Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I use a lamp when it's dark, but otherwise no magnifier.

I only use one on occasion. The clips can sometimes be useful for modelling and for applying washes

This really needs an option for "No, but I probably should". That said I've kind of adapted a "rough" paint style that suits me quite well and which I think still looks good; gives my models a kind of dirty/worn look without specifically having to do any weathering, minimal highlighting required and such. Absolutely no freehand of any kind ever because I suck really hard at anything like that.

For under ten bucks at Harbor Freight, I picked up a "helping hands" magnifier with light and alligator clips. Inexpensive and useful.

I have a magnifier, but I've never used it. The only additional item I usually use is a lamp of some sort.

 Necroagogo wrote:
I use a magnifier / daylight lamp. Handy for painting in the wee small hours once the kids and wifey are abed.

Comes in really handy for fine detail, too.

Exactly this, including the time of night I paint.

My only issue is that sometimes you find yourself looking through the lens at a weird angle, and your depth perception/aim goes awry.

I bought a hobby lamp from Maplins about a year or two ago. It has a large round magnifying glass surround by a light. As much as I tried I can't get on with painting under magnification. Fortunately the light is great so my money wasn't wasted.
I also tend to have something to watch on either my TV or iPad and find that I become temporarily short sighted when I look up to watch a program.
I also have one of those small desktop magnifying glasses with two crocodile teeth that hold what you'r working on, this now sits in a draw unused.
I do like a gadget

3 different varieties..Main one is a lamped large glass magnifier..2nd has a set of hands to hold small parts shile i paint them and a glass that is positionable..Thrid is a jewlers loop for some fine detailing ..

I dont see how it could really help its not gonna make my hand more steady

I have a magnafyinglass/light hybrid thing. I can't recall its name off hand.

But I rarly use the magnifying portion of it as its sits at such an odd position and even then I can see my model well enough.

My eyes focus at 4 inches. When I paint the model is so close to my eyes it seems magnified.

I use both, a magnifying lamp and my reading glasses. and had to do so for about 2 years.
If I didn't I would produce blobs.

I take digital photos of painted faces with a macro lens and then mirror them. This makes errors stand out clearly and informs me where I need to lick a few more highlight or shade layers over the model.

Nope, i cant control the distances if I use a magnifier XD

Nope, no magnifiers. But I am horribly nearsighted, so I have a built in magnifier if I take off my glasses and hold the model close to my face.

 Red_Ink_Cat wrote:
Nope, no magnifiers. But I am horribly nearsighted, so I have a built in magnifier if I take off my glasses and hold the model close to my face.

Yep.

Myopia is an actual, real-life honest to gods super power.

Who knew?

It's rare, but i've used one for attaching small pieces. I don't believe in using one for painting. If you can't see it with the naked eye at 6 inches away no way in heck you opponent is going to appreciate it from two feet.

I think you guys are confused about what nearsightedness means. It doesn't give you super human close ranged vision. It is literally an issue of being unable to focus light at the correct point in eye. Nearsighted peoples vision is worse at all ranges essentially. I am near sighted - but my vision is normal with glasses. I find the mag lamp helpful for fine detail - though it is incredibly stressful and sometimes can even make you dizzy. I just started using it - it might get better over time.

 Xenomancers wrote:
I think you guys are confused about what nearsightedness means. It doesn't give you super human close ranged vision. It is literally an issue of being unable to focus light at the correct point in eye. Nearsighted peoples vision is worse at all ranges essentially. I am near sighted - but my vision is normal with glasses. I find the mag lamp helpful for fine detail - though it is incredibly stressful and sometimes can even make you dizzy. I just started using it - it might get better over time.

I disagree 100%. I am very nearsighted, and my eyes focus exceptionally well at 4 inches. At that distance, because the object is closer, it looks bigger and I can see finer detail that most people at any range (without magnification, of course.)

nope, and dont need it as i can see sharply even tough i am nearsighted.

what i DO need tough is a exo suit connetect to my hands to prevent them from shaking..........

I picked up a jewelers head magnifying thingy with a lamp last summer as I just could not see the models correctly and my painting looked like a three year old did it. Last December my company was doing some free eye exams and I found out I'm long sighted. I don't need glasses, yet anyway, but I find it hard to focus on anything close to my face so can't make out the detail without the magnifier

I use reading glasses.

I am only a couple years shy of 50 and could paint without glasses.
For the really tiny stuff it is just easier to use the jeweler's visor (less eye strain or headaches).
Reading glasses are ok in a pinch, I find the visor works better at blocking the stray light (I light the heck out of my paint area).

I unfortunately have Presbyopia (need reading glasses as my eyes don't focus up close anymore). I have to use a magnifier otherwise I can't see any detail in a miniature when painting it. I actually have two sets one with interchangeable lenses that I got for about $15 off of Amazon and I also bought one of the Donegan Optivisors. I find them both quite useful.

No, maybe I should though, when I see the detail some people can do on their models I can't imagine how they could do it without magnification.

Used to have a magnifying lens with a built in light, but I have it to my brother when his eyesight started to deteriorate.

No, but maybe I should. I think light is a bigger issue for my eyes. Sometimes I have trouble seeing where the tip of the brush is until it hits the mini..

Occasionally.

This is one of my bug bears. As I have got older my eye sight has got bad. I use reading glasses for close up work, but still need good light and nearly always wear Optivisors these days otherwise I cannot see what I am doing.

I’m near sighted, so no need