Etone 6x loupe?

Darryl Roberts · Apr 17, 2020

Hi,

Does anyone have experience or know anything about the Etone 6x loupe being sold on eBay?

Thank you

Roger Thoms · Apr 17, 2020

Darryl Roberts said:
Hi,

Does anyone have experience or know anything about the Etone 6x loupe being sold on eBay?

Thank you

Yes, I bought one and when I place it against my ground glass it’s out of focus, if I hold it 3 to 4mm away then I get a sharp image. The one I bought doesn’t have any kind of diopter adjustment. If you look they do offer one that does, and with my old eyes that,s what I should have bought.

Roger

Darryl Roberts · Apr 17, 2020

Roger Thoms said:
Yes, I bought one and when I place it against my ground glass it’s out of focus, if I hold it 3 to 4mm away then I get a sharp image. The one I bought doesn’t have any kind of diopter adjustment. If you look they do offer one that does, and with my old eyes that,s what I should have bought.

Roger

Thank you very much sir.

Darryl Roberts · Apr 17, 2020

Thank you sir. Do you wear glasses?

Roger Thoms · Apr 17, 2020

Drug store reading glasses 2.5 diopter.

Roger

Darryl Roberts · Apr 17, 2020

You had that problem while wearing those?

Bob S · Apr 17, 2020

The idea is that regardless if you do or do not wear glasses the loupe must be focused on the grain side of the gg. Not on the top of the gg.

Roger Thoms · Apr 17, 2020

Darryl Roberts said:

You had that problem while wearing those?

Click to expand...

Not while using the loupe.

Roger

Darryl Roberts · Apr 18, 2020

Roger Thoms said:
Thx

Not while using the loupe.

Roger

Alan Edward Klein · Apr 18, 2020

Bob S said:
The idea is that regardless if you do or do not wear glasses the loupe must be focused on the grain side of the gg. Not on the top of the gg.

How do you check that? My fresnel is between my eye and the GG.

Bob S · Apr 18, 2020

You take your lens off. You point the camera at a light source. You put the loupemon the top surface of the gg/fresnel. You adjust the loupe’s eyepiece till you see the grain of the gg in sharp focus. Now it is focused on the grain side. Otherwise you will always be out of focus by the thickness of the gg and fresnel

Roger Thoms · Apr 18, 2020

I did contact the Etone seller on eBay and am returning the loupe. The seller suggested the Gaoersi brand which has an adjustable eye piece. In the mean time I found a 6x Wista long barrel loupe with an adjustable eye piece and am waiting for it to arrive from japan. Just trying to find something similar to an old Sima/Wetzlar 6x loupe that I really like. It’s a long barrel with an adjustable eye piece. The problem is that I have several of kits and I'm getting tired of switching the Sima from kit to kit because I occasionally forget. Most recently on a trip to Hawaii. Yeah that was disappointing, first time to Hawaii with a nice Chamonix 4x5 kit I had recently put together and no loupe. I used my reading glasses which was ok because I was photographing in good light. So the plan is to have a dedicated loupe for each kit.

Bob has a good point about focusing the loupe correctly on the ground glass. One of my cameras has a grid silk screened on the frosted side of the ground glass and that’s what I focus my loupe on. Since I have to turn the eyepiece back in to put the loupe back in its case I have the position marked with a piece of blue tape. When I bought the Etone I just assumed it had an adjustable eye piece, certainly won’t make that mistake again.

Roger

Alan Edward Klein · Apr 18, 2020

Bob S said:
You take your lens off. You point the camera at a light source. You put the loupemon the top surface of the gg/fresnel. You adjust the loupe’s eyepiece till you see the grain of the gg in sharp focus. Now it is focused on the grain side. Otherwise you will always be out of focus by the thickness of the gg and fresnel

So I have a Peak fixed 8x and a Schneider adjustable 3x. I shouldn't use the Peak but the Schneider or some other adjustable loupe?
PS is the grain side of the GG on the side closest to the eye or further away on the lens side?

Roger Thoms · Apr 18, 2020

Alan, it really depends on your eyesight. Do what Bob said and test the Peak and see if it gives you a sharp image of the ground glass grain. If it does your golden. If not you have the Schneider. If you start reading threads on loupes. You find that personal preference plays a big part in choosing the magnification. I’ve always been happy with my 6x but you’ll have to figure out what works for you.

Roger

Dan Fromm · Apr 18, 2020

Alan Edward Klein said:
PS is the grain side of the GG on the side closest to the eye or further away on the lens side?

The ground side of the GG should face the lens. If it faces the photographer, it won't be in register with the film plane.

Roger Thoms · Apr 21, 2020

Just a follow up, I am returning the Etone loupe that I purchased from mytongguy on eBay for a full refund. The seller provided a prepaid shipping label to a US address so I should have my refund pretty quickly. I’ll probably order the Gaoersi try that out.

Roger

Darryl Roberts · Apr 21, 2020

Roger Thoms said:
Just a follow up, I am returning the Etone loupe that I purchased from mytongguy on eBay for a full refund. The seller provided a prepaid shipping label to a US address so I should have my refund pretty quickly. I’ll probably order the Gaoersi try that out.

Roger

Ok, great

Darryl Roberts · Apr 21, 2020

https://www.loupesystem.com/collections/all-items/products/rubber

Rolls Royce of loupes

removedacct3 · Apr 13, 2022

Roger Thoms said:
Just a follow up, I am returning the Etone loupe that I purchased from mytongguy on eBay for a full refund. The seller provided a prepaid shipping label to a US address so I should have my refund pretty quickly. I’ll probably order the Gaoersi try that out.

Roger

It's been a long time, but any updates on the Gaoersi loupe?

Philippe-Georges · Apr 13, 2022

I have a PRE-PUTIN era USSR Zenith loupe for about 35 years now and I am still very happy with it.

Roger Thoms · Apr 13, 2022

MrclSchprs said:
It's been a long time, but any updates on the Gaoersi loupe?

I should have returned it but got busy and never did. It doesn’t have a true diopter adjustment. You can unthread on end and get some adjustment but the threads are loose and it doesn’t say put. I ended up buying a used Horseman 6x loupe.

Roger

grat · Apr 13, 2022

FYI, I have the eTone with the diopter adjustment, and it seems pretty solid. The only caveat was that when I first received it, the adjustment mechanism was really, really stiff (I thought it didn't work). Once I broke it loose, it's been fine.

BrianShaw · Apr 13, 2022

The diopter adjustment on mine feels great... just like a freshly overhauled Hasselblad lens. I just wished that they had included caps. Just ordered some that I hope will work.

Roger Thoms · Apr 13, 2022

Interesting, maybe the Etone I ordered had diopter adj after all. I'll have to take a closer look at the Gaoersi.

Roger

removedacct3 · Apr 13, 2022

Roger Thoms said:
I should have returned it but got busy and never did. It doesn’t have a true diopter adjustment. You can unthread on end and get some adjustment but the threads are loose and it doesn’t say put. I ended up buying a used Horseman 6x loupe.

Roger

I am on the look out for a used Horseman loupe. I am not an expert by any means, but the eTone looks like viable alternative if a Horseman does not pop up or if it is too expensive.

Etone 6x loupe?

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