I'm having more and more modeling-related problems with my eyes. My reading glasses are, of course, set for a normal reading distance, but I often need to get much closer than that when modeling. Other than having a special set of prescription glasses made just for close viewing, what are my options?
If you don't have astigmatisms then all you need is an Optivisor. If, like many of us, you do have astigmatisms, you may need corrective lenses ... and an Optivisor. Ten years ago I found I needed magnification even when working in 1:20.3 scale. -- Russ
I hate optivisors, so I just went to see my eye doc. and told him I needed some really strong prescrition lenses. we goofed around with the head mounted eye gadget thing till I found some settings/magnifications I liked (strong and stronger), and he wrote me scrips for them. FWIW, I have found that the reading glasses you buy at the local drugstore and such, are generally very poor quality when compared to prescription lenses of the same magnification.
Marc
Quote...I have found that the reading glasses you buy at the local drugstore and such, are generally very poor quality when compared to prescription lenses of the same magnification.
There was a test here in the Netherlands recently on tv where these cheap glasses where tested. They found out that most of them where poor quality, lenses where fitted wrong, wrong center distances between the lenses, etc, etc. They advised to go to a good eye doctor (optrometist?) and let you suscribe good reading glasses.
I myself am 46 (almost 47) and have Multifocal glasses. But I also sensiting that the strength of the reading part can be much better. Most of my close modelling I have to do without glasses at all (because I have normal and reading in one set my eyes can see very close without any glasses at all).
Oh those aging problems....... ;D ;D ;)
I like the optivisor...mostly. I do like that you have focal length options by combining them with your reg. glasses or without. I have 3 of them, 2 in in #3 and one in a #7.
I will say that every time I bang the thing into one of my lamps it drives me crazy.
Paul
There are two, slightly different types of Optivisor, I have both. The cheaper one has a plastic lens and a simplified headband. The more expensive has glass lens and a better headband with padding and an adjustment screw at the rear. I found it was worth the extra expense. I also have the LED headlamp set for it, but it adds weight and is more a nuisance than a help.
I'm always looking for optical aids, have a small pile of unused ones. So far the Optivisor is the best.
I also have a 10x - 20x stereo microscope, which isn't much help for model building, even for the extreme miniatures I do. Sometimes I use it as a troubleshooter when a certain material doesn't laser-cut properly. The price on microscopes has come way down over the years. For the price its also a fun toy.
Dave
I use and like the optivisor. The only complaint is the tightening knob on the left constantly unscrews. Fixed it with a wing nut from a hardware store after I found the original knob on the floor..realized what it was after discarding it..duh :P
philip
I too just went for my annual eye exam and I asked about "modeling Glasses" and my Doc said that he could make me up any strength lens that I wanted, he had a pair in his drawer and they were pretty cool. He said about $100 for a pair of lenses plus frames. They also have better quality "readers" for sale, better than "wallyworld" stuff. My Son is in Dental school and we were at an event last week and we went into their lab, he opened his drawer at his work station and pulled out a pair of glasses with powered lenses on a clear half face mask head gear, and they were lightweight and 2X and 4X power, I said "Cool" where can I get a pair? He said the school issued them and they were part of his "lab Supplies" and he was only billed $1200.00! douh,............ guess the $150-200 ones don't sound that bad?
Gil
I too have an optivisor and use it occasionally though I find it cumbersome, awkward and clumsy. Like the other Paul, I'm constantly banging it into one of my task lamps or the drill press or the mill. More often I use magnifiers that attach to my glasses which are much less obtrusive, but until I fabricated a more rigid mount, were frequently slipping off the glasses frame at the most inopportune moment. They're a bit fiddly to set up the first time, but once you get the lense position set correctly, they work a treat. They are only for one eye and should be used on your dominant eye. The other aids I use are jeweler's loupes. I have several ranging from 2X-10X and actually find these to be the most useful. Once again they are only for one eye, your dominant one, so that takes a little getting used to, but having used them for years now, I've grown quite comfortable with them. Their focal range tends to be quite short so you need to get up close and personal with your work when using them. Like anything else, beware of cheap knockoffs - you want a good quality lense otherwise you're wasting your money and time.
My dentist has the ideal setup. He has a very expensive pair of Zeiss magnifying glasses, equipped with LEDs, that are perfect for the job but way beyond my budget. I tease him every time I'm in that I'm going to steal his one day when he's not looking... ;D
Paul
Thanks for the feedback. I guess I should talk to my eye doc next time I get my eyes checked and my prescription updated.
