Hi Folks,
I have the opportunity to buy a OPMI zeiss, very reasonable price.
I checked it out… I was surprised how small the view is, maybe just over an inch.
I assumed the view would be a little larger. Is this correct? The field of view is that small? Or could there be something wrong with the microscope? Thank you for any suggestions/information!
I would like to post a pic, but will have to figure out how lol
Thank you in advance 
Are you an electrologist?
Yes I am.
You’re talking about “field of view.”
A microscope’s field of view is the diameter of the circular area that appears when you look into a microscope. The higher magnification, the more detail you get because you focus your field of view onto a smaller area.
So, if you wish to study only one object (say, only one or two hairs), then higher magnification is better. But maybe you want to see the adjacent skin, or more hairs in the area. If so, you would have to use a lens with a larger field of vision and that means less magnification.
In the illustration, the smiley face is the hair. With less magnification, you see the hair, but also the surrounding skin. In the maximum magnification, you see the hair, but nothing adjacent. You have to pick the magnification you prefer … and, it’s not an easy matter.
A lot of your decision will depend on the type of hairs you prefer treating. If treating tiny upper lip hairs, then higher magnification. If you only do body hairs (that are already large) then probably less magnification so you can more quickly clear off the area by seeing a larger area. (I only use 3X magnification in a surgical telescope and only treat body hair).
Thank you so much! I am a hard learner and I understood everything you explained.
cheers!
If I may be so bold: there are no “hard learners,” but their are poor or insufficient explanations.
I love kids, because they always make sure you are doing a good job explaining … they constantly say "why, why, why … " Of course, this natural (and good) characteristic is quickly shot down by TEACHERS and the kids start to think that THEY have the problem. No so!
Eventually, we get a school situation where the kids stop asking … because they want a good grade … and just accept the teacher’s point of view without question. How do I know this? Just look at today’s society of the unquestioning and dogmatic.
It was a math teacher that used “hard learner”. I have thought of myself like that since. Asking questions to this day gives me anxiety. Will try and scrub that thought!
Thank you Mike, for freely sharing your vast knowledge, you have answered all of my posts across many platforms.
Oh wow, I love that comment.
I was a public school teacher in one of my past lives (history). I only liked ONE of my fellow teachers (also history) … the others were authoritarian, thought they knew everything on EVERY subject and were always morally superior. As the slogan goes: “Those that can, do. Those that can’t … teach!”
We are probably entering a period where public education will become irrelevant. I’ve been thinking about the possibilities for a long time. The possibilities are exciting. I wish I were younger so I could be a part of the coming new age of education!
There is a closed facebook site for electrologists only that you can join to talk to other electrologists that have the Opmi Zeiss stereo microscope that may share with you. You can message me here if you are not already a member.
Mike gave you a wonderful amount of insight. We are fortunate to have him here with all his electrology abundance!
Yes, a legend in my own mind!
I think Dee we need to be looking up some of the old pros. We’ve had a wealth of information here in the past on hairtell, from people like Arlene, Catherine OConnell. Beate, Kelly, some I’m in touch with others not, I’m gonna start poking some of them to make an appearance once in a while.
I don’t know how easy it is to find old topics here but there should be wealth of info and technical specs on stereomicroscopes and particularly on Zeiss Opmi 99 which was the preferred model for electrolysis for years. James Walker an electrologist out of Buffalo NY has a lot of knowledge on stereomicroscopes. I learned about them from his posts.
I know the feelings of some you mentioned and I would be surprised if they contributed here. Giving your time for free and having the passion to do so through thick and thin, with a steady purpose, has to come from free will and a comfort level.
James has excellent knowledge and experience about Opmi 99’s.
Thank you! I joined as many as I could on Facebook, some would not accept me because I do not have a business. I am new to electrolysis, finished my course Dec 2021. I do not feel ready to work on faces, my arms and hand shake… just the face. I thought maybe it was the positioning, no where to lean on, also struggling to view in the magnification lamp. I am short, and have short arms. Maybe having a surgical microscope would help.
I did find a lot of information here on Hairtell about surgical microscopes. I was confused about the field of view. An electrologist I used to see had a zeiss microscope, she let me look through it and the field of view was much larger, had a grid, and was rectangular not a circle. It was a beast, much older than the ones I have researched.
I have learned so much here! Thank you : )
Totally agree with Deedra.
