Using a stereo microscope is relatively simple. The specimen you are viewing is placed on the stage plate—if it is a live specimen, a glass petri dish can be used to contain it. To view the specimen, switch on the light source on the stereo microscope and adjust the eyepieces so that you can comfortably look through the microscope. You can also observe in high magnification by adjusting the zoom, without changing the objective of each magnification such as on an upright/inverted microscope.