Recommendations for pocket magnifier

[Toadflax]

I'm looking to get a small folding magnifying glass to help with plant identification - probably one of the little folding sort that jewellers use.

I'm wondering if anyone has any advice on suitable lens diameter and magnification for this purpose.


Thanks.




Geoff

 

[Humpback]

I use a jeweller's loupe. All plastic folding type with 10x magnification. Made by Gowlland (in England).

 

[fred gordon]

Optics is one area where, as a general rule, the better they are the more they cost. I use a hand lens all the time both in my job and for hobbies. There are lots of manufacturers and I would go for a metal framed folding one with a magnification of about 10X. The glass lens is protected from scratching when it is folded and you have a great excuse to make a small bag to carry it in to protect it further. You can put a string through the handle and carry the lens round your neck, a chance to make bush string!

 

[Barn Owl]

Less eye strain with a 3.5x mag Essenbach 50mm or thereabouts lens which folds into plastic 'sheath'.
You can get the little metal folders with say a 3x and 5x which can be folded together to make an 8x...or those with seperate lenses like an 8x and a 15x at the other end (if you can follow this drunken ramble).
I think a 3.5x Essenbach (that's the mftr) and an 8x metal folder are a good set up.
Tom.

 

[bushwacker bob]

or use a water filled condom.

 

[Risclean]

10x and 20x is the combination that's usually reccomended. You can get them from Alana Ecology

 

[Toadflax]

Thanks for the various suggestions - I have ended up going for a combination 10x/20x.


Geoff

 

[Jodie]

I am going on Kew's "Botany for Beginners" week long course next week - along with
a friend from work who also managed to get a cancellation - and have spent this afternoon
walking around London trying to find these. Should have just come straight here first ;-)

Eventually after a long story which I shan't bore you with involving umpteen shops, baffled
shop assistants and even the study information centre people at UCL (very helpful, let
me have a go on Google) I found my quarry at Holts on Hatton Garden. I now have two
10x folding hand lenses for a tenner each, one for me, one for my friend. They come in
a little leather outer case and are quite 'old school' looking.

I was glad I'd read this page at UCL before venturing off to Hatton G. (via every camera
shop, opticians and watch repairer en route to ask them... just in case!) as otherwise
I might have assumed that 20x was automatically better than 10x or thought I could get
away with a regular magnifying glass (usually about 3-5x):
http://www.kooters.com/sezlens.html

We also have new notebooks for the course too

(Hatton Garden is near Chancery Lane / Grays Inn Road and is basically a road of
jewellers and jewellery suppliers, and not much else, in London).

Holts website: http://www.rholt.co.uk/holts
(not affiliated, just delighted to find somewhere in London that sold these lenses but I
expect any of the shops along that road will have them too).