What's the difference between a magnifying glass and a loupe?

scottietwenty3

I would say a loupe is more pf a specialzed magnifying lass eg you may see things with a jewlers loupe you wouldnt pick up from a magnifying glass from a show bag. A jeweler's loupe is a specialized magnifying glass used to inspect jewelry. Because magnification and clarity are essential to a good jeweler's loupe A loupe (pronounced loop), is a type of magnification device used to see things one is looking at more closely. In this respect, they are simply a form of a modified microscope, allowing the user to be able to better apply the phenomenon of microscopy to his or her trade. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loupe A magnifying glass (called a hand lens in laboratory contexts) is a convex lens which is used to produce a magnified image of an object. The lens is usually mounted in a frame with a handle. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnifying_glass I would say a loupe is more of a specialzed magnifying glass. May 05 09, 7:49 PM

pu2-ke-qi-ri

To clarify-- what's the structural difference, ie, what are the differences in the way the two are constructed, especially with regard to the way the lens(es) are set up? May 05 09, 7:55 PM

looney_tunes

"Three basic types of loupes exist. The first is a simple lens and results in the least amount of magnification. The second is the Galilean system which is composed of multiple lenses, which results in a higher degree of magnification. The last is the Prismatic loupe system which employs both lenses and prisms to reflect and focus light, resulting in the highest degree of magnification." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loupe May 06 09, 1:05 AM

queproblema

What is commonly called a magnifying glass, also known as a hand lens, typically consists of a convex lens mounted in a frame with a straight handle on it, the whole looking somewhat similar to a hand mirror. A loupe is generally a much smaller lens mounted in a metal cylinder with a hinged cover that swings to the side. Photos: http://m2.sourcingmap.com/smap/images/item/n/09a/ux_a09021600ux0072_ux_n.jpg http://www.magnifier.com.tw/proimages/8020.jpg Note: "Loupe" is French for "magnifying glass." In Spanish it's "lupa." http://www.wordreference.com/enfr/magnifying+glass http://www.wordreference.com/es/en/translation.asp?spen=lupa May 06 09, 1:24 AM