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.
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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.