Technical Article

Select your Andor Microscope - Dragonfly and BC43 Product Line

Author: Claudia Florindo

Published: 01 Jul 2024 · Last updated: 11 Sep 2025

Below we present four tables that may help you select the confocal that best suits your imaging needs. Click on the index to quicky navigate to your section of interest.

Imaging System

Benchtop Microscope

Dragonfly Confocal System

Imaging Type

Please note:

Start by selecting the type of imaging system that is most suited to your needs:
Benchtop confocal (4 lasers, small footprint, easy to use, accommodating multiple daily/routine experimental needs).
High-end system (up to 10 lasers, flexible, accommodating most life science light microscopy applications).
The tables suggest which products are most appropriate for different applications. However, everyone's experimental requirements do vary. If you have any questions, please talk to your Andor representative about your specific requirements.
The applications table is not exhaustive; it aims to give an overview of applications. Please remember that other applications not listed might also be appropriate for Andor imaging systems.

1. Imaging System

Imaging system features	BC43 series	Dragonfly series
Cameras	1	Up to 2
Widefield Only	✔	✘
Confocal and Widefield	O	✔
Super-resolution (SRRF-Stream+)	✔	✔
Super resolution: Single-molecule localisation microscopy	✘	✔
3D super –resolution (SMLM)	✘	O
TIRF	✘	O
Compatible with photostimulation devices	✘	✔
Compatible with microfluidic	✔	✔
Up to 4 imaging modalities (widefield, confocal, Transmitted light, Super Resolution-SRRF)	O	✔
4 lasers	✔	✔
Up to 10 lasers	✘	✔
Excitation wavelength from 405 to 640	✔	✔
Excitation wavelength from 405 to 785	✘	✔
10 imaging channels (BC43: 4 widefield, 4 confocal, 2 transmitted light)	✔	✔
> 10 imaging channels	✘	✔
Light Tight	✔	O
Benchtop	✔	✘

Key:

✘ - not available O - optional ✔ - available (standard)

2. BC43 – Benchtop microscope selection by application

Here we provide a table to allow the selection of Andor Benchtop microscopes by application. As a reference, the high end Dragonfly 600 confocal imaging system is included in this table. For further distinction of Dragonfly imaging systems see table in section 3.

Application Area	Experiment	BC43 WF	BC43 CF (confocal)	BC43 CF SR (Super-res)	Dragonfly 600
Cell and Developmental Biology	Mitochondria Imaging (fixed)
	Mitochondria imaging (live)
	Cytokinesis
	Early embryo development
	Intracellular trafficking
	Expansion Microscopy
	Cilia imaging (>50 fps)
	Single molecule live imaging e.g. RNA
	Chromatin remodelling
	Vesicle trafficking
	Actin polymerization at leading edge of cell (TIRF)
	Ultra-structure of membranes (SMLM)
	Tissue sample preparations
	Paraffin sections
	Whole organisms up to 500 µm thick (depends on sample transparency)
	Organoids up to 500 µm thick (depends on sample transparency)
	Whole organisms 500+ µm thick (depends on sample transparency)
	Organoids 500+ µm thick (depends on sample transparency)
	Cellular trafficking
	Gene expression in development (with spatial biology)
	Pathogen-host interactions (fungus)
	Pathogen-host interactions (virus)
Cancer Biology	Large tissue slices 2D
	Large tissue slices 3D
	Live imaging cell movement & division
	Organoids up to 500 µm thick (depends on sample transparency)
	Organoids 500+ µm thick (depends on sample transparency)
	Gene expression in cancer cells (with spatial biology)
	Address effectiveness of small molecule inhibitors in cancer treatment (with TIRF)
	Ultra-structure of cancer cell receptors (SMLM)
Immunology & diseases	2D Fixed tissues
	3D Fixed tissues
	Large samples up to 500 µm thick (depends on sample transparency)
	High-speed live imaging up to 40 fps
	Large samples 500+ µm thick (depends on sample transparency)
	Gene expression in cancer cells (with spatial biology)
	High speed live imaging > 40 fps
	Cell surface infection dynamics – TIRF
Microbiology	Intracellular structure (Super-Resolution SRRF-Stream)
	Intracellular structure (SMLM) (Super-Resolution dSTORM)
	Intracellular structure (SMLM) (Super-Resolution DNA-PAINT)
	2D tissue imaging
	Tissue sectioning (live and Fixed)
	Whole brain imaging (up to 500 µm thick) (depends on sample transparency)
	Whole brain imaging 500+ µm thick
	Map brain gene expression (spatial genomics)
	Calcium imaging (waves up to 40 fps)
	Calcium imaging (puffs, sparks > 40 fps)
	Single molecule live imaging (not SMLM)
	Receptor localization & recycling
	Live vesicular transport
Biophysics	Protein-Protein Interactions
	Protein membrane dynamics
	Single protein transport
	Endo and Exocytosis
	Localization-based Super Resolution
Expansion Microscopy^1,2
Multiplex imaging - Spatially resolved transcriptomics^2,3
Multiplex imaging - Spatially resolved proteomics^2,3

