What is the field of view on my Celestron optical microscope?
December 11, 2012
Celestron Optical Microscope Field of View Chart
The field of view (FOV) is given for the microscopes at each power. If the FOV is less than 1 mm, then the size is given in micrometers (microns, µm); one millimeter equals 1000 microns. The number given is either the diameter of the FOV or its longest dimension. In general, FOV decreases as magnification increases. Higher magnifications also have very shallow depth of focus and smaller working distances too. In short, high magnifications should only be used for very small subjects or portions of subjects.
(Note: these figures are approximate and may differ from the actual instrument.)
As comparisons, here is a table of commonly imaged subjects and their sizes either in mm or µm. Use this table with the main chart to help you decide which microscope and magnification you need to view your particular subject best.
The field of view (FOV) is given for the microscopes at each power. If the FOV is less than 1 mm, then the size is given in micrometers (microns, µm); one millimeter equals 1000 microns. The number given is either the diameter of the FOV or its longest dimension. In general, FOV decreases as magnification increases. Higher magnifications also have very shallow depth of focus and smaller working distances too. In short, high magnifications should only be used for very small subjects or portions of subjects.
(Note: these figures are approximate and may differ from the actual instrument.)
As comparisons, here is a table of commonly imaged subjects and their sizes either in mm or µm. Use this table with the main chart to help you decide which microscope and magnification you need to view your particular subject best.
| US dime | 18mm |
| US Forever stamp | 22x25mm |
| Small mineral-rock specimen | 10mm |
| Jewelry gemstones | 1-10mm |
| Printed circuit board component | 3-5mm |
| PC board lead | 0.5mm or 500µm |
| Human sperm cell | 5x50µm |
| Human skin cell | 100µm |
| Human egg cell | 100-200µm |
| Human red blood cell | 6-8µm |
| Amoeba proteus | 220-740μm |
| Argentine ant Linepithema humile | 3mm |
| Escherichia coli bacterium | 2.0 x 0.5 μm |
| Dust mites | 100-300 µm |
| Dust mite droppings | 4-25 µm |
| Ragweed pollen | 15-25 µm |
| Mold spores | 0.5-20µm |
| For models 44121 through 44206, magnifications is visual - eyepiece and objective together. | ||||||||
| Model Number-Name | Magnification and field of view | |||||||
| 44121 Microscope Kit |
40-80x |
150-300x |
300-600x |
|||||
| 44125 Microscope 360 |
40x |
64x |
100x |
160x |
400x |
640x |
||
| 44102 Laboratory |
40x |
100x 1.8mm |
400x 440µm |
|||||
| 44104 Advanced 500 |
40x |
50x 3.5mm |
100x 1.8mm |
125x 1.4mm |
400x 440µm |
500x 350µm |
||
| 44106 Advanced 1000 |
40x 4.4mm |
100x 1.8mm |
400x 440µm |
1000x 180µm |
||||
| 44108 Professional 1500 |
40x |
60x |
100x 1.8mm |
150x |
400x 440µm |
600x |
1000x 180µm |
1500x 120µm |
| 44202 Advanced Stereo |
20x |
40x 4.9mm |
||||||
| 44206 Professional Stereo |
10.5x |
68x |
||||||
Updated 12/18/13
