To judge the performance of a microscope, the FIELD of VIEW (FOV) is a criterion of interest. What is this “FIELD of VIEW”? In a technical sense, we are talking about the diameter of the INTERMEDIATE IMAGE, created by the objective or, in infinity systems, by the cooperation of objective and tube lens. This intermediate image is enlarged by the eyepiece, acting as a magnifying glass. The labelling of the eyepiece shows the actual FOV in combination with its magnification, e.g. 10X/23 for a standard 10X eyepiece with FOV 23:
Finite and infinite optical system. In the Infinity Concept please note the parallel rays between objective and tube lens.
Especially in stereo microscopy, where large samples come as standard, a large FOV is appreciated for a better sample overview before going into details. But how much “more” do I see at a glance in a FOV 23, in comparison with a FOV 20? Is it worth to choose a more expensive model, or is the less expensive solution sufficient?
