Hello---whats a decent magnifier, around $20 range? Do I need 15,20x or more? Is it best to have a lighted one? Using a lighted 1 1/4 x 1 1/4 2 or 3x now. Plastic jobby that takes 2 AAA.---John
In my experience this is one of those things where you get what you pay for. Cheaper loupes tend to be out-of-focus in some parts of the viewing field due to low quality glass. The built in light only helps in specific situations. For most typical coins the bright, directed light actually makes them more difficult to examine.
I bought a 5/10/15x loupe from Radioshack for $10. It's decent, but I'm sure there are better ones out there. I just didn't want to wait for shipping..
I have found that depending on what I am looking for on a coin determines what magnifier I need. I have 3 different lighted ones varying from 3x to 10x with the 10x having an LED lamp and opens like a switch blade made by GEPE and also a jewelers loupe that is 20x. With the exception of my 20x loupe, all were purchased for less than $20 each. I also have a swing arm lamp with a built in 4" diam. 3x lens. It was about $25. For dectecting altered dates and MMs, you may need higher than 20x.
I use a digital microscope. Veho discovery vms-001 200X. with built in light and camera, works great. you can see your coins magnified on your computer. cost about $50
My hubby bought me a Celestron Digital Microscope for around $36 around Christmas time. I think it does a pretty decent job if you cover up the lights with something.
I agree the hastings are nice. If you just want something cheap, I tried this and it does what I need it to do. http://www.ebay.com/itm/12084142373...X:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649#ht_4779wt_1185
This is what I use. I bought it off the bay about 4 or 5 months ago for like $7.99 free shipping. It's a 30x but works well enough for me to inspect certain items. Took a while to get here, but he sent two of them so I was satisfied. The metal is fairly sharp on the edges though, you have to be careful. You get what you pay for in the loupe business! If you really want top of the line, check out these bad boys! http://www.ebay.com/itm/HEINE-HR-Binocular-Loupes-LIGHT-3200-NEW-/110815919059?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19cd24bbd3 JP
The best cheap loupes are by Bausch and Lomb or Belomo. I have 2 Belomo (10x and 20x), the Bausch and Lomb "folding magnifier" with 3 lenses, as well as assorted ebay and amazon cheap loupes. The cheapies can work alright, but they arent as clear as the better ones, and the magnification they have listed is pretty much a joke and has nothing to do with their real magnification, which is usually from 5x to maybe 8x. Which is kind of fortunate, a loupe over 20X really wouldn't be very useful-even a decent 20x can be problematic to use. Comparing the bausch and lomb variable and the Belomo 10x, the Belomo is clear and has a wide field of view. The B&L lenses arent quite as clear, but its more versatile having a range of magnification. I personally find the Belomo more useful, clarity trumps magnification, and I've rarely found a need to go higher then a good 10X image. But for the money the B&L is definitely a good choice and I wouldnt have a problem with recommending it. I should note, I'm talking about handheld loupes, I dont know how the eye ones or the ones for glasses stack up. For instance, if I remember right, the cheap B&L eye loupes werent very well liked.
I bought a cheap 10X loupe at the local flea market for $4 and it has served me well for quite awhile.
This is the one my hubby got me: http://www.amazon.com/Celestron-Deluxe-Handheld-Digital-Microscope/dp/B004QF0A1Y/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1328793620&sr=8-2 It's $38 now. I think it's decent for most purposes. Just cover the lights so that you don't have a glare.. I used Post It notes.
"This is what I use. I bought it off the bay about 4 or 5 months ago for like $7.99 free shipping. It's a 30x but works well enough for me to inspect certain items. Took a while to get here, but he sent two of them so I was satisfied. The metal is fairly sharp on the edges though, you have to be careful. You get what you pay for in the loupe business!" With all due respect - and FYI - you glass is not 30x nor a triplet. In reality is about 10x and is simple false-labeling by the Chinese company that pumps these out. As for the OP's question, after looking at another of his posts I can only assume he wishes to have a proper glass for variety searching. If true, go no less than a 10x. If serious about this, spend the extra and buy a Hastings or better yet, splurge on a Zeiss. It all depends on your needs and/or wants, but for variety searching there is little need for anything more powerful than 16x-20x. In almost most cases, if a variety cannot be seen using a 10x it will have very little (if any) value.
OP here! You hit the nail right on the head Books! I use this for everything, but do a lot of variety searching. I finally purchased an H E Harris 10x loupe but do need a 15 or 20x for double dies and the likes. Go with a good brand name, no plastic junk! Thanks for the information I got here, this was one of the best things I have done in a while, joining this forum and getting a free education.---John
If you want something on the upper end, this is it. I gave about $100 but it's worth it. http://www.wizardcoinsupply.com/product/eschenbach-3x6-precision-folding-magnifier-23mm-3x6x9x.html
