Getting to the stage where I am struggling to see small 'stuff' that I
am trying to work on, and thinking about a magnifying lamp of some type.

There are the simple plug in USB powered LED types, bench top 'helping
hands' style, with built in magnifier, croc clips etc., and larger angle
poise style, either floor standing or clamp on the bench.

Any pros and cons? My first thought is the angle poise clamp type.
--
Graeme

In article ,
Graeme wrote:
Getting to the stage where I am struggling to see small 'stuff' that I
am trying to work on, and thinking about a magnifying lamp of some type.

There are the simple plug in USB powered LED types, bench top 'helping
hands' style, with built in magnifier, croc clips etc., and larger angle
poise style, either floor standing or clamp on the bench.

Any pros and cons? My first thought is the angle poise clamp type.

IMHO, a waste of time. Better to get some specs type magnifier and a
powerful desk lamp.

I've got an expensive anglepoise magnifier with built in lamp - and the
light level is far too low. You need the equivalent of 100-150 watt
halogen.

--
*If you try to fail and succeed, which have you done? *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)"
writes
In article ,
Graeme wrote:

Any pros and cons? My first thought is the angle poise clamp type.

IMHO, a waste of time. Better to get some specs type magnifier and a
powerful desk lamp.

Oh. Bugger. Yes, see what you mean, although I was trying to avoid
anything I would have to wear. Ideally, something that I could just
swing into position, as and when required.

I've got an expensive anglepoise magnifier with built in lamp - and the
light level is far too low. You need the equivalent of 100-150 watt
halogen.

Bugger again.
--
Graeme

Graeme was thinking very hard :
Getting to the stage where I am struggling to see small 'stuff' that I am
trying to work on, and thinking about a magnifying lamp of some type.

There are the simple plug in USB powered LED types, bench top 'helping hands'
style, with built in magnifier, croc clips etc., and larger angle poise
style, either floor standing or clamp on the bench.

Any pros and cons? My first thought is the angle poise clamp type.

Mine is used on my electronics work bench, an anglepoise type. With a
circular fluorescent tube around the lens.

Pros - Nice big field of view, so you can see what you are doing..

Cons - When using it, it is always in the way. I catch my tools on the
thing, it 'hides' my iron in its stand behind it so my hand cannot work
out where the iron is. What ever I am using, it knocks it and then it
wobbles for a while.

I admit, my workbench could be much better laid out, it is 10' wide but
very shallow in depth, restricted even more because of shelving over
it.

In article ,
Graeme wrote:
In message , "Dave Plowman (News)"
writes
In article ,
Graeme wrote:

Any pros and cons? My first thought is the angle poise clamp type.

IMHO, a waste of time. Better to get some specs type magnifier and a
powerful desk lamp.

Oh. Bugger. Yes, see what you mean, although I was trying to avoid
anything I would have to wear. Ideally, something that I could just
swing into position, as and when required.

Which will then be in the way when not needed. Trust me on that. ;-)

The head worn magnifier I got was quite cheap and came with a selection of
clip in lenses of different powers. Which you can flip up to return to
normal vision. And fits over specs.

I have contact lenses which make my eyes identical as far as reading specs
are concerned - but at my age need specs too for close work. Ideally I'd
like a pair of special specs that gave the same magnification as the
combination of mine and the magnifier. So I could just swap them.

The snag with a separate magnifier is you then have three things to
position for focus - the work, magnifier and head. With the head worn ones
I use, just your head and the work.

But with a powerful desk light, I only need the extra magnification rarely
- to check for PCB etc faults. I have a pair of +5 ready reads which are
fine for most things.

I've got an expensive anglepoise magnifier with built in lamp - and the
light level is far too low. You need the equivalent of 100-150 watt
halogen.

Bugger again.

--
*Growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Dave Plowman wrote:

I have contact lenses which make my eyes identical as far as reading specs
are concerned - but at my age need specs too for close work.

