Can you get zoom lens glasses ? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: MathWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 29, 2024, 03:04:02 pm
content: Can you get reasonably lightweight glasses, that can change focus point/focal length, like bi-focals, by pressing a button ? Or what about with extra magnification ?I'm sure big bulky things have been made, but are we there yet for practical products ?What about with camera's and a screen ? I guess that's more like VR helmets, and they aren't small enough yet to be wearable for long periods. But then if you hook up a virtual mouse to your hand/etc, and with good camera's, could you zoom in/out, look behind you/etc. ?I vaguely remember google glasses.I would like some super eyes/glasses, and retractable tweezers installed in my fingers. But I guess I wouldn't stop there, might as well have knifes/fork/spoon/scissors, etc too.

author: tom66
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 29, 2024, 04:08:35 pm
content: In the old days watchmakers would often have prescription glasses which had a fold down lens for near-field work. I guess the optometrist could choose one prescription to focus the eye normally and another to essentially make you very nearsighted. Then the frame manufacturer just builds a fold mechanism in to fit two lenses on one or both eyes. I don't appreciate enough about optics as to whether the second lens would need to be prescription to the eye or could be a general purpose one (if the first one provides sufficient correction).A bit like this:https://www.tickintimeworldofwatchtools.co.uk/clip-on-double-lens-eye-glass-1764-p.asp

author: Bud
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 29, 2024, 05:46:10 pm
content: Quote from: MathWizard on January 29, 2024, 03:04:02 pmWhat good stuff do you smoke, mate?

author: abeyer
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 29, 2024, 08:57:49 pm
content: Quote from: Bud on January 29, 2024, 05:46:10 pm

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 29, 2024, 09:08:56 pm
content: The kind of surgical magnifiying glasses. Be aware though that they are either very expensive, or very uncomfortable to wear for more than a couple seconds. The "cheap" ones are much too heavy with too little support. Tried that => trash bin.Avoid them like the plague. But even with quality ones, they take some significant getting used to. I really recommend a stereo microscope instead, unless you have a specific use case for which a microscope isn't convenient at all.

author: jchw4
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 30, 2024, 05:19:51 am
content: This one:https://www.amazon.com/Beileshi-Magnifier-Illuminated-Multi-power-Magnifying/dp/B018DLMHFI/.It has three magnification levels that are switchable with a single hand. Extremely useful when you are already holding something with the other one. Which is usually some small part that I am holding with tweezers.Mechanical design is awful of course. But it became much better after I added conical springs likehttps://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Conical-Compression-Spring-15x6x26mm/dp/B07BNK1TPPto every screw.I've been using it nearly constantly for the last 5 years. (I don't have space for a microscope) Did not find anything that was worth replacing what I already have. $13.99 delivered is hard to beat.(Amazon photos attached.)Ups: there is an ifixit versionhttps://www.ifixit.com/products/head-magnifierwhich might have slightly better mechanical design, maybe give it a try.

author: watchmaker
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: January 30, 2024, 01:28:43 pm
content: Quote from: SiliconWizard on January 29, 2024, 09:08:56 pmI agree completely with this. Over 40 years I tried em all; eye loupes, opti visors, Zeiss surgical glasses, russian stereo scopes, early Chinese stereo scopes and AO,B&L, Nikon, Olympus stereo scopes.I continue to use the AO 580 at my benches and small lathe, the B&L SZ7 for inspection work (body is too long for bench work), and the Olympus over my Schaublin 102. I have a desk mount for a AO 580 that I will use at my electronics bench; booms are required in the other applications but take up too much full time real estate. The B&L SZ 6 and below are good for bench work. Also Leica and Reichert bought out B&L and AO around the 1990s.I am thinking of taking a focuser and mounting a PCB holder to it. Then clamp that (yet to be figured out) to my bench edge. That way I can raise and lower the work for focus and not have to change my head height.We USED to have to use a 10X loupe for lathe work (watch your nose) because of the costs of these scopes. Now I work at at a minimum of 20X. It IS nice to be able to see what you are doing rather than guessing. Plus, the view is steady since your head is not moving the loupe.The scopes I kept are all high resolution used by industry and research until digital imaging made them obsolete. They are bright and clear and with a .5X barlow give excellent working distance. I use the B&L 15X ultrawide eyepieces which give a very bright and contrasty image. These are so good they are sought after by amateur astronomers. The SZ 7 with these eyepieces was used by the US intelligence services for photo interpretation.For low power work, there is a magnifier lamp with a GLASS 3x lens that does not distort on Amazon for about $90. I sent back at least 2 plastic lens lamps before I found this.I am told the Chinese scopes are pretty good, and looking at eBay all the scopes from the 1990s now appear to be beaters. I suspect there are still some sitting in college supply closets and it may be worth asking a friend to have a look.

author: MathWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 30, 2024, 06:03:49 pm
content: Yeah I'm thinking more along the lines of eye glasses, so what ever's out there is probably too big or expensive yet anyways.I have a 30x loupe, a nice 5" magnifying lens w/ ring light and arm/stand, and a little digital microscope w/ LCD screen.I really want to get an arm/stand for the microscope, like the mag. glass has, then it would be way more useful. It's own base limits the size of PCB you can put under it.Yesterday when using the 5" lens and loupe together was nice and useful, And then I found I was looking through the lens to see my monitor and keyboard too. And I was thinking how cool zoom eyes w/ DSP would be.I should get 1 of those head-mounted fold-down magnifiers. IDK if anyone around here locally sells those fold down eye-glass mag's, I'd try them too, if I was happy I wouldn't bend or scratch my glasses. I'd want to try fitting it to them 1st before buying anything.

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 30, 2024, 08:27:29 pm
content: You can also consider adding a video microscope to your collection, if budget allows. You'll find various threads in this forum, and Dave has made a few videos about that as well.While they don't quite beat a direct optical view, with some training you get used to them and they can be very useful. Like with an optical microscope, consider an arm mounting to make it more versatile. With mine, I have about 20cm of working distance at all zoom levels, which is great.

author: jpanhalt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 30, 2024, 09:08:17 pm
content: Routinely, I use a single-eye loupe (about 2X) for picking splinters and such or an OptiVisor when I need to wear it for a long time as when soldering. I have a nice dissecting optical microscope (3D) but only use that rarely.Is the "30x loupe" a misprint? I didn't know they existed. How many lenses does it have?