Greetings…
I thought I would see if a magnifying light will be of some help until I get both eye’s sorted and new reading glasses bought…
I been trying it out when cleaning up plastic bits and assembling figures…. It took a bit of getting used to but it does help a bit… I am wondering if a larger lens area make things easier.
I don’t think I will be using it for painting miniatures at the moment… As I have no real depth of field.
I can possibly see me using it in the future…
I know a few people who use magnifiers of some sort… They have said it took them a bit to get used to but now they don’t know what they would do without them…
This is all new to me 😁
All the best. Aly
After turning a "certain age" I wound up using an optivisor (and a better light source). I found that the optivisor was pretty much a seamless transition from the naked eye: very much like donning a pair of reading glasses, except for painting.
ReplyDeleteIt gets to us all in the end Ed, doesn’t it…
DeleteI think I will pick up an Optivisor as well and find out what suits me best…
All the best. Aly
Not a thing I have and interested in seeing how you get on with it when you use it.
ReplyDeleteUntil I had my operation its not something that I even considered getting Donnie…
DeleteHopefully I will get on with it okay…
All the best. Aly
It's a whole new world, looks good , I've just adjusted to the reading glasses over a period of time, but I'm sure it's useful and new tech toys are nice!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
I’m hoping that different reading glasses will work best for me Iain.
DeleteBut it’s always good to have a backup… And as you say new tech toys 😁
All the best. Aly
I can see me needing something like this to keep painting as long as I'm able. I will be very interested in your observations as you use it more.
ReplyDeleteI will certainly keep you informed David…
DeleteAll the best. Aly
Very snazzy, looks like you have seen the light.
ReplyDeleteHopefully I will be able to see the toys as well 😆
DeleteAll the best. Aly
An interesting idea Aly I guess anything that helps is worth a try, I might think about something similar in the future !
ReplyDeleteIt is indeed worth a try Matt…
DeleteAnd if I don’t get on with it I am sure that at least one of my friends will find a use for it…
All the best. Aly
I’ve been using one for years and couldn’t paint without it now! The lens is about 6” across which gives a good field of vision and of course the light is always pointing in the right place. Only problem I can think of is that I have a tendency to hit the end of the paintbrush against the underside of the lens but that is minor.
ReplyDeleteLooking at the quality of your toys certainly bodes well for what can be achieved…
DeleteThe lens on mine is four inches across… with I think might be a bit on the small side… but I will see how it feels once I have had my second operation…
All the best. Aly
My father in law gave me a magnifying device intended for stamp collectors I think (judging by the illustrations on the box it came in) 20 years ago ...I gave it a brief try but I found it hard to relate the brush to the figure...I was either too far away and not actually painting anything, or, too close and making a mess of the figure. I might have got the hang of it if I persevered, but I didn't bother.
ReplyDeleteOur late 80's mate Barry has one and he is still able to turn out creditable figures, so it will be interesting to see how you get on Aly.
I think it might be a case of retraining that muscle memory that I have developed over the years… I used to take my glasses off to paint… Now I will be putting them (or a lens ) on instead…
DeleteIt is certainly a good omen that your friend Barry is still turning out decent looking toys using one…
All the best. Aly
Been using one for years Aly, don’t know what I’d do without it. Found it easy enough to use from the get go. Had those glasses with the built in lights and such too at one point but I always worried that I’d end up forgetting I’d got them on and that I’d end up in Tesco marvelling at how big the tins of soup were.
ReplyDeleteHopefully I will find something that works as well for me Mark…
DeleteYou are certainly putting out a lot of fine looking toys at the moment…
All the best. Aly
It comes to us all Aly, I use magnifying glasses over the top of my normal glasses, or I can't see anything. Hope it works out for you.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly does Ray…
DeleteOf course my experience with the magnifier so far is with only one good eye… So I’ve yet to see how I get on using it in a way it was designed to be used…
All the best. Aly
Another vote for the Optivisor or similar for when you want to try painting with some magnification. I find the headset, despite the nerdly appearance, to be far more user friendly than a standing magnifier, though yours is much fancier than mine! Do be warned, that if someone of the opposite sex sees you wearing it, they may not be able to keep their hands off you. So sexy...
