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I bought these for the exact purpose of soldering tiny surface mount capacitors and stuff. They of a worked well, with 2 sets of lenses and built in led.
They were dead cheap on ebay -
At work we've got a magnifier which is like a large version of a magnifying glass on an arm but boxed in. We've also got a stereo magnifier which is more like a stereoscope microscope but with quite low mag. Also got a headband with a magnifier. I don't really get on with any of them, but I more need a bit of help focusing than magnifying.
Depends how much you've got to do and how bad your eyes are tbh. Have you tried a pair of cheap reading glasses? I noticed I've started struggling over the last couple of years. Might be worth taking a component into Boots and seeing if their £2.99 reading specs help...
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Any experience
Hearsay rather than experience, but a few YouTube machinists I follow proselytise about cheap Chinesium digital camera microscopes for inspection on the same scale as you're working with.
Not necessarily this exact one, but this pattern and price range
https://www.amazon.co.uk/TOMLOV-Microscope-Magnification-Ultra-Precise-Compatible/dp/B08G4Y6C65/ -
Options seem to be an illuminated magnifying glass on an arm / head mounted lenses / some sort of microscope. Any experience one way or another?
I've got one of those third hand things with clamps and a magnifying glass which is OK for soldering wires together but not that good for real close up stuff. I've also got a handband magnifier which is much better for really detailed work. I'd go headband for surface mount stuff.
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@jellybaby
Anyone work with really small things and have opinions on magnification aids?
I'm attempting to solder some surface mount things and they are really tiny. I find it very hard to see which side is which on an 0805 LED and I can't tell which pin is 1 on an SO16 package.
Options seem to be an illuminated magnifying glass on an arm / head mounted lenses / some sort of microscope. Any experience one way or another?