USB Magnifier

RayB

Hi all,
I am looking to buy a USB magnifier to connect to my laptop. I am tried of the regular magnifying glass. I want to get something that will give me up to 10X, i do not need anything crazy like 100x. Thoughts?

Modwriter

I am using my LG phone camera nowadays. Taking a photo of the coin and enlarging. I was missing too many scratches and dings using my loupe.

coinbuf

Waste of money imo, you will be chasing lots of imaginary errors. If you cannot see it with your eye or a 7X loupe it is just too minor to be worth worrying about, again just my opinion.

TomB

I've been in this hobby-industry for decades and have a reputation of a very good eye, but I have never felt the need for greater than 5x routine magnification and only use 10x if the surfaces of a coin truly confound me. If you are looking for "errors" then the 10x sounds like overkill.

moursund

@Modwriter said:
I am using my LG phone camera nowadays. Taking a photo of the coin and enlarging. I was missing too many scratches and dings using my loupe.

I'm getting back into the hobby, and a couple of months ago I got advice from this forum and bought a nice loupe... but as @Modwriter says, I find that taking a picture with my phone gives me a better-lit, more detailed, and zoomable image. So the loupe is out of the loop...

Namvet69

@RayB I use a Plugable USB unit with my S-8+. Easy to use, takes good pics. Sometimes magnified examination is just darn interesting. I enjoy die cracks, breaks, clashes, etc. Think about it. Good luck. Peace Roy

LanceNewmanOCC

@Namvet69 said:
@RayB I use a Plugable USB unit with my S-8+. Easy to use, takes good pics. Sometimes magnified examination is just darn interesting. I enjoy die cracks, breaks, clashes, etc. Think about it. Good luck. Peace Roy

s8+ ? i thought that was a phone? do phones come with usb ports now? they really ought to.

vulcanize

I have a Carson - 1555055 LumiLoupe,

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PDPFZT8/

a Jarlink illuminated Loupe magnifier (both for 10$ each)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078N34WZR/

as well as a plugable USB digital microscope with flexible arm for 40$ from Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XNYXQHE/

Needless to say, like the countless other replies above, these items are currently collecting dust in a corner because I rarely use them and prefer to use my one plus seven cell phone camera instead.

Edited to add Amazon links

Namvet69

@LanceNewmanOCC Yup the S-8+ has a proprietary port in the bottom and the phone came with 2 different port converter plug gizmos, one of which is USB compatible.

Steven59

@coinbuf said:

[ If you cannot see it with your eye or a 7X loupe it is just too minor to be worth worrying about, again just my opinion.]

When you have bad eyesight and like to roll and bag search coins you need all the help you can get!

ricko

I use a Zeiss 3x6x9 loupe to check coins... rarely above the 3x lens.... When I have a group of cents (like a handful of wheaties), I have a large, hand held magnifying glass for a quick, group scan. Rarely is major magnification necessary, and then, mainly just to satisfy curiosity. Cheers, RickO

HalfDimeDude

I've purchased a Dino scope some 15 plus years ago. It is a valuable tool that has not failed me and works as good today as the day I purchased it. I highly recommend a UBS scope it has paid for its self ten times over!

RayB

@Steven59 said:

@coinbuf said:

[ If you cannot see it with your eye or a 7X loupe it is just too minor to be worth worrying about, again just my opinion.]

When you have bad eyesight and like to roll and bag search coins you need all the help you can get!

Hit the nail on the head Steven59!! I was thinking it would make scanning a bag of coins go faster.