5x Bausch & Lomb any good? (I lost my loupe again)

RedTiger · March 12, 2010 4:09AM

I misplaced my loupe. This is at least the second one I have misplaced, so an expensive high end model is probably not a good idea.

Does anyone use the 5x Bausch and Lomb model that slides out? The larger size and lower magnification appeal to me. I am not a variety collector so 5x to 7x magnification is likely plenty for my purposes.

Anyone happy with a different model that isn't that much money? Again, losing these things can get to be expensive if I bought the high end optics.

RWB · March 12, 2010 4:13AM

I know the feeling. I've been accused of losing my loupe many times. (..or was that of "being loopy?...)

SeaEagleCoins · March 12, 2010 4:20AM

the 5x B&L is my primary loupe... only switch to higher mag when attributing... works just fine and allows the coin to be seen... not just a small part of the coin... when grading, I find that even a PQ 66 or 67 will look "bad" under 10x or higher...

TomB · March 12, 2010 4:20AM

I carry the 5x B&L with me to all the coin shows as well as my 10x Zeiss. In my opinion, as long as you know what you are doing then the 5x B&L is an excellent loupe. Of course, if you do not know what you are doing then even the 10x Zeiss will not help much.

Priest · March 12, 2010 4:49AM

I've been using the one I have at home for a good 20 years, yes I am sure or maybe 18 years. I also have one in my car. They don't cost too much and they are small enough to put into a shirt pocket with no problem, it's a fine tool.

tahoe98 · March 12, 2010 4:56AM

....it's misery being out of the loupe (loop)

BillJones · March 12, 2010 5:04AM

I hang my 10X Bausch & Lomb around my neck on a cord. Since I've been doing that I have lost any of them. That's good because they used to cost $40 a piece.

Manorcourtman · March 12, 2010 5:14AM

Did you check in your couch cushions for it? I recently rediscovered my favorite one in my couch

SeaEagleCoins · March 12, 2010 5:17AM

<< <i>Did you check in your couch cushions for it? I recently rediscovered my favorite one in my couch

>>

That's what you get for fooling around with all those pretty Barber ladies on your couch...

melvin289 · March 12, 2010 12:59PM

I have been using a Bausch & Lomb single lens 5x for years and love it. I also carry it to work every day. I give out parts for my job and it works excellent for small numbers on fuses, bearings, and such. My eyesight without glasses, I can't even make out the date on a cent.

Ron

krueger · March 12, 2010 2:09PM

Great lens I use that as a primary to quickly look at raw coins or slabs. Many companies give away lanyards at the shows.
PCGS, stacks, teletrade, expos unlimited (long Beach show) etc.. Pick one up and tread it through the slide when the lens is out. Works great , the slide will close with the lanyard treaded through.

The black ones are an 5x aspheric lens. If you can find one, the grey ones are 3X, there also was a beige case
one which was also a 5x and a precursor to the aspheric lens, and no longer made.
It was very good also. I have all three.

Another good lens is the Russian made Belomo 7x triplet. the lens is larger than the hastings 7X triplet and brings in a bit more light.
I use that too. Its less costly that the Hastings. See AmatuerGeologist.com

CustomerService@AmateurGeologist.com

Kueger

Swampboy · March 12, 2010 2:54PM

I carry a 5x B & L at all times.

rmpsrpms · March 12, 2010 10:58PM

Yeah, the B&L 5X "Packette" is a great lens for coins. It's my primary coin show lens. It's good enough for identifying the major varieties as well. A lot of guys say that if you can't see a variety with a 5X, who cares about it? Personally I use 30X at home for my variety hunting...but that sometimes makes even minor stuff seem major.

Ray

Dropdaflag · March 12, 2010 11:19PM

<< <i>I carry a 5x B & L at all times. >>

Same Here!!!

ricko · March 12, 2010 11:53PM

I prefer the Zeiss lens for clarity and field of view. I carry a 3x/6x/9x and it serves very well in all cases. Cheers, RickO

mayor1 · March 13, 2010 12:04AM

I have used the B+L 5x aspheric since 1971, have 2 black cases and 1 beige. I had a brother in law who worked for B+L and was able to buy 100 factory rejects (slight imperfections on the cases) for $25.00. Sold most of them for $1 each at shows in the Syracuse, NY area.

Love them and wish I had more. Bill.

roadrunner · March 13, 2010 2:35AM

I use the B&L 5X as well and have had good luck with it.

One caveat though. That last new one I ordered had a defective lens where part of the field of vision was blurry and not in focus. I returned that one. My local shop has 3 or 4 of these on the counter for general use and at least 1 of them has the same focusing problem. So just make sure you get one that works.

roadrunner

RYK · March 13, 2010 3:06AM

I misplaced my loupe. This is at least the second one I have misplaced, so an expensive high end model is probably not a good idea.

My experience has been that when it comes to frequently lost items, I am more likely to lose or break the inexpensive ones than the expensive ones. This applies not only to loupes, but to sunglasses, pens, and the like. Therefore, if you do not want to lose it, buy an expensive one.

On the other hand, I purchased six new coins and viewed dozens of other potential purchases at the recent Baltimore show and did not once take out my loupe.

lcoopie · March 13, 2010 6:16AM

interestingly
the experts don't seem to use loupes
much at all

lkeigwin · March 13, 2010 6:43AM

The Eschenbach loupes are really nice. A little pricey but excellent optics and lots to choose from. I like the 5x for everyday use but have a 3+6=9 Achromat I bring to shows 'cause I can sit it on a display case to view the coin beneath the glass (for when dealers are busy with other customers).

Here's a link. Not sure if there are cheaper places to buy.
Lance.

RedTiger · March 13, 2010 6:44AM

<< <i>interestingly
the experts don't seem to use loupes
much at all >>

The experts tend to have superior eye sight and/or are near sighted (which is like a natural loupe up close). Good natural eye sight is one ingredient for superior grading ability.

For the rest of us, some help is appreciated. Still, there is something to the point. Many novices make the mistake of reaching for the loupe immediately. Examining a coin with the naked eye first to get an overall impression is the suggested route. The exception is those that can't hardly see at all without the loupe. A person that can't read the date or legends at all without any aid may not get too much from a naked eye examination.

Thanks for all the replies. The 5x sounds like a decent compromise of price and performance.

Longacre · March 13, 2010 9:58AM

I have a 7x one and it is fine.

illini420 · March 13, 2010 11:04AM

Funny seeing this thread... for the first time in a few years I lost my 10x Bausch & Lomb Hastings Triplet while I was at the Buena Park show today!!!! Was pretty upset about it since I remember it costing maybe $40 or so and I really liked it...

What was really odd is that I found one in a dealer's case a couple hours later and bought it at their asking price of $5!!!!! Do they make B&L knock-offs or something??? Or did karma help me score a good deal??? I've looked through this new one and nothing makes me think it's not the real deal.

morganbarber · March 13, 2010 11:57AM

I lost my B&L 5X years ago. I replaced it with a slightly larger Chinese knock-off. A couple of weeks later, I bought the B&L again. I really do like it, but would like a higher mag, smaller lense, too, for mintmarks and other small areas.

5x Bausch & Lomb any good? (I lost my loupe again)

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5x Bausch &amp; Lomb any good? (I lost my loupe again)

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5x Bausch & Lomb any good? (I lost my loupe again)