One of the advantages of being short-sighted, take off my glasses, stick
anything within a couple of inches of my nose and I could do a
knee-replacement op on a gnat :-)

Dave Plowman (News) explained :
I have contact lenses which make my eyes identical as far as reading specs
are concerned - but at my age need specs too for close work. Ideally I'd
like a pair of special specs that gave the same magnification as the
combination of mine and the magnifier. So I could just swap them.

The snag with a separate magnifier is you then have three things to
position for focus - the work, magnifier and head. With the head worn ones
I use, just your head and the work.

Have you an ebay link to the on head type flip up magnifiers, with
multiple lens choice, which work when wearing specs please?

Harry Bloomfield wrote:
Dave Plowman (News) explained :
I have contact lenses which make my eyes identical as far as reading
specs
are concerned - but at my age need specs too for close work. Ideally I'd
like a pair of special specs that gave the same magnification as the
combination of mine and the magnifier. So I could just swap them.

The snag with a separate magnifier is you then have three things to
position for focus - the work, magnifier and head. With the head worn
ones
I use, just your head and the work.

Have you an ebay link to the on head type flip up magnifiers, with
multiple lens choice, which work when wearing specs please?


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Head-Magni...wAAOSwBLlVEmMm

https://tinyurl.com/yasmaxqf

I found this ugly sort better than the many ones with clip in lenzes
the very best are the ones that doctors use which cost hundreds
you can get plastic ones of similar type

https://tinyurl.com/ya9v4rhd

On 02/09/2017 08:56, Graeme wrote:
Getting to the stage where I am struggling to see small 'stuff' that I
am trying to work on, and thinking about a magnifying lamp of some type.

There are the simple plug in USB powered LED types, bench top 'helping
hands' style, with built in magnifier, croc clips etc., and larger angle
poise style, either floor standing or clamp on the bench.

Any pros and cons?Â* My first thought is the angle poise clamp type.
Welcome to the club !!
Have just hung a spare 5 foot fluoro a few feet above the workbench and
this made the world of difference.

I have a smallish desklamp with circular fluoro tube from years ago
which provides additional light and magnification when needed. Great for
a quick look. Probably a good first step and always useful to have around.

Have also access to good headworn magnifier "glasses" which are great
for higher magnification , like when watch battery changing. But have to
get the distance right for focus. Worthwhile if sitting doing a lot of
work closeup.

FMurtz explained :
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Head-Magni...wAAOSwBLlVEmMm

https://tinyurl.com/yasmaxqf

I found this ugly sort better than the many ones with clip in lenzes
the very best are the ones that doctors use which cost hundreds
you can get plastic ones of similar type

https://tinyurl.com/ya9v4rhd

Thanks..

On 02/09/2017 08:56, Graeme wrote:

Getting to the stage where I am struggling to see small 'stuff' that I
am trying to work on, and thinking about a magnifying lamp of some type.

There are the simple plug in USB powered LED types, bench top 'helping

The USB microscope type can be quite good for some inspection
activities, but not much cop for working under (slow update, narrow
focal range, tiny working distance).

hands' style, with built in magnifier, croc clips etc., and larger angle

ok for some jobs, but not really a good general solution.

poise style, either floor standing or clamp on the bench.

I have one with a ring lamp built into its periphery (you can use it as
a desk light as well if you want, of flip up the lens cover and you have
a 6" magnifier of reasonable quality. You get enough working distance
under it to actually do things.

Any pros and cons? My first thought is the angle poise clamp type.

Of the options I have tried, that works best. Having a small hand held
illuminated inspection magnifier lamp is also handy.

Depends a bit on what you want to do with it, and how much you are
prepared to pay. (electronics style binocular inspection microscopes are
nice, but silly money unless you have a serious application for them)

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

On Sat, 02 Sep 2017 11:03:20 +0100, Harry Bloomfield
wrote:


Have you an ebay link to the on head type flip up magnifiers, with
multiple lens choice, which work when wearing specs please?

