Hey @GDJMSP (and anyone else with an opinion... I know you're out there...) You recommended the "M-10 10x Illuminated Magnifier LED" from electro-optix for error-checking, etc.: http://www.electro-optix.com/magnifiers-illuminated.html (scroll down) and the "Bausch & Lomb 5x Packette" for general grading: http://www.jpscorner.com/magnifiers-and-loupes.html (scroll down) I'm trying to find similar/comparable magnifiers on Amazon because I have some gift cards to use. I found some 5x packette, but couldn't find one with a built-in LED: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ED3Q7IO https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002BWR04O Then I found this one but don't know the brand name "Carson": https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00524H8MC Thoughts? Also anyone have comments on these from "Fancii"? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0188JAPGI/ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019UYLIYI/ The 2nd one may be too much magnification...
The 7x magnifier at JPSCORNER is what I use for general grading. I also have a 4x which I hardly use. And I have 10x and 14x I use for making sure what I saw with the 7x is what I saw. I like my 7x with LED light because it highlights hairlines and scratches really well. The LED also shows up spotting on modern clad coins really well. The one thing I don't like about these cheaper magnifiers is the viewing field. The field gets blurry outside of the middle. More expensive loupes give a full view from edge to edge of the loupe. But, I have gotten so use to using the cheaper ones that it is hard to switch.
Having experience with magnifiers of scientific quality for many years, the medium cost brand I buy is Belomo. They come in triplets of various power and a doublet 7X which is excellent for grading. I prefer no built-in light as I prefer to tilt the coin while examining . https://www.amazon.com/BelOMO-Tripl...9258&sr=8-1&keywords=belomo+10x+triplet+loupe
I use a 7x loupe. 5x is probably just fine for general use, though. I can see how error & die variety enthusiasts might wanna go 10x.
I recommended this because I own one and it does the job very well, and it's inexpensive. And while I can't remember if I posted about it previously, there is another reason as well - that specific magnifier uses an incandescent light bulb - NOT an LED. This is important because an incandescent light puts off a specific spectrum of light that allows you to see what you need to see on a coin. And most other types of light bulbs do not ! In particular, LEDs. Now the one I own I bought at a coin show, where I could examine it and test it in hand. And I found it extremely satisfactory. Had I not been able to do that, I probably never would have bought it. And having used it for many years now I still find it extremely satisfactory, which is why I recommend it. To answer your question about the others Doug, I know nothing about them, except what I have said about LEDs.
