csb
14-06-2012, 09:24 PM
I have a Brightwell BW908C usb digital microscope and I am wondering if it is actually 400X as advised on the box and in the manual.
I have attached an image taken with the microscope using the Brightwell imaging software.
It is an image of pages from a 400 page book. I counted ten pages and marked the edges of the 1st & 10th pages of this group with a black texta. I measured the thickness of the ten pages at 1mm (nearly exact) with a metal ruler.
Then I took an image of the pages with the microscope set at 400X, which is the image posted. The dark lines are pages 1 & 10. Measurement, from outside edge of each line, is just under 10cm on my computer screen.
Obviously this is not 400X 1mm!
So is my understanding of a microscope magnification power incorrect?
I can enlarge the image to 1600x1300 which makes it visually larger between the lines but with big loss of resolution - already you can see pixelation? in the posted image.
On the net I found some images of coins and print that was supposed to be 200X with a digital microscope - my microscope can take images with similar detail and resolution.
(I just checked the posted image and it is the same size as original when viewed on my pc. Also if you click to enlarge then that is basically same size image, and appearance (pixelated), as the 1600x1300.)
I have attached an image taken with the microscope using the Brightwell imaging software.
It is an image of pages from a 400 page book. I counted ten pages and marked the edges of the 1st & 10th pages of this group with a black texta. I measured the thickness of the ten pages at 1mm (nearly exact) with a metal ruler.
Then I took an image of the pages with the microscope set at 400X, which is the image posted. The dark lines are pages 1 & 10. Measurement, from outside edge of each line, is just under 10cm on my computer screen.
Obviously this is not 400X 1mm!
So is my understanding of a microscope magnification power incorrect?
I can enlarge the image to 1600x1300 which makes it visually larger between the lines but with big loss of resolution - already you can see pixelation? in the posted image.
On the net I found some images of coins and print that was supposed to be 200X with a digital microscope - my microscope can take images with similar detail and resolution.
(I just checked the posted image and it is the same size as original when viewed on my pc. Also if you click to enlarge then that is basically same size image, and appearance (pixelated), as the 1600x1300.)