A pocket loupe or hand lens is an essential part of the naturalist's field kit. Whether your interest is plants or insects, rocks or small mammals, a magnifying lens will allow you to observe the finer details which will improve both your identification skills and your overall appreciation for the intricacies of the natural world.
This Opticron Hand Lens contains a high quality 23mm doublet lens and provides excellent distortion-free magnification. This higher magnification, 15x lens is useful for examining extremely fine-scale entomological or botanical detail and the larger lens size ensures that you can use this even on larger specimens. When not in use the PPMA lens pivots inside the alloy metal casing so that it is protected from scratches and knocks. This also makes it very compact and it will easily fit into a pocket or bag. This hand lens also has a useful metal loop for attaching a neck cord or lanyard.
To use a hand lens, hold it close to your eye then bring the specimen up to the lens until it is in focus.
For more information about choosing and using a hand lens, check out the NHBS Guide to Hand Lenses on our blog.