Jim: One requirement of the loupe is that be long enough so that you do not have to rub your nose on the GG. Another is that it offer sufficient magnification and ample enough coverage. Therein the contradiction. 10X loupes used to be very short. However, some modern loupes meet these requirements even up to 10X magnification as for example the Silvestry 10X. This is a very sharp loupe with a wider field of view than most regular 10X loupes and just long enough to keep your nose where it belongs. Below 7X I personally feel that the magnification is insufficient. Above 10X it is too high and the grain of the GG becomes overwhelming. The good loupes are expensive but I think worth it. Drugstore glasses are ok but do not offer sufficient magnification. If you wear prescription glasses you can have them formulated so that you can see the whole 4X5 screen at about 6" at good magnification, but in no way substituting the loupe.