Affordable focus loupe?

[ryanmills]

Any advice for a cheaper focus loupe? I know I should be spending a bit on one but with so many things on my list i'm just wondering if there are cheaper ones to get me buy for now.

[ac12]

Here are some options:

5x
http://www.adorama.com/PK1960.html
8x
http://www.adorama.com/DKL8X.html
10x
http://www.adorama.com/DKL10X.html
http://www.adorama.com/PK2032.html

[ryanmills]

Do the cheap ones like that work well on ground glass?

[Jim Becia]

Ryan,

I have a couple of the inexpensive Peak 5X loupes that I keep as spares. I think they were on sale for about $9 a few years ago. Have used them several times and they work well, not as nice as my Toyo loupe, but well enough. I took some duct tape and covered the lower section and added a cord so it could hang around my neck. Decent loupe for the price. Jim

[Ari]

I have those Peak 5x loupes as well, bought on sale like Jim did, and they are great for the money.
You can get by quite well with one of those until you are ready to spend a little more for a glass optic.

[irwinhh]

A entire set of different magnification loupes can be purchased at Harbor Freight for less than $5.

[ryanmills]

Thanks, i will give that 5x a try!

[C. D. Keth]

I used one of those peak loupes for a while. I just painted the inside of the skirt black to help contrast some.

[Thebes]

Raid your junk drawer for any group of cells that seems to work ok held about the desired distance from the gg.
Find a plastic pill bottle, scrap of tube or similar.
Take some epoxy and cement the group at the appropriate depth in your new loupe.
For added glamour, tape it up with electric tape, some string for a lanyard, and make a top lenscap with the pill bottle lid tied to the lanyard.

It only costs time and a broken slr lens or some such toy. I've had mine for 15 years now and have used it in preference to a couple mid-priced loupes.

[John Kasaian]

I used a 9x Agfa Loupe for years.