What loupe do you use? Any recommendations?

[Borna]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

What kind of loupe do you use when checking your negatives? Any recommendations? 

These models look nice, but hefty price on the used market. AP or HAMA or similar round loups cost 10-15 bucks while these expensive more premium ones around 100. 

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[spydrxx]

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[FrozenInTime]

A 50mm SLR lens can do a great job - better than most loupes.

Schneider x4 Lupe ; good but not really enough magnification.

Adox x10 ; good in the center but distorts quickly beyond that.

Nikon DW-2 finder from the F2. Superb corner to corner sharpness and x6 magnification : this is first choice of viewer.

For small area grain level inspection, an Olympus SZ60 stereo-microscope adds an extra dimension.

 

[TomB_tx]

I use a simple "AGFA LUPE 8x" I've had since the 1960s. Was great on contact sheets. Now I primarily just scan on a flatbed And view on PC monitor to evaluate.

[LocalHero1953]

I have a Silvestri (i.e. Linhof) 6x tilting loupe for large format photography - very high quality, and a bit pricy. They make several other loupes.

[BernardC]

I've used the second Nikon loupe (the black and clear one) for years. It is especially useful with view cameras because it can go to the edge of the frame. The optics are decent, but I'll use a reversed 50mm lens if I need to check finer details. I doubt it's much better than the standard AGFA-style 8x loupe.

One other option is an LCD magnifier. These attach to the back of digital cameras, and provide a magnified view of the rear screen.  They work like Hasselblad folding hoods, so they show a wider field at lower magnification. It's a good solution if you want to  look at larger negatives, or if you wear glasses.

 

[aesop]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

 

     ...my trusty old Peak Anastigmat Lupe 4x loupe, great for 35mm and medium format work. Sharp, contrasty, true colours with corner-to-corner correction to deal with aberration and distortion. Makes my Leica 37350 look like a child's toy.

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[adan]

I use a Schneider-Kreuznach 4x loupe similar to the Zeiss pictured, but a bit taller. Had it for a couple of decades, so the cost amortized over many years is pretty insignificant.

This current Kaiser 4.5x Loupe is about the same (at ~half the "vintage Schneider" prices asked on da Bay   ).

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1283093-REG/kaiser_202351_all_purpose_magnifier_loupe_4_5x_45mm.html/?ap=y&ap=y&smp=y&smp=y&lsft=BI%3A6879&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9b-pl4PQgQMVKwStBh3sMAXzEAQYASABEgIIyvD_BwE

I did use both the Nikon and Agfas for a long while - but they tend to have color aberrations and distortion in the corners, due to their high magnification, and sometimes plastic lenses.

Edited September 29 by adan

[Studienkamera]

Since 2007: Rodenstock 6x aspherical. Highly recommended. 

[algrove]

I use the Magnifier feature on my iPhone. Plus I can make a photo of it too if wanted.

Edited October 29 by algrove

[Anbaric]

I don't really use it for negs, but I have a very nice BelOMO 10x triplet loupe I bought a few years back when they were commonly available for well under £20 on ebay, direct from Belarus, one of the last bargains of the former Soviet optical industry. Zeiss loupes were also made by BelOMO under a partnership agreement. Today, BelOMO is, I think, under sanctions by western countries as a military supplier of Belarus and Russia.