A lighted magnifier, or illuminated magnifier, is an essential tool for anyone involved in precision assembly or design, but it is also an excellent aid for people who have trouble with their vision. Lighted magnifiers reduce eye strain and fatigue while allowing the user to see the small details of the object being viewed. Choosing the best magnifying lamp for your application requires some study as to how these products function. What diopter lens should you choose?Diopter refers to the curvature of a lens. As the diopter increases, the lens becomes thicker and the curvature greater. As the curvature increases, light rays are redirected to fill a greater portion of the viewer's retina, which makes the object look bigger. As seen in the chart below, the higher the diopter, the more magnification the lens provides.
How do diopters translate to power?Power refers to how much larger an object is made to look through a magnifying lens. Power is typically indicated by an "X" such as 2X or 4X. The relationship between diopters and power is: diopters divided by 4 + 1 (original object) equal power. For example, a 16 diopter lens would be (16 diopters ÷ 4 + 1 = 5X power). Why is focal length important?Focal length is the distance from the center of a lens to the point where the light rays converge and the object is in optimal focus (focal point). This is also known as the "working distance" of the lens. Focal length is important when the task requires using tools with the object being viewed. Because focal length decreases as power increases, there is less room to perform work on an object under higher power lenses. How big will the field of view be?The field of view is the size of the magnified area under the lens that is in focus. The field of view decreases as power increases. More powerful lenses make small details look big, but less of the total object is visible. There is a trade-off for the viewer who must decide between the size of the field of view and amount of magnification.
Why do I want a "lighted" magnifier?Proper lighting is equally important as magnification in achieving a good viewing situation. A magnifying lens would be useless in the dark, so increasing light levels result in better vision. In fact, the better the quality of light used with a magnifying lens, the less power is needed. When less magnification is required, the user has a bigger field of view and working distance under the lens. Therefore, the quality of light should be closely evaluated when choosing an illuminated magnifying lamp. Why is "HANDS-FREE" viewing easier?It is much easier to have both hands free to grasp an object and not worry about holding a magnifier or light. When using an illuminated magnifier mounted on an adjustable-arm, you are able to hold a fully spread newspaper with both hands. If your task requires working with both hands (such as cross-stitch or fly-tying), having a hands-free magnifier is essential. Dazor magnifiers are mounted on an adjustable-arm for hands-free viewing. What is the price of an illuminated magnifier?The price varies depending upon the type of light, magnification, and mounting options. The most popular models and options cost about the same as a good pair of prescription eye glasses.
To take best advantage of the comforts built into illuminated magnifiers, please keep these points in mind:
Back to www.CMLSupply.com's resources page Diopter refers to the curvature of the lens. As the diopter increases, the lens become thicker and the curvature greater. As the curvature increases, light rays are redirected to fill a greater portion of the viewer’s retina which makes the object look bigger. Powers refers to how much larger an object is made to look through a magnifying lens. Power is typically indicated by an X such 2X or 4X. There is more than one formula to converts the diopter of a lens into its power, we as a company use the common formula: Magnification = (Diopter / 4) +1 For example an 3 diopter lens makes an object look 75% times larger, over and above what the unaided eye already sees. As you increase the magnification the lens size effectively decreases. It is not possible to get a high power lens in a large diameter. Opticical combinations are a compromise for the “ideal” magnifier. We have tabulated a guide for magnification levels,as compared to Diopter:2Diopter=1.50x Mag 3 Diopter = 1.75x Mag 4 Diopter = 2.00x Mag 5 Diopter = 2.25x Mag 7 Diopter = 2.75x Mag 8 Diopter = 3.00x Mag 9 DIOPTER = 3.25x Mag 11 Diopter = 3.75x Mag 13 Diopter = 4.25x Mag 16 Diopter = 5.00x Mag 18 Diopter = 5.50x Mag 20 Diopter = 6.00x MAG Here is an example, if a lens has diopter +3, its magnification is 3/4 + 1=1.75, and a lens of +4 diopter has magnification 4/4 + 1 = 2. By this way, you can easily calculate the magnification power of a lens from its diopter. What Does 3x Magnification Mean? (Magnifier: 8 Diopter = 3.00x Mag)One Step Deeper into Magnification and Crunching the Numbers: As you climb in magnification power, you will lose viewing area but get more pinpointed detail at a closer range. Usually, if your vision is severely damaged, higher magnification powers could help immensely. We still always recommend speaking to a professional and allowing them to answer your questions and concerns and support you through the process of finding the best magnification level for you. Here's some 3x lighted handheld magnifiers: 3X Rectangular Handheld Magnifier : Ultra bright LED was added to 10. The switch was upgraded to dimmable switch, which means users can adjust the brightness by rolling his/her finger gradually. 3X Rechargeable LED Page Magnifier with 12 Dimmable LEDs : 3 times LED black frame book magnifier with 12 LED lights, adjustable knob, users are no longer limited by fixed brightness, you can adjust the brightness according to the use conditions, environmental needs, personal preferences, etc. 3X Magnifier Illuminated Handheld Magnifying Glass With Lamp Stand : The illuminated magnifier lighted with ultra bright LED light ,even in the dark the brightness is adujstable by the dimmable switch ,readers still can use it easily and without any burdan. Types of Fresnel lens : positive Fresnel lens, negative Fresnel lens, Fresnel lens array, cylindrical Fresnel lens, circular Fresnel lens, linear Fresnel lens, lenticular Fresnel lens, diffraction Fresnel, Fresnel reflection, Fresnel beamsplitter and Fresnel prism. The Fresnel lens can be designed and manufactured in very large sizes with light weight due to less than 4mm thickness, so the cost will be lower than traditional magnifiers. ln contrast, a conventional glass lens would be 200mm thick at the edge, weigh over 50kgs and cost thousand of dollars.
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