Just realized my cheap loupe was costing me more in mistakes than I saved

I bought a $15 loupe from a general tool store to check shutter curtains and it was so bad I almost misdiagnosed a sticky curtain on a Nikon FM2. The lens was warped and gave a false double image. I finally spent $80 on a proper Rodenstock loupe and the difference is night and day. Anyone have a good source for affordable but decent optical inspection gear?

3 comments

3 Comments

owens.anthony22d ago

Ugh, that's the worst. Good tools are worth the money.

maxf3322d ago

Honestly, that plastic magnifier story hits home. It's crazy how a bad tool can make a good piece of gear look broken. I've learned the hard way that with optics, you really do get what you pay for. Saving a few bucks upfront can cost you way more in wrong calls and wasted time. A clear, true image is just basic for this stuff. Tbh, I'd rather have one good loupe than a drawer full of junk that lies to me.

logan52522d ago

Tell me about it. I once tried to use a plastic magnifier from a dollar store to check a lens for fungus. The thing made a clean element look like a moldy petri dish. I almost threw out a perfectly good lens. Now I keep that junk loupe as a reminder to not be so cheap with my tools.

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