Video Zoom Microscope

A video zoom microscope is system with a ccd camera mounted to it for output to a display monitor such as a CCTV.

Often, the microscope is of tube shape, allowing the light to come in on one end, and the camera to mount on the other end. In the middle of the unit are the zoom optics. Common zoom magnifications are 0.7x - 4.5x.

When the video image is displayed on a screen, the image size is rather large, thus increasing the magnification. Also, the ccd chip size inside the ccd camera will affect the end magnification.

For example, a 1/4 inch chip size will give a greater magnification than a 1/3 inch chip. The larger the ccd chip size, the more expensive the camera. Video resolution is also dependent on the ccd camera, with the higher quality cameras giving higher horizontal lines of video resolution. Cameras can also be either color or black and white.

The black and white cameras have more resolution since they don’t have to carry the color information. Various barlow lens can be mounted on the bottom of the microscope tube to increase or decrease the video magnification. Also, various c-mounts, the attaching device for the ccd camera, can be mounted.

These c-mounts have various magnification and can either increase or decrease overall video magnification.