They range in complexity from simple handheld versions to advanced systems that offer a variety of observation methods and measurement functions. A digital microscope uses optics and a digital camera to output captured images to a computer monitor. Digital microscopes connect to a computer monitor to show the results in real time. Put simply, a digital microscope is a microscope that uses a digital camera instead of an eyepiece. But as technology continues to advance, digital microscopes are becoming more popular. If you’ve ever worked in a lab, you know an optical microscope uses an eyepiece and objective to magnify a small object.