MICROSCOPE

A stereoscopic microscope according to the invention includes an observing optical unit 10 that has a zoom optical system 501 having variable zoom power and an objective lens 63 optically connected to the zoom optical system 501, and that receives observing light emitted from a specimen 2. The stereoscopic microscope also includes an illuminating unit 7 that emits illuminating light to illuminate the specimen 2. The microscope further includes a near co-axial epi-illuminatory optical system that has a reflecting mirror 13 disposed in the observing optical unit 10 but out of the optical path of the zoom optical system 501, and that illuminates the specimen 2 with illuminating light via the reflecting mirror and objective lens 6.