Re: Off topic -- good loupe

[Paul Schliesser <paulsc@eos.net>]

>2) My bias on a good loupe is a Schneider 4x or their new 6x Aspheric. Any
>experiences/other advice (don't tell me--there's a great old Leica loupe,
>the "LOOPY", discontinued in 1963, that I might still find used at a camera
>show and you've never seen anything as good so I should go hunt one down)?

Charlie,

The best loupe I've ever used is a 5x loupe from a company called Emo, 
located in the little town of Wetzlar. Rather than being a little lens 
sitting in the top of a funnel or tube, as most loupes are, it is about 
the size and weight of a 50mm Summicron M, with smooth black metal sides. 
There is a glass element just inside the mouth of it on the bottom (the 
opposite end from the eyepiece). Because there is no transparent skirt 
under it, it only works on negs or transparencies (since there is no 
skirt under it that light can shine through, the item being viewed must 
be lit from behind).

It came with a little snap-on diffuser that goes in front of it so that 
it can be used as a viewer without a light table (although I normally use 
it on a light table). The diffuser is cleverly designed with a slot for 
sleeved 35mm film, so that you can pull it through, or you can put a 
little carrier into the slot which takes un-sleeved film. The carrier has 
little guides in it so that you can pull a strip of film through without 
scratching. It will also accept mounted slides if you slide them in 
diagonally.

It adjusts 2 diopters in either direction. It also has a neck strap (very 
handy when looking at a lot of slides and moving from table to table) and 
a leather case.

I bought it new for about $125 in about 1984-5, someplace in Boston. It 
is one of the most valued and most-used items I have.

This loupe has the best optical quality of any that I have used. I've 
never used the Schnieder loupes. Another one you might look at would be 
the new Zeiss loupes, which I've seen advertised lately.

- - Paul