Camera Or Microscope?

Ray's recommended setup will provide microscopic results ad well as full-face coin images, both in staggering quality. The tradeoff is some money (although a 'scope capable of duplicating the quality will be even more expensive), and a rather steeper learning curve.

Not all microscopes (I'm assuming you're talking about the USB type, having mentioned the Celestron) have a field of view large enough to encompass an entire coin, but some do. I don't use these instruments, but they have some strong fans at Coin Community and I'm quite sure you'll get some replies here which will address this now that I've mentioned it.

That is hardly limited to "newbies." In this day and age, with inexpensive, quality optics easily available, no collector should be without the equipment and ability to image coins and details for presentation to public opinion.

I can afford around 300 which isn't much for this purpose but it's the best I can do.

There are a large number of alternatives. Ray did a pretty exhaustive comparison of some a while back:

https://goccf.com/t/98494

$300 is a pretty tight budget for a rig which can make use of a lens like this, though, unless you already own a dSLR. How do you intend to use the lens?

That's ample to do it right:

https://goccf.com/t/164774

https://goccf.com/t/158182

However, it bears mentioning again, you're going to have to become a pretty sophisticated photographer to use this stuff to its' capabilities. But consider: Both of those threads were created by beginners, who learned all this stuff as they went. Guys just like you.

Well, if you already have a working knowledge of aperture, ISO and exposure then the rest is just technique. There is very little subjectivity to coin photography; it's very mechanical and the only creativity involved is lighting.

I can't seem to find the m5..

Thanks ray. I didn't put objective, just m5