Product Review

Leica FS C Forensic Comparison Macroscope (11/17/03)
by Scott Doyle

I received my new Leica FS C Forensic Comparison Macroscope last week and I'm now in the process of getting to know this remarkable piece of German engineering.

There it is on the right.  Pretty isn't it?  Gorgeous actually.  But I guess you have to be a Firearm Examiner to really appreciate the quality of this macroscope.  After almost 24 years in this field I've had a number of comparison macroscopes, each one being a little better than the other. 

My first comparison macroscope was manufactured by American Optical (AO).  It was state-of-the-art back in 1979 and was a great tool to get my feet wet with.  That scope was eventually replaced with a new model that was a slight improvement but no different in features or functionality. 

Around 1990 I received a my third scope but by now AO had been acquired by the German optics company Leica.  This scope was still basically of the old AO style but some of the German engineering was working it's way into the design.  The controls were still like my previous scopes which made the transition to the new one a very easy task.  This scope can be seen on my Bullet Identification web page.

With the arrival of the Leica FS C Forensic Comparison Macroscope it appears that I've taken a quantum leap forward in technology and quality.  From it's motorized table and stages, to the optics, this macroscope is far superior to my old one.  I don't think the transition to this scope will be as easy as it has been in the past but I believe I'm going to enjoy trying.

On the next few pages I will share with you the features, functionality, and my initial experiences with the Leica FS C Forensic Comparison Macroscope.

Next- Setup/Features-Table

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