I use a unit called a Revolution. Its basically a samsung tablet modified with some specialty app (magnification, OCR, and of course zoom features). It connects wirelessly to a small camera (i use a PixPro by sony i think) that sits a top a stand. I use this in my classes to zoom in on the white board. Its lightweight and effective. The tablet also comes with its own stand that'll hold it up so i can magnify paper underneath it in real-time. Tbh, that feature is a little clunky and i barely use it, but as a whole i love the unit.

If you just want like a handheld thing, there's some pretty cool digital magnifiers. I use the Candy 5, but i know quite a few people who use the ruby. Great for reading small chunks of text, but not all that practical for long passages.

In highschool i used to use a portable cctv called a VisioBook. Though technically "portable," it was pretty heavy and it wasn't nearly as helpful as my tablet. It'll do both distance and small print. If i remember correctly, the Visio goes for about $2000.

Are you in the US? If so, then you should really connect with your state's vocational agency (for me its the DOR). They'll help you get the materials you need to reach your career goals. So if you need assostive technology so you can work towards a defree that'll eventually lead to a job, then they'll help you out. Also, make sure to connect with your schools Disability Support Services (sometimes it might have a different name depending on where you go to school). Worst case scenerio, you can arramge to have large print assignments and a notetaker in class if you don't find the right device in time. They can also help you get accessible digital copies of your textbooks (you'd still have to pat for them tho).

Apple iPads and iPhones have a digital magnifier built in. I use my iPhone and iPad all of the time as a portable solution. You can enable it in the accessibility settings and then activate it by triple clicking the home button. The app even supports multiple magnification levels and color inversion, which is great because I see white text on black background better. I can also zoom in so I can see the hymn numbers posted during church, so it will work at a distance as well. I even use an Apple TV so I can wirelessly mirror my screen on the TV screen. Might get be a good way to get a mobile device and a magnifier in one package.

There is a transportable model of a CCTV called an Acrobat. I'm more familiar with the older version (which, while transportable, required it's own backpack), but I believe they have newer models now.

The CCTV has a camera that looks down to magnify a page, but the camera is mounted on a swivel that can aim at things further away.

Here is a link to some of updated models. The mini version has a 13" screen, while the larger versions that have monitor sizes from 20" to 27".

http://www.boundlessat.com/Low-Vision/Portable-Magnifiers/Acrobat-HD-Mini-CCTV

http://www.boundlessat.com/Low-Vision/Portable-Magnifiers/Acrobat-HD-CCTV