david_dukeman1 Posted May 19, 2005 Share Posted May 19, 2005 Thanks in advance for any help on this issue. Have heard several different recommendations on the right lupe to focus with, 8x, 4x etc... I have a Calumet 45N and using a Fujinon 150mm f/5.6 lens. What are your thoughts on magnification, brand etc... I know that a quality lupe is easier on the eye other than that not quite sure. Did a search but not much out there specifically on what people prefer to use for lupes. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goemon Posted May 19, 2005 Share Posted May 19, 2005 I use a Mamiya 4x; my ground glass is too coarse for me to get meaningful benefit from an 8x or 10x, I think. If your ground glass is finer, the larger magnification probably makes more sense. The Mamiya is a very good loupe, by the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lee hamiel Posted May 19, 2005 Share Posted May 19, 2005 I use a Schneider 4x loupe & it also has both an opaque black bottom ring along with a transparent bottom ring. The black or opaque rings help to isolate the image at hand better on a GG & the transparent ring helps to allow light to enter if not on a GG or lightbox but rather to view a coin or stamp, etc. w/ambient light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donald_brewster Posted May 19, 2005 Share Posted May 19, 2005 Certainly a personal preferance issue. Lots of decent loupes out there. I use a long barrel Horseman 6x. Lots of people prefer 3x and 4x. Seems folks rarely use 8x or longer. Lots of people also go with the cheaper loupes. Again, personal preference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danny_wong2 Posted May 19, 2005 Share Posted May 19, 2005 I also use the Schneider 4x loupe. It is not cheap but the quality and the sharpness on the gg as viewed through this is less tiring on the eyes. Without the fresnel lens the image really snaps in and out of focus. The interchangable clear, solid bottm section enable you to also us it to view transparencies on a light box and prints. This lupe is slso the "standard" of the art directors in advertising agencies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerik Posted May 19, 2005 Share Posted May 19, 2005 Toyo 4x. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_dukeman1 Posted May 19, 2005 Author Share Posted May 19, 2005 Thanks for all the help, there certainly are several to choose from but it looks like something around a 4x is the best overall magnification. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffrey_sipress Posted May 19, 2005 Share Posted May 19, 2005 I don't use a loupe at all. I wear an Optivisor on my head with the #10 lens, equal to about a 4x. I can use both eyes most of the time, and have both hands free to work the camera. It's freedom! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mskovacs Posted May 19, 2005 Share Posted May 19, 2005 The Cabin 4x is the exact same as the Mamiya 4x at a much lower price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronald_moravec1 Posted May 19, 2005 Share Posted May 19, 2005 Toyo 4x did not work well for my eyes. Non adjustable focus so I have to hold it slightly away from the glass. Replaced it with the Mamiya 8x for $70. Adjustable focus solves my problem. This time I checked it out at the store first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott___1 Posted May 19, 2005 Share Posted May 19, 2005 i have three... rodenstock 4x, fuji 4x, and silvestri 6x. i find focusing with the silvestri 6x easiest. of the 4x loupes, i prefer the fuji to the rodenstock. it's all metal and feel like a quality tool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jack_fisher1 Posted May 19, 2005 Share Posted May 19, 2005 One of the very few advantages of being extremely nearsighted: I simply remove my glasses and get real close to the gg. ...better than a lupe for me. JF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter_white2 Posted May 19, 2005 Share Posted May 19, 2005 The Schneider 4x works great. You can focus it, and as another poster wrote, it comes with two bases. One is clear for viewing prints, the other opaque for transparencies or focusing screen duty. It's also tack sharp from the center to the edge, which is more than can be said for most loupes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capocheny Posted May 19, 2005 Share Posted May 19, 2005 David, I have a few loupes: Sylvestri 4x (with tilt), Toyo 4x, Leica Magnifier, and the Kodak adjustable loupe.. Toyo 4x ------60% Sylvestri 4x--- 10% Leica --------5% Kodak ------ 25% So... simple answer is Toyo 4x followed by the small Kodak loupe. Personally, I find the Sylvestri too small and awkward to use. But, that's just my personal opinion. :) Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_briggs2 Posted May 19, 2005 Share Posted May 19, 2005 <p>Here's two previous discussions: <i>8x, 10x, or 12x loupe for ritical focusing on Technikardan ground glass?