Thursday, August 16, 2007

"I need a magnifier that has both a lot of magnification and a large lens size? Where can I get one?" This is a request I get now and then and it's a tough one to fill. When I'm in a technical mood, I explain that it's the very nature of magnifiers, themselves. There's only so much you can do with a single lens system. As magnification goes up, lens size in a magnifier goes down. If you want a handheld magnifier with a lot of magnification, it's going to inevitably be a small one. Is there an alternative? Yes. There is a magnifier that offers both a wide field of view and a lot of magnification. It's called a stereo microscope. A stereo microscope and a hand magnifier have a lot in common. Both produce upright, correct right to left, three-dimensional images. The difference, of course, is that a stereo microscope won't fit in your pocket, but that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice portability, completely. The little Nikon Mini Field microscope is a stereo microscope that weighs in at an amazing 14 ounces. That's the weight of a compact binocular. Throw one in your fanny pack and head out to your nearest park or preserve and have some fun.