Switch Theme:

Do you use any form of magnifier for painting or modelling?  [RSS] Share on facebook Share on Twitter Submit to Reddit
»
Poll
Do you use any form of magnifier for painting or modelling?
Yes
No
I dont paint or model
Other (write in)

View results
Author Message
Advert


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.




Made in ch
Warning From Magnus? Not Listening!





Holy Terra.

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

   
Made in gb
Mindless Spore Mine





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

I'm new here, so if I do something wrong please tell me 
   
Made in gb
Hooded Inquisitorial Interrogator






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.

   
Made in us
Incorporating Wet-Blending






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

Crimson Scales and Wildspire Miniatures thread on Reaper! : https://forum.reapermini.com/index.php?/topic/103935-wildspire-miniatures-thread/ 
   
Made in us
[DCM]
The Main Man






Beast Coast

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

   
Made in gb
Ork-Hunting Inquisitorial Xenokiller





 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.

TO of Death Before Dishonour - A Warhammer 40k Tournament with a focus on great battles between well painted, thematic armies on tables with full terrain.

Read the blog at:
https://deathbeforedishonour.co.uk/blog 
   
Made in gb
Dakka Veteran





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

I've been playing a while, my first model was a lead marine and my first White Dwarf was bound with staples 
   
Made in us
Growlin' Guntrukk Driver with Killacannon





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 ..

'\' ~9000pts
'' ~1500
"" ~3000
"" ~2500
 
   
Made in us
Frightnening Fiend of Slaanesh






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

The mind-curdling cacophony of the battlefield! Shape it, savour it, add to it until your senses shake and your minds quiver with deafening bliss!  
   
Made in us
Pyromaniac Hellhound Pilot






Schrott

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.

Regiment: 91st Schrott Experimental Regiment
Regiment Planet: Schrott
Specialization: Salvaged, Heavily Modified, and/or Experimental Mechanized Units.
"SIR! Are you sure this will work!?"
"I HAVE NO IDEA, PULL THE TRIGGER!!!" 91st comms chatter.  
   
Made in us
Battlewagon Driver with Charged Engine





My eyes focus at 4 inches. When I paint the model is so close to my eyes it seems magnified.
   
Made in de
Flower Picking Eldar Youth




Munich

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.

when in doubt - shoot it. 
   
Made in gb
Huge Hierodule






Nottingham (yay!)

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.

   
Made in es
Been Around the Block





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

 
   
Made in us
Sneaky Striking Scorpion





WA, USA

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.

~ Craftworlders ~ Harlequins ~ Coterie of the Last Breath Corsairs ~ 
   
Made in us
Battlewagon Driver with Charged Engine





 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?
   
Made in us
Stubborn Prosecutor





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.

Bender wrote:* Realise that despite the way people talk, this is not a professional sport played by demi gods, but rather a game of toy soldiers played by tired, inebriated human beings.


https://www.victorwardbooks.com/ Home of Dark Days series 
   
Made in us
Omnipotent Necron Overlord






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.

If we fail to anticipate the unforeseen or expect the unexpected in a universe of infinite possibilities, we may find ourselves at the mercy of anyone or anything that cannot be programmed, categorized or easily referenced.
- Fox Mulder 
   
Made in us
Battlewagon Driver with Charged Engine





 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.)
   
Made in no
Longtime Dakkanaut






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..........

darkswordminiatures.com
gamersgrass.com
Collects: Wild West Exodus, SW Armada/Legion. Adeptus Titanicus, Dust1947. 
   
Made in ie
Sureshot Kroot Hunter





Ireland

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

Link to my haphazardly updated blog: Boundless's sub-par conversion projects


 
   
Made in kr
Inquisitorial Keeper of the Xenobanks






your mind

I use reading glasses.

   
Made in ca
Ancient Venerable Black Templar Dreadnought





Canada

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).

A revolution is an idea which has found its bayonets.
Napoleon Bonaparte 
   
Made in us
Just the Bare Metal




North of the Equator

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.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2018/02/23 14:53:57


Ekipage 
   
Made in mt
Kabalite Conscript





Hamrun, Malta

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.
   
Made in us
Longtime Dakkanaut





Looking for the Rest of the II Legion

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


 
   
Made in us
Stalwart Dark Angels Space Marine





Australia

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..

Dark Angels > Purple Death Legion (Purple Vanilla Marines) > Dark Angels > Death Watch > Thousand Sons with special appearances by Tzeench Demons  
   
Made in gb
Fresh-Faced New User






Occasionally.
   
Made in gb
Fresh-Faced New User





Trowbridge

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.
   
Made in us
Pyro Pilot of a Triach Stalker





LaPorte, IN

I’m near sighted, so no need
   
 
Forum Index » Dakka Polls
Go to: