- exploring the natural world, things like pond water, soil, tissues, whatever catches my fancy
- examining rock samples (phase stuff might be bought later)
- really just having fun
- photography/time-lapse
- dark field (DF) is a must
- 1600x a minimum for max magnification
I have a few questions (I will reference AmScope solely just to keep things simple and since it's regularly mentioned for starters):
- what is the qualitative difference between a dedicated DF microscope, like the B340A-DK, and a non-DF scope like the T490A with a DF hack filter added in?
- I hear the T490B specifically mentioned a lot, but what are the qualitative differences between that and, say, the B120B. Both are 40x-1600x binocular compound scopes with a variety of objectives. I understand the trinocular on the T490B is a major difference. But is the 50% price hike worth the oft-mentioned T490 series over the lowly B120s?
- Is there a reason to go with a 40-1600x scope when there's a -2000x or -2500x scope of the same model for nearly the same price? Like the B120A, B, and C? Why not get the most magnifying power at the high end?
- Since I want to look a lot at live microorganisms, an LED is fairly mandated, no?
Thanks