When should I choose a zoom microscope?

Edmund Optics offers two major types of microscopes: zoom microscopes (where the magnification factor can change smoothly over a range) or non-zoom microscopes (where the magnification factor is set at one or two fixed values). The choice of which one suits your need depends upon your application. The major advantage of using a zoom microscope is a smooth change in magnification and field of view over a specific range. For example, our Edmund Optics Zoom Inspection Microscope Heads can obtain any magnification value between 7.5X to 30X or 25X to 100X depending on the specific model, while a non-zoom microscope only offers a fixed magnification i.e. either a 10x/30x or a 20x/40x magnification. The major disadvantage of using a zoom microscope is cost. Zoom microscopes tend to be many times more expensive than non-zoom microscopes.