Light Microscopes

Light microscopes are used for quality control applications and detailed examination of newly developed materials, electronic devices, metals, and chemicals. Designed with modularity in mind, users can customize their system with the optical and digital imaging components required by today's discerning microscopist. Olympus compound light microscopes are suitable for a variety of applications, from routine inspection to sophisticated analysis study. Our light microscopes can be combined with Olympus image analysis software for imaging inspection systems with exceptional optical performance. From basic image capture to image processing, measurement, and report generation, the Olympus range sets a new standard in light microscopes. Talk to the Experts

Loading the player… sourcecaptionscaptionscaptionscaptionscaptionscaptionscaptionscaptionscaptions BX3M Product Overview Promotional video for the new IE BX3M microscope and Stream 2.1 software. These two product make up the core of the IE business.

Types of Light Microscope

Upright Metallurgical Microscopes

Olympus BX series upright metallurgical microscopes meet a wide-variety of analysis applications, from a routine inspection to sophisticated studies thanks to superb optical performance and a variety of accessories.

Inverted Metallurgical Microscopes

Olympus GX series inverted metallurgical microscopes are reliable and high-performance imaging system with the advanced Olympus UIS2 optics. GX microscopes are highly efficient when used with OLYMPUS Stream image analysis software.

Modular Microscopes

Olympus BXFM modular microscopes are ideal optical modules to integrate into sophisticated inspection systems. The wide range of selections from manual components to motorized components offer outstanding flexibility.

Compound Light Microscope FAQs

What is a light microscope used for?

Microscopes are an essential tool for science, with a variety of uses. Light microscopes can be used across a range of disciplines—including medicine, mineralogy, microbiology, and material science—for analysis, inspection, and quality control.

Why is a light microscope called a compound microscope?

A light microscope can also be called a compound light microscope, or simply compound microscope. Compound microscopes are so named because they are designed with a compound lens system.

How do light microscopes differ from electron microscopes?

Electron microscopes work in a different way than light microscopes: rather than magnifying an image of a sample through light, they do so through a beam of electrons.

What is a compound light microscope?

A light microscope is a microscope that uses lenses and focused light in order to magnify a sample. While a simple light microscope uses a single lens to create an image, a compound light microscope utilizes two lenses—the objective lens and the eyepieces. This provides a much higher magnification of a sample.

How does a light microscope work?

A compound light microscope has two lens systems, the objective lens and the eyepieces, which work together with light to magnify a sample or specimen. A light microscope gathers light from the small area in which a sample sits on the stage. When this light is passed through the sample, it creates an image. This image is then sent up through the microscope’s objective lens and through the eyepieces in order to magnify the sample as the image reaches the user’s eyes.

Light Microscope Resources

Metal Industry Inspection Solutions Video This video looks at the steel industry and how microscopes in production laboratories can assist with inspections and analysis to ensure that materials will hold up under extreme circumstances.	Loading the player… sourcecaptionscaptionscaptions Metal Industry Inspection Solutions video
Blog: What Is a Digital Microscope? This blog post shares what a digital microscope is, explores how it works, discusses the benefits of using one, and provides some applications.