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Double-Lens-Head-mounted-Headband-Reading-Magnifier-Head-Wearing-Magnifying-Glass-Loupe-4-Magnifications-Glasses/32788023153.html

Glass, not plastic lenses and fit over spectacles well. The plastic
pingfukits used to hold the lenses in are not brilliant but easily
replaced by something more substantial. Had a set 6 months and they
are very good.

Peter Parry wrote on 02/09/2017 :
Glass, not plastic lenses and fit over spectacles well. The plastic
pingfukits used to hold the lenses in are not brilliant but easily
replaced by something more substantial. Had a set 6 months and they
are very good.

I am just wondering if I do actually need to wear glasses as well as
one of these magnifiers - I have just tried a strong magnifying lens
with and without specs. and it works quite well (better?) without the
specs..

On 02/09/17 16:50, Harry Bloomfield wrote:
Peter Parry wrote on 02/09/2017 :
Glass, not plastic lenses and fit over spectacles well. The plastic
pingfukits used to hold the lenses in are not brilliant but easily
replaced by something more substantial. Had a set 6 months and they
are very good.

I am just wondering if I do actually need to wear glasses as well as one
of these magnifiers - I have just tried a strong magnifying lens with
and without specs. and it works quite well (better?) without the specs..
If your eyes are matched and show no astigmatism, you dont need a double
pair of glasses


--
"Anyone who believes that the laws of physics are mere social
conventions is invited to try transgressing those conventions from the
windows of my apartment. (I live on the twenty-first floor.) "

Alan Sokal

In article ,
Harry Bloomfield wrote:
Peter Parry wrote on 02/09/2017 :
Glass, not plastic lenses and fit over spectacles well. The plastic
pingfukits used to hold the lenses in are not brilliant but easily
replaced by something more substantial. Had a set 6 months and they
are very good.

I am just wondering if I do actually need to wear glasses as well as
one of these magnifiers - I have just tried a strong magnifying lens
with and without specs. and it works quite well (better?) without the
specs..

Depends what your specs are correcting for. `Also lots of light can help.

--
from KT24 in Surrey, England

The Natural Philosopher formulated the question :
On 02/09/17 16:50, Harry Bloomfield wrote:
Peter Parry wrote on 02/09/2017 :
Glass, not plastic lenses and fit over spectacles well. The plastic
pingfukits used to hold the lenses in are not brilliant but easily
replaced by something more substantial. Had a set 6 months and they
are very good.

I am just wondering if I do actually need to wear glasses as well as one of
these magnifiers - I have just tried a strong magnifying lens with and
without specs. and it works quite well (better?) without the specs..
If your eyes are matched and show no astigmatism, you dont need a double pair
of glasses

No such problems at all, I manage perfectly well with the pound shop
specs..

On 02/09/2017 14:23, John Rumm wrote:

Depends a bit on what you want to do with it, and how much you are
prepared to pay. (electronics style binocular inspection microscopes are
nice, but silly money unless you have a serious application for them)


If you ever end up under a stereo surgical microscope for root canal
treatment see if you can blag a wee demo of how they are cantilevered
and balanced so they can be moved to different positions/angles/heights
while leaving the whole area below them free. They also come with loads
of optional extras. Much like BMWs in that respect. And in price

--
Robin
reply-to address is (intended to be) valid

"Harry Bloomfield" wrote in message
news
I am just wondering if I do actually need to wear glasses as well as one
of these magnifiers - I have just tried a strong magnifying lens with and
without specs. and it works quite well (better?) without the specs.

A magnifying glass is effectively the same sort of lens as very strong
reading glasses: they allow your eyes to focus closer than it normally can.
If you need glasses and don't wear them, your eyes should still be able to
focus over some range of distances (a range because your eyes will
accommodate or adjust focus). All it will mean is that you may need to move
the object slightly closer or further away than if you were wearing your
glasses or your sight was perfect.

