What microscopes are reccomended for a basic homebrew lab?

[vorlauf]

I would like to buy a microscope and start a mini lab for the home brewery. I saw this one on amazon

http://www.amazon.com/AmScope-Digital-40X-1000X-Compound-Microscope/dp/B006AUN75E/ref=pd_sbs_indust_3

but the yeast book recommended a 100x oil immersion objective. can these lenses be installed on any microscope, or is there a special microscope I need to get for an ideal homebrew yeast lab?

[ajdelange]

An oil immersion objective is no different from an ordinary bright field objective WRT how it mounts to the turret as long as it has the standard thread. Where it differs is in that it must be lowered into a drop of oil placed on the specimen in order for it to gather the light it needs and provide the magnification. To my way of thinking this is usually more trouble than it is worth. You would only need it if you were trying to look at the fine details of cell morphology which you would have trouble seeing with a bright field objective even at 1000X. Others might have different opinions but I think you'd do better to invest in a set of phase contrast objectives up to 400X.

[PSUHomebrewer]

Phase contrast is much more usefull than a general bright field. You can get 100x oil optic in both but if you want to Waite on it it's ok with a phase contrast.

[spiderwrangler]

Looking at the one you posted, I wouldn't get that one... it says 40-1000, but I can only see three objectives on there (4, 10, 40), so it's actually 40-400X. Other scopes posted by the same vendor have similarly misleading magnifications reported...

I don't remember what the yeast book said, but 400X should be plenty to be able to do cell counts.