New Leica 5X Loupe-Impressions

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This isn't really a question, but an answer to a question I posed earlier on Photo.net. I didn't feel it was appropriate to post it there, but since this forum is geared toward equipment, I thought it would be OK. I was looking for a good loupe to take the place of the cheapie I have been using. I went to my local shop to check out the 4X Rodenstock, which had been the only one they carried previously. The guy behind the counter asked me if I had seen the new Leica loupe. I said no, I had heard of it, but I figured it would be too pricey, but I decided to look at it anyway. The Rodenstock is very good. In fact, my eyes couldn't really detect too much difference between the sharpness, contrast, color, and edge-to-edge quality and freedom from distortion vs the Leica (perhaps with sustained use, one might be able to notice more of a difference). But the Leica offers slightly higher magnification, plus, the best build quality I have ever seen (granted, I haven't been able to handle many loupes) - there is very little plastic, and the focusing mechanism is deliciously smooth and solid, much more so than the Rodenstock. In addition - and this is the clincher for me - the Leica comes with a nice slide/negative adapter that fits on the end of the loupe for viewing individual slides without light table. It has a piece of groundglass that diffuses the light very well. When you consider the features of this loupe, $220(B&H) doesn't seem too bad. Check it out!

-- Jim Meyer (jim_meyer@compusa.com), August 04, 1999

Answers

The Leica Loupe has been introduced at the Photokina 98 in Germany. The French magazine 'Chasseur d'Images' tested all the famous types of loupes this spring. They were tested on their practical use (magnification, handling, comfort, area coverage) and their optical side (sharpness, distorsion and vignetting). Canon and Rodenstock were superb performers. Leica was naturally the best of the bunch but the difference wasn't staggering. So I think it's all up to you. You can't go wrong with the Rodenstock, but if you feel you need the Leica, why not. Ivan.

-- Ivan Verschoote (ivan.verschoote@rug.ac.be), August 05, 1999.

The Leica 5x loupe sounds very similar to the Macromax 5x loupe made by EMO-Optik in Wetzlar Germany. It is possible that the Leica 5x loupe is a reincarnation of Macromax 5x loupe. 5x loupe is good for viewing slide/negative made with 50mm lens, as it reproduces exactly the right perspective. However, 5x magnification is far fro enough in examination of fine detail-- the reason is simple, 5x magnifcation yields a 5x7" print. If you what 12x18 or bigger enlargment, you need at least a 12x or higher power loupe in order to see whether you chrome/negative is sharp enough for such enlargement. I use another EMO-Optik loupe, called Octoscop-- it is a combination loupe with eight magnifcations: 2x, 4x, 6x, 10x, 14x 18x 20x and 28x. I use th 4x or 6x to examine slide from 35mm camera, then switch to 18x or 20x to examine the fine detail to judge whether the negative can be enlarge to such extent. Octoscop as well as Macromax was designed by optic designer Arthur Seibert, a Ernst Leitz optical designer in the 50s. Octoscop is sharp edge to edge. in 14x, 18x mode, it has three element in group, at 20x four element in three group, and in 28x five element in three group.

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), May 06, 2000.

Emoscop is now made by WWW.emoscop.com in cooperation with EMO-Optik in Wetzlar, Germany to manufacture Emoscop in China, using German machines and expertise. The price of made in China EMOSCOP is only 1/4 of that made in German ones.

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), May 24, 2000.

I have set up an EMO user group at http://www.egroups.com/group/EMO-users. For discussion on EMO-Optik product lines such as Emoscop and Octoscop.

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), May 27, 2000.

What is Emoscop ? Modern Photography editor called it the only magnifier worthy of the name. Emoscop is a telescope, three loups and a microscope all in one Telescope 2.5x, loups: 5x 10x and 15x Microscope 25x to 30x Teleloupe, 3x at 6" Image sharp and contrasty, very high resolution, bright image, no distortion, no color fringing. Very popular with photographer jeweller, naturalist, geologist, and stamp collector.

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), May 27, 2000.


I had a chance to compare the Leica 5x loupe against the Contax Triotar 5x side by side on a light table. The following are my observations and it is important to buy a loupe after making your own comparisons. That said, here's why I preferred the Contax over the Leica by some margin:

o Contax has a slightly larger apparent magnification. The difference is noticable.

o Leica's image circle covers a larger area. The diameter is slightly larger than the side of a 2" slide mount. This causes light from the light table to leak in from all four sides. I found this most disturbing while viewing a slide. The Contax's image circle is smaller than the slide mount and there is no edge light. Yet its apparent view is not smaller which does suggest that the magnification is indeed higher.

o Leica has much worse eye relief than Contax. I wear glasses and had to press them against the eyepiece with the Leica to be able to see the full frame.

o Leica showed some color fringing at the edge of the frame in an image with blue sky out to the edge. This dissapeared when I moved my eye off axis but then I could not see the rest of the image. Contax showed no color fringing in the same slide. o Leica's translucent cup cannot be removed (because the main objective lens is at the bottom and attached to it), hence the dark cup for viewing backlit images slides on top of it. This doesn't sound good in tems of internal light baffling but I could not observe any negative effects caused by this.

o Because Leica's large main objective lens is down at the base, it can potentially get scratched if the loupe is causally moved around on a table. The Contax, like many other loupes, has all the lens elements high at the top, so it feels safer to place down on a table. o Sharpness and distortionwise, there is no noticable difference between them. Both loupes are razor sharp and free of distortion when viewed exactly on axis.

o When looking directly at the light table's diffused light, there is a small difference in the color of light (barely noticable). Contax seems to be more neutral but in the slides, no difference is visible.

o Contax's long eye relief and larger apparent magnification provides more of a "movie watching effect" over the Leica and is IMO the biggest difference between the two loupes. This alone could be reason enough to prefer the Contax over the Leica.

-- Tolga Yurek (tyurek@us.oracle.com), October 03, 2001.


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