My distance sight is pretty near perfect (I'm *very* slightly short-sighted)
but my close vision has deteriorated gradually over the past few years
because I'm at an age when the eye muscles won't compress the lens as well
as they used to for focussing close. I can still see perfectly well through
magnifying glasses of various sorts - including the eyepiece of an old pair
of binoculars (*) which I use for extreme magnification to read the
microscopic print that you get on the part number and ratings plate on
electronic appliances. I probably just compensate when moving the object
and/or lens to bring it into focus. Indeed a pair of reading glasses would
prevent me getting the binocular eyepiece close enough to my eye to focus!


(*) After I dropped them, smashing a couple of the prisms and one of the
objective lenses I thought "what can I use the remaining good bits for?" so
I sawed off the eyepiece supports and filed the edge smooth, so as to leave
a short 1/2" stump which I can use to hold the lens to my eye.

on 02/09/2017, NY supposed :
My distance sight is pretty near perfect (I'm *very* slightly short-sighted)
but my close vision has deteriorated gradually over the past few years
because I'm at an age when the eye muscles won't compress the lens as well as
they used to for focussing close. I can still see perfectly well through
magnifying glasses of various sorts - including the eyepiece of an old pair
of binoculars (*) which I use for extreme magnification to read the
microscopic print that you get on the part number and ratings plate on
electronic appliances. I probably just compensate when moving the object
and/or lens to bring it into focus. Indeed a pair of reading glasses would
prevent me getting the binocular eyepiece close enough to my eye to focus!

That is the same as me. Distance is fine, but slightly better with my
prescription glasses for driving and they certainly help me see the
details in the dash.

I've opted for these...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/81001-G-2-...AOSwq~tZR7E 0

They will work with glasses and offer a range of 1x to 6x. They also
use 3x AAA giving longer time between battery replacement and maybe
brighter LED's - judging by the LED lens's. They use a head band clamp,
so should be able to stay put. If the batteries make them heavy to wear
I can always cobble up a separate holder.

It happens that charles formulated :
Also lots of light can help.

Not easy, but I can read the likes of timetables without glasses, in
good daylight.

On 02/09/2017 08:56, Graeme wrote:
Getting to the stage where I am struggling to see small 'stuff' that I
am trying to work on, and thinking about a magnifying lamp of some type.

There are the simple plug in USB powered LED types, bench top 'helping
hands' style, with built in magnifier, croc clips etc., and larger angle
poise style, either floor standing or clamp on the bench.

Any pros and cons?Â* My first thought is the angle poise clamp type.

Depends on what you are doing. Illuminated anglepoise type works fine
for my wife with sewing, embroidery type jobs.

I am rather fond of "Peer" binocular magnifiers. Mine have no light but
a separate small halogen desk light does the job.

I have a (cheap) pair of surgeon's magnifiers (basically a little pair
of Gallilean binoculars which clip on to my glasses) but don't find them
particularly effective. For high mag without a doubt the best thing is a
stereo microscope with through the lens illumination, on a good solid stand.

On Sat, 02 Sep 2017 16:50:42 +0100, Harry Bloomfield wrote:

Peter Parry wrote on 02/09/2017 :
Glass, not plastic lenses and fit over spectacles well. The plastic
pingfukits used to hold the lenses in are not brilliant but easily
replaced by something more substantial. Had a set 6 months and they
are very good.

I am just wondering if I do actually need to wear glasses as well as
one of these magnifiers - I have just tried a strong magnifying lens
with and without specs. and it works quite well (better?) without the
specs..

I don't know how it would be with the lenses, but with a x5 mirror I can see
a lot better with my distance specs on - improves depth of field mainly, so
useful well back on each side where the difference in distance is
significant.

