Recommend Loupe Please

[Pawlowski6132]

Hi, I've been shooting without a real loupe forever and now would like something a little more legitimate. Also, I am just an amateur and can't justify investing over $50 on said loupe. So, my question is, can I get something decent in my price range? Any suggestions?

thanx in advance

Joe

[bobwysiwyg]

Right here is an option..

http://www.largeformatphotography.in...ad.php?t=67223

[Frank Petronio]

Those $8 Agfa loupes work well. Another good loupe is a cheap 50mm lens from a broken 35mm SLR, find a rubber washer for the rear so you don't scratch your eye.

[desertrat]

I've used a cheap triplet 50mm EFL enlarging lens for 35mm negatives. It's a bit bulky, but the image is sharp and clear, and the magnification is about 4x - 5x. I use it now mostly for examining negatives on the light box. You can find these at the great auction site for a few dollars each at times.

More recently I've been using one of a cheap set of plastic eye loupes bought from Harbor Freight Tools. It's not quite as sharp and clear as the enlarging lens, but a lot lighter and easier to pack around. It works fine on the ground glass of my 8X10 Improved Seneca View.

[Frank Petronio]

It also depends on your eyesite and what your ground glass/fresnel situation is. With a bright fresnel a lower magnification loupe usually is best because under high magnification the texture of the fresnel will be distracting. Same with the brighter but coarser ground glasses. But if you have a plain ground glass, finely ground, then a higher mag loupe is nicer to use and you can see precise focus easier, even if things are dimmer.

Same thing with 35mm SLRs, as the focusing screens got brighter, manual focusing actually seemed harder since the image didn't "pop" into focus like before.

[John Cahill]

[QUOTE=Pawlowski6132;634168]Hi, I've been shooting without a real loupe forever and now would like something a little more legitimate. Also, I am just an amateur and can't justify investing over $50 on said loupe. So, my question is, can I get something decent in my price range? Any suggestions?

thanx in advance

*************
I use a Russian-made Horizon which I find quite satisfactory. I think I paid about 30 dollars dollars for it, plus shipping, quite a few years ago. I have an extra one in a box if you are interested..

[Ben Syverson]

Figure out what magnification you like, then get the best loupe in that category. A friend does not like either of my 8X loupes, and shoots only with a 4X Rodenstock.

Personally, I like the extra "reach" of 8X when focusing on the eyes. I've been using a Gaoersi 8X and love it.

[F-Liner]

A Peak/Nikon 8x rectangle one might suit your needs.


http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search...tialSearch=yes

[Barry Trabitz]

I use a pair of reading glasses of about 2.5 0r 2.75 magnification. I can see the entire ground glass of my 4x5 at this strength. This works for me with my implants.( I had cataract surgery about 2 years ago.) I like this because it frees up both hands for focusing and tilting. Available for about $2.00 at dollar stores such as Ocean Job Lots. For a few bucks its certainly worth a try. i haven't used my 4x loupe in years.


Barry.

[Rider]

Next time I shoot, I will try removing the fresnel to see if focussing is easier.

It also depends on your eyesite and what your ground glass/fresnel situation is. With a bright fresnel a lower magnification loupe usually is best because under high magnification the texture of the fresnel will be distracting. Same with the brighter but coarser ground glasses. But if you have a plain ground glass, finely ground, then a higher mag loupe is nicer to use and you can see precise focus easier, even if things are dimmer.

Same thing with 35mm SLRs, as the focusing screens got brighter, manual focusing actually seemed harder since the image didn't "pop" into focus like before.