Rodenstock 4x Loupe

Comments about Rodenstock 4x Loupe:

I use the lupe for focusing on groundglass for large format photography and the 4x is perfect, not too wide but not too tight so the grain on the glass itself isnt obscuring the image and makes focusing really accurate. A smartretractable hood to let light in over the surface you look at, and a diopter makes this perfect for GG focusing and checking negatives.

Comments about Rodenstock 4x Loupe:

I use this loupe for examining negatives and for focusing the ground glass image of my 4x5 camera.
The loupe is very bright and has excellent definition. The field of view is large. To focus the image in the corners of the ground glass I reverse the loupe and hold it a small distance away form the ground glass surface.
The focus mechanism is smooth but a bit looser than I would like. By winding a couple of flat rubber bands around the barrel of the loupe just behind the rubber eyecup a pre-set focus stays put.

Comments about Rodenstock 4x Loupe:

Works Great!

Excellent for ground glass focusing.

Plastic face runs smooth on the glass, it's light in weight and easy to carry.

The optics are excellent.

The only down side is the dioptre adjustment is rather loose. Some people have suggested adding a small screw to fix it into position, I might try it.

Comments about Rodenstock 4x Loupe:

The Rodenstock 4x Loupe is an ideal product for viewing slides and negatives on a light box, and because of the built-in retractable clear hood, it also works very well for viewing prints with reflected light. A third use, and one of equal purpose to the slides, is that of focusing on the ground glass on large format cameras -- here, the height is an added asset.

I have read some complaints about the loose diopter adjustment. It is on the loose side, somewhat like using an AF lens in manual mode; a manual focus lens offers more resistance for finite movement as well as less drift.

The optics are crystal clear, which honestly reflects the brand name and the price.

Once again, the built-in retractable clear hood is a major selling point.

Comments about Rodenstock 4x Loupe:

I really like the plastic housing over the higher priced all metal units for groundglass viewing.
The plastic is easier on the glass for ware factor. It is light weight also. Maybe a square design would improve extreme corner access, but I've not had any issues with the design to speak of. The diopter adjustment is too loose. I actually took a small pin drill and cored a small hole and installed a small set screw. Resolved the diopter movement issue all together.

Comments about Rodenstock 4x Loupe:

I needed a loupe for working with negatives on a light table and focusing images on a ground glass so I did close comparison of a few. This is a very nice loupe. There were two things I didn't like about it. The first is the diopter adjustment was too loose, I much prefer the adjustment on the Schneider loupes. The second is the optics are constructed in a way that allow the image to be cut off by a changing the how you look through the loupe. I'm not describing this well. I only noticed this by way of comparison to the Schneider 4x loupe which did not exhibit this characteristic. Acceptable spherical distortion at the edges comparable to the Schneider 4x. Has a built-in retractable clear hood for viewing with reflected light. All loupes should have this style of hood. Photographers have enough little pieces of stuff to carry around and loose, we don't need yet another piece. Has a soft rubber eye-cup which I like. Diopter adjustment smooth but very loose. It needs a little more friction to prevent it from going out of adjustment easily. I can imagine a situation where I would be spending my time adjusting the diopter on this loupe as well as the focusing an image on the ground glass, not something I look forward to. Neck strap mechanism functional and simple. Repair or replacement of neck strap would be trivial which is important.

Comments about Rodenstock 4x Loupe:

I use my Rodenstock to view film and slides for focus and to identify any artifacts that may need my attention prior to scanning.

The 4x is a great loupe for reviewing the entire slide or negative. The large piece of aspherical glass has great eye relief.

I have no cons to report. This is a great loupe.