</i> at <a href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00848F">http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00848F</a> and <i>Loupes for ground glass focusing</i> at <a href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=008dd2">http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=008dd2</a>.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonpg Posted May 19, 2005 Share Posted May 19, 2005 David as a general rule you don't want too much magnification or else the ground glass grain gets confused with image sharpness. Too little magnification is frustrating. So I found more than 7x is too much; less than 4x is too little. So personal preferences will determine something between 4x and 7x. For me a long loupe is essential to viewing comfort - keeps your head a bit further out from the glass and hood (if one is fitted). Silvestri and Wista make good quality long loupes. I originally used my Mamiya 5x loupe I use for checking 35mm negs on a light box but I wanted a bit more magnification and a longer structure as my face was too close to the ground glass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_e._cassidy Posted May 19, 2005 Share Posted May 19, 2005 Hello David, I like to use a SKS 10X engineering loupe. The note about a fine quality ground glass is very true. I have been updating my cameras with SatinSnow glass. This combination of excellent groundglass and high quality optics allow me to focus on pine needles and the wires of field fence at infinity. I find a 4X insufficient for my old eyes. ps: It helps to have lenses up front that can resolve the pine needles and field fencing at infinity too! Just my two pennies! Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian_ellis16 Posted May 19, 2005 Share Posted May 19, 2005 For ground glass viewing I prefer loupes that are square (such as those made by Peak) rather than the more common round ones. The square shape helps get into the corners of the ground glass (if they aren't cut out) and to view along the edges of the ground glass where the problems often lie. Most loupes, especially the ones that cost more than $50 or so, aren't made for use on a ground glass, they're made for viewing slides on a light box. For that purpose high quality optics are important but not when the loupe is just being used as a magnifier on ground glass. So don't go overboard on cost by paying for optical quality you don't need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
syd Posted May 20, 2005 Share Posted May 20, 2005 Pentax 5.5 ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cxc Posted May 20, 2005 Share Posted May 20, 2005 I'm one of the few who prefer a stronger loupe, a 7x. I feel like I can be more precise with it. Lately my tilts have been in focus, so it seems to work for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nghi_hoang Posted May 20, 2005 Share Posted May 20, 2005 I am using a Calumet 7X loupe, which isn't available on Calumet's online store anymore. I think I paid around forty dollars for it a year ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter_white2 Posted May 20, 2005 Share Posted May 20, 2005 Brian, In order for a square loupe to be useful in the corners of the ground glass, it has to have good resolution from the center to the corner. It's only the high quality loupes that do that. In fact, it's center to corner resolution that makes the expensive loupes worth the extra money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian_ellis16 Posted May 20, 2005 Share Posted May 20, 2005 Sorry Peter but based on my 10 or so years of usage I have to disagree. I have three Peak loupes, all square. IIRC they cost about $50-$75 each. They're great in the corners and along the edges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott_fleming1 Posted May 22, 2005 Share Posted May 22, 2005 For most field work a loupe is just a hindrance. I find that 3x reading glasses allow me to fine focus quite exactly. If one is doing macro work or something in the studio with complex movements ... table top work .... a loupe is indespensible but in the field with just a front tilt or some rise ... why bother? But then I never shoot wider than f/22 either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikem77 Posted May 22, 2005 Share Posted May 22, 2005 I made my own. I took the front element out of an old, non-functional Minolta Himatic camera (Rokkor 45mm f1.7). I mounted it in a piece of PVC pipe with some ABS glue. Works like a charm and is very very nice optically. The magnification is probably something like 3x. My bet is that it performs quite well compared to expensive high-end loupes...except for how it looks :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now