Frequently Asked Questions

Field of view (FOV) is the area that the digital microscope camera is seeing and displaying on the monitor. For example, if you want to see the whole penny, which has about 19mm diameter, then you need to have 19mm field of view to see the whole penny on the monitor. If you just want to see letter "G" in God, then you need 1mm field of view. If field of view is 4mm, then 1mm size would fill about 25% of the monitor. If you choose a digital microscope with 4mm to 19mm field of view, then you can see the whole penny and also zoom into letter "G". For more details on why field of view is a better determinant than magnification on which digital microscope works best for your application, please refer to our FOV vs. Magnification page.
Working distance (WD) is the distance between the front of the lens to the viewing sample to bring the image into focus. For example, 6 inch working distance would offer user the vertical clearance to do some assembly. On some application, shorter working distance may be desired. For more information, please refer to our Working Distance on Digital Microscopes page.
Digital microscopes entails viewing your inspection on a monitor screen instead of through eyepieces. This not only reduces both neck and eye strain for the operator, but also presents the opportunity for open discussion among colleagues on the live inspection on display. Digital microscopes also provide access to digital software for advanced image and measurement processing for more comprehensive data collection. For more information, please refer to our Differences Between Optical and Digital Microscopes page as well as our Digital Microscopes and Ergonomics page.
Due to the customization possibilities and digital software capabilities of a digital microscope, they have been used in a large variety of industries for quality control, research and development, training, documentation, assembly/production, and more. Industries include, but are not limited to: as electronics, aerospace, industrial production, forensics, pharmaceuticals, education, SMT, semiconductor, etc.
Digital microscopes come with different output options suited for both independent use with a monitor and connected to a computer for operation. For completely standalone operation, look for digital microscopes with HDMI output to connect directly to a monitor. For PC-side operation of the microscope, there are several output options to accomodate: USB 2.0, USB 3.0, Wi-Fi wireless adapter, and Ethernet. You can check out our digital microscopes outputs article for full details on the differences and benefits of each type of output.
HD 1080p or 4K Ultra HD HDMI output digital microscopes can offer HD high definition 1080p or 4K Ultra HD resolution for direct viewing on its respective monitor and no computer connection. These microscopes are ideal for real time viewing and inspection without any time lags. Please see our HD 1080p vs. 4K Resolutions on Digital Microscopes page for more information on the difference between HD 1080 and 4K digital microscopes, and which is the best option for your application.
That depends on what your application requires. Most applications will work fine with manual focus, especially if it is for a low light or low contrast setting. If your application limits access to the microscope system or requires fast inspections (like on a production line), you may benefit from choosing an auto focus digital microscope instead. For more details, take a look at our Manual vs. Auto Focus page.
Our digital microscopes come standard with an LED ring light with adjustable intensity and a diffuser glass to reduce glares on inspection surface. While the LED ring light works well for most applications, some applications will require specialized lighting in order to achieve quality inspection imaging. If you are inspecting a highly reflective surface, you may benefit from polarized or coaxial lighting for your application instead. See our Polarized and Coaxial Lighting page for more information on how these specialized lighting works.
Measurement software can be installed on computer, which can be connected to digital microscope via USB port.
Yes.  mHD800 series digital microscopes have smart integrated measurement tools inside the computer without using computer.  Digital microscopes can also be integrated with XY measurement stage or Z-height digimatic meter.  No PC needed.

Yes, automated measurement is available on some of the digital microscopes and video measurement systems we offer. Automated measurement and related automated features are beneficial in high volume quality control applications. For more information, please refer to our Automated Measurement on Digital Microscopes page.

Many digital microscopes have built in SD card or USB drive to save images or video direct without computer.  Images and video can also be saved direct to computer via USB port or stand alone image and video capture box without using compute
In addition to the standard AVI format, our 4K Ultra HD digital microscopes can also save videos in MP4 (H264 or H265) and WMV formats with direct computer connection. For more information, please refer to our Digital Microscope Video Formats page.
Yes, please contact us for more details.