philipus Posted January 21, 2015 Share #1 Posted January 21, 2015 Advertisement (gone after registration) Silly title, but I've been looking for quite a while for a good loupe but am not really sure what I am looking which makes the search more difficult. I've actually been using one of my 50mm lenses and while that works it isn't ideal because I need to physically hold it at the right distance to see well. And it also gets quite heavy after a while. So I'd be very interested in hearing what other photographers use and also what one should look for in a good loupe. Many thanks in advance Philip 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted January 21, 2015 Posted January 21, 2015 Hi philipus, Take a look here Let's talk about loupes. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
pop Posted January 21, 2015 Share #2 Posted January 21, 2015 I have several loupes which clip on to my glasses, both monocular and binocular ones. I use those by Eschenbach Optik. They also carry progressive reading glasses. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrism Posted January 21, 2015 Share #3 Posted January 21, 2015 Wista x5, which comes with a black opaque 'skirt' for use on ground glass under the dark cloth, and a clear one for examining prints etc. Adjustable dioptre built in. Chris 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy Posted January 21, 2015 Share #4 Posted January 21, 2015 The Schneider 4x was the industry standard for looking at 35mm transparencies when I started out but I don't know if you can still buy one. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickp13 Posted January 21, 2015 Share #5 Posted January 21, 2015 i've used a peak loupe for several years and am pleased with the quality. here's a link in the u.s. which may help. Photographic Peak Optics, Magnifiers, Comparators, Loupes, For Inspection & Measuring, 2x to 300x 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted January 21, 2015 Share #6 Posted January 21, 2015 (edited) New loupes are becoming difficult to find. I can recommend what I use, not made today. A Leitz specifically intended for viewing film strips. There are equally good Russian copies at reasonable prices. (Not kidding in this case - equally good.) I have used these since 1970. I do not contact print. See this Leica version. What one does is place the strip into the loupe, examine and if the frame is one to print, then you press the button which puts a little nondestructive notch on the far edge off the film frame. Edited January 21, 2015 by pico 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
philipus Posted January 21, 2015 Author Share #7 Posted January 21, 2015 Advertisement (gone after registration) Thanks for all the replies, very helpful indeed. A thought struck me. I am adding 6x6 to my camera bag. Will I need a separate magnifier for that or can one for 35mm be used? There seems to be a lot of varying magnifications. What should I think about in this respect? I guess this depends on whether on wants to see the entire negative or not? Pico, like this one? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
fotohuis Posted January 21, 2015 Share #8 Posted January 21, 2015 (edited) Indeed a PEAK loupe 4x (#2038). Suitable for 35mm, 6x4,5 ; 6x6 and in fact also 6x7cm roll film. Edited January 21, 2015 by fotohuis 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gberger Posted January 21, 2015 Share #9 Posted January 21, 2015 If you can find a Schneider 6x ASPH, get it. I have both a 4x and 6x, but use the 6x most of the time while sorting transparencies on my light table. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spydrxx Posted January 21, 2015 Share #10 Posted January 21, 2015 For years I used a 50mm camera lens, but really wanted something more steady for examining 35mm negatives. I had a set which clipped on my eyeglasses for watch repairs, but they didn't cut it for negatives. I finally got a Peak one which I can sit on the cover glass on my negative light table and it does the job just fine. That Leica one for filmstrips is pretty intriguing. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
aesop Posted January 30, 2015 Share #11 Posted January 30, 2015 ...not sure if you can still get your hands on one, but I've used the Leica 5x loupe regularly since the tail end of the last century. It was probably manufactured for Leica by a third party, but is a fantastic 35mm-only product - tack sharp and well-built, the negative/positive adapter is a pleasure to use off and on a lightbox. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy Posted January 31, 2015 Share #12 Posted January 31, 2015 Yes, the Leica one was very nice. I think it was a rebadged Rodenstock loupe, which itself is/was also a higher build quality alternative to the excellent Schneider loupes which, whilst optically superb and perfect for the job in hand, have more of a plastic build. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herr Barnack Posted February 4, 2015 Share #13 Posted February 4, 2015 (edited) These are excellent for 6x7 cm. and 24x65mm pano negs and chromes, if you can find them: Mamiya 3X Loupe, Wide Field 6x7, Super Achromat Optical Glass In addition to the APO glass, they have the ability to focus. This is an outstanding loupe. I also have Peak 8x Schneider 10x loupes. The Peak loupes are good quality for the money, but if you want something for critical viewing, the Schneider 10x is the one to get. Edited February 4, 2015 by Carlos Danger 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
2wk Posted February 4, 2015 Share #14 Posted February 4, 2015 I use a simple AGFA LUPE 8x that was made in Germany. It's great for 35mm. I think Kalt makes the same model now and is readily available. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tobey bilek Posted February 8, 2015 Share #15 Posted February 8, 2015 Agfa ones that came free with film back in the day. Nice Schneider 4x that I use with view camera, Get one with adjustable focus For now, just use a 50 mm lens. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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