Aaron schreef
There are two types of microscope you should consider owning. A
stereo microscope will magnify in the range of 10X to 40X give or take
a few X. These are wonderful for examining hand held and unprepared
specimen. Flowers and leaves are very good subjects

There are also lots of newer scopes coming in from China and India
that look like good microscopes but just do not have the quality of
the older used instruments. Another advantage of the better used
instruments is that they hold their value for resale. Newer
instruments loose value the instant they are purchased. The lost is a
very large part of the purchase price. Much worst than buying a new
car.

+ + +
Not quite true. A lot of recent improvement in stereomicroscopes is in the
improved coatings. This means that a modern instrument of iffy-looking
provenance can be better than an old one by one of the trusted companies. I
would not beforehand rule out a stereomicroscope from a new source. There is
no substitute for trying them out yourself and making your own judgement.
PvR

Steromicroscopes go up in magnification as far as you like, but watch the
light!