Loupe Recommendation

[Jeff Moore]

I recently dropped my loupe between a couple of railroad ties, after which it proceeded to fall about 150 feet into the river below. Fortunately, it was an el-cheapo loupe; no big loss. Now I need to purchase a new one. How about some recommendations. Money is no object; I want the best loupe available for focussing on a 4x5 ground glass. Thanks.

[Witold Grabiec]

I have to say that the Toyo for ~ $40 is still the best bet in town. I hardly see much reason in purchasing a super corrected loupe for ground glass focusing.

[Steve Baggett]

The Silvestri tilting loupe 6x is worth considering. It's a little strong when using it with a Fresnel screen (4x is better, so the Fresnel lines aren't as visible, but it's not too bad), but you can also, optionally, use the tilting feature to "aim" the loupe toward the lens node which makes focusing with wide angle lenses *MUCH* easier. It's very compact and easy to get into the corners. Very nice loupe and not too expensive: $79.95 at B&H. I give it a 9.0 out of 10.

[John Kasaian]

Jeff,

I'm partial to the Silvestri 6x tilting loupe, which is really cool, but before the Silvestri came on board I used a six dollar 8x Agfa which worked just fine. --------------Cheers!

[Jon_2416]

I sold my Silvestri and bought the Toyo. The Silvestri was just too short for me. I like being a little further away from the GG. Also, the Silvestri's metal surface didn't jive with the rather soft surface of my Linhof fresnel--the Toyo has a rubber end, and doesn't cause any scratches.

[David R Munson]

I use this Wista loupe and couldn't be happer with it. Sharp, light, and reasonably priced. I've had mine for about 4 years now and see no reason to change.

[George Hart]

I have the Horseman 7x loupe which I'm very happy with.

[neil poulsen]

I use a 4x loupe that, for me, is the right balance between magnification and being able to see the image. It's a Calumet (made by Rodenstock) loupe that uses aspheric optics. This loupe was a tremendous improvement over the "el-cheapo loupe" I had been previously using.

[Steve Baggett]

Also, the Silvestri's metal surface didn't jive with the rather soft surface of my Linhof fresnel--the Toyo has a rubber end, and doesn't cause any scratches.

You should put some tape (masking, plastic, paper, or otherwise) on the base of all loupes and trim the excess. Some plastics are harder than other plastics and will scratch softer Fresnel lenses. I have tape on the base of my Silvestri.

[Ted Harris]

I was waiting to see if you got ten different answers in the first ten responses. Asking about loupes frequently stirs the same loyalty for one brad or another as do similar questions about lenses.



Before you ever get to particular brands there are some basic questions you need to answer:



1) What magnification is most comfortable for your particular type of shooting and your eyesight? Generally I find that I am far more comfortable with a 6x loupe than with a 4x loupe and hence usually carry both.



2) Do you need a loupe with a long tube so that you can use it both under a darkcloth and with a built-in hood ala Linhof Technika, Horseman FA, Toyo, etc? If you need the longer tube then your choices are much more limited.



3) Do you want one loupe to serve for both GG viewing and for light table use?



4) Do you have budgetary constraints? You can spend anywhere from $40 to $400 for an acceptable loupe.



Having raised all these issues here are my personal feelings about the loupes I currently own and use:



1) I have an older 4x Schneider koupe that is my absolute first choice for light table viewing. I use it with the GG for both 4x5 and 8x10 as well but often find that I am more comfortable with a higher magnification. I am near sighted and tend to do fine focus without my glasses on and that is a factor … again style of working and eyesight.



2) I have had a Docter Optics (either 6x or 8x can’t remember and it is buried at the bottom of a bag right now) loupe for years that has always been a favorite. Great optics and tiny, easily slips into any spare space. It was probably my primary choice until the Silvestri tilting loupe came out. I like the Silvestri, a lot. As per the earlier post, you do have to be careful not to scratch the glass with its metal foot. It also comes with a translucent collar to use it for print/transparency viewing. Yes, it is very handy for getting into corners, much more so than any other loupe on the market, and that could be important for some types of shooting.



3) If you need a loupe with a long enough tube to use with a folding hood then your choices are limited AFAIK to those from Horseman, Wista and Toyo. I have owned two different copies of the Toyo loupe and have never understood its popularity. Maybe I have been unlucky but in both instances I found its optics to be very inferior to the other loupes I own and use. Of course it is also the cheapest and you get what you pay for. I recently acquired a Horseman 6x loupe for this purpose and the jury is still out. I’ll have to use it a lot more before I make up my mind. It is sturdy and beautifully made and it has great optics. It is also a bit bit heavier and larger than I am used to using but I suspect over time it will become a favorite.



If I had to choose and could only take one with me out in the field it would be either the Silvestri or the Horseman. I know in the studio I tend to use the Horseman and the Schneider the most, hardly ever the Silvestri.



I’m smiling, as I reread this before posting. I didn’t realize I was such a loupe slut!