Pocket Glasses for looking at ground glass?

[Nick Zentena]

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=&p=55986&cat=1,43456,43351

Anybody think those would work? Up to 2.5 diopter.

 

[BrianShaw]

Now that's an interesting idea -- and quite affordable! I have problems with all GG-focusing cameras (MF and LF) because of bi-focals. A lot of time is spend fidgeting between the two prescriptions (and sometimes it seems like neither is the solution). I wonder if these are available in local stores to give it a trial run prior to buying one, or two, or three pairs.

 

[juan]

For years I've used the highest magnification over the counter reading glasses I could find at the drug store. These would appear to do the same thing. I like being able to focus with both eyes.
juan

 

[Nick Zentena]

How high do you think would be needed?

 

[Jim Jones]

Even 2.5 diopters sounds awfully low power for GG focusing. Dollar stores sometimes have very cheap reading glasses that let one try out such low power glasses for little investment. For us who wear glasses, flip-up jeweler's loupes are available in higher power.

 

[juan]

How high do you think would be needed?

The ones I find usually are 3.5. I once found a pair that was a 4. They are good enough for me, but I don't have to wear glasses for normal things.
juan

 

[MurrayMinchin]

For years I've used the highest magnification over the counter reading glasses I could find at the drug store. These would appear to do the same thing. I like being able to focus with both eyes.
juan

I got a pair of those as a joke gift for Christmas, and they're awsome! Now I don't have to focus with my shoulders scrunched forward and my elbows locked straight

Murray

 

[Campbell]

I've done the same thing as Juan for the 12 years I've been into LF photography. Just buy drugstore reading glasses at a cost of about $10 where I live. I use 3x or 4x but I assume the strength would depend on your vision. You might bring your gear into the drugstore, get it all set up, and try different magnifications. That should attract some interest from the store manager and security people.

 

[Nick Zentena]

Do people find the strength needed varies with format? I can basically focus the 8x10 bare eyed but find the 4x5/5x7 harder. I'm thinking the smaller formats need more magnification?

 

[resummerfield]

I use something very similar to the jeweler’s loop Jim Jones mentions—the Dead Link Removed available at Micro-Tools and other places, with the extra 2.5x add-on loupe, for a total of over 5x. I normally wear Varifocal glasses, and the Optivisor allows me to use the much larger top portion of the Varifocal, and yet get close to the gg, at the same time my hands are free to focus and adjust. I know it looks a bit strange, but I wouldn’t leave home without the Optivisor.

 

[Kilgallb]

I use something very similar to the jeweler’s loop Jim Jones mentions—the Dead Link Removed available at Micro-Tools and other places, with the extra 2.5x add-on loupe, for a total of over 5x. I normally wear Varifocal glasses, and the Optivisor allows me to use the much larger top portion of the Varifocal, and yet get close to the gg, at the same time my hands are free to focus and adjust. I know it looks a bit strange, but I wouldn’t leave home without the Optivisor.

I have been using a similar device for a year now. Works great and I can put my glasses for long distance viewing in my pocket. I got mine at a radio shack store for 20 bucks. I think it works better than a jewlers loup because it keeps your hands free.

 

[Russ Young]

An experienced large format photographer showed me his solution some years ago, similiar to what several folks here have noted but with refinements. I've now used it without any problems for more than a decade.
Have your optician make a set of spectacles so that your eyes will be focussed at 18" or so; that's the "+" glasses discussed before. Then have a bifocal made for your dominant eye the equivalent of +8 for fine focus. Works like a top. Thanks for the idea, Jock.
Russ