I'm not impressed by the size of the universe - it's all within my near
point!
--
Peter.
The gods will stay away
whilst religions hold sway

On Sat, 02 Sep 2017 17:28:34 +0100, Harry Bloomfield
wrote:



That is the same as me. Distance is fine, but slightly better with my
prescription glasses for driving and they certainly help me see the
details in the dash.

I've opted for these...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/81001-G-2-...AOSwq~tZR7E 0
They use a head band clamp,
so should be able to stay put. If the batteries make them heavy to wear
I can always cobble up a separate holder.

That is quite important I have found and if you had not mentioned it
was going to make a post suggesting the weight of any head mounted
device is important, not all advertisers make it available.
The weight of 3 AAA batteries may not seem much in a hand but 20
minutes or so suspended an inch or two in front of your forehead can
be an additional discomfort.
At a bench my experience has been that it is better to illuminate with
decent lighting generally and occasionally augment it with a really
bright flood lamp rather than use the fairly feeble lights that are
fitted on these head magnifiers in that price range. The LEDS fitted
may not consume batteries as much as my first one that had filament
lamps but IMO are still inadequate to work by.
They may occasionaly be useful for a job away from the bench like
threading cotton though a needle eye , a comon request from the missus
if she gets the old Singer sewing machine out.
100 years old last year, The machine not the missus.

G.Harman

"Harry Bloomfield" wrote in message
news
It happens that charles formulated :
Also lots of light can help.

Not easy, but I can read the likes of timetables without glasses, in good
daylight.

This is because in bright light your pupils contract which stops down the
lens, increasing the depth of field (as for a camera lens) and so bringing
into focus things that were previously too close for your eyes to focus on.

"Harry Bloomfield" wrote in message
news
on 02/09/2017, NY supposed :
My distance sight is pretty near perfect (I'm *very* slightly
short-sighted) but my close vision has deteriorated gradually over the
past few years because I'm at an age when the eye muscles won't compress
the lens as well as they used to for focussing close. I can still see
perfectly well through magnifying glasses of various sorts - including
the eyepiece of an old pair of binoculars (*) which I use for extreme
magnification to read the microscopic print that you get on the part
number and ratings plate on electronic appliances. I probably just
compensate when moving the object and/or lens to bring it into focus.
Indeed a pair of reading glasses would prevent me getting the binocular
eyepiece close enough to my eye to focus!

That is the same as me. Distance is fine, but slightly better with my
prescription glasses for driving and they certainly help me see the
details in the dash.

My distance vision (eg wording on signs) is fractionally better with
distance glasses than without, but it is well below the threshold at which
you are required to wear glasses for driving (and have your licence marked
with the code for "wears glasses").

That does me fine as close as normal viewing distance for a computer screen.
My reading glasses actually make a computer screen less sharp (my eyes
strain to focus) but are essential for reading a book at normal reading
distance.

It had been coming on a little while when I was in my mid-40s, then I had a
heart attack and cardiac arrest, and the temporary starvation of oxygen
seems to have made my close vision suddenly worse.

NY wrote on 02/09/2017 :
This is because in bright light your pupils contract which stops down the
lens, increasing the depth of field (as for a camera lens) and so bringing
into focus things that were previously too close for your eyes to focus on.

You can get a similar effect, by almost closing your eyelids - handy if
you can almost read some text without glasses.

"PeterC" wrote in message
...
I'm not impressed by the size of the universe - it's all within my near
point!

Good way of putting it.

One of my camera lenses has that problem: the furthest end-stop of the
focussing ring focuses "beyond infinity" which is frustrating because it
means you can't just move the ring as far as it will go when moving from
close to infinity, but instead need to focus carefully and not go too far.
Autofocus is fine, but sometimes it's necessary to go for manual control to
avoid the AF getting confused.

It's probably a fault lens and something has worn a bit.

