Mohs Microscopes You Can Trust

Read the Edited Video Transcript for ‘Mohs Microscopes You Can Trust’

Today, we’re going to talk about some of the Mohs microscopes you can trust and that we sell here at Microscope Marketplace and Munday Scientific.

BX41

Right here, we have the Olympus BX41, which is my favorite Mohs or dermatology scope that we offer. I think it’s the best clinical microscope ever made. This one is configured with a fixed head, but there are many different head options you can use. These microscopes are extremely modular. We talk about that in several of our other videos, which we’ll link in the description.

Today, we’re just going to walk through this scope, highlight what we like about it, and discuss why it’s such a great option for Mohs. We’ll also cover some features that are common to Mohs scopes in general.

This BX41 has a fixed head and comes with 10x eyepieces with a 22mm field of view—giving you a nice, wide visual field. You’ll often see tilting heads on these scopes as well, which we’ll talk about later in the video.

Let’s lower the stage and talk about the objectives. For Moss or dermpath applications, you’ll usually see a Plan 2x, 4x, 10x, 20x, and 40x objective. These Plan objectives are reliable—think of them as the “Honda” of microscope optics. We’ll talk about fluorites and Plan Apos later and explain the differences.

This scope has a right-handed stage, though you can also put on a fixed stage. It includes a slide clip and a rheostat switch here on the front. Originally, these scopes came with halogen lighting, but this one has been upgraded to LED, making it essentially like new.

One of the great things about Olympus BX scopes is their modularity. You can swap parts—this head would work on the earlier BX40 or the newer BX43. The same goes for the objectives, stage, condenser, and eyepieces. They’re all infinity-corrected optics, which ensures consistent focus and image quality.

Olympus BX43

Now, let’s talk about the BX43, which features the tilting head I mentioned earlier. These heads help maintain ergonomic comfort during extended use. You can also add a camera to this or any other BX scope. This particular setup includes a U-TRU tube, which is a beam splitter—just pull the rod to send light to the camera, which mounts right here.

Moving on, let’s lower the stage again to remove the nosepiece. This BX43 has a six-position objective turret, including a slot for an analyzer. We have another video that explains how and where to place analyzers and polarizers on these microscopes.

Here’s a really impressive lens: the 1.25x Plan Apo. It only comes in the Apo configuration and costs around $2,000 at the time of this recording. It’s absolutely worth it if you’ve used it before—you get an expansive view of the specimen.

There’s also the Plan Apo 2x, which is like the Lamborghini of microscope objectives—premium quality and especially valuable for low magnification. The fluorite objectives are more like your Cadillac or Mercedes-Benz—high-quality optics that let in a lot of light.

You can mix and match objectives. For example, you could combine a Plan Apo 2x, a Plan Fluorite 4x, and a Plan N 20x or 40x. As long as your microscope is correctly set up—with proper color illumination and diopter/eyepiece alignment—the scope will stay in focus as you switch between objectives, making reading specimens faster and more efficient.

This particular BX43 has a fixed stage, which some pathologists prefer. We had one call us this morning saying she was ready to “take off her training wheels” and switch to a fixed stage. It’s really a personal preference—some people like to move slides with their fingers, others prefer the mechanical stage.

This scope also features LED lighting with the rheostat on the front. You might notice the LIM (Light Intensity Management) button, which lets you set light intensity by objective. We have a separate video that explains how to use this feature. It’s not widely used, but it does come up frequently in questions.

BX45

Now let’s look at the BX45, which is the cytology or low-stage version of the BX41. It typically comes with a five-position nosepiece and often has a large tilting telescoping head. We’ll link to another video that goes over all the different head options for BX scopes.

You can add a six-position turret to this model—it does have an analyzer slot, even with the five-position nosepiece. You’ll probably need a service tech to install it, but it’s not too difficult, just a bit invasive.

This particular scope doesn’t have a slide holder installed, which is ideal for people who like to move slides manually. The BX45 also has a built-in flip-out condenser, a convenient feature if you’re using low-power objectives like the 2x or 1.25x. There’s also a filter cassette where you can insert a blue filter or a polarizer.

These are the most commonly purchased Olympus (Evident) scopes for Mohs applications: the BX41, BX43, BX45, and the next in line, the BX46, which is also very popular.

One reason you might consider buying one of these refurbished scopes from Microscope Marketplace or Munday Scientific is availability. Our scopes are in stock, fully serviced, and come with a two-year warranty. They’re 40–50% off the list price and often include many new parts, though some components will be refurbished and fully certified.

If you placed an order today, your microscope could ship in 2–3 business days and arrive within 5 business days—great if you’re opening a new practice or trying to standardize scopes across your office. For example, if one pathologist uses a BX43, another a BX45, and another a BX41, it might be simpler to give everyone the same model.

So those are just a few of the reasons to consider a refurbished scope.

If you have any questions, feel free to email us at  or call us at 919-775-5596.

If you’re looking to purchase an Olympus BX model, you can find them at our e-commerce shop, MicroscopeMarketplace.com.

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