The development of metallographic equipment has led to the present moment to the production of metallographic complexes, which include not only a microscope, but also a personal computer, a video camera and software in the form of a program for controlling a video camera and image processing. Metallographic microscopes (complexes) are currently used to study the structure of various materials, both metallic and nonmetallic - plastics, glasses, biological tissues, ceramics, etc. Metallographic microscopes have such capabilities, including due to the presence of a sufficiently large arsenal of means of optical contrasting Images. Most often this is a variety of lighting methods. Contemporary methods of contrasting are widely used in modern metallography, among them:  - Diaphragm when analyzing in a bright field (light-field microscopy). Using an aperture diaphragm allows for sharpening the image;  - Illumination with a hollow cone of light (darkfield microscopy). The use of this microscope option is informative for the analysis of fractures, hardening layers, the presence of certain phases in alloys, etc .;  - Lighting with color (chromatic) light;  - Lighting with polarized light (visualization of the change in the polarization of light when interacting with an object). This method is used, in particular, to study nonmetallic inclusions in steel and alloys, the study of surface defects;  - Interference contrasting of the object. This is a method of differential-interference contrast, the effect of which consists in interference staining of the surface areas of the sample, differing in height;  - Skew illumination, which is created in the intermediate position of the aperture diaphragm, which allows to visualize the structural features of the sample due to the formation of shadows.   The interaction of these methods in one study makes it possible to establish the nature of the observed optical effects on the surface of metals and nonmetallic materials and to draw a definite conclusion about the causes of their occurrence.  In addition to the classical problems of metal science, the successful visualization of structural details with the help of microscopes allows solving a variety of research problems, in particular:  - Quantitative analysis of complex structures;  - Investigation of polymer structures;  - Study of biological materials, including osteointegration of biomethallic compositions.   Solution of applied problems:  - Investigation of polyethylenes for various purposes;  - Analysis of kinks, surfaces formed by galvanic process or oxidation;  - Plastics structures;  - Analysis of chip elements.