If you are on a budget try an Olymus SZ61 or SZ51 stereo microscope, combined with the DP21 Bayer Mask CCD camera with firewire 1394 should work well for you. Both the SZ61 or SZ51 stereo microscopes appear to be well made and are the perfect workhorse scopes for any lab. The DP21 Bayer Mask CCD camera with firewire 1394a is a 2 megapixel digital color camera with that is easy-to-use, and is a good camera for recording objects under a dissecting microscope.
No matter what scope you go with, you will need a decent light source. Keep the lamp simple, some sort of halogen lamp with a light guide option for reflected light imaging. Transmitted illumination is helpful and can always be added in the future; if you are looking for places to cut the price, cut the transmitted light option. The CCD camera should come with a basic imaging package that will make white balancing and exposures easy. Ask the Olympus sales rep about options like this.
Zeiss has a great line of stereomicroscopes also. They have a very good low cost Bayer Mask CCD camera called the AxioCam IC. Basic researchers may like the Zeiss Stemi 2000C or CS with the AxioCam ICc 1 camera. The ICc 1 has two firewire interfaces so you can connect two cameras to each other and then to a fire wire port on the PC. Their AxioCam MRc 5 bayer mask CCD camera is also nice, if you plan to do low light imaging and still want color. Monochromatic CCDs have no Bayer mask and perform the best for low light imaging which generally focused toward fluorescence imaging and traditional compound light microscopes. I really like Zeiss AxioVision software.
For stereo microscopes there are two optics options:
The Greenough Concept is the most common, basically the lens is not easily interchangeable but can be replaced. They have two distinct lenses in parallel light paths set at a discrete angle to create the stereo image for your eyes. This design is great for high topographical relief. A stereoscope with Greenough optics tend to be lower cost and is perfect for nearly everyone needing this type of microscope for routine detail work. This is what people commonly see in their labs at school. Olymus SZ61 or SZ51 and the Zeiss Stemi 2000C or CS are Greenough Concept scopes.
The Telescope Concept (CMO = Center Mounted Objective) starts with just one lens collecting the light and has two microscope systems arranged in parallel that share that one common objective. The stereo angle is formed by the extra-axial pairs of rays. You get the same image as in the Greenough Concept, but you can replace the first lens to improve your working distance and change you magnification range just like changing lenses on a 35mm camera. This design is better for flatter surfaces and small objects like salt grains. I am pretty sure this is what my endodontist used during my root canal last week. My favorite picks for this design, in order, are the SteREO Discovery V8 which is a good starter, next the SteREO Discovery V12, which is just darn amazing for the price. Gonzo is the SteREO Discovery V20 because of its 20:1 zoom range and all the parts and pieces that can be added like multiple cameras, epi-fluorescence and advanced imaging modalities like DIC and dark field, this is the perfect multi-user facility instrument. The V20 is too pricey for the average PI unless you are very, very serious about stereo imaging in your research, say for crystal growth or surface fracture analysis.
Zeiss is my number one choice. Olympus is my number two. Both companies offer great support in the US for their equipment. I should point out that dissecting microscopes are very low maintenance. Contact Olympus sales or Zeiss sales for more help on determining which microscope will work best in your lab. Also ask them for a demo of the camera and scope together. Please, try systems from both companies, and judge/compare them against a common sample or object that you actually plan to image often on the scope. Lots of times they will let you test the demo system in your lab for a week or so or maybe over lunch take advantage of the demo time without the sales rep present.
Zeiss sales support (http://www.zeiss.com/4125681F004CA025/Contents-Frame/286BA4D22B14DEE985256B4A007C3686) then select Find your Sales Representative by Region enter your zip code and press the search button.
Olympus (http://www.olympusamerica.com/seg_section/product.asp?product=1019&p=-1) just follow the link you will see a sales rep search box on the left.
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