Accessories for a dual view microscope are one of the best gifts you can give to science lovers…assuming, of course, that they are using dual view microscopes. But in any case, most of these accessories – if not all – can be used for ordinary microscopes as well.

Phase Contrast Kit – Phase contrast is a type of microscopy which allows you to view transparent specimens by using a dark background. Phase contrast also lets you view live specimen as there’s no need to stain them. A phase contrast kit may be more expensive than using dark field optics but it’s more powerful as well.

In most cases, a phase contrast kit would be composed of various phase contrast objectives with its respective diaphragms and which you should attach to your microscope’s Abbe condenser lenses. It may also include a centering telescope eyepiece to help you with alignment. Phase contrast techniques are better suited for high power microscopes.

Microscope Slide Storage Box – Slide storage boxes can store fifty to one-hundred slides depending on its slides. They are usually made of sturdy polypropylene materials to prevent anything from the outside damage its content and also for slides not to damage each other. Choose a box that will fit securely inside your microscope case or bag and which is easy to open and close. It should always come with a lock. Some boxes even come with a referencing system for convenient use. Microscope slide storage boxes may be priced for as low as six dollars.

Microscope Accessory Set for Beginners – If you’re looking for the perfect gift for children with interests in science, look no further. Many companies produce microscopy accessory sets specially designed for children or beginners in microscopy. These usually come with a textbook or any other reference material to help them get started with microscopy as well as a variety of slides, cover slips, and its own slide box, staining liquids, preparatory specimens, and basic microscope cleaning materials.

Check the labels to know the specific age range the product is designed for to ensure safety and applicability of use.

Biological Specimen Sliding Microtome – For intermediate users of dual view microscopes, consider giving them a biological specimen sliding microtome. These will ensure that precise thin sections may be taken from biological specimen. Look for a microtome that offers extra blades for stock.

Microscope Cleaning Kit – Microscopes of any type cannot be cleaned with the use of ordinary cleaning materials. That’s why you could give a cleaning set and have it much appreciated. Most kits come with lens cleaning fluid, lens paper and cloth, a blower brush, and cleaning swabs. In some cases, contents may also be used to clean telescopes, cameras, and binoculars.

Microscope Cases – There are a variety of microscope cases sold in the market today. When shopping for a microscope case, functionality and level of protection must be prioritized. It must be weatherproof as microscopes are vulnerable to excessive changes of temperature and exposure to moisture. They must also come with soft inner linings to cushion any accidental jarring. There must also be an adequate number of pockets provided to store various accessories used with the microscope. Factors like size and aesthetics should be secondary only.

Immersion Oil – If you think the recipient will need to use oil immersion lenses once in a while, you could give him a tube of immersion oil that has low viscosity so that it’s very safe to use even with high end microscopes and rare samples and specimens. Check label to ensure it doesn’t use any toxic compounds.

Microscope Camera – Last and probably most expensive accessory of all is the microscope digital camera. Remember the following points when shopping for a microscope camera.

First, make sure it has a standard mount for easy installation or attachment with the recipient’s dual view camera. If it doesn’t use standard USB 2.0 interface for easy connectivity with other equipment, test its software to see if there would be little problem in installing and using it.

Check standard specifications, like image resolution, zoom options, and image controls such as whether it can take both colored and monochromatic photos, if its white balance, contrast and sharpness can be controlled, and so forth.

Consider other features. What options and functions are available for image editing? Can you blend, fuse, or stitch photos together? Can you use it as a video recorder as well? Which image formats are available for storing? Is the image database easy to manage? Can you add image and text overlays?

These are just some of the accessories available for a dual view microscope. If you take the time to visit a microscope store, you’re sure to find more and probably for the best price.