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Another aspect to be considered is whether the stereo microscope is to be used for visual or imaging purposes.
I've taken a $450 "no brand" stereo microscope and tuned it into an effective imaging system by coupling a Pentax K-R to one of the eyepiece tubes.
I've made fittings that enable various camera/microscope combinations that include the use of barlow lenses, eyepiece projection as well as the prime focus equivalent to telescope imaging systems.
These combinations turn a 20X-40X stereo microscope into an imaging system capable of magnifications in the 60X-460X range.
Given the optics are "average" and rigging telescope parts such as barlow lenses should in theory produce disastrous optical quality, the key to success is the size of the camera sensor. Like many telescope optical systems, the optical quality of a microscope falls away as one gets further away from the optical axis. The sensor of the Pentax X-R is of the right size that the FOV is good enough (and large enough) for imaging.
I've been able to confirm this by imaging a calibrated grid. Apart from being able to calculate the magnification, the image of the grid is distortion free over most of the camera microscope combinations I have tried.
Regards
Steven
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