Magnifier, good or bad?

[absolutrudy]

Just wondering how many out there use a mangnifier on their figs and do you use a visor or one off of a lamp? Does anyone find it cumbersome to use? Thanks.

 

[Wren]

I started with a magnifier attached to a lamp. I did find that cumbersome, since the paintbrush was always hitting it, and the magnification was pretty low. I now use the Opti-Visor style headband magnifier, and I like that a lot.

 

[No Such Agency]

I have a binocular microscope, but I rarely use it since it\'s too hard to adjust my hand movements to the differenct visual scale. A less powerful magnifier might be helpful for eyes etc.

 

[Trevor]

I found using a binocular dissecting microscope to work, but the effects were a bit lifeless. I wouldn\'t bother.

If however you have bad eyesight then they can be a great help, luckily I\'m short sighted

 

[Atoom]

Originally posted by Trevor
If however you have bad eyesight then they can be a great help, luckily I\'m short sighted

A pair of glases would probably help you w. poor eyesight aswell

I don\'t think that a magnifying glass is much help - I\'m pretty sure that it would end up getting in the way.

 

[Wolf Fang]

Originally posted by Atoom

Originally posted by Trevor
If however you have bad eyesight then they can be a great help, luckily I\'m short sighted

A pair of glases would probably help you w. poor eyesight aswell

I don\'t think that a magnifying glass is much help - I\'m pretty sure that it would end up getting in the way.

nope they wont help me so overall my eye sight is good but if something happens to the good eye im screwed no more mini painting ever again or writing.... or enything involving text lol

 

[DrEvilmonki]

I just got a pair of flip over visors because I no longer any show of making eyes look any good with my crappy vision.

 

[Dammekkos2]

Personally I would think that it wouldn\'t be good. If you can\'t properly see the thing you\'re painting because it\'s so small, then it\'s too small. I would also imagine it would \'distort\' movements, if you see what I mean. Disorientation etc.

 

[krom1415]

I\'ve just started using an headband magnifier with LED lights, great stuff for the fiddly bits, and not cumbersome at all

 

[Ritual]

As with most things... If you feel you need to use it, use it! If you don\'t, don\'t!

 

[MPJ]

I recently started using one of those headstrap magnifier thingies and I\'m rather fond of it. Don\'t use it all the time, just on some of the smaller fiddlier bits. When I do use it I position it on my head in such a way that if I want to use it I look higher (tilt my head lower) and when I don\'t I look beneath it. I\'ve found that the 4x power lenses are about the best, with the 7x power it put my focus point to close to my face and I didn\'t have enough room to fit a brush in there.

 

[matty1001]

I use my cyborg eye which can zoom in 100x with out vision distortion, i can also use image colour fix so i see it how it should look. Hook this up with my bionic leg.....and im 6 MILLION DOLLAR MAN!!!!

 

[Modderrhu]

I don\'t need one, yet, but I tried a magnifier once. What I found was that with a single-lense magnifier, was that it destroyed depth perception - only one eye will work properly with it. And Heaven knows, we need good depth perception when painting minis.

What everyone else uses - those headband thingamajobs - I presume are binocular magnifiers. Those should present no depth-perception difficulties.

 

[The Shine]

I bought some old person (sorry old people) magnifying glasses, or as they are called by the people at the drug store \"readers\". They look like a pair of regular glasses but they are not prescription, they only magnify. The nice thing was that you could get them in varying strengths from 1.25x to 3.25x or 3.5x. I think the ones that I bought were 2.25x and they\'ve helped me get over some headaches I used to get from long painting sessions.

 

[vincegamer]

I used to use all sorts of lenses.
I decided though that since no one will be looking at the finished mini under magnification it wasn\'t necessary.

Occasionally I pull out the Opti-visor, but if I have something really fine I use a jeweler\'s loupe similar to this:

The advantage is you hold it with your eye socket so both hands are free.

 

[Torn blue sky]

Short answer; I hate using magnifiers!
I feel like a drunk trying to dot a frickin \"I\".

Matter of prefference.

 

[Talion]

Yep i\'ve found magnifiers a pain

I lost all sense of visual depth, when trying to paint a GIANT miniature with a GIANT paintbrush, with GIANT fingers on the end.

Funny thing was even after I removed the magnifying glass it was still the same, I\'ve recently seen a doctor about it.

 

[TAB Studio]

The \"drunk\" feeling only lasts a few times when you first start, I break my brushes so they do not hit and at this point It is the cheapest and with the natural light ring, best thing for me.

 

[Javi Metal]

Never gave it a try, I already use 2 magnifiers that prevent me from being almost blind like a mole

All 4 eyed guys should start a competiton to see who paints better without his glasses on lol

 

[spazzy]

Originally posted by krom1415
I\'ve just started using an headband magnifier with LED lights, great stuff for the fiddly bits, and not cumbersome at all

Where do you find such an item? I\'ve used the \"readers\" and they gave me headaches.

I\'ve used the type of magnifier that hangs from your neck and props against your chest, but to use it you have to hold the mini very close to your body, and it gives you a crick in the neck.

I also have a handheld magnifier with a little light, which is great when I just want to look at something, but since the evolution of the third hand is slow in coming, it doesn\'t do me any good for painting.

Something like the headband magnifier with lights would make painting so much more comfortable. As it is, spending so much time bunched up close to the lamp with the mini 4 inches from my nose is liable to turn me into a crosseyed hunchback. Not an attractive look for me.