Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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There is no such thing as a universal magnifier – just like shoes – different ones for different purposes. It all depends on the purpose you want to use it for or the problem you want to solve.
Examples:
• A watchmaker and jeweller
• Embroidery and stitch work
• A geologist or botanist
• Examining printing plates
• Improve low vision
• Examine small samples
• Enlarge small print or objects
Compromises
As a general rule, the stronger the magnification the smaller the lens, e.g. A 100 mm diameter lens will only have a maximum magnification of 2.5X times depending on the material it is made from whereas the size of an 8X magnifying lens drops down to 35mm and will be quite thick.
Light
Good bright lighting is very important to improve the ability to see things clearer e.g. increasing the brightness of a light bulb by replacing it with a higher power. That is why many of the new generation magnifiers are now available with LED’s (Light Emitting Diodes) built into them. The more light the clearer the image i.e. stronger lighting usually results in improved vision. Often, the brightness of the light can relate to the magnification needed.
Size
The benefit of a magnifier with a larger lens, between90mm-110mm in diameter allows for a wider field of vision but the magnification is limited to around 2X times. As magnification increases the diameter of the lens decreases, thus reducing the field-of-vision and requiring the user to work closer to the object being magnified. In a single lens magnifier, distortion around the edge will also occur.
The original illuminated magnifiers used a torch bulb and standard batteries. These torch bulbs are steadily being replaced with LED (Light Emitting Diodes) and in a few years will be very hard to get. These old bulbs use a lot of battery power so the battery did not last that long. With the new LED’s they will last for thousands of hours, are not subject to damage by dropping or shock and don’t burn out. They also don’t use much power so a standard battery can last for hundreds of hours.
The new LED’s are very reliable, give better and brighter light and can be made extremely small. Because of this they are very light and can be built into the magnifier’s body so as not to protrude or obstruct in the magnifiers function. The difference in price for an LED illuminated magnifier is well worth the investment as they are very cost efficient.
Because the LED uses such little power, many magnifiers use the tiny button batteries which often last for hundreds of hours. These batteries are usually available from the torch kiosk in supermarkets or from hardware and general stores.
Power refers to how much larger an object is made when looking through a magnification lens. Power is typically indicated by an “X” (times) such as 2X or 4X (2 times or 4 times).
What is meant by Times, Dioptre and Working Distance?
Times (X) refers to the number of times a magnifier enlarges what is being looked at: hence ‘2X’ doubles the size, ‘6X’ enlarges the subject by six times it original size etc.
Dioptre (D) refers to power of the lens and is the measurement used in optical systems e.g. spectacle lenses are measured in dioptres. There is no exact relationship between Times and Dioptres – see table.
Working Distance (WD) refers to the distance at which a person reads or does close work.
As a general rule the magnification strength decreases as the lens size gets bigger i.e. the larger the lens the lower the magnification and the converse also applies i.e. the smaller the lens the higher the power.
What is the relationship between Times, Dioptre and Working Distance?
There is an international trend to have magnifier magnification termed in Dioptres rather than times (X). The table below will provide a quick approximation to their times (X) power and focal length.
This is approximately the magnification observed when a person with normal vision holds the magnifying glass close to the eye.
Dioptre | Times | Focal Dist. | Dioptre | Times | Focal Dist. |
3 | 1.75X | 33.33cm (13”) | 18 | 5.50X | 5.56cm (2 1/4”) |
5 | 2.25X | 20.00cm (7 3/4”) | 20 | 6.00X | 5.00cm (2”) |
6 | 2.50X | 16.67cm (6 1/2”) | 24 | 7.00X | 4.17cm (1.66”) |
8 | 3.00X | 12.50cm (5”) | 28 | 8.00X | 3.57cm (1 1/2”) |
10 | 3.50X | 10.00cm (4”) | 39 | 10.75X | 2.56cm (1”) |
12 | 4.00X | 8.33cm (3”) | 48 | 13.00D | 2.01cm (3/4”) |
16 | 5.00X | 6.25cm (2 1/2”) | 56 | 14.00X | 1.79cm (0.7”) |
It depends on the cause of the low vision problem. You may have been born with this difficulty or it could age related or it could be from an illness, an accident or even some medicines you are taking. There are a great number of reasons for low vision as well as different types.
For example, as we grow older it is inevitable that our sight changes, we may need reading glasses or have cataracts or even macular degeneration just to mention three of common dilemmas. Some of these problems can be overcome by a magnifying aid albeit just a simple pair of read glasses and some cannot. If you have not had your eyes checked out recently by and optometrist or eye care specialist then do that first.
If your low vision is the result of macular degeneration (ARMD) we recommend you make this connection with Macular NZ http://www.mdnz.org.nz/ as their website is loaded with very useful information.
Many factors make up a quality magnifier. These can be its clarity; special lens coating such as scratch resistance and anti-reflective treatments, its distortion factor its weight and refractive index of the material being used. A well as these factors the curves of the lens also plays a big part in its quality as well as the system of manufacture. It is very difficult for a lay person to know what to look for when judging quality. The reputation of the brand/supplier is always a good clue to its quality. A good quality brand or supplier will unconditionally guarantee the excellence of their product.
Also keep in mind that the difference between the very best quality and ones that are of a high quality is often quite small and cannot normally be singled out by the lay person. A poor quality magnifier will not ruin your sight, it just doesn’t give a distortion free image.
That is like asking the Chemist which pills are best for my boy’s sore stomach?
You need to start with knowing what he is already using. Sometimes a stronger powered magnifier will help and sometimes it may be just a stronger reading lamp that’s required. Try the stronger lamp first then think about a magnifier that’s stronger than the one he is using. It is a medical condition and it comes down to getting good advice from a professional eyecare specialist. There is no easy answer unfortunately because there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution.
The new digital magnifiers provide the best variety of useful option as they have a range of magnifications and method of displaying text e.g. black lettering on a white background, the reverse, white letters on a black background and sometimes other letter colour combinations. They will also magnifier pictures and some do it in the picture’s colours.