For Geology and also my coin collection, I previously just used cheap loupes. Then I bought the BelOMO 10x. WOW ….very impressed. So impressed that I bought a second BelOMO 10x for a backup. Got the lanyard for one, and the BelOMO little leather case for the second. Should have bought this loupe years ago. They are the bit higher quality coated lenses export version. Should last a lifetime with care, and even then passed down to the next generation. Apparently BelOMO has business agreements with Zeiss and uses Zeiss machinery and share technical stuff. 👍🏼😃
I'm glad to hear you're pleased with your purchase~! I wasn't aware that they had an agreement with Zeiss, but thats definitely exciting. I enjoy when the world has access to high quality optics. It increases the amount of cool things that we all can do. Cheers Robert~
Your viewers should be aware there are two versions of the Belomo - the best has an anti-reflective coating, comes in an original factory box, is made for the US, EU, Australian and Asian market and the markings are in English and on the back says "Made in Belarus", whereas the budget version does not have an anti-reflective coating, comes in wrapping paper, is made for the Russian, Ukraine, etc market and the markings are in Russian. How do I know? A very unscrupulous eBay seller sent me the Russian version and only after a lot of correspondence admitted it was not the export version and I got my money back and bought the export version from another seller. I love my Belomo and also love the neck strap it is on!
Fascinating! Though i think a loupe with cyrillic letters would get extra coolness points from me. Does the anti-reflective coating distort the colours at all, Don?
I purchased a Belomo (partially on your recommendation) along with two cheaper loupes for comparison, and the difference is amazing. The clarity and brightness of the Belomo is significantly better than my cheap loupes. Thanks again!
I am a skier and was looking for something to more closely examine snow crystals for waxing. Thank you for your advice on loupes, I think the BelOMO sounds great.
Great video, definitely agree on the 10x Belomo and just using a 10x all around; I tried their 20x and the focal plane is definitely too tight. There's also a lot more distortion with most 20x. The Bausch 14x Coddington is practical for anyone who does want something with a little more magnification. Easier on the eyes.
Great evaluation all around, thanks Scuba Steve. I think we mostly standardized to 10x for the sake of keeping everyone on the same plane of reference. I meet some people in the market that are even pompous about having a high magnification loupe on their person, but ... facts are... if you can find inclusions with that loupe, huzzah, but it won't help you in evaluating the stone and its market position. We can pull out microscopes if we want, but that's not for casual trading, and certainly not portable. Im glad that you've tried a variety of loupes, and thanks for sharing your input~!
What’s meant by “Hastings triplet”. I have a hex shaped loop that was given to me over 20 years ago when I apprenticed with a jeweler and it just says Hastings triplet.
Hi ~ thanks for your question. Hastings triplet is not a word/phrase that you hear many people use, though technical specs will often preserve "triplet" loupe because it designates the use of 3 lenses that mate to correct different types of optical distortion (shape and colour typically). My cursory research shows that Hastings may have been the gentleman that dealt with the math and science that determined how to make the optics correct using certain geometries of lenses combined together to correct those distortions. High science stuff that is way above my lowly head.
My purpose is for field inspection of bryophyte moss health, and need high magnification the better. Your information is helpful and will check out your other videos. Thanks.
decided to pick up the nikon one to take with me to the woods to help me identify wild flora and i also collect gemstones and have my own loupes for that hobby. i decided on the nikon because i will need to see better details on fungi because im just getting into mycological identification. the light weight is nice, and i could use it to take macrophotography. id pick the belomo but i dont like that if the glass gets knicked by a branch it could scratch or whatever or hits a rock. nikon is also a trusteed optics company so... yeah, imho its a no brainer. not a fan of the price tag but they can last a long time supposedly.
Under normal circumstances and lighting, you should be able to, yes. Laser inscriptions can be calibrated to be larger or smaller and deeper or shallower, but most labs/major companies will inscribe stones so that they can be verifiable under normal loupe usage. Belomo loupe fits that category. Cheers~
Thank you for your interest, Atul. I personally do not deal with 14x or tripod loupes. Perhaps that is something that you yourself can research and make a video about for the benefit of everyone ;)
Unfortunately just sent my Belomo back for a refund after finding out they supply the sights and optics for the Russian army. So their rep for reliability and accuracy not really a plus for the Ukrainians at the mo...and as is the twisted way of the world have a head quarters in Florida....
I've just checked with the Belomo of a friend of mine, and I see no planar distortion on theirs. I think this might be a marketing fail, but i'll say the loupe itself has no issues, particularly for the price.
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