Choosing a Loupe

[rlmoss]

I need a loupe to use on light table in viewing slides. I've narrowed down to 2 choices but I am not sure I understanding the import of the manufacturer's description at BHPhotoVideo spec pages.

1. Schneider 4X. Features stated Scneider magnifiers have been redesigned to provide an accurate image over a larger eye-to-loupe distance range.

2. The Acrhomatic Silvestri 6x Multi-Coated Duo Loupe is designed to "tilt" to 45 degree; it has +3, -1 diopter correction and format is 4x5.

Is Schneider telling me that it has significant eye relief? That I don't need to press against the loupe?

On the other hand, what is implied in the stipulation that the Silvestri loupe is 4x5 format? I can't parse the image format of a 35mm slide at 6X in 4x5 format.

If anyone has had experience with these loupe or other suggestions, I'd be appreciative.

Richard Moss

 

[Kim Coxon]

If it is of any interest, you can access the Schneider Loupe brochure here. http://www.schneiderkreuznach.com/pdf/foto/lupen_e.pdf

From that, I suspect that the "format" of the loupe refers more to it's general size so that you can see a suitable part of the neg. ie the 35mm loupe tend to have higher mag but cover a smaller area.

Kim

 

[Paul_C]

I use and highly recommend this:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/125877-REG/Rodenstock_260200_3x_Aspheric_Loupe.html

[edit]though i also shoot a lot of medium format. if you're shooting only 35mm your requirements will likely differ[/edit]

 

[Graham Line]

The Schneider was sort of the standard in photo departments before 21" LCD screens replaced it. 😱
There is a similar Cabin loupe at about half the cost of the Schneider. Comes with clear and opaque skirts.

 

[Chris101]

I have about a dozen loupes, from expensive triplets to plain simple lenses. My favorite kind is the 'linen tester' folding type. As it is open on all sides, it is perfect for spotting and micro-retouching.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Seriously consider a 50mm lens off an SLR. Cheap, sharp...

I have half a dozen or more loupes and above a certain quality (which really need not be very high) it doesn't matter a toss which one you choose. One of my favourites is a Nikon 'chimney' magnifying finder for (I think) an F3.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Tuolumne]

As I have gotten older and more nearsighted I find it difficult to get focus with these devices. I used to use a linen tester as mentioned above, but I can't come close to focusing my eyes on the image anymore. I see some of the ones mentioned above have diopter adjustments, but I think I may need more than the range the specs mention because the magnified image with the loupe is so far out of focus. Any recommendations?

/T

 

[Tuolumne]

Second that, Roger. I have a nice 4X Loupe with the Fujifilm name on it I've had for years; but, more often I just grab a 50mm lens, turn it around backwards, and use it for a loupe. Can't argue with the quality of the glass and it works fine.

I happen to have an 85mm f1.4 Nikkor sitting on my desk and just used it as suggested. Best loupe I've ever used! No focus problems and it was free!

/T

 

[sepiareverb]

I have the Schneider (the standard for photo editors before jpegs) and love it. I have a Fuji of similar size I use at work, side by side it pales in comparison to the Schneider, but on it's own is darn good. Beats the pants off those Agfa style 8x's

When I went looking for a good loupe I got some good advice (now invalid I suppose):
"Look at your slides with the same thing the editors will"

 

[rogue_designer]

My favorite has to be the 4x Peak Anastigmatic - it's big enough for MF comfortably, good eye relief, and very very sharp. But it's not cheap either.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/40700-REG/Peak_PK1990_4x_Anastigmatic_Loupe.html

 

[Dogman]

Here are my rules to live by concerning loupes:

Get the cheapest loupe you can find that doesn't distort the image.

Cheapest because you're gonna drop it and break it anyway so you may as well not throw too much money away.

Cheap loupes bounce when dropped. Expensive loupes break.

I have a half dozen $5.00 loupes on my light box, some 25 years old or more. The only thing that remains of the expensive loupes I have owned are the leather cases in the drawer.

The last good loupe I owned hit the floor while my wife was cleaning the desk where the lightbox is located. She picked it up and said, "Do you use this?" I looked at the three pieces in her hand and said, "Not anymore."

 

[Rico]

I have a Mamiya 4x which covers the 135 frame and is pin-sharp all the way out. It has a diopter setting, of course, and great eye relief. Unlike a bare camera lens, it can sit directly on the film (or slide), with a clear skirt or the included black one.

