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What we collect!
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General Philatelic/Supplies, Literature & Software : Scale Magnifier Help

 

Author
Postings
Tom Charbonneau (Tom)

24 Aug 2008
03:27:06pm
My eyes not being as good as they used to be, I am looking to buy a stronger magnifier. The one I am looking at in the catalog is 10X and includes a standard 20mm scale. I assume this will allow me to measure the length and width of stamps. My question for anyone that can help, have you ever used one of these, are they any good, can you tell me anything more about them (the catalog I have doesn't give much info) ???
any comments will be appreciated
Thanks in advance Tom C
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Thomas Harley (Harley)

25 Aug 2008
08:28:14am
re: Scale Magnifier Help

Tom C,
dont know about 10x magnifier, but
I too have your eyesight problem.
Two things I did,,
If you have a scanner,you can transfer to the computer screen and do all kinds of things to the image, or
My fist adventure intailed my old video cam corder. I hooked it up to my 32" TV screen,and made a holder with black background,to mount the stamp on,in front of the cam corder. With auto focus,you can enlarge the mage tremendously with the zoom lenz,and it will be a clear image on the TV screen,the full size of the TV screen. It helps to have a small light directed at the stamp,an LCD ,tiny flash light(like ones on a key chain) will do.Or just a plain lamp, not too bright,it will create a glare.
Also ,with the black background made of plastic or colored glass,you can observe the watermarked stamps with a much better,greatly enlarged view.
I guess the modern digital cameras would work,I havent tried those yet.
Scanning and useing your computer is a touted best way to view,enlarged images,,but most screens are 15,17,19,21 inch screens. With a TV screen,you could go up to 60 inches,and sit across the room and view the images with ease.
Either way,,one could either save the mages in the computer files,in the digital camera, or on VHS tapes with the older cam corders,as a library,or just plain stamp picture files.You wont be able to do this with just a plain magnifier.

I mention all this stuff,just to show there are alternatives to magnifying instruments,that usualy dont meet your expectations,or are too expensive for the average use a collector would need.

Of course,if price is no object,go for the electronic microscope,auto-focus,large lenz,1,000 power,or stronger. That way you can also count the paper fibers in the stamp,and tell which way they run,left,right,up,down,,as in laid paper.

TOM

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Author/Postings
Tom Charbonneau (Tom)

24 Aug 2008
03:27:06pm

My eyes not being as good as they used to be, I am looking to buy a stronger magnifier. The one I am looking at in the catalog is 10X and includes a standard 20mm scale. I assume this will allow me to measure the length and width of stamps. My question for anyone that can help, have you ever used one of these, are they any good, can you tell me anything more about them (the catalog I have doesn't give much info) ???
any comments will be appreciated
Thanks in advance Tom C

Like
Login to Like
this post
Thomas Harley (Harley)

25 Aug 2008
08:28:14am

re: Scale Magnifier Help

Tom C,
dont know about 10x magnifier, but
I too have your eyesight problem.
Two things I did,,
If you have a scanner,you can transfer to the computer screen and do all kinds of things to the image, or
My fist adventure intailed my old video cam corder. I hooked it up to my 32" TV screen,and made a holder with black background,to mount the stamp on,in front of the cam corder. With auto focus,you can enlarge the mage tremendously with the zoom lenz,and it will be a clear image on the TV screen,the full size of the TV screen. It helps to have a small light directed at the stamp,an LCD ,tiny flash light(like ones on a key chain) will do.Or just a plain lamp, not too bright,it will create a glare.
Also ,with the black background made of plastic or colored glass,you can observe the watermarked stamps with a much better,greatly enlarged view.
I guess the modern digital cameras would work,I havent tried those yet.
Scanning and useing your computer is a touted best way to view,enlarged images,,but most screens are 15,17,19,21 inch screens. With a TV screen,you could go up to 60 inches,and sit across the room and view the images with ease.
Either way,,one could either save the mages in the computer files,in the digital camera, or on VHS tapes with the older cam corders,as a library,or just plain stamp picture files.You wont be able to do this with just a plain magnifier.

I mention all this stuff,just to show there are alternatives to magnifying instruments,that usualy dont meet your expectations,or are too expensive for the average use a collector would need.

Of course,if price is no object,go for the electronic microscope,auto-focus,large lenz,1,000 power,or stronger. That way you can also count the paper fibers in the stamp,and tell which way they run,left,right,up,down,,as in laid paper.

TOM

Like
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this post
        

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