Key:

- Not Suitable

- Possible not recommended

- Partially Suitable

- Recommended

Notes

Depends on laser power required to image through the depth of the sample.
Depends on throughput requirement. BC43 has just one camera and does not capture images as fast as Dragonfly.
BC43 is limited to 4 laser lines. Spatial transcriptomics typically requires 5 lines.
Note that BC43 confocal score is specifically against the confocal mode, but note widefield mode is also included in the BC43 confocal
Note that the BC43 confocal with SR score is specifically against the super-resolution relevance to the application, the scores for BC43 WF and BC43 CF can also apply to BC43 CF SR.

3. Dragonfly High-end systems microscope selection by application

In the following table, we present the selection of Andor microscopes by application for Dragonfly high-end imaging systems. As a reference and help the benchtop confocal imaging system was added in this table. For further distinction of Benchtop imaging systems see table in section 3.

Application Area	Experiment	BC43 (confocal)	Dragonfly 200	Dragonfly 400	Dragonfly 600
Cell Biology	Intracellular structure
	Cell cycle – cell division
	Mitochondria imaging (fixed)
	Cytokinesis
	Early embryo development
	Mitochondria imaging (live)
	Microtubule dynamics
	Intracellular trafficking
	Expansion Microscopy
	Cilia imaging (>50 fps)
	Single molecule live imaging (not SMLM; e.g. RNA)
	Chromatin remodelling
	Vesicle trafficking
	Live membrane fusion events
	Cell – substrate interaction
	Actin polymerization leading edge of cell motility (TIRF)
	Ultra-structure of centrioles (SMLM)
	Nuclear pore complexes (SMLM)
	Ultra-structure of membranes (SMLM)
Developmental Biology	Limb formation
	Tissue sample preparations
	Paraffin sections
	Whole organisms up to 500 µm thick (depends on sample transparency)
	Organoids up to 500 µm thick (depends on sample transparency)
	Whole organisms. 500+ µm thick (depends on sample transparency)
	Organoids 500+ µm thick (depends on sample transparency)
	Intercellular trafficking
	Gene expression in development (with spatial biology)
	Fertilization
	Pathogen-host interactions (fungus)
	Blood flow studies
	Pathogen-host interactions (bacteria)
	Pathogen-host interactions (virus)
Cancer Biology	Large tissue slices
	Live imaging cell movement & division
	Organoids up to 500 µm thick (depends on sample transparency)
	In-vitro cell invasion
	Organoids 500+ µm thick (depends on sample transparency)
	Gene expression in cancer cells (with spatial biology)
	Cell / substrate interaction & adhesion
	Address effectiveness of small molecule inhibitors in cancer treatment (with TIRF)
	Actin polymerization leading edge of cancer cell motility (TIRF)
	Ultra-structure of centrioles (SMLM)
	Ultra-structure of cancer cell receptors (SMLM)
Immunology & diseases	Fixed tissues
	Large samples up to 500 µm thick (depends on sample transparency)
	High speed live imaging Up to 40 fps
	Large samples 500+ µm hick (depends on sample transparency)
	Gene expression in disease cells (with spatial biology)
	High speed live imaging Up > 40 fps
	Blood flow
	Cell surface infection dynamics – TIRF
	Mechanisms of viral infection
Microbiology	Intracellular structure (Super-Resolution SRRF-Stream)
	Intracellular structure (SMLM) (Super-Resolution dSTORM)
	Intracellular structure (SMLM) (Super-Resolution widefield DNA-PAINT)
	Intracellular structure (SMLM) (Super-Resolution confocal DNA-PAINT)
	Cell surface infection dynamics – TIRF
	Mechanisms of viral infection
	Ultra-structure of bacteria cell wall (SMLM)
	Ultra-structure of virus capsid complexes
Neurobiology	2D tissue imaging
	Tissue sectioning (live and Fixed)
	Whole brain imaging (up to 500 µm thick) (depends on sample transparency)
	Whole brain imaging 500 µm + thick
	Map brain gene expression (spatial genomics)
	Calcium imaging (waves up to 40 fps)
	Calcium imaging (puffs, sparks > 40 fps)
	Single molecule live imaging (not SMLM)
	Growth cone
	Receptor localization & recycling
	Live vesicular transport
	Extra cellular vesicles fusion
	Visualize receptors at the cell membrane
	Live cell imaging of synaptic vesicles
	Live cell imaging of neuronal cell membrane fusion
	Resolve tethered synaptic vesicles (SMLM)
	Resolve synapses in 3D (30 nm axially) (SMLM)
Biophysics	Protein-Protein Interactions
	Protein-membrane dynamics
	Single protein transport
	Endo and Exocytosis
	Localization-based Super Resolution
Expansion Microscopy^1,2
Multiplex imaging - Spatially resolved transcriptomics^2,3
Multiplex imaging - Spatially resolved proteomics^2,3

