Loupes generally aren’t very exciting and I don’t generally get too excited about them, so said Damien Demolder of Photo Technique. That is until I saw these stunners from OHNAR. Not only do they look pretty smart, they are bright and sharp and they don’t cost a fortune, like most decent models usually do. These loupes come in three strengths of magnification; 4x, 8x and 3.5x. The 4x version will just about cover the full frame of a 35mm slide which is good for checking composition and general sharpness. If you would like to scrutunise (and risk disappointing yourself) the 8x model is brilliant for ensuring the pin-sharp accuracy of your focussing.
The 3.5x is strictly for the larger formats matching the quality of its 35mm siblings. For even closer magnification you can remove the shade and use the lens by itself. Each loupe comes supplied with two shades: one is clear for allowing the light to enter the viewing area when looking at prints, and the other is a black metal ring to cut out reflections when viewing slides on a light box. Should you wear glasses, you can remove them for viewing, if you correct the lens magnification. To do this, use the widely adjustable dioptre control ring that each of these OHNAR loupes is fitted with. It’s true that the viewing lens has only a quite small diameter (approx.25mm) and this wont suit those who like a larger bit of glass to look through, but I didn’t have any problems seeing what I needed to see.
