Head visor or eye loupe? What do you prefer?

[URkuk]

I am about to try a few simple mods and need to purchase either a new eye loupe or a head visor loupe. Most of the local watchmakers I have seen use a head visor. I have a 10x eye loupe but find it difficult to use. What is an easy to use magnification and what do the members here prefer to use? Head visor or eye loupe?

Thanks

Bill

[FxrAndy]

Loupe with a head band mate, i use a 3.5 and a 10, the 10 is a bit strong unless you are working on very fine work

[sneed12]

I like a loupe lamp:

[URkuk]

Thanks Andy, thanks sneed, I have not seen a loupe lamp before, interesting..

Andy check your PM

Bill

[FxrAndy]

I use a lamp loupe for polishing jobs so that my eyes are not near the job

here is a gen seamaster refurb i am working on

before

After

[URkuk]

nice job Andy, that looks great!

I ordered a lighted loupe visor from eBay, has 4 settings 2x, 3x, 4.5x and 10x. It was relatively inexpensive

( 20 bucks shipped) and will give me a feel for using one

Bill

[redwatch]

I wear glasses, so I have a headband magnifier that I got from Birdman's Tools here on the forum. It's great! I also have a Bausch & Lomb 10x Loupe which has a pen style shaft attached to it. It is battery powered and has a light ring around the loupe. That combined with the headband magnifier really does the trick.

[If you see Kay]

My eyepiece cup style loupe fogs up sometimes, so I would prefer the headband loupe.

[Ronin]

I use a Optivisor. I like the stereo vision. I have the flip down to add the the magnification if need be.

[URkuk]

So it would seem the headband visor is the preferred tool...thanks all!

[fakemaster]

I don't prefer either one. Hate the visors. Personal preference for sure.

[DocRaph]

I wear glasses as well - headband for general close work, glasses mounted loupe for very close work.

Also managed to 'rescue' 2 stereo inspection scopes from work some time ago, which I use for extremely close work.

Got the best one stripped down to clean and re-grease, but I'm not looking forward to putting it back together again - parallax is a [censored] to get correct.

Cheers, DR

[DocRaph]

Oops, sorry.... must have used a [censored] word -honestly - was in my dictionary???

Cheers, DR

[jmb]

I found neither very comfortable or convenient so I use a Nikon SMZ-1 stereo microscope I used in a previous life - it's fantastic when getting inside movements...

[Utheman]

post removed

[offshore]

IMO each has its own positives and drawbacks.

I use all at different times.

I recently found a new LED powered mag light which has a far more flexible arm which I now use on my bench. The one pictured above I used for a number of years quite successfully, however I have recently set my desk height to 1M, and it became redundant, as it is not possible to work above it whist sitting at a 1M desk. The new LED version allows me to view my job from the side, not above, so can be used on a higher desk top.

I also use a multi power loupe (eyeglass fitting) which gives various mags from 3X to 10X for some jobs, but also have a visor (3x-10X) for other base work.

And for detailed work, quartz circuits are a good example, I have an 80X stereo microscope, fitted with a .5X lens which brings it back to 40X but doubles the focal length, allowing me to get tools between the lens and the subject.

Just like a lot of tools, no one tool may be capable of doing all jobs, and magnification is certainly a most important tool, so various forms may be required.

Offshore