What is the difference between a stereo microscope and a compound microscope?
A compound microscope has one optical path that is split at the observation tube that gives identical left and right images. A stereo microscope is like two compound microscopes side-by-side but with an offset from one another to mimic the natural offset of two eyes. It is the offset that provides depth perception in ordinary life and for the three-dimensional view or “erect image” in stereo microscopes.