Don't know but RNIB usually keep a lot in stock but not cheap to vat payers.
The more the mag the narrower the view of course.
Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
Remember, if you don't like where I post
or what I say, you don't have to
read my posts! :-)
"Graeme" wrote in message
...
Getting to the stage where I am struggling to see small 'stuff' that I am
trying to work on, and thinking about a magnifying lamp of some type.

There are the simple plug in USB powered LED types, bench top 'helping
hands' style, with built in magnifier, croc clips etc., and larger angle
poise style, either floor standing or clamp on the bench.

Any pros and cons? My first thought is the angle poise clamp type.
--
Graeme

The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 02/09/17 16:50, Harry Bloomfield wrote:
Peter Parry wrote on 02/09/2017 :
Glass, not plastic lenses and fit over spectacles well. The plastic
pingfukits used to hold the lenses in are not brilliant but easily
replaced by something more substantial. Had a set 6 months and they
are very good.

I am just wondering if I do actually need to wear glasses as well as
one of these magnifiers - I have just tried a strong magnifying lens
with and without specs. and it works quite well (better?) without the
specs..
If your eyes are matched and show no astigmatism, you dont need a double
pair of glasses



Or cataracts.

In message , John
Rumm writes

Depends a bit on what you want to do with it, and how much you are
prepared to pay. (electronics style binocular inspection microscopes
are nice, but silly money unless you have a serious application for them)

Thanks chaps. An interesting range of views and recommendations. Still
not sure which way to go, really. My sight is generally OK, although I
wear specs for driving, and usually wear them just walking out and
about, but if I go shopping, I have to look over the top to read price
labels. I couldn't easily read the screen in front of me now, with
specs on.

Most of what I do is repairs to small motors etc., although I really
struggled, changing a fan in Wifey's laptop a while ago. Trying to hold
magnifier and torch whilst using screwdriver all at once is not easy :-)

TBH, I think it is the light I need most, although magnification often
runs a close second.

--
Graeme

In article ,
wrote:
At a bench my experience has been that it is better to illuminate with
decent lighting generally and occasionally augment it with a really
bright flood lamp rather than use the fairly feeble lights that are
fitted on these head magnifiers in that price range. The LEDS fitted
may not consume batteries as much as my first one that had filament
lamps but IMO are still inadequate to work by.

Quite. A decent light source causes the eyes to stop down increasing the
depth of field. Bringing the wanted object into focus more easily.

Also poor quality LEDs - ie all cheap ones - cam make differentiating
between colours or shades of a colour more difficult or impossible. Like
when looking for a dry solder joint and so on.

--
*Wood burns faster when you have to cut and chop it yourself.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ,
Graeme wrote:
TBH, I think it is the light I need most, although magnification often
runs a close second.

Anglepoise with a decent large mains halogen lamp.

I've tried pretty well everything else, and nothing comes close.

I do have a decent twin florry above the bench for general illumination,
though, which is fine for most things.

--
*I brake for no apparent reason.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
Anglepoise with a decent large mains halogen lamp.

I've tried pretty well everything else, and nothing comes close.

I do have a decent twin florry above the bench for general illumination,
though, which is fine for most things.

For reading in bed, I like an anglepoise fluorescent positioned just above
my head so it is shining directly on to the book without being at an angle
and causing shadows. Being fairly cool, it can be close to my head without
feeling hot.

My wife thinks that this will strain my eyes because the book is much more
brightly lit than the rest of the room, and thinks it is better to have an
overhead ceiling light in a large shade. Since this light is by the foot of
the bed, much less light shines on the book compared with the rest of the
room, and the light of the lampshade is many times brighter than on the
book.

We've now compromised that I turn the overhead light off, and have a lamp on
the bedside table with a multi-colour Philips Hue LED bulb which provides
nice bright white light for reading (while the light itself is out of my
field of view - very important) but which can be changed to a more orange
light to get my brain into a going-to-sleep mood.

On 03/09/2017 12:37, NY wrote:
"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
Anglepoise with a decent large mains halogen lamp.

