I'm thinking of ordering a cheap digital microscope like the one in the link below. I don't expect to get the image quality of a $1000 optiocal lab microscope but the sample images look quite acceptable to me. OTOH, judging from the width in pixels of elements in the images - like individual fibres or the ant - I believe they must have been captured at magnification levels well below the maximum possible. I'm wondering how much the image quality degrades at higher magnifications.
Even if the zooming is optical, lens quality must be a critical factor for useful resolution at high magnification levels. For example, does a 500X image look like a fuzzy enlargement of a
200X image with no increase in detail, as in a digitally zoomed camera photo? Input from those who have used these devices will be much appreciated.