I'm age 65 and these eyes don't work like they used to. I wear prescription bi-focal glasses for reading and driving. For model trains some years ago I moved from tiny N scale to O gauge (BIGGER...skipping HO altogether) due to difficulty seeing tiny parts and details. A recent purchase of Nikon binoculars for astronomy haven't posed any difficulty...I'm hoping for the same good luck telescope-viewing when my observatory is re-opened. I'm looking for recommendations for: - a pocket loupe or similar I can use at coin shows or coin shop hopping; - at my dining room coin desk/work station (now becoming The Coin Room) I like to have my hands free so I'm thinking of a stationary magnifier w/light in addition to a wearable head visor magnifier. - I'm NOT looking for something cheap; I prefer quality well made products...what do the pro coin shop Dealers and Graders use? I re-started coin collecting a few years ago upon retirement and things are progressing well. Thanks for any recommendations and ideas.
I just turned 71 and I only need 2.5 reading glasses. Obviously just to read. I do use a cheap hand held magnifying glass for the items that are extremely small. I’m sorry but I can’t help you and I certainly understand your needs. Best wishes for finding what you need. A table top lighted magnifier would work great. My dad used one at work for years to see small details. Spare no expense to get what you need.
My wife is a quilter and she uses a clamped magnifying glass with built in LED's and they work great on a desk so I bought one. I shoot so optics are important to me but that is only because of the first 10 and last 10 minutes of the day and light gathering. In this instance I spend a lot of money on optics and it makes a difference. I also use bifocals and read a lot. I did learn from my wife's magnifier that light helps so I bought this; KINGMAS 40x Jeweller Loupe Folding Magnifying Jewelry Eye Magnifier With LED Light Illuminated (LED Currency Detecting/Jewlers Identifying Type Lupe) : Amazon.co.uk: Stationery & Office Supplies I use it at coin shows and the cost of the batteries is probably greater than the loupe itself. I have two. One thing I have also learnt is that the more you see the more you reject so I focus on the coin in hand not what the grade is. I recently had a large Crown graded and it was a proof coin and it came back as "Details Scratched" destroying its value. I spent 20 minutes looking for the scratch and eventually found a 1/64th " nick on a horses flank. The grading was a waste of $40 as it destroyed value and I have cracked it out to restore value and it is a beautiful coin. Problem is people buy plastic and not coins as they are Sheldon points competitive. If you want to see everything get a digital microscope. $15 on amazon and x 500 magnification. Problem is you will buy nothing. Same issue with guns. Buy an endoscopic bore inspection camera and you will never buy another gun. I am 68 years old and age wears eyes so understand your predicament. As far as quality is concerned, my $10 LED loupe has lasted years so longevity answers the quality question. Glass doesn't really wear out.
I use a Ottlite https://ottlite.com/products/pocket-led-magnifier-with-carabiner-clip?variant=43699507953718
So ok I admit it, I'm now a senior citi...citi..citiz, ah cant spell it. Ever hear of a professional witness ? That would be policeman. When your profession depends on your (loupe) glass abilities to create a quality, something from nothing product, that would be me. Lol. 1 st - use your eyes on, in hand until it hurts. 2 nd - use a comfortable type of in hand magnification, tool. 3 rd - So, now the coin got your attention and needs to be researched further. Use your goals as if your job depends on the outcome and you should be fine. But that's just me.
Here is all the stuff I use. The small pocket magnifier I have had since 1948. Notice that even my microscope is happy.
You are correct sir. It is the episode where he is the devil and works for a newspaper. Sure looks like Ernie with his distinctive mustache though.
It's heck-a-expensive, but she-who-must-be-obeyed bought this for crafting and I use it for smithing. https://ottlite.com/products/easyview-floor-lamp
Mine just bought this for her quilting obsession and even though I had to assemble it for her, I don't get to use it. I have a variety of magnifiers for coin purposes. My show loupes are a Nikon 10X and an Achromat 3/6/9X. Small, light and easy to hang both on a lanyard. Home use includes a 10X/30X stereo microscope. This is the very best for really getting down into small die characteristics because it has a great light and gives a more 3D view which is sometimes necessary to pick up really faint die cracks and chips. A great win at my local coin club auction for $50. For simple grading, I have a couple of inexpensive, plastic lens loupes and those rectangular magnifying glasses. The good stuff is used for clarifying die lines from lint marks. Again the stereo microscope if great for this purpose. I also have a nice Nikon DSLR with Sigma 105mm macro lens that gives me pretty good results. But the stereo microscope will pick up things that the photos will not. My investment in a Leuchturm (sp?) CCD USB microscope was a waste of money. It is OK but produces a clunky photograph with no light color adjustment. The only way it's better than the stereo microscope is that it takes photos. If I had the money, I'd buy a lab grade stereo microscope with DSLR camera attachment. What's right for you will depend on your intended use and your individual eyesight condition. As you can see from my optical device collection, I use different devices for different purposes.
stereo micro is the way to go if you really want to see all the coin, keep it at 3x for a perfect view that you can study for a good long time with no strain. that harbor freight magnifirer not so much, the mag lamp another good one to have. my microscope has the camera port, but is only good with a good camera. further more it is redundant in that i can mount the camera thru the eye piece
Here is one of my microscope setups. I can get the entire Morgan on the screen and get a decent photo of it. You see the Morgan on the base,
Stereo Microscope is the way to go for desk viewing. If you have the space, I recommend a model with boom stand. I use B&L Stereo and StereoZooms. Have several of them, but mostly stick with the simple Stereo-1 with 10x eyepieces. 10x is high enough to see lots of details but not so high that every little imperfection is noticeable. That said, a 0.7x-3x StereoZoom with 10x eyepieces goes from 7x-30x and that's enough for studying varieties in intimate detail.
