Pro tip: I found a 10x hand lens was way better than my phone's camera for checking mineral cleavage in the field.

3 comments

3 Comments

I tried using a 10x loupe for that last year and it just didn't work for me. My phone camera lets me zoom in and actually take a picture to compare later. With the hand lens I'm just squinting trying to hold it steady, and the field of view is so tiny. For a quick check maybe, but for serious note taking I need that digital record.

luna5192mo ago

That tiny field of view @haydenp95 mentioned is why I gave up on loupes too.

adam_anderson61mo ago

Stick with it though, I really think loupes have a place if you give them a fair shot. I use a 10x triplet loupe for looking at leaf veins and tiny insect details. That narrow field of view actually helps me focus on one specific thing without getting distracted by everything around it. And for notes, I just sketch what I see right there in the field with a small notebook. You don't always need a digital picture - sometimes a quick drawing captures what matters better than a photo ever could.