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Or something cheap like
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Microscope-Stereo-Opax-Japan-x15-x45_W0QQitemZ130130444461QQihZ003QQcategoryZ361QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Don't know if they are up to much but again...

Quite old looking but probably still better than 99% of handhelds and will give you a much more 3d view.
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Depends on how much you want to spend. Ebay, places that sell of old industrial equipment or absoluteclarity.com are a few places to try.

Can't say I've ever seen a Minolta scope. Do you have any links about them? I only know of their camera adapters and lenses (some of which are more or less microscope lenses for camera afaik). ...

I usually stick to around 50x or so as it lets me postion the blade quickly as well as showing enough detail (for me).
It really depends on the quality of the scope and your lighting. I don't go...