Compound Light Microscopes

Compound Light Microscopes

Compound Light Microscopes

Compound light microscopes from Leica Microsystems meet the highest demands whatever the application – from routine laboratory work to the research of multi-dimensional dynamic processes in living cells.

Mica

Mica - The world’s first Microhub. Everything you need to enable discoveries, unified in one easy-to-use system. Simultaneous 4-color widefield, confocal resolution, AI supported analysis.

EZ4

Stereo microscope for beginners in college and university education with 8x to 35x magnification and 7-way LED illumination

STELLARIS Cryo

STELLARIS Cryo is a confocal light microscope system that helps you to target your area of interest for cryo-electron tomography (CryoET)

Leica EZ4 W & EZ4 E

Stereo microscope for college and university education with 8x to 35x magnification, 7-way LED illumination, and integrated camera

MZ10 F

Modular stereomicroscope for fluorescent imaging

THUNDER Imager Cell Spinning Disk

Discover the power of combining THUNDER technology with the CrestOptics CICERO spinning disk.

Leica DM3000 & DM3000 LED

Uniquely Ergonomic System Microscopes With Intelligent Automation

DMi8

DMi8 inverted microscope platform enables you to generate high quality data with solutions tailored to your research requirements and budget.

Mateo TL

Digital transmitted light microscope for easy routine cell check and consistent confluency evaluation

DM500

Binocular educational microscope for life science students with 4 infinity-corrected plan-achromat objectives and fluorescence capability

DM8000 M & DM12000 M

Detect defects and carry out sample overviews quickly with the reliable DM8000 M & DM12000 M inspection microscopes.

DM1000

Uniquely Ergonomic System Microscope

DM IL LED

Inverted Laboratory Microscope with LED Illumination

Mateo

Integrated inverted digital microscopes for cell culture research with AI-assisted workflows for consistent cell culture analysis.

DM6 FS

Fixed Stage Microscope for Electrophysiology and in vivo Imaging

Ivesta 3

Greenough Stereo Microscopes. Optimize visual inspection and rework while achieving reliable, consistent results.

Cell DIVE

Multiplex imaging solution Cell DIVE offers crystal-clear whole tissue images, the visualization of 60+ biomarkers and over 350 validated antibodies.

THUNDER Imager Model Organism

The THUNDER Imager Model Organism allows fast and easy 3D exploration of whole organisms for developmental or molecular biology research.

Leica M205 FCA & Leica M205 FA

(Semi)-automated fluorescence stereo microscopes

THUNDER Imager Tissue

The THUNDER Imager Tissue allows real-time fluorescence imaging of 3D tissue sections typically used in neuroscience and histology research.

THUNDER Imager Live Cell & 3D Assay

THUNDER Imagers provide you with a solution for advanced 3D cell culture assays, whether you want to study stem cells, spheroids, or organoids.

Leica LMD6 & LMD7

Laser Microdissection enables users to isolate specific single cells or entire areas of tissue.

Envisu R-Class

Optical Coherence Tomography for Preclinical Researchers

Leica DM4 B & DM6 B

Increase work efficiency with Leica DM4 B & DM6 B upright digital research microscopes.

FS4000 LED

Forensic Comparison Microscope with LED Illumination

DM750 M

Binocular materials microscope for education, basic metallography, and forensics education

M165 FC

Fluorescent stereomicroscope

Leitz Optilux

View the Finest Details - Compound Microscope

FS M

Manual Forensic Comparison Macroscope

FS C & FS M

Comparison macroscopes for examination of forensic evidence

FS CB

Motorized Forensic Comparison Microscope

DM ILM

Inverted Microscope for Metallography and Industrial Materials Inspection

DM750

Binocular educational microscope for life science postdocs with 4 or 5 infinity-corrected or HI plan-achromat objectives and fluorescence capability

Leica DM2500 & DM2500 LED

Ergonomic optical microscope systems for routine and research applications

DM1000 LED

Uniquely ergonomic system microscope with LED illumination

LAS X Widefield Systems

Fluorescence Microscope System for Advanced Imaging and Analysis

Read our latest articles about Light Microscopes

The knowledge portal of Leica Microsystems offers scientific research and teaching material on the subjects of microscopy. The content is designed to support beginners, experienced practitioners and scientists alike in their everyday work and experiments.

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Rapid Semiconductor Inspection with Microscope Contrast Methods

Semiconductor inspection during the production of patterned wafers and ICs (integrated circuits) is important for identifying and minimizing defects. To increase the efficiency of quality control in the early stages of production and to ensure reliable IC chip performance, microscopy solutions should combine different contrast methods that provide complete and accurate information about different defects. Our free guide details microscopy techniques & optimizing quality control. Get your free copy today!

Cross-section Analysis for Electronics Manufacturing

This article describes cross-section analysis for electronics concerning quality control and failure analysis of printed circuit boards (PCBs) and assemblies (PCBAs), integrated circuits (ICs), etc.

Epi-Illumination Fluorescence and Reflection-Contrast Microscopy

This article discusses the development of epi-illumination and reflection contrast for fluorescence microscopy concerning life-science applications. Much was done by the Ploem research group collaborating with the company Leitz.

