I've got a Horseman 6x loupe, but sometimes I feel it's not quite enough for critical focusing (at least for my eyes).
I'm looking at this Schneider loupe, but the seller says he just used it for viewing slides. (Dumb?) Question... What's the difference between a loupe for viewing slides, and a ground-glass loupe? My Horseman is definitely longer than this one, which I find helpful.
For any of you that use 8x or greater loupes, what would you recommend (if not this one)?
Thank you.
Last edited by seandavid; 25-Feb-2017 at 21:59.
I can't explain the essential differences between loupes, except to say that I recently purchased a Peak 8-16x loupe from a seller on this Forum and have already found that the 8x magnification has been very useful for (as you say) critical focusing. Previously I had been relying on a 4x loupe. This Peak loupe is a (relatively expensive) gem adjustable to 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16x, and it is quite bright even at the higher magnifications. But I don't expect that I would use it as a "focusing" loupe with my 4x5 cameras at much higher than 10x magnification. ....
... JMOwens (Mt. Pleasant, Wisc. USA)
"If people only knew how hard I work to gain my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful at all." ...Michelangelo
The problem with high-power loupes is you see the texture of the ground glass, which obscures the subject.
IOW you gain nothing while losing the subject detail you want to concentrate on.
- Leigh
If you believe you can, or you believe you can't... you're right.
Some loupes have interchangeable skirts (the part below the optics). Clear skirts are for viewing negatives or slides on a light table. Opaque skirts are for viewing a ground glass. That's all I know about it.
My loupe is a Toyo 3.6x if I remember correctly. I've never used anything stronger so I can't help you there.
A few things: as previously mentioned, many loupes designed for viewing non-back-lit things have clear skirts to let the light in. For ground-glass focusing, an opaque skirt is nice (especially if you're not using a dark cloth all the time), but not absolutely necessary.Originally Posted by seandavid
The second thing is focus: loupes that work best for ground-glass focusing have adjustable length so you can find the exact right focal distance from your eye to the frosted surface of the ground glass where the image is formed. Loupes for viewing photos and even slides often have no adjustment and a focus set at the plane where the skirt ends. This is often not optimal for ground-glass viewing, since the frosted surface you need to focus on can be a couple of glass thicknesses away from the end of the skirt. It seems (but I'm not sure from the photo) that the Schneider loupe you are considering has an adjustable eyepiece. I'd check that out, though. If so, it would be perfectly suited to ground-glass viewing.
As for overall length, it's a function of the design of the loupe. If you find longer is better for you (e.g., you need a longer loupe because you use a focusing hood, etc.) then look for an 8x-10x loupe with a long barrel.
Finally, the question arises: what power loupe is right for you? Many feel that higher-power loupes in the 8x and above range are too strong; they see too much of the grit of the ground glass and cannot focus on the image well due to that. Personally, however, I like loupes in the 8x-10x range for fine focusing. I find I feel better about getting the small details really in focus. If 6x seems too weak for you, then you'll likely prefer 8x or stronger too.
An aside: I mentioned the need to have an adjustable loupe so you can set it at the right focus for your eye-to-ground-glass distance. One way around this is to simply use a loupe without a skirt attached, or even a higher-powered magnifying glass, and, while focusing, move it around to find the right distance for best focusing. This has the advantage of allowing you to tilt the loupe for better viewing in the corners or when extreme movements are applied. Years ago, I arrived in Venice without my loupe or my reading glasses. A friendly optician sold me a nice pair of reading glasses, but had no loupe. He did, however, have a small 8x collapsible magnifying glass with an aspheric lens (like the one Sherlock uses in "Sherlock"). I found this really liberating; no worries about the skirt, no extra piece of equipment bobbing around on a string around my neck, just an easily pocketable, smaller-than-a-matchbox-size case that I don't even notice in my pants or jacket pocket. I still use this magnifier for the majority of my work.
Best,
Doremus
Thank you very much, everyone. So much great info here. Doremus, thanks for your lengthy response.
Much appreciated!
I have been using this Schneider loupe (with its adjustable eyepiece) for at least 25 years. Was serving me well all that time. But then I'm not picky about loupes. And yes I was using it for critical viewing of slides too. No problem either.I've got a Horseman 6x loupe, but sometimes I feel it's not quite enough for critical focusing (at least for my eyes).
I'm looking at this Schneider loupe, but the seller says he just used it for viewing slides. (Dumb?) Question... What's the difference between a loupe for viewing slides, and a ground-glass loupe? My Horseman is definitely longer than this one, which I find helpful.
For any of you that use 8x or greater loupes, what would you recommend (if not this one)?
Thank you.
Since slides have to be backlit to view them with a loupe your loupe, as shown, is excellent! However, as shown, it is impossible to properly view prints. For that you need the clear skirt. Do you also have it?
I agree about using opaque skirts for ground glass viewing.
However...
Those are also used for viewing negatives or slides on a light table, to eliminate ambient light on the film surface.
Transparent skirts are for viewing prints or other subjects printed on paper, meant to be viewed by incident light.
- Leigh
If you believe you can, or you believe you can't... you're right.
I have the same experience.
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