Key:

- Not Suitable

- Possible not recommended

- Partially Suitable

- Recommended

4. Microscope selection by Imaging Type

Application Area	Technique/Technology	BC43 WF	BC43 Confocal	Dragonfly 200	Dragonfly 400	Dragonfly 600
Image acquisition options	Deconvolution	O	O	P	P	P
	Multi-well	P	P	P	P	P
	Stitching	P	P	P	P	P
	3D imaging	✘	P	P	P	P
	3D tile imaging	✘	P	P	P	P
	3D stitching	✘	P	P	P	P
	Finite burst	✘	✘	P	P	P
	3D Finite Burst	✘	✘	P	P	P
Transmitted light microscopy	Differential Phase Contrast (DPC)	P	P	✘	✘	✘
	Brightfield	P	P	P	P	P
	Phase contrast	✘	✘	P	P	P
	Differential Interference Contrast (DIC)	✘	✘	P	P	P
Widefield imaging	Up to 4 channels	P	P	P	P	P
	More than 4 channels	✘	✘	P	P	P
	Simultaneous dual camera acquisition	✘	✘	P	P	P
Confocal imaging	Confocal imaging	✘	P	P	P	P
	Single pinhole size	✘	P	P	P	P
	Dual pinhole sizes	✘	✘	P	P	P
	Up to 4 channels	✘	P	P	P	P
	Confocal imaging <500 µm* thick	✘	P	P	P	P
	More than 4 channels	✘	✘	P	P	P
	Confocal imaging > 500 µm* thick	✘	~ 1)	P1)	P	P
	Simultaneous dual camera acquisition	✘	✘	P	P	P
Specialized microscopy applications	Compatible with Photostimulation devices	✘	✘	P	P	P
	TIRF	✘	✘	✘	✘	P
	dSTORM	✘	✘	✘	✘	P
	3D-STORM	✘	✘	✘	✘	P
	DNA-PAINT	✘	✘	✘	P	P
	3D DNA-PAINT	✘	✘	✘	P	P
	SMLM (Single Molecule Localization Microscopy)	✘	✘	✘	P	P
	Spatial omics	✘	~1)	P1)	P	P
	Expansion microscopy	✘	~	P1)	P	P
Detector Technology	sCMOS	P	P	P	P	P
Detector Technology	EMCCD	✘	✘	P	P	P
Other specifications	Benchtop instrument	P	P	✘	✘	✘
	Temperature control	P	P	P	✘	P
	Multi-position	P	P	P	P	P
	Time lapse imaging	P	P	P	P	P
	NIR up to 780nm excitation	✘	✘	P	P	P

Legend: P - possible ~ might be possible, O- optional X – not possible

* Tested on cleared samples

1) For thicker samples, spatial omics and large sample imaging Dragonfly 400 or 600 are better suited than BC43 or Dragonfly 200

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