What are your suggestions for binocular vision magnification that aren't to use a microscope?

[GregG]

Currently, I use a 3.5x loupe on my right eye.  It's perfectly natural and comfortable, but there are times where I would prefer to have binocular vision.  I have a 3.5x OptiVisor (obligatory: "the real one with glass lenses, not the fake Chinese ones"), and while it is nice, I find myself having to consciously try to focus, and go nearly cross eyed to get the image from each eye to converge, so it is not a good long term solution. 

I've considered a dental loupe, but those appear to come in two forms, either professionally made and fitted for thousands of dollars, or $30 three-star junk from Amazon (though this one is $50 and appears to have mostly positive reviews: https://a.co/d/bRqrItD).  I've never used one, so I have no idea what to expect in terms of image quality, field of view, eye strain, etc.

Another option is those clip on magnifier lenses that you attach to your glasses.  Some are rated highly, but again, that just feels like another OptiVisor.

Option #3, buy a cheap pair of safety glasses, and hot glue a 3.5x loupe on each side.

Does anyone have any other suggestions that are cost effective, and don't introduce any eye strain?

[HectorLooi]

Firstly, option #3 won't work at all. The focal length of a 3.5X loupe is probably a couple of inches only. You'll have to be really crossed eyed to get a focused image in both eyes.

What's wrong with an Optivisor? It works pretty well. 

As a retired dentist, I've used surgical loupes for over 20 years. I have a $1000 pair and a $100 Chinese copy of my expensive loupes. Both work pretty well, but I hardly use them for doing watch repair work. I prefer using my bench microscope. 

Surgical loupes are quite heavy and put a lot of strain on your neck and bridge of the nose. They might not work straight out of the box and might require some major modifications to the hardware to get the optical axes of both eyes aligned perfectly with your eyes optical axes at the working length of the loupes. ( If that makes sense. )

It took me 3 years to figure out how to make the necessary modifications to get my loupes adjusted to a "natural" position that doesn't cause any eyestrain.

There are 4 things that have to be properly aligned to get perfect stereoscopic vision.

1. Optical height

2. Inter-pupillary distance 

3. Convergence angle

4. Declination angle.

It will still work if all 4 parameters are not aligned properly but your eyes will feel the strain.

If both of your eyes cannot focus at the working distance, a pair of prescription reading glasses will need to be worn under the loupes.

Another way to avoid all the hassle is to get a pair of through-the-lens surgical loupes ( TTL ), fitted by a competent trained optician. Which will bring the cost above the $1000 mark.

A recent addition to my  magnification toys is a pair of lighted magnifying glasses. I use them when repairing clocks. 

Magnifying Glasses Reading Illuminated Magnifier 1.0X 1.5X 2.0X 2.5X 3.5X 2 Lights Adjustable Head Illuminated Loupe Magnifier
https://a.aliexpress.com/_mKRwbnp

 

[GregG]

Thank you for the detailed response.  With regards to the OptiVisor, if I get the object at the correct focal length, but keep my eyes relaxed, the two images do not converge.  I have to force my eyes to converge the two images by going slightly cross eyed and focusing hard.  And it's enough for me to know that if I keep up trying to focus for any length of time, it's going to get difficult.  I have no eye problems in normal day to day life.  I have glasses, -2.5 diopters in each eye, but I wear them all day with no eye strain.

I've used my brother's stereoscopic microscope, and it's effortless.  What about that setup is optically different than headband-style magnifiers?

For those illuminated magnifying glasses, are those functionally any different than the OptiVisor?

Edited March 10 by GregG

[HectorLooi]

22 minutes ago, GregG said:

What about that setup is optically different than headband-style magnifiers?

What do you refer to as headband-style magnifiers?

[GregG]

22 minutes ago, HectorLooi said:

What do you refer to as headband-style magnifiers?

Anything that has a single-element magnifying plate right in front of your eyes.  OptiVisor, the ones you linked to, any of these, etc.  It's been a while since my optics days in physics class, but I'm assuming the extra elements in the microscope do something like place the image source farther away so that you don't have to go cross eyed as much.

Edited March 10 by GregG

[HectorLooi]

I had an Optivisor but don't use them anymore for the same reasons you cited. I think the eyestrain is caused by off-centred optical axes.

That is the same problem with dental loupes. If the optical axes are not lined up correctly with your eyes optical axes, you will feel the eyestrain. But adjusting the toe-in angle and optical heights of the loupes would void the warranty, that's why I waited 3 years until the warranty ran out before I started fiddling with them.

I think some of us are just built differently. Some people can pick up someone else's loupes and use them with no problem. Some people can sit in a room with the speakers of the sound system out-of-phase and not get irritated. Some people can walk with sand in their sandals and are not bothered.

Maybe it's some form of autism that hasn't been diagnosed yet. 

But for some of us, and I suspect many of us on this forum, cannot tolerate such things.

[RichardHarris123]

40 minutes ago, HectorLooi said:

Some people can pick up someone else's loupes and use them with no problem. Some people can sit in a room with the speakers of the sound system out-of-phase and not get irritated. Some people can walk with sand in their sandals and are not bothered.

Making me cringe. 

Maybe we should start a new thread on what we can't tolerate.  

Visually out of level or plumb. Things that are meant to be concentric, being eccentric etc. 

[Neverenoughwatches]

Motorists that have no idea what an indicator is for. Folk that let their dogs take a dump outside in public,then walk off and leave it. When another supermarket checkout opens and all the back of the queue you are in make a break for it. Grown ass men that wear gordy coloured trousers. Cyclists that ride in the middle of the road, just to annoy car drivers into peeping their horns at them,just so that they can shake their fists and hurl abuse at them. Pharmacists that never have your meds ready and when they do it's not right. Doctors that ask you what you think is wrong with you. Folk that break wind in the gym, generally the ones that are taking way too much protein in an attempt to gain half an ounce of muscle instead of putting in the work. I'll leave those for thought before I continue.  

[MariusJacob]

Hi GregG.

In the Optivisor both lenses are movable. Maybe they are placed wrong. While they are quite hard the can be moved with your hands.

I am saying this because I have used mine perfectly for years till it fell down to the floor causing one lens to move a bit. Then I had your same problem. 

Placing it right with the hand solved it.

It was not easy though.

Best regards.

[HectorLooi]

1 hour ago, MariusJacob said:

In the Optivisor both lenses are movable.

Really? I remember mine was one piece. Maybe because mine had plastic lenses. It worked fine for short periods but extended use causes eyestrain.

[GregG]

Mine is a one-piece lens.  There's really not room to move the lens if I remember correctly.  You just align the lens over the screw holes and screw them in.

[MariusJacob]

On 3/12/2025 at 8:33 AM, HectorLooi said:

Really? I remember mine was one piece. Maybe because mine had plastic lenses. It worked fine for short periods but extended use causes eyestrain.

Maybe we have different models.

In mine you can take out the lenses, they are tight but you can take them apart.