Hi all: I am interested in getting some advice on what I can do to help me see coins better. I hqave very poor vision and want to purchase some vison related tools to help me see and enable me to grade coins better. Any recommendations will be sincerely appreciated.
you might think about getting a large magnifying glass with a smaller section for greater magnification
In my opinion, nothing beats a stereo microscope with a light. It also allows you to see the coin in 3-D, if you have two eyes. They can be found reasonably inexpensive on eBay. Just keep the magnification power low...maybe a 5X-20X variable would cover all of your needs. I use a 10X/20X for looking closely at coins, and a Bausch & Lomb 5X packette for grading when necessary. The major grading services use either no magnification, or 5X at the MOST for grading. Hope this helps. -Jeff
I am not sure just what your visual problem is, but my guess is that you need something with more light and/or viewing area than the rest of us. If I am correct, you would probably be happier with something like the picture below. That one is $16 + shipping from Target. Do not have a clue how good it is, but there are numerous items like the one pictured from $16 and up. One of them should fit your qualifications and budget.
I agree, for general magnification this is the way to go. Need to see mint marks or looking for errors, get yourself a 10x or 30x loupe. I like a large magnifier just for general observation and I have good eyes. I have not found the one I will keep long term as I am a little picky about what I'm looking for. (3" or larger, glass in really good shape, perfer something with a little age, comfortable handle) Good Luck Darryl
A bit pricey.... But check out the 50x dime! http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/9955/ Or this... the 200x Twenty! http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/923a/ Or this... has a Quarter at 10x... and 60x... http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/77aa/ Sorry folks... came across these the other day... had to share...
I wear a donnegan " Opti-Visor" while searching. A B&L Hastings Triplet 10X for closer inspection and some grading. Both can be found on Ebay, and the Opti Visor has the option of changing lens's for different powers.
I use a good old fashioned magnifying glass for quick perusal. For a really good look I carry a 16X loupe. For an even better look I have a kids toy - no kidding. Called a QX3 and you can find them on ebay. It's a microscpe that shows up on your computer screen. Has 10, 60 and 200 settings. 200 can be tough to adjust but the 60X setting is great. Take nice pictures as well. Not sure what your vision problem is. I have nerve damage and will never see 20/20 again but I get by. Good luck. clembo
I bought a 10X Hastings Triplet from Mark Johnson Coins & Supplies www.mjcoins.com for $46.95 and I dont really like it. Then I bought a 10X Anco for $9.75 from JPs Corner, www.jpscorner.com and I use it alot. I like a wide field of vision the Anco has. The Hastings is very small but the quality is better.
I think a good quality magnifying glass beats a loupe in most cases unless you are interested in the smallest of details. Some older magnifying glasses in antique shops seem to have a better quality glass lens than the newer ones from China.
I use the anco to at coin shows and shops.Aways carry with me when on coin search.All by the way i where tri focales and don't need them when i look tru loop
A few of the guys on WINS were talking about this and so far no one that we know of has tried to make it work with the compatibility mode. It might make it work even on Vista. Speedy
A sample from the QX3 - kid's toy To Arizona Jack and others, This is a sample from the QX3 at 60X. Repunched date on an 1864 Two Cent Piece. http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x275/clembo1872/CT.jpg It's a simple "toy" to use and if you want to find something it will do it nicely. clembo
B&L 5X works fine for me. My eyesight it still top notch (knock on wood). I'll probably upgrade to a 10X or higher in the future just to have one on hand.
Not sure of what you mean by poor vision but I too have vision problems. I suggest you first buy a variety of magnifying glasses prior to microscopic items. There are usually a massive variety found at most flea markets but as already noted they are probably from China and you should have someone with you to check for distortions. Another thing you may want to try is Scientific organizations such as Edmund Scientific. If your eyes are like mine, one catarac and floaters in the other, you may want magnifiers with lights and/or a stand. Also, try www.sciplus.com it is a Science Surplus place with a large amount of optics. Good luck and welcome to this place of higher education.
WOW, thats perfect for an amature like me, I'll look into a Vista patch or what Speedy says, those Wins guys may be able to help.
When the program is installed on the computer go to the icon and right click....go to properties....and there should be a tab where you can set what WIN. to make it think it is running. I'm running a WIN95 game on a Vista laptop. Speedy
