Brunel Microscopes are UK distributors for the unique Helicon Focus imaging software. The problem with photomicrography whether or not it is high power or low power stereomicroscopy is the relatively limited depth of focus. Helicon software is the answer. Put simply, you take a series of digital images throughout the depth of the specimen, import them as a series into the Helicon software and the multiple images can be consolidated into a single image restoring the depth of focus.
Helicon Focus really is an effective and easy to use software program. Its effect is probably best shown by the pictures above looking down a gun barrel. The first two pictures are images focused on the two extremes of the subject. In between these there can be any number of pictures (in this case 24 images) focused on a series of points between them. Helicon Focus automatically consolidates all the images into one in the third picture. It works in the same way for a series of photomicrographs.
These are images of some blue crystalline material magnified x100, again the first two images show the extremes of focus and there were 13 others in between focused at steps throughout the object. The third photograph shows the consolidated series, producing an image showing the full depth of focus.