ReplyDeleteLooking at your lovely toys certainly sells the idea of trying an Optivisor David…
DeleteI will see if I can pick up a cool looking hipster version… “Go big or go home” as they say… Whoever ‘They’ are 😆
All the best. Aly
If you find a hipster version let me know. My wife has to hold back a laugh everytime she ventures down into the basement and sees me painting! I use the layered effect with 3x readers beneath the optivisor. I modified mine to be used with just an elastic headband and no ear pieces. Here's the version I went with: https://www.amazon.com/YOCTOSUN-Rechargeable-Magnifying-Professional-Interchangeable/dp/B07T4KPYN2/ref=sr_1_9?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Ouyw_Gxs9RD4eJDI1mggPrR5j2X5SNg3WX16meFsWwjCOxpslAqthsyxK4QGXGokv43TWkxL_sUnPJU2444QDpRquuo9lQfBKf4GqILgQOcR9_A_-hAlXVvpNmqCSv5p3eJVGNLnlz2lTUciDa0Toik5Gy8wm7uzxBxtg93_Ci-k5Qq8yVmBN1QgVFm44T6mRn3iSJChMCND8oRjo3-B9jkuynchvIO_c4Q5GrSVPWBm_90JZaktQVtCh6j3_uC8qHpbj29Y6MKMDCBIFtjCVGcI79q3mXJ9-KIZPyB6tyc.4arIm4uoZz6SQli0ZYlCz2nzdOSCuJjQhCNAlbYS7Y0&dib_tag=se&hvadid=694760091497&hvdev=c&hvexpln=67&hvlocphy=9192877&hvnetw=g&hvocijid=279919411545325165--&hvqmt=e&hvrand=279919411545325165&hvtargid=kwd-423321425&hydadcr=26614_11715055&keywords=optivisor&mcid=f9c4f7c079a53f39a9b830bc9def56d0&qid=1755781666&sr=8-9&th=1
DeleteI tried the mag-lens, the issue I found was I had to adapt to the position of the mag-lens, which becomes really uncomfortable over time.
ReplyDeleteThis is what I am finding Shaun…
DeleteI’m being bullied by a magnifier…
A friend is going to let me try/look at his Optivisor and see if I would fair better with that…
All the best. Aly
Hi Aly - I tried a magnifier a while back, and still use it occasionally, but I found it impractical for painting. I had a pair of very close range reading glasses made up for me - which i keep by my painting desk - these work pretty well, but you have to get use to the very limited focal depth. More recently I've been messing around making model spaceships (don't ask) so I resported to using an old loupe I had kicking around, which is very good. I think an Optivisor (or some such) is the modern equivalent - so I bought one of those as well, and it does work where you want very close vision. I think the loupe is one that Tom Meire left at Citadel in Newark... so it has form!
ReplyDeleteHey Rick
DeleteI think until I’ve had the cataract sorted in my left eye I won’t really know what works best…
My preference would be reading glasses…
Do you think Tom’s loupe makes you sculpt better?
Or do you get the feeling he is standing behind you… Shaking his head slowly 🤣
All the best. Aly
I tried one of those optivisor things; I was OK until I moved the 0 brush closer when it became the size of a house paint brush!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't co-ordinate moving the brush, as tiny movements became 3 foot adjustments!
In the end, I just carried on with the naked eye, holding it closer if needed.
Didn't work for me but you might be different.....
Neil
I tried out a colleague’s Optivisor today…
DeleteIt certainly brings things in close… But I am not sure about the feeling of having a big odd pair of magnifying glasses on my head.
I suppose you get used to it…
I will see what my optician has to offer once the operation is done…
All the best. Aly
I have been using one for 15 years now Aly, would not be without it.
ReplyDeleteWillz.
There does seem to be two different camps here Willz…
DeleteThe ‘Wouldn’t be without ‘ and the ‘No not for me’ 😁
As I’ve said… If I can get reading glass that do the job for me I will go that way… I am after all used to wear glasses…
All the best. Aly
When ever I get new glasses (varifocals) I always get my free second pair as close-up, reading glasses (not varifocals), AND with additional magnification for painting. When getting them I ask to hold one of their minute screws (used to hold glasses together) so I can study it from the distance at which hold figures to paint. If I can clearly see the thread in enough detail I know I've got the right strength.
ReplyDeleteOTOH I did buy my wife a magnifier with a light, that goes around the neck for her micro-crochet.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DJQCNXWS?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title
She swears by it but I hold my figures too close for it to work for me.
It's excellent, once you get used to it!
ReplyDelete