What do you know about loupes ? My eye are getting weaker. would

>>938459
>Regular jewelers loupes work fine but you have to hold the work right up to your face.
That is because they are far easier to use that way.

The practical problem with using devices such as loupes is that-
1) for a given objective lens size,
2) as the magnification of the lens assembly increases,
3) the depth of field decreases. As it must. There is no way around that.

The reason that a typical 30x loupe requires you to hold stuff 10mm in front of it is because the depth of field can be much less than 1mm. If the focal range is set very close to the objective lens, then you can brace your hand against your face, and hold the item at the proper distance to see it clearly. If the focal range was set out 200mm from the objective, you'd never be able to hold anything in focus.

UNLESS.......

you had the loupes fixed on a stand, and you had a stage that sat at the proper focal range distance.... which is what these things are:
(stereo magnifiers)
http://www.techedu.com/Barska-AY11234/?Source=googleshopping&gclid=CPKEm5OP1MoCFVUlgQod7skD9A
There are cheapo ones for ~$50, but they are not built anywhere near as well as the $500 ones are....
And IIRC, Barska (that link) is a cheapo Russian optics brand. Comparable models from Swift, Zeiss, Nikon ect will cost way more than $500.
I'd expect to pay at least $200-$300 for a single-power set.

>>938459
If you want to work at arms length a webcam with macro lens and monitor is probably the cheapest solution.

File: OptiVisor.jpg (139KB, 880x660px) Image search: [Google]

139KB, 880x660px

>>938459
Google OptiVisor

You can get these with different strength lenses. Lower power will let you work farther away. Higher power gives better magnification but you need to hold work close to be in focus.

>>938939
>Comparable models from Swift, Zeiss, Nikon ect will cost way more than $500.

Local universities surplus sales often have these for $100-$200 in good condition.

>>939172
I know that my life changed the day u upgraded from a crappie eBay loupe to a $200 achromatic one from a geological store. Wow what a difference