Stereo microscopes–also called stereoscopic microscopes, stereo zoom microscopes or dissecting microscopes–are a critical tool for education and industry. Rather than shining light through a thin and translucent specimen on a slide, stereo microscopes allow the user to place a specimen directly on their stage, illuminate it using a high-powered LED and view it using magnification up to 90X. This process provides a high-quality 3D image and is perfect for examining specimens that are too large or opaque to view using a compound microscope.