Low voltage scanning electron microscopy (LVSEM) has become the imaging technique of choice for many applications because it offers surface specific information, and both control of charging and a reduction of damage to labile specimens. However fundamental limitations such as the electron wavelength, lens aberrations, and gun brightness, severely limit the performance of the LVSEM, and in addition some capabilities such as microanalysis are difficult or impossible. New technologies, including aberration correction and brighter electron sources are now available, and novel spectroscopic approaches are in development. Together these advances could significantly enhance the performance of the LVSEM. The advent of ultra-high performance ion column imaging systems offers interesting competition to the LVSEM for both imaging and analysis. [DOI: 10.1380/ejssnt.2006.369]