Magnification: What opti-visor lens do you prefer?

[khavor]

Hi all,

I haven't been painting much over the last couple of years, and am trying to work my way back into the hobby. Add to that I moved last summer and have had to update my painting setup (New desk, new lighting, etc). In this time, surprise, surprise, I have apparently gotten older!

My eyesight is definitely not what it once was, and I'm finding it hard to focus for extended periods of time on my work. I've used an opti-visor in the past with the #2 lens, and that's still effective at helping to focus at short distance. It doesn't really seem to get the magnification I need though anymore. I've also used off the shelf reading glasses in the past, as they're often more convenient to carry to the local shop. Recently I've even tried a combination of the two (reading glasses and opti-visor), which gives great magnification but also gives one hell of a headache if you use both for long.

So, I'm thinking the simplest solution may be to up the magnification of my opti-visor lens, but I'm sensitive to the fact that this will change the focal length and thus change a lot of my painting habits. So, the bottom line is, for those that use an opti-visor, what lens plate do you prefer to get maximum magnification with a still reasonable focal length?

 

[khavor]

I've ordered a #4 lens to try out, curious to see how this goes. My old #2 lens supposedly gives 1.5x at 20", but I know I often work closer than that (probably around 12"). The new one is listed as 2x at 10". Will be interesting to see how this works out...

 

[JohnLobster]

Hi - just saw this

My experience is that the depth of field is very limited - so the distance you like to work at (12" ?) is what counts.

If you need reading glasses, then this affects the working distance, effectively making it a little longer, so you may want even more magnification. Worth visiting optician to see if you need reading glasses anyway.

I suspect the #4 will work for you

John

 

[khavor]

Thanks for the response. I've had a few painting sessions with the #4 lens since I got it, and yeah, the focal distance is definitely shorter than the #2, and the depth of field i more limited. It does give much better magnification though.

All in all I think it will probably be great for detail work, but I still haven't decided if it's the solution for daily work. I think I'll probably order a #3 at some point to try also, but they are more expensive. #2 and #4 seem more common so are cheaper.

 

[Thri Keen Priest]

I use this model, and find it very lightweight.
View attachment 53179
http://www.dhgate.com/product/stand-head-headset-led-light-glasses-type/158189284.html

It's so inobtrusive, I can paint or sculpt, and occasionally glance up at the tv or whatever too. Unfortunately, it appears to be discontinued, and I'm looking for new lenses for it. I'm using a 3X lens and hold my work about 8" from my eyes. Works fine, but sometimes I think I need to switch up to something higher.

 

[timlamirande@gmail.com]

I agree with Thri Keen Priest[FONT=&quot] [/FONT] because I use the same visor and it works good for everyday use painting.[FONT=&quot]
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[supervike]

I've been using cheaters (reading glasses) for a while, but wouldn't mind trying something like the optivisors. I just have never come up with a great lighting setup, and would definitely like to try something with a light attached. However, my experience with headband lights I've used at work or either too glaring, or not quite enough. Can't seem to find that goldilocks zone.

So, how well does the light work on the Optivisor or similar thingies?

 

[Ghool]

I use over-the-counter 2.5x magnification reading glasses myself.
I'd like to try a visor, although I can't seem to find one that's not intrusive.