What is the proper way to carry a microscope

Usually by the neck or the metal piece of where you put your eye.

1. When moving your microscope, always carry it with both hands (Figure 1). Grasp the arm with one hand and place the other hand under the base for support.
2. Turn the revolving nosepiece so that the lowest power objective lens is "clicked" into position.

3. Place the microscope slide on the stage and fasten it with the stage clips. You can push down on the back end of the stage clip to open it.

4. Using the coarse adjustment, lower the objective lens down as far as it will go without touching the slide! Note: Look at the slide and lens from the side when doing this (see Figure 2).

5. Look through the eyepiece and adjust the illuminator (or mirror) and diaphragm (Figure 3) for the greatest amount of light.

6. Slowly turn the coarse adjustment so that the objective lens goes up (away from the slide). Continue until the image comes into focus. Use the fine adjustment, if available, for fine focusing.

7. Move the microscope slide around so that the image is in the center of the field of view and readjust the mirror, illuminator or diaphragm for the clearest image.

8. You should be able to change to the next objective lenses with only slight focusing adjustment. Use the fine adjustment, if available. If you cannot focus on your specimen, repeat steps 4 through 7 with the higher power objective lens in place. DO NOT ALLOW THE LENS TO TOUCH THE SLIDE!

9. The proper way to use a monocular microscope is to look through the eyepiece with one eye and keep the other eye open (this helps avoid eye strain). If you have to close one eye when looking into the microscope, it's ok. Remember, everything is upside down and backwards. When you move the slide to the right, the image goes to the left!

10. Do not touch the glass part of the lenses with your fingers. Use only special lens paper to clean the lenses. (read the page on keeping your microscope clean)

11. When finished, raise the tube, click the low power lens into position and remove the slide.

Remember, microscopes are expensive scientific instruments. Handle them properly and carefully and they will last for many years!