Regarding choices between Leica and Zeiss, both have strengths and weaknesses.
About 1.5 years ago I ran a head to head with each for several days apiece,
using the same samples, a range of biological and non-biological specimens.  I
will only comment specifically on Leica.  At that time they had a 3-monitor
system.  two monitors were for the standard collection with a software monitor
and an image monitor, and then the big 1024x1024 monitor for receiving images
from the low resolution collection monitor.  If they still use this low
resolution collection mode for their basic operation, you need to check out the
2-color merge on the low resolution screen.  They dropped a huge number of bits
in the merge so that the image looked like it had lines through it.  This only
happened in the merge, and only on the low resolution monitor.  At that time,
there was no curing the problem.  Suffice it to say, I bought a Bio-Rad
MRC-1000.  When you test a system, use it a lot on a variety of your own
samples, and make sure you, not the salesperson, collects and processes images.
 That way you will soon see the pluses and minuses.
        Andrea Elberger, Ph. D.         [log in to unmask]
        Professor
        Anatomy and Neurobiology
        The University of Tennessee, Memphis                    nisealbwy fotixci