The best option (which I resort to for research applications) is to use a microscope with a photo port and dedicated microscope camera. These give the best image quality, while also adding extra interpretation and annotation features, often required for publishing. Two prominent examples would be merging photographs of a specimen dyed with two fluorescent stains and viewed at different wavelengths; or merely adding a scale bar so that relative cell sizes may be accurately determined. Sadly, precision comes at a cost: most research microscopes equipped for imaging will cost more than a brand new car. There’s a reason I book time on a departmental research microscope…
Gram stain of yeast, tentatively Rhodotorula sp. Olympus PEN Mini E-PM1 with Zeiss Standard 14 microscope, 800x magnification, brightfield illumination.
Gram stain of yeast, tentatively Rhodotorula sp. Olympus PEN Mini E-PM1 with Zeiss Standard 14 microscope, 800x magnification, brightfield illumination. 1/6 s, ISO 200.
As with anything in photography, it’s a good idea to see if you’re interested in photomicrography before making any financial commitment. There is a trove of images available online, frequently accompanied by detailed descriptions. Looking through these should give you some idea of interest. It’s also worth looking into any available courses, and should you decide to take it up, researching what is and isn’t safe to work with. Outside of a lab with the appropriate physical containment level for the risk, I won’t work with anything I don’t know the source of; the bacteria and yeast in this post were photographed in the lab and disposed of in biohazard waste; the rat intestine was fixed in a lab and contained under a sealed coverslip (safe for home); I collected the algae myself, and thoroughly dried it before disposal (to ensure it was dead).