Magnifying Visor (wanted)

[metrologist]

I have a couple decent ones (one quite old and the other I think is an optivisor). What I am looking for is one that has a longer focus range, or something that is more flexible in that way (interchangeable lenses?). Something like arm's length (I have long arms).

There are cheap options on ebay. Any suggestions?

One application is on the lathe where I do not want my face next to big spinning metal pieces with jagged edges, or when soldering to keep away from the fumes and splatter (there is no splatter)...

[LaurentR]

If you're looking at single-lens visors, working distance is linked to magnification. You can't have both.
I personally have 2 visors on my desk with different magnification (and working distance). One with lower magnification and a comfortable working distance for general work and one with high magnification for inspection.

There are plenty of cheap ones (<$10) on Amazon and other places. Some have a little pivoting one-eye "loupe" piece for higher magnification (not a fan). Some have an internal flip-up additional lens for magnification (not a fan either because of the poor combined optical quality).

I have had a few of those but have since upgraded to what is more or less the industry standard, the Donegan OptiVisor. Still not terribly expensive ($30-40) but quite comfortable and sturdy. They have a range of magnification and their glass lens range "DA" (The "LX" range is plastic) is of good quality. Add a Quasar LED lighting system and you're done. You'll find a few threads on the OptiVisor on this forum.

If you need higher magnification _and_ working distance, you need multi-lens optics, which will be more expensive. Think what modern dentists use. That's seriously more expensive. I recently bought a CraftOptics setup (consumer version of dentist stuff) and it works like a charm.

[metrologist]

Thanks for that insight! I was having the same experience with my reading glasses - I don't use them much because the focus distance is too close, unless I am reading paper. Not comfortable for hand work or reading the monitor.

I will look at CraftOptics. I also have this, but it is good for across a large room or Opera theater, they go double vision if set too close:

https://www.magnifyingaids.com/store/images/large/810234Sm_LRG.jpg

[seanspotatobusiness]

There are cheaper versions of what professional dentists use on AliExpress, ranging between 30-150 USD.

[metrologist]

Yes. I just bought a cheap pair off ebay and will work from there. If only I could have my 10-year-old eyes back. 

[chickenHeadKnob]

There are cheaper versions of what professional dentists use on AliExpress, ranging between 30-150 USD.

I bought these:https://www.ebay.ca/itm/New-1-Dental-Surgical-Loupes-Glasses-Medical-Binocular-Magnifier-3-5X-420mm-/281832405417?hash=item419e8539a9
2+ years ago for $24 US with free shipping.

 The good features, the 3.5 x magnification along with the generous working distance is just about ideal for soldering. The optics are plastic and the eye-glasses frame is metal and both are of good quality for the low price.
The bad: the plastic binocular holder frame in the front has four independent adjustments,
1. tilt up and down, easy to set.
2. inter-pupil distance with a rack and pinion system.
3. and 4. the individual "telescopes" can be turned inward or outward independently  for varying toe-in or cross-eyedness.
 All those adjustments interact and the plastic is flimsy and in my unit slightly warped leading to only one difficult to find setting that doesn't result in double vision. Even when dialed in they are easy to get out of alignment. What is worse when you get close enough for your brain to make one image come into focus there still remains  the eyestrain effect that something is wrong. I spent the better part of 2-3 hours dicking with this thing before giving up in frustration. Additional point, I have good uncorrected vision for someone in their late 50's but I did develop very mild astigmatism in both eyes 10 years ago, which has stabilized. I don't really need glasses for anything but for exacting detail near vision work I have glasses which sharpen things up. It might be that the small  asymmetry in my underlying vision made adjusting these "binoculars" more difficult. In the future I plan to  harvest the two tiny telescopes and make my own custom holder that will clip on to those corrective glasses. I don't have much motivation to do this experiment now as I have too many other pressing problems to solve.


I have 2 donegan optisight frames, the newer type that are open at the sides and allow peripheral vision, in which I keep 4 and 7 diopter lenses. Two so I can quickly switch between magnifications. I like these, they don't cause eyestrain and feel very natural, either with or without my corrective glasses underneath. Only problem with the 7 diopter is your face is too close to the work, around 11 cm.

[seanspotatobusiness]

I recently got this from AliExpress: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Magnifying-Glass-Headband-3-8X-4-0X-Bracket-TV-Glasses-Magnifier-Loupe-Goggles-with-Phone-Holder/32906676748.html



Although the listing claims 360-450 mm focal distance, the actual maximum focal distance (with minimum magnification) is only 22 cm. This is still about double what my cheap visor achieves using a single 2.8x lens. I do miss being able to flip up the visor but it's possible to look down your nose to bypass them without taking them off. I also love how ridiculously dorky they look. They make me feel like Professor Frink (he'll make you laugh; he'll make you think). I guess I recommend them over the single-lens visor if you don't already have a visor but otherwise you might be disappointed at the minimal extent of the improvement. I notice that you can get glasses with a 3 m focal distance (http://magnifyingglasses.co.uk/acatalog/Eschenbach-MaxTV-Spectacles-MAXTV.html) so it should have been possible to manufacturer these with the stated ~360 mm focal distance.

I've heard before that the cheap dental style loupes can be knocked out of configuration; I don't know how common a problem that is among them.

[SilverSolder]

Hard to beat the good old Optivisors!

You can buy different lenses for them, to get the magnification level that works best for you.

[metrologist]

The two visors I have are OptiVisors, so will also get a variety of lenses. I cannot tell what mag the older one is. The newer one has a 7 printed in the corner and it has the additional round magnifier that I rarely use, but it works OK.

[TheBay]

I use one of these, it's fantastic for the money. I did have a visor type but found that uncomfortable.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magnifier-Wallfire-Magnifying-Detachable-Electronic/dp/B0743BKK6B/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1540504419&sr=8-6&keywords=head+magnifier

[metrologist]

I received these
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3-5-X-420-Dental-Surgical-Loupes-Medical-Binocular-Glasses-Dentist-Magnifier/162447737225?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649

can't figure out how to use them... I can sort of cant the lenses, but it's total double vision. They suck balls! WTF are these things?


I hate this shit. i cant see.

[chickenHeadKnob]

I received these
https://www.ebay.com/itm/3-5-X-420-Dental-Surgical-Loupes-Medical-Binocular-Glasses-Dentist-Magnifier/162447737225?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649

can't figure out how to use them... I can sort of cant the lenses, but it's total double vision. They suck balls! WTF are these things?


I hate this shit. i cant see.

LOL, my first reaction exactly, but I am a persistent bastard so I kept at it. My technique is to recognize there are too many degrees of freedom so you need to get the things ballpark close by holding it in front of you and getting the inter pupil distance and vertical tilt correct first. The second insight (see what i did there) is to recognize each telescope has to point inwards (slightly cross-eyed)  because that is what your naked eyes are doing when you are looking down at a surface 42 cm away, imagine that isosceles triange with your pupils forming the triangle base corners. It greatly helps to look down through the the glasses at a keyboard because of the regular distance between the keys and the fact you can see how much and in what direction you need to move the telescopes to get the letters to line up into one image. But that's as far as I got. At that point I discovered that your brain will accommodate when you get close and makes a single image but is still working hard leading to eyestrain/headache. That and the fact that the fuckers go out of alignment at the slightest suggestion or flexing of the frame.

 good luck dude

[metrologist]

I see how they work and they remain slightly off because each lens moves into detents. FOV is about 7 keyboard keys and DOF is only a couple inches. Maybe I'll ask my dentist to try his on my next visit and get an idea of how the expensive ones work.