Manual focus versus auto focus has been a recurring debate within the photography industry since its inception in the late 1970s. It’s no surprise this deliberation carries over into digital microscopy and whether your application requires manual or auto focus.
Manual Focus: Digital Microscopy Pros and Cons
On a manual focus digital microscope, you adjust the lens focus with your hand by gently twisting the focus ring until the image is in sharp focus. While a bit more time-consuming than their auto-focus counterparts, manual focus adjustment is a familiar mechanism across consumer photography cameras and traditional microscopes (via focus block adjustments). It remains the most common method of achieving clear imaging by allowing more precise focusing while still being straightforward in procedure. Notably, manual focus is beneficial in low lighting/contrast or large depth of field application settings.
Our manual focus digital microscopes come in a variety of features, ranging from HD 1080p to 4K resolution, HDMI output to monitor as well as USB output for direct PC connection, and measurement software capabilities. They are particularly useful for detailed QA inspections and applications requiring high resolution documentation and annotated measurements. The HD801 HD 1080p digital microscope is one of our most popular manual focus systems for PCB inspection/rework as well as comprehensive live inspection and image capture on industrial manufactured components. For high magnification inspections, our HD806 system comes with several adapter-coupler combinations suitable for macro and micro inspections.
We also carry Dino-Lite portable handheld digital microscopes for applications requiring inspections in tight areas or confinements otherwise not reachable with a traditional tabletop microscope. There are plenty of options from our large collection of manual focus digital microscopes to accommodate for every specific need while still maintaining economical pricing.
Auto Focus Digital Microscopes: Convenience at a Price
Bringing your imaging into focus is as easy as a click of a button on an auto focus digital microscope. Most of our auto focus microscope options are programmed to automate the focusing process by clicking or pushing a single button, provided the microscope is within its required working distance. Although generally more expensive than their manual focus counterparts, auto focus digital microscopes can be a good choice for applications that require your hands to be free to do other things, such as PCB rework/soldering, or for inspections in a fast-paced environment (ex. component inspection on a conveyor belt). Auto focus also helps if you intend to inspect various items with different working distance requirements or if the microscope configuration will be situated in a hard-to-reach or enclosed area on the production line by eliminating the need to constantly readjust focus by hand.
As with any automated processes, auto focus functionality does come with some disadvantages. The camera may focus on the wrong part of the subject, or may not be as precise in clarity compared to results from manually focus imaging.
YSC Auto Focus Options
Most of our manual focus systems have an auto focus equivalent (ex. low magnification microscope HD801’s auto focus equivalent is HDAF201, and high magnification HD806’s auto focus equivalent is HDAF206). Some of our auto focus models also have other automated functions, such as auto-calibration tracking (Inspex II, Omni-Core) and motorized zoom (HDAF600) , to make inspection on the production line as efficient and hands-off as possible. A selection of handheld Dino-Lite digital microscopes has extended depth of focus, offering one-touch auto focus adjustments right from the microscope body. For high speed imaging applications, the Pixelink autofocus machine vision cameras highlight liquid lens technology, which utilizes the electrowetting process to deliver instant focus adjustments faster than their traditional mechanical lenses equivalents.
Contact us today for assistance in configuring the right manual or auto focus digital microscope system for your application!
