"Omag Made in Switzerland" is all it says. It looks like it takes batteries and there is a little switch on one side. Maybe a high power lupe for 8mm film? Any info is appreciated, thanks.
Looks like a pocket microscope. Some printers, textile workers and biologists I've encountered carried something like that around. As Omag (originally a all-round optical manufacturer) later focused on pre-press products, it will probably be for printers...
I have been unpacking after a major relocation move, and found an identical device in my late father's stuff. He was an avid philatelist and one of his principal interests was the pursuit of printing errors and flaws in postage stamps - and an amazing number do get through, escaping the eagle eye of the QA guys at the printers! As a kid I remember endless stops at small, rural post offices where he bought sheets of unused stamps and drank endless cups of tea with the postmaster!
So...he must have used this to conduct detailed examinations of the stamps.
Now, I have a use for this device - I inherited large numbers of 8mm movie films and with suitable backlighting, frame by frame inspection is now possible!
Which leaves one question - obviously relevant to opaque materials rather than film: what battery is used to power the bulb enclosed in the base? Does yours still have a battery? The proportions are more AA or AAA, but obviously the size is much greater. I haven't yet set out to research this, but if you have a battery, I would find the details most useful.
Regards
Francis
P.S. I never cease to revel in the internet: I opened the packing case, found the Omag, googled it and found your post, all within an hour or so. Wow!
It takes two AA batteries. If it is clean, it is very useful, quite sharp. I have a couple similar items. A late model microscope (convertible to monocular) is made in China and retailed a few years ago for $10 each on www.surplusshed.com. Of course they are hawked for $60 elsewhere.
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