Recent developments in Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) are reviewed paying particular attention to the modern tendency to determine quantitative data in the form of microstructure maps : of chemical composition (EDS and WDS), of crystal orientation (EBSD) and of the deformation (microextensometry). The maps are then used to provide complete, quantitative microstructural analyses in terms of the size, orientation and composition distributions. In this context the new SEM-FEGs have an important role to play.