Magnifying Lamp Question

[Fishing]

Hello all, I am looking to buy my first Magnifying Lamp. I will be using it for things like fixing jewelry, electronics soldering and such. My question is : will 5x magnification be enough ?
Thank you for any help/suggestions.

[Ron Ketcham]

Ebay etc have what you need to work for all issues, including etching, paint inspection .30 to 60X battery lighted, for under $20. Have several, been using such since 1990. carried at least one all over the world in my work with OEM`s. Unit you show is fine for jewelry, etc on a desk, not useful for automotive work.

[Stokdgs]

l used professional magnifying lamps like this way back when.. The good ones are great..And they cost a lot more.

This is from China... Be sure of how well the glass is ground and wow - only 4 reviews? Are any of them fake?

Make sure you can replace the circular light tube and someone makes replacements..

I believe we used 10x power for Quality Control of lots of tiny electronic parts.

Perhaps if you can find someone who has a 5x lamp, you can see if that is enough power?
Dan F

[Fishing]

@Ron Ketchum Thank you for mentioning Ebay I hadn`t thought of that. Will take a look. Thnx

@Stokdgs Didn`t think of the fake review and I think im going to search for a 10X one, Thnx

[GearHead_1]

I have and use a lamp that looks like what you are describing. I`ve had it for at least 25 years and it`s a great tool.

You can now buy fairly cheap magnifying glasses with interchangeable magnification lenses and lights on both sides. These are no doubt Chinese made and my first impression was they`re cheap and I don`t mean inexpensive. That said, they work really well. I find myself using these when working on intricate gun parts and a much better tool when pulling a sliver out of my wife`s foot.

They can be had for less than $20 on Amazon. Amazon.com They offer a variety of styles and designs.

They`re just easier and you aren`t tied to one spot on the bench. Truth is I find myself glad that I have both.

[Accumulator]

Gee, I just realized that I dunno what the magnification on my is! Inherited it 20-some years ago and it was decades-old then, so any paperwork is long gone. I oughta compare it with my other, smaller ones and figure it out...

IME the desired magnification can be *VERY* subjective. E.g., for paint, this particular subject prefers a 15X loupe over the 30X ones that so many (hi, Ketch!) prefer.

[Ron Ketcham]

I also have one that is about the size of a pack of cigs, It also has a magnifier that has an LCD screen, the unit adjusts from 5 to 500 magnification, has a memory chip, a cable to upload to a computer, etc. Had it for years, very useful in my former work with engineers, chemist, etc. In my work, facts, indepth photos of concerns was so important. Once some time is spent learning what is seen using such is MOST important. This kind of unit is not necessary for such as those here, however an inexpensive 30-60X lighted is a must have for those who wish to look beyond the normal DIY`s, If one doesn`t have one, get one and learn to use it before guessing about concerns.

[Narit]

My question is : will 5x magnification be enough ?

Yes, it`s enough, but it 10x is more preferable

[gorram]

I did a lot of soldering back in the day without magnification but these days my 44 year old eyes can`t do it. Plus everything is tiny now, I`ve been doing some FPV drone work and there is a good bit of soldering involved. I`ve got a lamp like in the OP post but not sure if it`s more than 2x or 3x which usually gets the job done. Earlier in the year I picked up this amscope: 5X-10X-15X-20X Widefield Stereo Microscope with Boom Arm Stand and LED Incident Light
– AmScope

Of course the ones with built in camera and variable zoom are more ideal but I`m not using it everyday enough to warrant the expense and I don`t need to send the feed into a monitor. The cool thing about this particular scope is the amount of room you have under the optic, plenty of room to get your hands and iron under there. With other ones or ones that hook to the PC the work area is very short which means your iron has to come in at weird angles to do the work. In all honestly anything beyond the 5x is absurd unless you`re working on some really micro stuff like cell phone repair and need to get WAY in there.

[Accumulator]

Gee, Ketch and gorram have given me equipment envy by mentioning those....

[Fishing]

@gorram that is a real nice instrument there but it is out of my price range. Thanks for posting it, I didn`t realize there where things like that avaialable. .

[Fishing]

LOL Well I started out wanting a lamp and ended up getting this. I think this will work for me as I need it just a few times a year and is more portable for me then a lamp. I have used it and it works like expected so far. Quality is good enough for a few times a year but if I was to use it every day I would look for better. Thanks everyone for your help/input.

[Accumulator]

Fishing- Ah, I bet you`ll like that! I simply *love* my (somewhat different) one, and use it all the time.

[Fishing]

Thnx Accumulator- As I am getting older I would not be surprised if it was used a little more every year LOL LOL

[dgage]

Thnx Accumulator- As I am getting older I would not be surprised if it was used a little more every year LOL LOL

I’m really going to look funny wearing that at a restaurant trying to read the menu but sometimes I feel I need it. Fine, more than sometimes.