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 Replies: 52 / Views: 4,304 |
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Valued Member
United States
136 Posts |
As I get older (wear reading glasses) I find it harder to read small print. I picked up two rolls of 50C from the bank yesterday and couldn't distinguish mint marks!
What, if anything, does everyone use for inspecting their coins?
I see magnifying lights/lamps, loupes, Dr/dentist headsets, etc. I'd like to find something that magnifies and has a light, works well, and doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
Thanks in advance,
Tim
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Valued Member
United States
397 Posts |
I have this one, and I am well pleased with it. I have a more expensive one also, but it does no better job than this one. I also like this one because it has a flip down cover to keep dust off of the lens when not in use.....and it sets on the desk, rather than have to fool with those awkward clamps that do not work. One other hint about these magnifier lamps. You can buy a cheap one, and remove the lens, and you have a nice ring light to do photos with. Just take the pic thru the hole where the lens was... I know some do not like flourescent light color, but you can easily change color temp with a good photo editor.. http://www.officedepot.com/ddSKU.do...true&An=textMM  Edited by morganman
08/23/2006 09:29 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1840 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2365 Posts |
Oh boy can I understand the frustrations here. I've had to increase my reading glass power to 200 and a 10X loupe! I have 20/20 distance - go figure!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3234 Posts |
I have a B&L 10X loupe and I just purchased a cheapo B&L 5X box magnifier. Yeah...I know...I should have been using that one all along. Live and learn.
I like the idea of that Office Depot lamp. I wonder if the type of light it uses is the proper one for looking at coins...it's not fluorescent is it? I wonder if I could use it for a photographic purposes.
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Valued Member
United States
397 Posts |
Here is an actual photo taken through the ringlight of the Office Depot Magnifier. And, Yes, it IS flourescent....  And here is same photo of coin adjusted for incandescent coloring with Paint Shop Pro.  MM  Edited by morganman
08/23/2006 1:45 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4589 Posts |
The more I know about something, the more I know that I did not know as much as I thought I knew that I knew.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I love that quote morganman
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7123 Posts |
I use a 5X magnifyier light, and 10 and 16X loupes.
Rick
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
14454 Posts |
I use a 10x loupe that I got with my tattoo equipment when I bought my first tattoo gun and I also have a eye out of a old microscope that is probably about 20x for things I need a closer look at
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Pillar of the Community
Belgium
2078 Posts |
I have a very old 3x loupe Then a 10X LED light Eschenbach loupe and if I really want to know what a coin looks like I scan it at 300 dpi and blow it up to full computer screen  |
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Pillar of the Community
Belgium
2078 Posts |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
14454 Posts |
hmm sure doesn't look like a scan to me. My scanner scans at 4800 DPI and when I scan a coin it looks nothing like that
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1247 Posts |
I have a B&L 7X Triplet, and a 4X. I also have a Vigor 7X that's not a Triplet but doesn't seem to be that much different from the B&L Triplet and cost half as much. Triplet is a process used to correct distortions. I can see the difference in B&L and the Vigor, but much like grading itself, I can't see enough of a difference to make the B&L worth twice as much money. I bought the Vigor, I think, about 3 years ago. Whether they maintained the same quality or not I don't know, but it might be good enough for checking mintmarks? |
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Pillar of the Community
Belgium
2078 Posts |
quote:
Originally posted by Bryan1315
hmm sure doesn't look like a scan to me. My scanner scans at 4800 DPI and when I scan a coin it looks nothing like that
It is a secondhand Vuego about 8 years old and it is a scanner that was made to convert color photos into digital photos On 99% of the coins it is first class as long as there is contrast enough to see My friend bought one like that three years ago second hand ( new price was like 2500 dollars ) and no it is max 300 dpi I have been told it was sold as Vuego 310P and later as Acer |
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Pillar of the Community
Belgium
2078 Posts |
You remember the thread grade an emperor where a profesionnal austrian seller with more the 5500 feedbacks posted a shiny photo ? Well this is what my scanner did three years ago in one minute To my chagrin my friend graded it MS62 Image:  100 FF Nap Laur.jpg49.87 KB  Edited by ageka
08/24/2006 08:12 am
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Sounds like your getting old like me. I use reading glasses and don't know what power they are. I just try on different ones at Walmart until I can see and say it's a sale. I love that expression of LOUPE. I've been around for well over 60 years and never heard that expression until I started to use coin forums on the internet. If you are just lookiing for a MAGNIFIER, try Walmart. For coins just get a variety of any one of them. Just make sure they are glass and not plastic. Plastic ones will scratch easily and if cheap enough will have a warped look to your coins. If you are one of the fanatical collectors that use a microscope, there are a lot of them advertised on the internet but if you need to use a microscope on a coin ? Myself, I've been collecting for well into the 50 year area and if a 14X magnifier isn't good enough then it's time to switch hobbies for me. |
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Replies: 52 / Views: 4,304 |
Posted 08/23/2006 09:43 am
50 Ecu 1990 Carolus.jpg
