatic
3.Plan Achromatic
4.Semi-Plan Achromatic (SPLAN)
5.Economy Plan Achromatic (EPLAN)
6.Achromatic
The objective is the difficult component of an optical microscope to design and assemble. GX Microscopes provide a wide range of objective designs, which feature excellent optical characteristics under a wide spectrum of illumination conditions and provide various degrees of correction for the primary optical aberrations.

Microscope Stage
This is where your specimen is placed for examination.  GX Microscopes supply a range of different stage types.
The most common and preferred type of stage is the’ mechanical stage’  (left) where a set of coaxial control knobs can be used to move the specimen in X and Y directions.  The quality of the GX Microscopes mechanical stages is very high, providing smooth movement which makes fine positioning of specimens at high magnifications very simple. 
Other types of stages include ‘clip stage’ this is a simple pair of clips which can be used to hold your slide in place yet loose enough for you to position the specimen by pushing the slide under the clips.  This type of stage is commonly found in children’s microscopes.
Mechanical stages can be motorised, please consult GX Microscopes for advice on this matter.
All biological microscopes have holes in the stage to allow light to pass through the specimen. 
The specimen holders (typically slide holders) are carefully designed to make specimen loading simple and accurate.

Focus
There are two basic types of focusing mechanisms available with GX Microscopes. 
The simplest is two separate knobs, a coarse and a fine focus knob, this type of microscope is less common and generally found in schools ranges.

 Separate focusing knobs:


The most common type found in compound microscopes is the coaxial focus knob which has two knobs built into one, with an outer coarse and inner fine focus knob.  This type is the most convenient to use.

 




Coaxial focusing knobs:
Many GX Microscopes also have a tension adjustment ring and a focus limit
lever which prevents damage to your objectives.








Condenser
 Mounted under the stage the condenser focuses the light precisely through the specimen and into the objective, ensuring the objective receives the optimum amount of light which can influence the resolution of the image viewed.
GX Microscopes can be supplied with no condenser or a simple type which as a basic lens and sometimes a diaphragm or a full resolution Abbe condenser with diaphragm mounted on its own rack and pinion.