monocular question

[psidriven]

random question that i thought the photo guys might have an answer to. i'm looking for a cheaper option to the mesoscope for checking sps for redbugs, aefw and other pests. plus it's cool seeing the microfauna that runs around in the sandbed and sump.

i was thinking of the cheap $15-50 pocket monoculars on amazon. such as the carson close up or Levenhuk Wise. these have a minimum close up of about 12 inches. i don't really understand the rest, but wondering if these would work, or is there a better option.

kind of a long shot as i figure most of you just use the macro lense of your dlsr.

 

[IslandCrow]

Kind of apples and oranges between a macro lens and what you're talking about, since we're really not talking magnification with macro lens. The actual definition is a lens that allows you to focus close enough to make the image on the sensor (or film) the same size as real life. . .so essentially, zero magnification. Obviously, it looks bigger once the actual picture is displayed in all of its glorious megapixels.

That said, in addition to a magnifying glass with a built in LED to light the object, I also have a jeweler's loupe that works wonderfully for detailed examination. I used it to look over every millimeter of new frags before they went in my tank. I can't remember for certain where I got mine, or how much I paid, but I can't imagine it was more than $5-$10.

 

[psidriven]

islandcrow, thanks for the reply. any suggestions on a lens that would work for viewing corals in a tank? i'd imagine the loupe won't work.

 

[IslandCrow]

Ahh, you're talking about viewing them while they're in the tank. I misunderstood. In that case, the monocular may be a good choice. I was able to find redbugs on one of my corals once after I took a picture of it. It wasn't until after I had the picture up on the screen, though. It's an effective method, but does require taking a sharp picture of the coral, which is easier said than done, and overall far more expensive than a monocular.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is I haven't really ever used anything for remote inspection of my corals, so I'm afraid I'm not going to be too much help, especially along the lines of a cheap option.

 

[psidriven]

no prob. any advice on a jeweler's loupe? that would be handy for inspecting new frags. saw that some of led and even uv lights built in which seems useful.

 

[IslandCrow]

I'll check mine when I get home to see if it has a brand name on it, but honestly, I don't think there are any huge differences. I just picked one that seemed reasonably priced and I could get free shipping on through Amazon Prime. I'm really not looking for pristine optics. All I'm really concerned about is magnification. As for build quality, as long as it's not going to fall apart in my hands, it's not like I'm really abusing the thing. About the only thing I may have done differently is gotten one of the dual magnification loupes.