Anyone use reading glasses as a loupe?

[Chris Strobel]

Well my visions gone to the point where I can't focus anymore with my Toyo 3.6 loupe, it has no diopter adjustment.Today in the market I saw some +3.25 reading glasses for under twenty bucks.Has anyone tried these for focusing an 8x10?

Chris

[BetterSense]

I'm also interested. I like to use the viewing hood with my speed graphic and stick my face right up against it. Obviously I can't use a loupe with the viewing hood, but I have a hard time focusing down to 6 inches or whatever.

[Shen45]

I have 2 or 3 pair as I tend to put them down and walk away. They are great. I haven't found any short comings that I can think of. Just remember if you are in a dangerous place your vision will be compromised if you forget momentarily to take them off before walking to or from that 1000 foot cliff!!

[Eric Woodbury]

A you get to higher powers, the eye to ground glass distance becomes more critical. Therefore, when the image is out of focus, it is sometimes hard to distinguish between focusing the camera and focusing your glasses.

I'm wondering if you can buy stick on magnifiers that are about as big as a dime. How would that be to have a couple little magnified spots on the ground glass? Just a thought.

[anchored]

Works fine for an "almost there" focus... I wear dime-store +3.5 diopters to get focus real close, but still use a loupe with diopter adjustment for final tuning. This on a 4x5... not an 8x10, but don't see where size would make much matter.

[Nathan Potter]

I use 3.25 diopter drugstore glasses at around 8 inches from the screen for initial setup and global focus and they work fine. $11.99 at the grocery store. Then I do critical focus with a 10X or 5X adjustable Leitz loupe - vintage 1960. The 10X is probably a bit too strong but has sentimental value (as does all my other antique gear).

Nate Potter, Austin TX.

[Brian Ellis]

I use reading glasses to rough focus and a loupe to fine focus. Braille is next.

[Roger Thoms]

I use reading glasses to rough focus and a loupe to fine focus. Braille is next.

Basically what I do, bought the reading glasses on Mark Citret's recommendation and have been quite pleased. As my eye sight deteriorates I'm also finding the reading glasses quite useful in the darkroom, both for composing and rough focusing on the easel and for reading label on chemical bottles.

Roger

[Kuzano]

The visor set I have uses two different magnification sets of lenses that flip down and the whole front piece can flip up out of the way. Plenty of room under the dark cloth for them.

Just a sampling of a few. I discovered these when working on laptop computers and then on camera's. Guess what.... pretty handy for focusing on Ground Glass and keeps your hands free.

See the link for a few ideas

http://www.jewelerstoystore.com/Magnifiers_s/35.htm

[jim kitchen]

I use reading glasses to rough focus and a loupe to fine focus. Braille is next.

Now that quote is funny...

jim k