Loupes

Essentially, loupes are high quality magnifiers that are used for a variety of jobs in many industries. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and at different prices. They also come in different powers, which will determine which loupe to buy for your purpose.

When buying a loupe,  there is one common myth that needs to be unveiled before going any further: Bigger is not necessarily better. Depending on what you plan to use the loup for, bigger might be better. However, if you have a limited budget and want something that produces very sharp, high quality images, then you would be better off spending the money on quality and not on quantity. Plus, many people don't actually NEED all that extra magnification.

Price can vary quite a bit for loupes, like other optics. There is always the throw-away pair of binoculars that you can get in K-Mart, and the same goes for loupes. For as little as $10 you can get a cheap plastic gizmo, or for a fancy, professional-looking loupe you can spend more than $200. There are some major advantages to going with a pricier loupe, and I'm talking something between $50 and $100.

  1. The lens shouldn't be as prone to scratching, which makes looking at an image much clearer and accurate. This is especially important if you plan to be looking at gemstones.
  2. You will see less distortion. The image will be clearer and sharper around the edges providing a much better representation of what you are looking at. This is an important issue if you are using a loupe for photography.
  3. Better clarity and brighter images with more color accuracy.

Here are the basic things to consider when buying a loupe.

  • Resolution- This qualifies the quality of the sharpness and precision of the enlarged image. The higher the resolution, the more details you will see.
  • Field Width and Depth- This is the amount of coverage area that a loupe can cover. The larger the area, the less eye fatigue for the user. This will usually be measured in centimeters, such as 7x7.
  • Magnifying Power- This is the measure of how big you can make an image, but not how precise it will look. Magnification is measured with an X, such as 3X, 6X, or 10X. 3X is less magnification and 10X is more.

Major Manufacturers