Translation guide
A stereoscope is a device for viewing two slightly different photographs of the same scene, one with each eye, to create a three-dimensional effect. In Japanese, the loanword ステレオスコープ is the standard term, but related words like 立体鏡 and 実体鏡 are also used in technical contexts.
The learner wants to refer to the physical instrument used to view stereoscopic images.
The most common and direct loanword from English. Widely understood in modern contexts, especially in museums, photography, and VR-related discussions.
This museum has a 19th-century stereoscope on display.
A native Japanese compound meaning '3D mirror/scope'. Used in historical or technical descriptions, but less common than the loanword.
Literally 'real body scope'. A more technical term sometimes used in surveying, microscopy, or optics. Rare in everyday language.
When you look at old photos through a stereoscope, the scenery of that time appears in three dimensions.
Stereoscopes were used for interpreting aerial photographs in mapmaking.