There are two basic types of optical microscopes: compound (high power) and stereo (low power). If you need very high magnification to view the internal structures of cells, you would most likely use a compound microscope. If you need to examine solder joints on circuit boards or other relatively large objects, you would probably use a stereo microscope. http://www.amscope.com/
Color Attribution:
amscope(Palette License: CC0. Contact image author for image licensing.)