ISO 9022 Standard Part 11 - Testing Microscopes with Severe Conditions

This article describes a test to determine the robustness of Leica microscopes to mold and fungus growth. The test follows the specifications of the ISO 9022 part 11 standard for optical instruments.

Life Science Research: Which Microscope Camera is Right for You?

Deciding which microscope camera best fits your experimental needs can be daunting. This guide presents the key factors to consider when selecting the right camera for your life science research.

Factors to Consider When Selecting a Research Microscope

An optical microscope is often one of the central devices in a life-science research lab. It can be used for various applications which shed light on many scientific questions. Thereby the configuration and features of the microscope are crucial for its application coverage, ranging from brightfield through fluorescence microscopy to live-cell imaging. This article provides a brief overview of the relevant microscope features and wraps up the key questions one should consider when selecting a research microscope.

Challenges Faced When Manually Rating Non-Metallic Inclusions (NMIs) to Determine Steel Quality

Rapid, accurate, and reliable rating of non-metallic inclusions (NMIs) is instrumental for the determination of steel quality. This article describes the challenges that arise from manual NMI rating, which is commonly used in steel production and component manufacturing, when striving for an efficient and cost-effective steel quality evaluation.

Top Issues Related to Standards for Rating Non-Metallic Inclusions in Steel

Supplying components and products made of steel to users worldwide can require that a single batch be compliant with multiple steel quality standards. This user demand creates significant challenges for suppliers. The standards specify rigorous methods for rating non-metallic inclusions in steel, as the inclusions have a strong influence on quality. Rating the steel quality helps ensure that products and components meet performance and safety specifications.

Analyzing Non-metallic Inclusions in Steel

Oftentimes we find ourselves caught up in tedious analyses by reticle and comparison chart, time-consuming double-evaluation according to several standards or subjective inspection results with a bias from different users. In this webinar, Dr. Nicol Ecke will talk about the advantages of automated analysis of non-metallic inclusions using LAS X Steel Expert*. Learn how this will help you get the reliable, unbiased and standard-compliant results you are aiming for faster and easier than ever before.

Rate the Quality of Your Steel: Free Webinar and Report

This webinar and report describe optimal microscopy solutions for rating steel quality in terms of non-metallic inclusions and reviews the various international and regional standards concerning rigorous quality assessment methods, e.g., EN 10247, ASTM E45, DIN 50602, and ISO 4967.

See the Structure with Microscopy - Know the Composition with Laser Spectroscopy

The advantages of a 2-in-1 materials analysis solution combining optical microscopy and laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for simultaneous visual and chemical inspection are described in this report. The basic principles of the 2-in-1 solution and a comparison between it and other common materials analysis methods, such scanning electron microscopy (SEM), are explained to demonstrate how a rapid, efficient workflow is achieved. A 2-in-1 analysis solution can reduce significantly the cost and time for obtaining material image and composition data. Such data are instrumental in assuring quality and reliability to make confident decisions quickly during production, quality control, failure analysis, and research and development in industries and fields, such as automotive and metallurgy.

Optimization of the Interplay of Optical Components for Aberration Free Microscopy

Optical microscopes are used to magnify objects which are otherwise invisible for the human eye. For this purpose high quality optics is necessary to achieve appropriate resolution. However, besides intentional effects, all optical components have also unwanted intrinsic influence on light, resulting in aberrations. This article highlights optical elements and their physical parameters involved in this process. Based on this, it gives a historical overview of philosophies about how to cope with aberration reduction. Seeing the microscope as a whole system turned out to be beneficial, leading to the harmonization of its constituents for optimal microscopic results.

Infinity Optical Systems

“Infinity Optics” refers to the concept of a beam path with parallel rays between the objective and the tube lens of a microscope. Flat optical components can be brought into this “Infinity Space” without influencing image formation, which is critical for the utilization of contrast methods such as DIC or fluorescence. Modern microscopy techniques require the addition of multiple optical instruments, such as light sources or laser devices, into the infinite light path. Different approaches to fulfill this need have emerged and are described here.

Key Questions

1What is your application?

The Leica compound light microscope you need depends on your application. The demands of different applications are best met by different light microscopes and light microscope parts. The modular design of Leica light microscopes enable a customized solution to be set up for a specific application.

2Which type of samples do you need to visualize?

Whether you are observing samples for routine laboratory work, materials production or analysis, or complex life science research, the optical resolution, contrast, depth of field, and image quality you need are provided by Leica light microscope solutions. Additionally, light microscope parts and accessories, such as objectives, illumination types, and digital cameras, along with the Leica Application Suite software, can further customize and optimize the solution for your specific application needs.

3What about the budget for the light microscope solution?

Customized light microscope solutions can lead to higher investment costs, but they allow you and your colleagues to increase productivity. A microscope solution can be optimized essentially for almost any application due to a large variety of light microscopes, light microscope parts, and accessories.

4What is the difference between a compound light microscope and stereo microscope?

