Question

I have recently purchased a binocular microscope (Saxon Researcher Compact Biological Microscope 40x-1600x), and have had difficulty getting the two circles of light that I'm seeing through the eyepieces to merge. I've focused the microscope without much difficulty, but when I look through I still see the two circles. Researching this problem told me to bring the eyepieces closer together until the circles merge, however when I do this, I just stop seeing through one of the eyepieces (I close one eye, nothing changes, I close the other - and I just see black in the eyepiece. Also when I move my head slightly I can see through the other eyepiece, but as soon as it's adjusted so I can see through both there's the two circles ). Does anybody have any suggestions as to how I could fix this?

Additionally in my research I saw that you eyes should be 1.5-2cm from the eyepieces, but I cannot see anything but a small dot in the centre until my eyes are almost pressed up against the lenses, is this wrong?

Answer 1

The problem of misaligned eyepieces in a binocular microscope can usually be solved by adjusting the interpupillary distance, but if this doesn't work, professional calibration may be necessary. It's also important to ensure proper eye relief and illumination adjustment, especially when changing magnifications.

Step-by-step explanation:

Working with a binocular microscope can sometimes present challenges with alignment and focus. The issue you're describing sounds like a case of misaligned eyepieces or interpupillary distance. Bringing the eyepieces closer together is a common solution, but if that's not working, it might be that the microscope requires a professional calibration. Also, ensuring that the eyes are at the correct distance from the eyepieces is crucial. If you're seeing only a small dot unless you are very close to the lenses, it might indicate that the eye relief is not properly adjusted for your vision or that you're not looking through the eyepieces correctly.

Objective lenses on microscopes, like the ones on your Saxon Researcher Compact Biological Microscope, are parfocal, which means you can switch between them without losing focus on your sample. The illumination may need adjustment, especially as you change magnification, to ensure that the image doesn't appear too dark.

If you're experiencing difficulty aligning the circles of light in the eyepieces, it could also be a problem related to the interpupillary distance adjustment. If adjusting the distance doesn't solve the issue, it's possible that one of the eyepieces is improperly seated or that there's an internal misalignment that would require professional servicing or repair.