Looking at Janel's site, caused me to wonder what type of magnifiers people use. I have several Optivisors, but have had a problem with focal length or lack thereof. The 3x magnifier has about a 10 focal length which is okay, but the stronger ones only have about a 3 to 5 inch focal length which doesn't allow any place to work. Can anyone recommend anything that isn't as expensive as my car?

Kurt

I prefer the Telesights to the Optivisor as I find them more comfortable. They have the same problem though of short focal length in the higher mag. I haven't found a moderately priced option, but for me it's not critical as I don't use much magnification.

I have a magnifieing lamp that I use some of the time I found it at a Flea market for a few dollars They cost 30 to 50 $ at most wood carving catlogs.

Hi to all TCP members,

In January I bought a pair of "loupes"(the 2X-R model) from Rose Micro Solutions (www.rosemicrosolutions.com). These are not as expensive as a car but maybe pricey for some TCP members. They have a working distance of 12.5", a depth of field of 5" to 8" and a field of view of 4.33". I find I have a good view of my work and maintain good posture at the same time. So, if you are doing a lot of detailed work consider this type of magnifiers in the same way you would consider a high quality chisel or burr. It is an investment that will last a life time.

I started out with an inexpensive ( $10) opitivisor that had a short working distance and fair to poor optics. So, I have no experience with loupes that are priced between these two extremes. While optivisor did magnify, they had a short working distance and I had to look though the lens exactly head on to get a clear image. You don't have to be an optician to realize that good optics are important to producing your best art with minimal eye strain.

In the Rio Grande jeweler's tool catalog (www.riogrande.com), there is an optical section in which there are several less expensive magnifiers that appear to have the qualities of the higher price optics. These may be worth considering.

Have fun carving,

E George