Condenser focuses the light which passes through the stage of the microscope where the specimen is mounted, providing illumination, contrast, and clarity. There are a number of different types of condensers for use in various applications, and of varying levels of quality. Adjusting a condenser properly is critical to mastering microscopy, as a poorly-utilized condenser can have a serious impact on image quality and clarity. The condenser consists of a lens or set of lenses mounted directly under the stage. The intensity of the light can be adjusted by moving the microscope condenser closer to or further away from the stage, and the width of the beam can be adjusted by making the aperture wider or smaller. Ideally, the condenser should be set on a wide aperture, and it should be as close to the stage as possible. This offers the best focus and clarity.
Where is the condenser located in a microscope?
Condensers are situated above the light source and under the sample in an upright microscope, and above the stage and below the light source in an inverted microscope. An inverted microscope is a microscope with its light source and condenser on the top, above the stage pointing down, while the objectives and turret are below the stage pointing up. They act to gather light from the microscope’s light source and concentrate it into a cone of light that illuminates the specimen. The intensity and angle of the light cone must be adjusted (via the size of the diaphragm) for each different objective lens with different numerical apertures. Condensers typically consist of a variable-aperture diaphragm and one or more lenses. Light from the illumination source of the microscope passes through the diaphragm and is focussed by the lens(es) onto the specimen. After passing through the specimen the light diverges into an inverted cone to fill the front lens of the objective.
Condenser Lens: The purpose of the condenser lens is to focus the light onto the specimen. Condenser lenses are most useful at the highest powers (400X and above). Microscopes with in stage condenser lenses render a sharper image than those with no lens (at 400X). If your microscope has a maximum power of 400X, you will get the maximum benefit by using a condenser lenses rated at 0.65 NA or greater. 0.65 NA condenser lenses may be mounted in the stage and work quite well. A big advantage to a stage mounted lens is that there is one less focusing item to deal with. If you go to 1000X then you should have a focusable condenser lens with an N.A. of 1.25 or greater. Most 1000X microscopes use 1.25 Abbe condenser lens systems. The Abbe condenser lens can be moved up and down. It is set very close to the slide at 1000X and moved further away at the lower powers.
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what does the condenser on a microscope do
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