Call me over the top. I've been using a 15x Peak that ran about $30. I haven't had a problem with the degree of magnification, particularly when I can count someone's eyelashes. I've shot dozens of images (landscape and portraits) since I realized that I had it sitting around and the focus in the images has been great. In addition, it's small and tucks neatly and lightly into a corner of my backpack.
I guess I'll add this here. I have tried over the years a number of really inexpensive loupes, most of which were horrible. Moving up to ones over $10, the inexpensive Toyo can't be focused to adjust for different (or changing) vision. I recently was ordering from Edmunds Scientific and tried their $5.95 focussing 8X plastic loupe. (stock No. 30356-74) I tried it and it is quite decent. You paint or gaffer tape the clear base, it it works very well and doesn't have the limitations of the other inexpensive ones I've tried. It is much sharper than other plastic loupes I've tried and the sharp area is more than a little spot in the middle of the image.
I’d like to revive this old thread with the current FOCUSING LOUPE options in 2016.
I have a Toyo 4x Loupe made specifically for ground glass magnification and now that my eyesight is changing (+1.5) I am wishing it was adjustable. It was great for 25 years as my go-to loupe when I had perfect vision.
I also have a Sylvestri 6x loupe ($138.00 B&H) which is adjustable and seems to be a better magnification for me now, but I’d love a higher eyepoint or larger exit pupil and perhaps a larger field of view.
Has anyone used the SMC Pentax Photo Loupe 5.5X? It doesn’t have accommodations for a neck strap but I think it could work nicely. for $100-200 on Ebay.
Wista has a $320 4X “Jumbo” Loupe, and a 5X standard loupe for $110.
It looks as if the 4X Toyo is not available new anymore but there are still some on Ebay.
Other bygone types, brands and styles that you use & recommend around 6X?
Thanks in advance for the help and input
`
–Stephen Schafer HABS | HAER | HALS & Architectural Photography | Ventura, California | www.HABSPHOTO.com
The Pentax loupe is large - too large for GG use, in my opinion. It is a superb loupe though. And it would let you see a much larger amount of the GG if you are the type who gets into things in relative focus etc. It is round and can't get into the corners, something that is exacerbated by the large size. Have you considered high powered reading glasses, if you want a wide field? The Schneider loupe for examining medium format negs on a light table is a little larger and might work as well, if you want a larger field of view - it is larger though (not as large as the Pentax), and is only 3X, if memory is serving me correctly.
Cheers, DJ
The Wista loupe that is still being made is really nice. I like it better than the Toyo loupe.
YesOriginally Posted by jmcguckin
I thought the Toyo was fine until I got older and had to hold it off the gg to focus. Since it was not adjustable. And I have a Silvestri which is excellent.
Then I saw some very inexpensive focusing loupes. They have a clear base so you have to give the base one wrap of gaffers tape. They adjust for your eyes and your particular ground glass. I have one of these in each camera bag. $18 on Amazon, look for Wedo Focusing Cube" Made in Germany. Very light weight since the lenses are plastic. 8X which works fine for me.
As usual, whether you're satisfied with your loupe depends a lot on the loupe, but it also depends on what your doing. For instance, using a short loupe in freezing conditions quickly leads to your breath fogging up the ground glass. If you do F64 style landscapes or architecture, checking the focus on the edges of the ground glass is usually important, but it's normally less so with portraits. Moreover the granularity of viewing systems vary, and as a result the magnification that's best for viewing them varies. Lastly, our eyesight varies, and so what works for me might not be best for you.
I have a bunch of loupes. I usually use a Horseman 7x, as it's a nice compromise of size, cost, and magnification. I'm perfectly happy to use my Rodenstock 4x or Peak 4x (the square one). The Toyo/Horseman non-adustable ones still work ok for me, and they're sturdy. Finally, I have a Doktor Optic 8x loupe, which is tiny. I do still use it occasionally in the studio for a still life, but I wouldn't use it in the field due to it's tiny size. Obviously, critically evaluating slides on a lightbox requires higher quality than for checking focus on a ground glass, although every little bit helps with soft focus lenses or the ones that you have to stop down to the working aperture to check focus.
“You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know
I actually prefer to use a pair of 3.75 reading glasses - a good balance of screen viewing distance and ability to resolve critical detail. Also very nice to see/focus with both eyes. I do carry an old 5X Nikkor loupe if I need to double-check something...but whenever I've done this, my focus has pretty much always been spot on to begin with.
Of course, I also feel that the above scenario is greatly facilitated by the presence of a Maxwell screen!
Silvestri, the Sophia Loren of loupes!
"I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White
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