We have had the PCM 2000 for about a year now, and are very happy with the
instrument.  It is quite easy to use, once one is familiar with selecting
the correct filtration for a given fluorophore.  A large variety of
specimens, from all five biological kingdoms, as well as a variety of
materials science specimens, have been imaged, using either the
fluorescence or reflection mode, and the images are very nice.  The system
is hardy and easy to set up.  I took it with me on sabbatical to New
Zealand, packing and assembling it myself, and it performed nicely,
surviving the round trip without need for alignment adjustment in the scan
head.



>        We are currently in the process of arranging a demo of the Nikon
>PCM 2000, the so-called 'personal confocal microscope' and I was wondering
>if anybody had any comments on this system.  Its niche in the confocal
>market is that it is fairly cheap (about 100k) and can be used for a
>variety of applications.  There are several microscopes that do what we
>want to do (calcium imaging) better than this one but we simply can't
>afford them.  Any comments on the clarity of images, ease of use, etc.
>would be greatly appreciated.
>
>
>Matthew W. Conklin
>University of Wisconsin

***note new email address*****
 R. Howard Berg, Ph.D.
 Department of Microbiology &
        Molecular Cell Sciences
Campus Box 526041
University of Memphis
Memphis, TN, 38152-6041
E mail: [log in to unmask]
phone: 901-678-4449   fax: 901-678-4457