Loupe recommendations

[SAShruby]

I use Schneider 4x Loupe and it's great. IMHO you need loupe which is aspheric, is sharp in entire area you are looking at and it is sharp. You can buy Peak, Schneider, Toyo or other anytime 40-60 dollars at E**y.

I got mine and I am happy with it.

[John Dziadecki]

It seems almost anything works better than nothing. I started by using the plastic Agfa, moved up to the Schneider and am considering the venerable linen tester (5x) simply because it's incredibly light weight, the most compact option of the lot and its square shape allows you to check those corners -- plus, when it goes missing in the field, you won't be out megabucks to replace it

[John Kasaian]

The old Agfa loupe is very sharp in the center. In fact, thats the only place it is sharp so thats where I focus(ed)---but really thats all you need---everything else is just icing on the cake (like my Silvestri's swell cord so I can hang it around my neck! ;-)

[Ed K.]

I second the Toyo for 4x5 or very critical 8x10 in softer light. The Toyo is designed to focus at the very end of the loupe as it rests on the GG on a rubberized tip. Also second the drug store glasses for 8x10 to conveniently wander around the 8x10 frame at close distances. I have the Rodenstock ( a Samy's branded one ) as well as the large Schneider 3x - both also work fine, but are better suited to the light table than the field. For modest money, the Rodenstock or Toyo are both workable.

[Malcolm Stewart]

I'm in the UK, have astigmatism so wear bifocals all the time, and have found the "PRO 4X Magnifier Lupe" from Jessops (~£30) to work well. It's focusable, has a neck string, and a choice of translucent and black surrounds allowing use on prints, lightbox and groundglass. Wearing specs, I find it covers a full 35mm frame.
For setting up, I use high dioptre non-prescription "Reading Specs" over my bifocals as my accommodation is now so limited (I'm >67) I quickly run out of what's in focus.

[Bruce]

Being a cheap bottom feeder, I have made several loupes that work well. I found that an old 50mm enlarging lens I had, mounted into a transluscent 35mm film canister with the end cut off worked well. An 80mm lens worked even better. The 80 mm needed longer relief, so I cut the ends out of two film canisters, stuck one in the other, adjusted till it was in focus and taped it up.
These were both no name lenses that were lousy for enlarging, the kind lots of us have lying around.