Mr. EOU uttered, "its not really clear what $1200.00 is going to buy you from an optical standpoint because most of the metallurgical scopes are much lower magnification."
Not sure where you came up with that idea Mr. EOU. I think you may be confusing a dissecting and metallurgical scopes. Dissecting scopes natively are 40X-50X or less and with a multiplier can get up to 100X or so. Metallurgical scopes go to 2000X or higher.
Additionally, both good dissecting and metallurgical scopes have much higher quality of glass than cheapo USB scopes do, which results in greatly improved image quality and metallurgical scopes come in both bright and dark field. The difference in image quality between a good quality metallurgical microscope and cheap $100 USB scope is remarkable.
Comparing a decent metallurgical scope and the image quality it produces with a $100 or less USB scope is like comparing a Brownie camera with a with a Nikon D850 dslr. They both take pictures but other than that they have little in common and the images they produce are dramatically different.
Additionally, good quality scopes have sturdy frames with X/Y mechanical stages to precisely hold the subject allowing for precise focusing. Nothing at all like the hair pulling freak show of trying to focus USB scopes with the crap for stands that they come with.
Much better image sensors are available for quality microscopes too. Usually USB scopes range from 1.2mp to 5mp, and the sensors are not very good to begin with. 10mp cameras with quality sensors are not uncommon in good metallurgical scopes, which produce far superior image quality with considerably greater detail than budget USB scopes do.
Metallurgical scopes also are available in inverted versions where the optics are under the stage, allowing for large and oddly shaped subjects to be studied that normally would not fit in the available working distance of a standard design scope.
Metallurgical scopes designed to study metallic surfaces have excellent achromatic optical systems and polarizing filters to reduce that annoying rainbow effect of light reflected of shiny surfaces that completely obliterates detail and makes it impossible to even tell what you are looking at.
When it comes to cameras, binoculars, telescopes and microscopes, quality glass is expensive. It's another one of those cases that you really get what you pay. Prices for a decent metallurgical scope start at about $1K. Here's an example:
https://www.amazon.com/AmScope-ME300TZB-...B004WMFOY4
http://microscopegenius.com/microscope-b...croscopes/
Not sure where you came up with that idea Mr. EOU. I think you may be confusing a dissecting and metallurgical scopes. Dissecting scopes natively are 40X-50X or less and with a multiplier can get up to 100X or so. Metallurgical scopes go to 2000X or higher.
Additionally, both good dissecting and metallurgical scopes have much higher quality of glass than cheapo USB scopes do, which results in greatly improved image quality and metallurgical scopes come in both bright and dark field. The difference in image quality between a good quality metallurgical microscope and cheap $100 USB scope is remarkable.
Comparing a decent metallurgical scope and the image quality it produces with a $100 or less USB scope is like comparing a Brownie camera with a with a Nikon D850 dslr. They both take pictures but other than that they have little in common and the images they produce are dramatically different.
Additionally, good quality scopes have sturdy frames with X/Y mechanical stages to precisely hold the subject allowing for precise focusing. Nothing at all like the hair pulling freak show of trying to focus USB scopes with the crap for stands that they come with.
Much better image sensors are available for quality microscopes too. Usually USB scopes range from 1.2mp to 5mp, and the sensors are not very good to begin with. 10mp cameras with quality sensors are not uncommon in good metallurgical scopes, which produce far superior image quality with considerably greater detail than budget USB scopes do.
Metallurgical scopes also are available in inverted versions where the optics are under the stage, allowing for large and oddly shaped subjects to be studied that normally would not fit in the available working distance of a standard design scope.
Metallurgical scopes designed to study metallic surfaces have excellent achromatic optical systems and polarizing filters to reduce that annoying rainbow effect of light reflected of shiny surfaces that completely obliterates detail and makes it impossible to even tell what you are looking at.
When it comes to cameras, binoculars, telescopes and microscopes, quality glass is expensive. It's another one of those cases that you really get what you pay. Prices for a decent metallurgical scope start at about $1K. Here's an example:
https://www.amazon.com/AmScope-ME300TZB-...B004WMFOY4
http://microscopegenius.com/microscope-b...croscopes/