 

[John Noble]

My favorite has to be the 4x Peak Anastigmatic - it's big enough for MF comfortably, good eye relief, and very very sharp. But it's not cheap either.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/40700-REG/Peak_PK1990_4x_Anastigmatic_Loupe.html

I got this loupe for c. $50 in EX condition from KEH. It's big, but it's not squinty like some of the other loupes I've tried (including Schneider, et. al.). I like it a lot.

A fast 50-ish millimeter lens does work if you don't have anything else.

 

[tunznath]

I am an art director, and in one of my previous companies we used a Horizon 10x loupe from KMZ - the russian company, a brilliant loupe, was distributed by silvestri of italy - It was a quality item, heavy aluminium construction, adjustable focus, all the fashion photographers I worked with wanted one once they had used it. Bear in mind when selecting transparencies we shot 3 rolls of 36 pics per garment, so we had a huge amount of editing to do, the 10x loupe made it really easy to see detail and focus.

 

[Rob-F]

I use the Schneider. I have the earlier version, before they "improved" it. Mine is very easy on the eye for extended use. I find no eyestrain at all. I am not familiar with the 6x loupe you mentioned; however it sounds like a focusing magnifier for view cameras. I doubt if it will cover the 24 x 36mm format at a glance. The highest magnification lope that I personally know of that can cover the whole 35mm format is a 5x, made by Leica. Beyond that, the higher the power, the less area that is covered. So I use the Schneider for general inspection and sorting. When I need to check the image quality more closely, I use either a 7x Hakuba, or a 12x from Edmund Scientific.

If you use a camera lens, the following applies. The magnifying power is equal to the focal length in inches, divided into 10 inches. Or, to work directly in mm, divide the focal length into 254mm. So a 50mm lens--2 inches--makes a 5 power magnifier. A 35mm lens is a 7 power. An 85mm is a 3 power.

Generally low power magnifiers are more comfortable, with less eyestrain, than high power ones.

 

[walnut]

I need a loupe to use on light table in viewing slides. I've narrowed down to 2 choices but I am not sure I understanding the import of the manufacturer's description at BHPhotoVideo spec pages.

1. Schneider 4X. Features stated Scneider magnifiers have been redesigned to provide an accurate image over a larger eye-to-loupe distance range.

2. The Acrhomatic Silvestri 6x Multi-Coated Duo Loupe is designed to "tilt" to 45 degree; it has +3, -1 diopter correction and format is 4x5.

Is Schneider telling me that it has significant eye relief? That I don't need to press against the loupe?

On the other hand, what is implied in the stipulation that the Silvestri loupe is 4x5 format? I can't parse the image format of a 35mm slide at 6X in 4x5 format.

If anyone has had experience with these loupe or other suggestions, I'd be appreciative.

Richard Moss

i have the schneider 6x asph loupe and really like it. The eye relief is good and its a focusable loupe. allows you to adjust the loupe for your eyesight corrections as your eyes change, a must have if you want to buy only one loupe. It has a transparent and opaque skirt so you can use it for light box daylight and on the ground glass of a view camera. just a great all round loupe. The only thing i do not like about it is the plastic construction with glass elements, but it seems to have held up well, I have had it for about 8 years. thanks dennis

 

[Tom A]

I have a couple of loupes that are used all the time. One is a "printers" check loupe - about 20x magnifictaion and it can be adjusted (threaded optical cell barrel). It can be folded for protection and like "dogman" said - any expensive loup will fall oo the table and break. This one did and is now held together with Crazy Glue!
For light table work I use a 6 times magnifier from a Pentax LX. I machined off the flange at the bottom so that it can sit flat on a slide or negative. Covers the whole 35 and is very good.
Details are checked with an EMO Wetzlar magnifier. Good for checking focus point on a neg.
When I go really nuts, I stick the negatives in an old microscope with transmitted light. This is mainly done to look at grainstructures for various films and developers.
The old Agfa 8 time slide editing loupes are OK, at least for quick checks, but the field is less than straight and I find it tires my eyes quickly.

 

[rumbliegeos]

I went through this decision-making about ten years ago. Some points about the 50mm lens idea: 1) depending on your eyes, you may be able to focus with some, and not with others; 2) you will need a f1.4 to cover a 35mm slide, nothing slower.

Loupes that are meant for medium format may be difficult to handle with slides off the table, and if you don't pick up the slides off the table you will have to bend over the table all the time - not great for the back, depending on the height of the table.

I eventually invested in the Schneider 4X loupe in its unimproved form, and it has been great. I also use a Horizon 8X loupe for more magnification, and it is adequate and not expensive. I really need the focusable feature: if you can, try different loupes in a store, that "vision thing" can be a deal breaker for some.
gerry