I've tried pretty well everything else, and nothing comes close.

I do have a decent twin florry above the bench for general illumination,
though, which is fine for most things.

For reading in bed, I like an anglepoise fluorescent positioned just
above my head so it is shining directly on to the book without being at
an angle and causing shadows. Being fairly cool, it can be close to my
head without feeling hot.

My wife thinks that this will strain my eyes because the book is much
more brightly lit than the rest of the room, and thinks it is better to
have an overhead ceiling light in a large shade. Since this light is by
the foot of the bed, much less light shines on the book compared with
the rest of the room, and the light of the lampshade is many times
brighter than on the book.

We've now compromised that I turn the overhead light off, and have a
lamp on the bedside table with a multi-colour Philips Hue LED bulb which
provides nice bright white light for reading (while the light itself is
out of my field of view - very important) but which can be changed to a
more orange light to get my brain into a going-to-sleep mood.
I moved over to an e-reader with backlight (Nook).
Makes reading in any lighting condition and without best glasses so much
easier.

On Saturday, 2 September 2017 08:56:35 UTC+1, Graeme wrote:
Getting to the stage where I am struggling to see small 'stuff' that I
am trying to work on, and thinking about a magnifying lamp of some type.

There are the simple plug in USB powered LED types, bench top 'helping
hands' style, with built in magnifier, croc clips etc., and larger angle
poise style, either floor standing or clamp on the bench.

Any pros and cons? My first thought is the angle poise clamp type.
--

I brought 15 of these for the lab which work quite well
https://www.rapidonline.com/toolcraf...r-lamp-51-1594

1 year later I found these much cheaper but don't come with a PSU.

http://onecall.farnell.com/duratool/...ecall%2Fsearch

Using the crop clips are OK for holding light work a bit of stripboard but they won't hold up anything a bit heavier this applies to both sets.
It's still a bit difficult to get things in focus when soldering.
We do have larger magnifiers with a floursecant tube, the glass lens is better than the acrylic or plastic but not that much better.

On Sat, 02 Sep 2017 18:56:34 +0100, Harry Bloomfield
wrote:

NY wrote on 02/09/2017 :
This is because in bright light your pupils contract which stops down the
lens, increasing the depth of field (as for a camera lens) and so bringing
into focus things that were previously too close for your eyes to focus on.

You can get a similar effect, by almost closing your eyelids - handy if
you can almost read some text without glasses.

Similarly if I close my fingers to make a small tunnel wth a small
aperture some small objects become clearer.

--
AnthonyL

On Monday, 4 September 2017 12:34:35 UTC+1, AnthonyL wrote:
On Sat, 02 Sep 2017 18:56:34 +0100, Harry Bloomfield
wrote:

NY wrote on 02/09/2017 :
This is because in bright light your pupils contract which stops down the
lens, increasing the depth of field (as for a camera lens) and so bringing
into focus things that were previously too close for your eyes to focus on.

You can get a similar effect, by almost closing your eyelids - handy if
you can almost read some text without glasses.

Similarly if I close my fingers to make a small tunnel wth a small
aperture some small objects become clearer.

That is because the brain can concentrate on teh centrasl area of vision and there;s less distraction so yuo eye spends more time looking rather than scanning the rest of the field of view, some think this method creates a type of air magnifying lens, but it's really just the brain having more time and less of a field of view.

On Sat, 02 Sep 2017 18:56:34 +0100, Harry Bloomfield
wrote:

NY wrote on 02/09/2017 :
This is because in bright light your pupils contract which stops down the
lens, increasing the depth of field (as for a camera lens) and so bringing
into focus things that were previously too close for your eyes to focus on.

You can get a similar effect, by almost closing your eyelids - handy if
you can almost read some text without glasses.

Similarly if I close my fingers to make a small tunnel wth a small
aperture some small objects become clearer.

--
AnthonyL