A new generation of scanning/transmission electron microscopes (S/TEM) offers a broad range of capabilities and dramatic improvements in usability, challenging the conventional perception of these techniques as needlessly difficult and expensive. Improvements in usability address both the operation of the instrument and the interpretation of results, while the cost of the analysis must be evaluated relative to the value of the information it provides—a value that has appreciated significantly with the burgeoning growth of the nanotechnology sector. A million dollar instrument is a bargain if it solves a multi-million dollar problem. Moreover, the broad range of capabilities available in current generation instruments makes careful matching of the cost of the capability with the potential value of the solution the key to sound economic choices. This article reviews the factors that typically drive TEM costs and provides examples of valuable matches in a number of applications.