A compound light and stereo microscope both use optics with an objective lens and eyepieces or oculars for viewing the image of the sample. In general, a compound light microscope achieves a higher range of magnification than a stereo. There is only one light channel for viewing the sample with a compound microscope, so a 2D image is seen. A stereo microscope has two light channels, one for each eye of the observer, which enable a 3D image of the sample to be seen. If either a compound or stereo microscope is equipped with a camera, then just one light channel is used and only a 2D image can be recorded.

Meet Mica
The world’s first Microhub

Mica enables microscopy access for all, removes the constraints of traditional four-color fluorescence imaging and radically simplifies workflows.

Read more

Light Microscopes 50

Mica

Mica - The world’s first Microhub. Everything you need to enable discoveries, unified in one easy-to-use system. Simultaneous 4-color widefield, confocal resolution, AI supported analysis.

EZ4

Stereo microscope for beginners in college and university education with 8x to 35x magnification and 7-way LED illumination
STELLARIS Cryo Confocal Microscope

STELLARIS Cryo

STELLARIS Cryo is a confocal light microscope system that helps you to target your area of interest for cryo-electron tomography (CryoET)
Image of C2C12 cells: The cells are stained with lamin B (magenta) which indicates nuclear structure, Hoechst (blue) indicating DNA, and γH2AX (yellow) indicating damage to DNA. Cells were imaged using a THUNDER Imager 3D Live Cell with a 63X/1.4 oil immersion objective.

Cell Biology Research

Imaging solutions offered by Leica Microsystems are designed to maximize your cell biology research.

Cell Biology Solutions

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Frequently Asked Questions Light Microscopes

Leica microscopes are modular and shipped in the configuration that best fits your stated needs or application. In case your needs change later, you can always upgrade your workstation by adding available accessories.

Leica Microsystems offers the free Store & Recall software (available with the LAS X software platform for industry) which allows you to customize the microscope functions, adapting them to the requirements and needs of each individual user. The software also allows you to restore all system settings saved with the acquired image.

All our encoded microscope solutions offer calibration and image comparison. Furthermore, Leica Microsystems offers the free Store & Recall software which allows you to restore all system settings saved with the acquired image.

No, you don’t. By installing a FLEXACAM C1 camera, you can directly save the images on an IT network server or USB medium. You can also send the images via e-mail over your network without the need for a PC.

With the FLEXACAM C1 camera you can directly save images on an IT network server or USB medium. You can also send the images via e-mail without having to use a computer.

There are a lot of accessories. Please get in contact with your local Leica sales representative.

There are a lot of ergonomic accessories for Leica light microscopes. Please contact your local Leica sales representative for more details or visit: Ergonomic Accessories for Stereo Microscopes

LAS X software only runs with Windows, but for a MAC we have a dedicated software called ‎Leica Acquire that you could download for free from the Apple store: https://apps.apple.com/it/app/leica-acquire/id733706983?mt=12
However, there is no software for Linux.

Yes, use of a 3rd party software is possible: https://www.splashtop.com/classroom

We have adapters for all C-mount compatible cameras.

The free AirLab software, compatible with iOS or ANDROID, allows the user to immediately share images, videos, and comments.

A compound microscope uses optics to produce a magnified image of a sample so that with details of it can be observed that are undetectable with the naked eye. The most basic optics of a compound microscope has at least 2 lenses: i) an objective placed nearby the sample which creates a magnified, real image of it and ii) eyepieces or oculars which are used to view the real image of the sample. A human who looks through the eyepieces sees the sample as a virtual image on his/her retina. For more information, please refer to the Science Lab article: Optical Microscopes – Some Basics

The maximum useful magnification value achieved with any type of light microscope depends on its ultimate resolving power or maximal resolution. The resolution depends on the microscope objective lens numerical aperture (NA). At low magnification values, the NA is small leading to a low resolution. At high magnification values, the NA is high yielding a high resolution. However, because the NA has a finite maximum value, approximately 1.3, the “useful” range of magnification is limited to about 1,800x for conventional light microscopes. Magnification beyond the useful range, which can occur whenever digital microscope cameras display images on large monitors, is called "empty” magnification. In this non-useful magnification range, the sample structures appear larger, but no additional details are resolved. For more information, please refer to the Science Lab articles: Beware of "Empty" Magnification, What Does 30,000:1 Magnification Really Mean?

Semiconductor Inspection

Light microscope solutions help suppliers and device manufacturers achieve fast and precise inspection and analysis for semiconductor wafer processing. Conformity to the defined specifications during semiconductor device manufacturing is critical for reliability.

Read More

Materials Science

Excellent sample preparation and imaging methods are key for visualizing the fine details of materials with reliability and accuracy. Leica light microscope solutions enable you to achieve this goal with high-quality optics and intelligent automation for optimal workflows and analysis.

Read More

Semiconductor Inspection

Light microscope solutions help suppliers and device manufacturers achieve fast and precise inspection and analysis for semiconductor wafer processing. Conformity to the defined specifications during semiconductor device manufacturing is critical for reliability.

Read More

Materials Science

Excellent sample preparation and imaging methods are key for visualizing the fine details of materials with reliability and accuracy. Leica light microscope solutions enable you to achieve this goal with high-quality optics and intelligent automation for optimal workflows and analysis.

Read More

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