Page Comparison

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Use a widefield microscope if your specimen is thin and relatively free of out-of focus blur or you don't need to optically section it for processing, analysis and visualisation in 3D.

Microscope Name	Upright or Inverted?	Fluorescence Colours	Key Features	Techniques
Axioplan	Upright	Blue, Green, Red, Far-Red

Fluorescence
DIC

Zeiss Axioplan 2 microscope

with

QImaging QClick camera

for high

Fluorescence DIC	High sensitivity and high resolution fluorescence microscopy and differential interference contrast (DIC) of fixed specimens on slides
Axio Imager	Upright	Blue, Green, Red, Far-Red. Cyan and Yellow available on request	Zeiss Axio Imager A1 microscope QImaging Retiga EXi camera Fluorescence Phase contrast	Zeiss Axio Imager A1 microscope with QImaging Retiga EXi for high sensitivity and high resolution fluorescence microscopy and phase contrast of fixed specimens on slides
Axioskop 3	Upright	Blue, Green, Red	Zeiss Axioskop microscope QImaging QICAM colour camera Fluorescence Phase contrast

Colour cameraColour camera

Motorised stage	Zeiss Axioskop microscope with QImaging QICAM colour camera for moderate to high resolution fluorescence microscopy and imaging of histologically or histochemically stained specimens on slides. Motorised stage supports tiling and stitching of specimens.
Leica	Inverted	Blue, Green, Red	Leica DMIRB microscope Hamamatsu Orca NRB camera Fluorescence Phase contrast Long distance lenses	Leica DMIRB microscope with Hamamatsu Orca NRB camera. Good for moderate resolution fluorescence microscopy and phase contrast of fixed/live specimens on slides, or in dishes and plates with glass or plastic bottoms
Leica 2	Inverted	Blue, Cyan, Green, Red	Leica DMIRB microscope Leica DFC7000T colour camera Fluorescence Phase contrast

LMC

Leica Modulation Contrast (LMC)
Long distance lenses

Leica DMIRB microscope with Leica DFC7000T colour camera for high resolution fluorescence microscopy and colour imaging of histologically or histochemically stained specimens on slides, or in dishes and plates with glass or plastic bottoms

Confocal Microscopes

Use a confocal microscope if your specimen in thick, has significant out-of-focus blur, or if you need to process, analyse or visualise it in 3D.

Microscope Name	Upright or Inverted?	Laser Lines	37°C Incubation	Key Features	Techniques
SPE	Upright	405, 488, 532, 640	Possible	Leica TCS SPE with DM2500 stand Differential Interference Contrast Spectral imaging system One PMT detector Z Galvo high speed focus Water dipping lenses available Incubation possible with Warner Instruments perfusion chamber	3D imaging of fixed specimens on slides. Orthogonal scans (in XZ) using the Z Galvo. Live imaging of perfused specimens if an upright configuration is needed.
SPE2	Upright	405, 488, 532, 640	Possible	Leica TCS SPE with DM2500 stand Differential Interference Contrast Spectral imaging system One PMT detector Z Galvo high speed focus Water dipping lenses available Incubation possible with Oko-Lab stage adapter	3D imaging of fixed specimens on slides. Orthogonal scans (in XZ) using the Z Galvo. Live imaging of specimens in dishes possible with water dipping lenses using Oko-lab stage adapter if an upright configuration is needed.
SPE3	Inverted	405, 488, 561, 640	No	Leica TCS SPE version 2 with DMI4000 stand 561 nm laser instead of 532 nm laser Motorised stage Spectral imaging system One PMT detector Z Galvo high speed focus Differential Interference Contrast Matrix Screener software module	3D imaging of specimens on slides and in dishes with multi-position acquisition and tiling. In comparison to other SPE confocal microscopes the 561 nm laser is closer to the excitation peak of most popular red fluorophores. Fluorescence and DIC on gridded 35 mm dishes for correlative light and electron microscopy. Matrix Screener software is available for high content screening type applications.
SP5	Inverted	405, 457, 476, 488, 495, 561, 594, 633	Yes	Leica TCS SP5 with DMI6000B stand Motorised stage Differential Interference Contrast Spectral imaging system Three high sensitivity Hybrid detectors and one PMT FRAP and FRET Wizards Live Data Mode and Matrix Screener modules Pe-Con incubation equipment	3D imaging of specimens on slides and live imaging of specimens in 35 mm dishes and Lab-Tek chambered coverslips using Pe-Con incubation equipment. Multi-position acquisition and tiling. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP). Förster Resonance Energy Transfer by Acceptor Photobleaching or Sensitised Emission using FRET wizards. Fluorescence and DIC on gridded 35 mm dishes for correlative light and electron microscopy. Advanced experiment design using Live Data Mode (e.g. reconfiguring acquisition for SRRF). Matrix Screener for high content screening, export of data as OME TIFF.
Olympus FV1200	Inverted	405, 458, 488, 515, 559, 635 Sim Scanner: 405 (pulsed), 440	Yes	Olympus FV1200 with IX83 microscope stand Motorised stage Differential Interference Contrast Spectral imaging for two PMT detectors Third non-spectral PMT with fluorescence filters Two high sensitivity GaAsP detectors Simultaneous (Sim) scanner with pulsed 405 nm laser and 440 continuous wave laser Ablation and FRAP capability 32x and 60x silicon lenses available Tokai-Hit incubation equipment	3D scanning of fixed specimens. Live imaging of specimens in 35 mm dishes and chambered coverslips. Highly sensitivite live imaging of green and red fluorophores using the GaAsP detectors. Imaging of thick living specimens using the silicon lenses to correct for the refractive index of cytoplasm. Tiling of large specimens using the motorised stage. Ablation of cytoskeletal cortex in adherent cells using the pulsed 405 nm laser. Fluorescence and DIC on gridded 35 mm dishes for correlative light and electron microscopy.
Radiance	Upright	458, 488, 514, 543, 635	Possible	Bio-Rad Microscience Radiance 2100 with Nikon 800 stand Three high sensitivity GaAsP detectors Differential Interference Contrast Basic FRAP capability Incubation possible with stage and objective lens heaters	3D imaging of fixed specimens on slides. Other microscopes are recommended for live imaging of mammalian specimens and for more sophisticated FRAP capability.

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Versions Compared

Old Version 117

New Version 118

Key

Confocal Microscopes