Is there any reason to use an upright microscope over an inverted microscope? I've never actually owned an inverted microscope, but it seems it has only advantages compared to an upright microscope: taller, heavier samples; no crashing the objective into the glass slide; easier to operate, etc. Why then do people still use regular, upright microscopes? Is there a disadvantage I'm missing?

As already mentioned in the comments, cost is one of the primary reasons when you're looking at simple light microscopes. Inverted scopes have more complex optics, along with the convenience factor of being able to examine larger samples, generally having a more stable frame, etc. All this leads to higher cost.

An advantage I can think of for smaller upright scopes is the ability to use them as a dissecting scope, where the sample is opaque and you need to see it from above. Another advantage is this:

![fluorescence microscope](

Many fluorescence microscopes are upright, as there is a significant amount of extra equipment that needs to be mounted in addition to the eyepiece, including lasers, stage motors, and cameras and other detectors. This can take up a _lot_ of room, and for convenience's sake it's often easiest to mount it up top where it is accessible.