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I like the idea of some prescription glasses specifically to get 'close and personal' as Marc was talking about. For now .. being extremely nearsighted .. I simply work without any glasses up close. Interestingly .. read that .. that's how fine detail was done in the past .. nearsighted artists. :)
At 56 :o i guess I'm lucky i wear glasses but don't need them for close-up work. I have a old hand held magnifying glass i use..... and a Fluorescent desk lamp that has a large magnifying lens built in with lights on each side and a stronger lens you can pop on over the other lens if you need to get real close ::)
I do the same as Ed, no glasses for up close work ('cept safety ones sometimes)
Hi Guys
the most important consideration in this debate is simply that you only ever get one pair of eyes, You don't get a second chance if you stuff-up the original pair.
this model builder fell for the cheap specs from the drug storeand promptly did irreperable damage. this was compounded by using Optivisors which are even worse than the elcheapo over the counter specs because the lenses are set at the wrong angles etc. The subsequent professional advice from a professor of opthomology was also simple: prescription lenses or nothing.
I now use a pair of bifocal spectacles, prescription ground, with the upper lense set for my normal reading requirements and the inset at 5.6 magnification. absolutely superb and worth their weight in gold.
My message is now also very simple, proper prescription, professionally ground lenses are not expensive, they are priceless.
have fun
Bernard
Bernard. That's some good info. Think I will drop by my local optometrist and see about getting me a pair like that .. reading glasses with inserts that magnify ... cool!
G'day all,
I usually wear multifocal glasses (ZEISS glasses), which are really excellent, but are really disadvantageous while using the "reading" area of the glasses for modelling, because you have to bend the neck backwards to get a straight line from eye (through glasses) to the objekt. Therefore I got another multifocal glasses only for working purposes, means reading and/or working in front of the computer, which are far better but there's still some trouble focussing objects at a distance of approx. 25cm ...
Quote from: eTraxx on April 13, 2011, 06:04:58 PM
... Think I will drop by my local optometrist and see about getting me a pair like that .. reading glasses with inserts that magnify ... cool!
... therefore I'm getting curious, if reading glasses with magnifying inserts would do better ... ???
EDIT: spelling mistakes
Kind regards
Quote from: narrowgauger on April 13, 2011, 05:51:03 PM
Hi Guys
the most important consideration in this debate is simply that you only ever get one pair of eyes, You don't get a second chance if you stuff-up the original pair.
this model builder fell for the cheap specs from the drug storeand promptly did irreperable damage. this was compounded by using Optivisors which are even worse than the elcheapo over the counter specs because the lenses are set at the wrong angles etc. The subsequent professional advice from a professor of opthomology was also simple: prescription lenses or nothing.
I now use a pair of bifocal spectacles, prescription ground, with the upper lense set for my normal reading requirements and the inset at 5.6 magnification. absolutely superb and worth their weight in gold.
My message is now also very simple, proper prescription, professionally ground lenses are not expensive, they are priceless.
have fun
Bernard
Please elaborate on set at the wrong angle..you have me scared now. I have notice lately when viewing small parts I'm having difficulty seeing, or I'm used to viewing with magnified devices. Also, I'm not sure if we Americans have access to pro ground lenses with all the outsourcing going on?
seriously :-\
Philip
One of my tech. ratings was ophthalmology while in the Navy. Something that is missing from this conversation is lighting. When viewing with magnification make sure to increase your light levels to assist in the viewing of the object. There are some hands free magnification lamps which have a magnification lens in the center of a ring lamp which some folks like. There are hands free units which do not have lights and then there is the head units like the Optivisor.
If you choose to go the Optivisor, spend the few extra $$ and get the glass lenses. You will be happy that you did so. The Optivisor will also fit over glasses.
Returning to the lighting for a moment, if you can use natural lighting by placing your workbench by a window to get as much light as possible. If you use lamps, try to use the same bulbs when coloring your models as what your layout will be viewed under as the type of bulb will change the color of the model. Make sure to test paint a few 'test structures', be it ground cover, castings, structures, engines or cars by placing "the test item' on the layout and viewing it under the layout lighting conditions. I suspect that you will discover that you will need to go to a bit lighter of a color hue at the work bench to approach a good color on the layout as the bench lighting will probably be much stronger than the usual lighting on the layout.
It is of course important to obtain information grievances with the eyes at the eye doctor.
Just helps good light and optimum ergonomic seat position when tinkering.
But there are very fine work for the best visual aids such as magnifying glasses as.
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These glasses have the advantage that it provides a detail of the small as a credit card is the normal distance.
The glasses are normally used in micro-surgery and helps me with my 63 years too much, and I still have an eye for decades suffering.
I just returned from my ophthalmologist for a check up. I took my Optivisor with me, and some photos of my work, to get a professional opinion about potential harm from using the Optivisor 8 hrs a day or more, as I sometimes do. He says its safe to use.
I also asked him about more powerful lenses. He described some devices made for surgeons, but they are very expensive, and suggested I keep on using the Optivisor, if it works for me.
I trust his judgment because he's treated my family since the 90s and performed eye surgery on both parents, successfully. Also my eyes are in good shape for my age, despite thousands of hours of peering through an Optivisor. There will be differences of opinion. When in doubt, do what I did, take a pair in to your ophthalmologist and ask if there's any harm in using them.
Dave
Thanks Dave, I've had concerns that looking through lenses that merely magnify all day long was doing my eyes harm also.