Optivisor Lenses

[Catherine Rubeo]

Hellosuggestion for optivisor use , buy the lowest power you can

work with , if it is your first, you will be surprised at the

effects of the # 3 plate . As you age you will appreciate being

able to step up in power . I started using an optivisor at age 30

, now nearing 50 I still have one plate left to go [ #10] , I have

worked with a man who started with the #10 plate and regreted it as

it is now harder for him to see as he , too , is aging . and his

only options start getting expensive and cubersome [ microscope /

video ] I urge you to use the least amount of " help" you can . Buy

the #3 and if needed you can buy a stronger lense only and switch it

in / out of your optivisor .

Optivisor lens plates are easily interchangeable. So if you wish to work at a different focal length or a different magnification, simply buy an additional lens. Optivisor lenses are the finest crown glass, ground and polished to precision opthalmic standards. Glass lenses have a blue frame. Acrylic lenses have a clear frame.

I've been seaching stores in my area for a pair of optivisors, but no one is stocking them. I was hopeing to try the different lens sizes. I have good eye site, but still require assistance in seeing the smaller detail parts when working on N & HO scale trains. My question is what do you guys use? I ask this because I will problably have to buy online, and this will help me choose whitch magnification size lenses to get.

Another vote for a magnifying desk lamp. I have a Optivisor clone, don't use it except for extreme close ups once in a while. Wearing it is awkward, as you can only see through the lenses and below, nothing on either side. If you need to select something, you need to raise the unit. And the plastic headband can get sweaty if worn much.

If you're still stuck on the Optivisor, I'd suggest getting to try one on to determine the magnification power. Too strong and you'll need to have your work inches from the lenses, too weak and you would have the work maybe too far away to be practical. Worse case would be to buy the unit with several different strength lenses and return those you don't want.

-HEAD-STRAP-MAGNIFIER-W-LED-LIGHTS-VISOR-HAT-NEW-/360240815793?pt=Model_RR_Trains&hash=item53e0069eb1 This is what I use has 4 different lens and a LED light, also you can combine 2 lens for better close up. Works great as far as I'm concerned. I also have the bench magnifier also with the bulb. Jim.

I use the Optivisor with 2.5x lens. I find this provides a good working magnification. They also fit nicely over my glasses. I have a couple of other brands and find that they are less comfortable and less easy to adjust than genuine Optivisors.

My eyesight is normally OK but as I get older focusing is a problem close up and these take care of the problem for me. I also have two desk lamps on my bench so can get good illumination on pretty much whatever I'm working on at the bench. In addition I have a magnifier with the third hand but don't use it too often.

I have the Mascot version ($16) and it comes with 2.5X lenses. I do wear glasses and it's very convenient to use with my glasses on. When I don't need the magnification at the moment, I can just flip the lenses up and out of the way.

I find that the (imitation) leather headband on the Mascot is much more comfortable for me than the hard plastic version with the knob in the back. The headband adjusts very easily by sliding the band through the loop and it stays in place.

I've got the Optivisor glass-lensed version in 3, 5, and 10. I use them all, depending on the particular task. If I only had one, I'd pick the 5; but if you've got the bucks, I'd recommend you get all three. I'm glad I did. The big problem with using a high-magnification version is that there is less depth of field--some tasks are too "big" for it. And, of course, the low magnification doesn't get in really close.

I had a similar question last year. After researching this forum, I decided to purchase an Optivisor with a 2.5 x lens as a reasonable starting point. I believe the working distance for this lens is approximately 7-8". I purchased it from MicroMark on sale. I've used it to assemble N-scale structures and find it very useful for this purpose. I also find the adjustable headband very comfortable and like the ability to tilt the lens up out of your line of sight. If you buy higher mag. lens, the working distance becomes less which could present problems.

Before deciding on a visor magnifier vs. magnifying lamp, you should determine where you'll need the magnification, on the train layout or at the work bench. If you'll only need the magnification at the work bench, then the magnifier lamp with its built-in lighting might be more appropriate. On the other hand, if you'll also need the magnification on the train layout, the Optivisor, being more portable, might be what you'll need. I decided to buy the Optivisor rather than a magnifier lamp for this reason. I have high levels of lighting in both my train room and at my work bench so the Optivisor works fine for me in both these locations.

