Binocular Magnifier

[brianw]

Hello Everyone.
I enjoy keeping up with the forum every day, but haven’t posted anything for a while.
I normally just use a loupe for working on clocks but have been thinking of getting a Donegan Optical Company OptiVISOR LX Binocular Magnifier.
Are these any good? They come in a range of magnifications and I don’t know which one would be most suitable. I only work on clocks so would not need super powerful magnification.
Also, I wear glasses all the time and use a loupe which clips on. Is it possible to use the OptiVISOR over glasses?
Can anyone give me any advice on this? Is there a better product more suitable for someone who wears glasses?
Thanks, Brian.

[chris mabbott]

Hey Brian, nice to see you back..

I feel that it is a purely personal like or not like with magnification, I have a visor but i find it bulky and uncomfortable, I use it for lathe work only, most of the time I use a loupe with a holder, just what works for me.

If you’re looking for advice, it’s gonna cost ya buddy 😆 I just ended up buying one to try it, which wasn’t a big cost. I also got various strengths/powers of lenses, which do come in handy for lathe work.. :ugeek:

[tmac1956]

brianw:

If you get one make sure it has a pretty long focal point – so you can get up under it and have adequate room to work in the vertical axis.

Later,
Tom

[willofiam]

Brian, I use mine all the time, came with the different magnification lenses. depending on how big your frames are on your glasses it works fine. Although for watch work I do prefer the flip loupe on my reading glasses. William

[david pierce]

Brian,
Everybody’s optical issues and working distance is different. I watched a video recently on Youtube called THE WORLD OF COMPLICATED SWISS WATCHES. One of the cabinetiers featured in the video would bite into the edge of his watch bench to stabilize his head in order to keep the movement in focus. The reason for this is as the magnification becomes more powerful, the range of focus decreases. Personally I find this sort of thing uncomfortable and switched over to a microscope a long time ago. For the initial disassembly I use common drug store reading glasses. For closeup work I use a microscope. The good news in all of this is very high quality microscopes are available at reasonable prices. The one I use the most is an Amscope binocular 20X – 40X. This provides far greater magnification then you can get with a loupe and due to the fact that the optics are mounted in a stable metal frame, once the object is in focus it stays in focus. I also purchased another microscope with a longer focusing distance with the same power. This allows enough focusing room to fit a screwdriver under the lens. This is also a matter of personal preference but for me I found a standard eye loupe to be cumbersome to work with.
david

[bernie weishapl]

Brian I used to use a optivisor over my glasses with no problems. I don’t need glasses anymore but still use it all the time. I bought a pretty good one off ebay that has 3X, 6X and 10X by flipping a couple of lenses. I like it a lot.

[brianw]

Thanks for all your help and advice. Very useful.
I’ve purchased one online and am awaiting delivery.

[david pierce]

Check out Ebay item . That has to be the ultimate loupe.

[willofiam]

@david pierce wrote:

Check out Ebay item . That has to be the ultimate loupe.

I have thought about something like these, anyone use them??? I really dont like laying my head on the bench while working, (I suppose there are times I might get caught late nights 😆 ) I talked with a dental hygienist about what she uses and she was saying the good ones are 600 to 1000 dollars or better. 😯 . I have tried all types of loupes and magnification configurations and am still not very happy with what I am using when working on watches 🙄 (trying to get by cheap). My best setup so far is a pair of readers, drilled a hole in the lense and attached a side flip loupe holder. I like to be able to flip it out of the way without fussing with it, also to have it secure to my big ol head when farting around. I think I will make a visit to the dentist ONLY to see what they are using and ask if I can test it while there, would hate to spend even 145 or better and not like them….I see there are some headband styles out there too. If I can finally find what works best I would spend a little extra because it can be very frustrating at times with poor fitting/ operating magnification (one of our most important and useful tools). By the way I just cannot get used to using a loupe by itself. William

[david pierce]

There is also a 6X binocular medical loupe on Ebay.

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