Best loup for ground glass focusing?

[Matus Kalisky]

Well, what I can comment - I have a PEAK 8x loupe with rectangular base which sels new for around $30 and would NOT recomend it because of 2 reasons:

1) You have to look exactly along the optical axis to get a sharp focus (this may have something to do with rather high enlargement factor and small height) - otherwise you will get distorted image

2) The loupe is sharp only in the center - so the rectagular design which I thought will be usefull to focus the corners is useless.

But is light - only 1.9 oz. (54 g) and small.

I would now go for a longer loupe - either rodenstock/schneider/fuji 4x or a loupe designed for the ground glass usage like toyo 3.6x or horseman 6x (~ $150 !), wista 5x, Silvestri tilting loupe 6x

I have tested the rodenstock 4x (at local lab on the light table) and it is beautifully sharp all over.

I also find 8x enlargement a bit too much on the ground glass of my Tachihara - I do see the grain of the fresnel.

I would like to hear also some comments on Toyo , Horsemann, Wista, Silvestri... Toyo is rather chaep - fixed focus (my eyes ares still OK) - but the comments are sometimes positive, sometimes negative. The horsemann is costly, but the users seem to like it... What about Wista or SIlvestri?

Matus

[Dave Parker]

I use a 10x fingerprint loupe that I purchased for about $2 at a sale, it is a highly corrected lens that is flatfield for finger print exam by police. It works very good, I found it at a liquidation sale for a police dept that hand changed everything over to digital, it is as good as any of the expensive loupes that are sold for focusing and slide review.

Dave Parker
Satin Snow Ground Glass

[Alan Davenport]

When I got my first LF camera, I focused using a 5X-10X eyeglass loupe; i.e., one that clipped onto the frame of my eyeglasses. I got excellent focus, but what a nuisance trying to keep the loupe focused on the groundglass image.

Now, I use a 4X loupe that I bought on the bay. I still get excellent focus.

The thing to realize here, is that a better loupe will not help you achieve better focus. When you magnify the groundglass image through a loupe, you also magnify the circle of confusion; this is what allows you to discern the point of correct focus. A cheaper loupe may not render the magnified GG as sharply, but it will still let you see the best focus. A higher quality loupe might be more enjoyable to look through, but it won't help you focus any better.

As for loupe magnification, most people seem to prefer something from 4X to 6X. More than that, and you start seeing more of the grain in the groundglass and/or fresnel lines. Note that seeing these artifacts won't affect the ability to focus, but they tend to make what you're seeing more confusing, sort of a point of diminishing returns.

Get the plaid one.

[Gordon Moat]

With all the comments about plaid loupes, it almost surprises me there are no loupe sleeves on the market. My TOYO 3.6x is a simple enough tube shape that it could easily take a fashionable sleeve. Unfortunately, I don't like plaid (nor suede) . . . guess I will have to stick with black.


Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio

[Arne Croell]

I was trained as a mineralogist, so I use one of my folding triplet loupes preferred in the field by geologists, similar to the ones shown here: http://www.amateurgeologist.com/shop...nt_loupes.html
I use an 8x one (an older Zeiss Jena), a 10x (Eschenbach) works too, at least with my Bosscreen ground glass. I have tried loupes with a base like the Schneider and Emo ones, but always come back to the one I carry around in my pocket anyway. Since I don't put it on the ground glass there is also no danger I'll change the ground glass position, and it is also much easier to tilt when checking the corners. A matter of personal preference.....

[Lazybones]

I would like to hear also some comments on...Horseman

I use the Horseman 6x loupe; my camera in a Toyo 45AII with focusing hood. This combo lets me focus without a dark-cloth most of the time. The eye-cup design helps a lot. It feels very solid in construction. I agree that it's not cheap, but it does work well for me... But yes, I do find myself wanting to see into the corners a bit more!

My other loupe is a Schneider 6X Aspheric. In my opinion, it seems a little on the delicate side for field use, so this one stays at home on the light-box. I have no complaints regarding its use in this role.

[Capocheny]

I use the Horseman 6x loupe;

Lazybones,

You have GREAT taste in loupes!

Same one I use.

Alternatively, a folding linen loupe is also nice... small and very compact.

Cheers

[Dave Parker]

I have found over the years, loupes are very personal choices, they all achieve the same end, but each and every single one of us are going to find one that fits us, I don't know what I can recommend or others can recommend is going to be the answer to your question, if your in an area that has an equipment store, your best bet is to look through as many as possible.

Happy Holidays.

Dave

[John Kasaian]

You got a lot of good answers. If what you're using now isn't cutting the mustard, experiment. What works for you is what matters. For years I used a 8x Agfa loupe without thinking anything of it---it worked. Now I use a Silvestri but it could just as easily been a Toyo, Rodenstock, Wista or Horseman (or a linen tester, for that matter!) Don't stress over it as long as you're able to focus the gg. If OTOH someone has asked you what you what for Christmas or something and you figure a new loupe is what you'd like, ask 'em how much they paid for their shoes. Never ask for a Christmas present (especially a loupe) thats going to cost more than a new pair of shoes---my 2-cents

[Eric James]

After hunting high and low for strong reading glasses for ground glass evaluation I was only able to find +3 glasses "over the counter". Not finding this pair adequate I had a pair of +5 prescription reading glasses made - these worked well for most compositions but I still needed the aid of a 4x loupe fairly often.

I recently had a pair of +7 prescription reading glasses made; these allow me to get within 4 or 5cm of the GG. When your eyes are viewing an object as close as this your inter-pupillary distance decrease significantly; if you have specialty glasses like this made you should have the optician measure your pupil-to-pupil distance when your eyes have converged on the close object. The resulting prescription will allow you to view the object through both eyes; if pupil convergence isn't compensated, the brain only sees through the dominant eye.

My prescription was delayed because the lab balked at making the glasses - the technician thought that a mistake had been made, either in the optician's prescription, or in the genetic disposition of the customer who required such a screwed up pair of glasses. The optician defended her work and placed the blame with my maker.

I still carry a Canon 4x loupe but these +7 glasses are great for those who hate to fumble around with a loupe when crouched over under the cloth.

The Canon 4x loupe is a nice but expensive solution ($100US). The base is plastic so the glass won't scratch or break if you have a heavy-handed moment while focusing. It comes with a removable neck strap and case. It also makes an excellent loupe for evaluating 35mm slides. One real test of the right tool for the job is: would you replace it if it where lost of broken? I did