Something I forgot to mention in my post above is in regard to the use of magnifying reading glasses that can be purchased at Dollar Stores, drug stores,etc. These are only magnifying lens and can not be worn over regular eye glasses. If you have astigmatism, these glasses will not correct for this vision abnormality and you'll have some distortion in your vision when you use them. Obviously, if you wear contact lens there would be no problem wearing the magnifying glasses.

I have an Optivisor with 2.5X power lenses. I wear them a little high so that to look through them I drop my chin down and to see normally, I raise my head and look under them. Sort of like bifocals in reverse. As others have pointed out, lots of bright light is good, especially as our eyes get older. I was lucky in that I got to try them out before I bought a pair at my LHS. A friend in another department where I was employed worked in an instrumentation lab and they had Optivisors of different strengths. That helped me decide that 2.5X was right for me. Then the LHS let me try on a pair before I bought them.

I do prefer an Optivisor over a magnifying lamp. I find the field of view larger just by turning my head, rather than having to move the light. I did however cut out (with a cut-off wheel in a Dremel) most of the "roof", which allows me to look up and out without having to move the Optivisor or my head.

The standard lens is the 2.5, that increases the size of what you're looking at by 2.5 times at a distance of 8", plenty for 90% of work in HO. You might find the higher # lenses more useful for N and Z scales or jewelery work.

I started using an Optivisor almost 30 years ago when my vision was 20/20 and was amazed at what I wasn't seeing "clearly". This is the single most tool that helped increase the quality of my modeling.

My vision is fine. My eyes get checked once a year. Working on concrete trucks there tends to be quite a bit of welding at times. And that is a strain on the eyes in it's self. But I have been working with smaller led's # 0603 and 36 gauge wire. you can barley see the solder pads with good eyes.

All of your responses have been great. I have decided on both the magnifier lamp and the optivisors. I beleive it would be wise to own them both. And thanks to your replies, it helped me in making my decision.

I' ll second this. As long as you don't need the RX these work fine. The dollor store has them and they great in the sizes mentioned. I have multiple sets of each - 1 at the spray booth, 1 at the build desk, 2 or 3 around the layout. Ebay has some great deals if you buy bulk - 10 for $10

Future potential scratch builds: HMS Lyme (from NMM plans); Le Gros Ventre (from Ancre monographs), Dutch ship from Ab Hoving book, HMS Sussex from McCardle book, Philadelphia gunboat (Smithsonian plans)

The Optivisor by Donagan Optical Co. with GLASS lenses is the one to get. The lenses come in different magnifications. Go to the Donagan web site to see all the different lenses available and then you can search Amazon for the best price. Stay away from the plastic lenses - I gave my plastic lens unit away after trying a set with glass lenses at a trade show - even before the new set arrived. They have a magnifying Opti-loupe that can be put on either side and I recommend you get one. I have the DA-5 and the DA-10 lenses - the 10's are for very close work. The Opti-loupe lets you get higher magnification w/o having to switch out the lens plate. I Highly recommend this untit.

Whatever kind you opt for, I recommend one that has the lenses in some kind of shroud, like the one Kurt linked to. I tried one that has the lenses sorta just dangling out there (like this one), and I found the un-magnified stuff in my peripheral vision very distracting. Plus, the interchangeable snap-in lenses were acrylic, and one of them broke almost immediately. I went back to a $3 visor from Harbor Freight -- works for me, but I bet the Donegal Optical set is pretty nice, too.

Does any one have a lighting system on their Optivisor? I added one but it stop working really shortly after turning it on so am looking for a better one. I like my optivisor but it would be so much better when you add a light to it. Gary

I first had generic magnifying visors before I bought a genuine Optivisor. The difference is night and day. The genuine Optivisor was SO much better than the cheaper generic ones. The better lens quality makes a huge difference.

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