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Barlow Lens
For every microscope you order, make sure you have the appropriate Barlow lenses to use across multiple inspections and applications. Replace your old lenses all at once and get better pricing - contact us for a volume pricing quote.
Want more bang for your buck? More value out of your eyepiece? To do (and see) more with your scope?
The Barlow lens is the must-have item missing from your collection!
Barlow lenses make your work better, without burning a hole in your pocket. Get more versatility, more eye relief and more value with this affordable addition.
What exactly is a Barlow lens?
The Barlow lens is an essential piece of equipment for every microscope enthusiast! In simplest terms, it's a cost-effective way to alter the magnification and working distance of your microscope.
The magnification of your microscope is the focal length of the objective, divided by the focal length of the eyepiece.
So, to alter overall magnification, you can do either (or both!) of the following:
Increase the focal length of the objective
Decrease the focal length of the eyepiece
The Barlow contains a concave lens placed between your microscope (or telescope's) objective lens or mirror, and the eyepiece.
*Fun fact: Barlow lenses actually contain more than one glass element to reduce chromatic aberration.
The end result: Higher or lower magnification of any eyepiece. As you might deduce, a 2x Barlow doubles your eyepiece magnification, a 3x Barlow lens triples it, a 5x Barlow increases it by five, and an 0.5X reduces it by half.
Can you show me an example?
Sure thing! Using a 20mm eyepiece on an instrument with 1000mm focal length gives you 50x magnification (1000mm / 20mm). Add a 2x Barlow lens to that same eyepiece, and you double its magnification to 100X.
This provides more range and versatility for your work, and adds to your eyepiece collection without the cost. Think about it... if you have a 30mm, 24mm and 10mm eyepiece, having one Barlow lens in your collection actually adds a 15mm, 12mm and 5mm eyepiece to your collection. And since one decent Barlow lens is much cheaper than three new items to your eyepiece collection, it's a really cost effective solution to take your work to a new level.
Just a few ways your Barlow lens can help you out:
Increases magnification
Reduces magnification
Provides eye relief
At an affordable price point
Barlow vs. Zoom Lens - which is best?
Forever confused with a zoom lens, Barlow lenses are different in a few ways:
First and foremost, a zoom lens provides variable magnification, while your Barlow lens has a fixed magnification level.
A zoom lens's changing focal length makes it harder to correct for aberrations, so zoom lenses are typically bigger and heavier than Barlow lenses.
The convenience of a zoom lens with variable focal length also comes with a compromise on either a) image quality or b) price.
That's why you're better off investing in a decent Barlow lens most of the time, especially for hobbyists.
I'm sold! But which Barlow lens is right for me?
Size: One key thing to keep in mind is that your Barlow lens fits the tube of your eyepiece. Most tubes come in one of two standard sizes (1.25 inch or 2 inch).
Magnification: Make sure you get the right magnification for your application. For applications like electronics repair, miniature painting or soldering, a 0.5X Barlow lens is common for the increased working distance and reduced magnification.
Go ahead and browse, you’ll find options for whatever your application!
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