What Does Diopter Mean?

Inspection stereo microscopeIf you’ve ever shopped for an inspection microscope, you’ve most likely come across the term “Diopter”, but what does that mean exactly and how do you choose the correct diopter?

There is a quick way to figure out the magnification of any lens diopter, using one simple calculation.

What is Diopter?

Diopter refers to the curvature of the lens. The magnification of a microscope depends on the lens, the more curvature a lens has the thicker it is, the thicker it is the higher the magnification is.

To find the magnification of a lens using diopter, use the following calculation:

dioper ÷ 4 + 1 = magnification

Here are some examples of the magnification of lenses:

  • 2 Diopter: 2 ÷ 4 = 0.5 + 1 = 1.5 = Objects will appear 150% time larger
  • 3 Diopter: 3 ÷ 4 = 0.75 + 1 = 1.75 = Objects will appear 175% times larger
  • 4 Diopter: 4 ÷ 4 = 1.0 + 1 = 2.0 = Objects will appear 200% times larger
  • 5 Diopter: 5 ÷ 4 = 1.25 + 1 = 2.25 = Objects will appear 225% times larger

And so on, you can use this calculation no matter what your starting diopter number is.

How Do I Know What Diopter to Choose?

This question is tricky to answer because the amount of magnification required will depend on many factors.

  1. What you are inspecting?
  2. What are you looking for?
  3. What are the manufacturing requirements you are trying to meet?

Those are just some of the questions you need to think of when choosing the proper magnification. Inspecting the weld on a large object like a pipe will require less magnification than inspecting the circuits on a microchip.

Production Automation offers a wide variety of visual inspection equipment, from handheld portable inspection cameras and illuminated magnifiers, to inspection microscopes that have camera and video capabilities.

We offer free quotes for any product we offer online and our knowledgeable sales staff can help you select the proper equipment for your task, no matter how big or small.

Shop our entire Microscope and Magnification lines.

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Mel Meadows

Mel Meadows

Mel Meadows is a product specialist with over 14 years of experience. She’s a central source of expertise for thousands of industrial and critical-class products featured on the Production Automation web store. By working directly with manufacturers, Mel deciphers technical documentation and outlines product use in real-world environments. View her profile to learn more about proper techniques, protocol, and product usage in both industrial and cleanroom facilities.

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