Cheap but good (enough) magnifier or loupe for engravings

[Gold99]

Sorry if this thread doesn't strictly deal about diamonds but I couldn't find a more proper area, anyway if a moderator will decide to move it elsewhere it will be ok
All right, my sight is getting worse and my eyeglasses don't help me enough for that
I need "something" to read engravings as small as the ones in my attachments.
I've been using my (cheap) point&shoot camera which claims to have a 5x optical zoom and a very cheap magnifier (I guess x3 or so) but they're not enough for me. Eg. I can't read sharply the engravings on the medal tough I can guess some numbers.

I'd like to evaluate something on aliexpress because you can find there cheap tools but sometimes not so bad, I mean sometimes you can find the same tools sold on amazon but they're cheaper.
What do you think about this "card shaped" magnifier?
I'm evaluating a classic watch repairer loupe too as this one to keep my hands free whenever I've to work with these small pieces, I mean I'd like to use it for electronic jobs too. Maybe this could do the job too because you can just use the plastic lenses alone without the helmet.

At the end I want to ask you a question about the magnifying factor I need. I'm quite sure the declared factors on aliexpress are fake (60x, 90x) but I guess a "real" 10x lens would be good for my goals.

 

[lulu_ma]

Do you have an iphone? If so, I recommend this magnifying clip. Better magnification than my loupe that I can easily photograph or video.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08FWZQB4R/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Karl_K]

If you do lot of it from one location one of these or something like it is really nice to have.

Amazon.com : lcd digital microscope

 

[Gold99]

Do you have an iphone? If so, I recommend this magnifying clip

No, I haven't got an iphone but it seems to fit "all" smartphones. Its real magnifying factor would be closer to 10x and not 100x accordingly to this buyer's review. I could evaluate it if it worked with a point&shoot camera like mine as well; if someone of you had got a such camera could he/she please try and let me know please?
I've also found this magnifier clip for smartphone which is very cheap and I think I could evaluate it for my camera.
I'm also evaluating the "pocket microscopes" category like the following ones:
- this one with one wheel to adjust focus;
- this one with 2 wheels to adjust focus;
but it's hard to say their real magnifying power.

If you do lot of it from one location one of these or something like it is really nice to have.

I'd rather not to get a "too much digital" tool, I mean I'd avoid a tool that need to be supplied by current/battery or a tool that need to be connected to a smartphone to work.
Just to give some examples of tools I'm not so interested in but maybe other people could find interesting here:
- "pen shaped" magnifier but you need a smartphone to work with it and not all smartphones can work with it;
- another "pen shaped" magnifier working only via smartphone.

 

[lulu_ma]

This is a pic from the clip I linked-the video is even better. Definitely worth the $17. I use the clip to get greater detail than my eye can see with a loupe.



If you want a classic loupe-this one with rivets is decent for the price:

Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

 

[Gold99]

Yes, that is the "classic" one.
Do you know the advantages of the UV light it comes with (if any)?
Why are they called "triplet"? Do they consist of 3 lenses? If yes, what's the gain in comparison to a single lens magnifier and to a 4 lenses one like your iphone clip?

I'd want to show you another category I'm evaluating: headband magnifiers like this one. It could be useful if you've to keep your hands free to work with small object you want to magnify.
I think it's quite interesting it comes with 4 different lenses: 1.5X, 2.0X, 2.5X, 3.5X (well, there's the "1.0X" one too but... what's it for?). I think that's interesting because I guess you could match anyhow 2 or more lenses (eg. using a tape) and you get a more powerful magnifying factor. I'd like if someone of you that has got 2 or more single lens magnifiers tried to match them together and verify if that's true. Maybe the total power will be the product of them, eg. 2x + 2.5x -> 2*2.5 = 5x.

 

[lulu_ma]

The single lens magnifier that I purchased before didn’t work as well as this loupe. For true evaluation of fluoro, I prefer using my little flashlight. The triplet loupe is good value for the money. I have another cheapo loupe that worked well, but the screws keep falling out.

I have no experience with the headband magnifiers.