Lighting/LED Magnifying lamp

[untamedfrontier]

I've got a little baby magnifying glass with an LED, but I feel like I should look into getting something proper if I plan on messing around with more SMD parts. Any suggestions? Actual lighting is probably more important than the magnification aspect though.

 

[Nostradoomus]

I just use a small clamping desk lamp I can angle at what I’m working on. Nothing fancy. For magnification you can get those visor magnifiers you wear on your head, they’re pretty handy for SMD...or a cheap USB microscope.

 

[bifurcation]

...or a cheap USB microscope.

I got a USB microscope and I LOVE IT. Great for looking for bad solder points.

 

[Robert]

I have one of these clamped to the side of my desk. The magnification is decent enough for most things.... I bought it primarily for the light.

Fluorescent Magnifying Lamp

Amazing deals on this Fluorescent Magnifying Lamp at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

This is the microscope I use.

10X-30X Stereo Microscope

2 levels of stereo magnification from 10X to 30XA halogen top-light provides incident illumination for opaque objects.The compact design is perfect for students and hobbyists with limited space.The pillar stand provides more flexibility to position the microscope head, including adjusting the...

www.amscope.com

 

[Nostradoomus]

I was thinking of one of those lamps as well but couldn’t think of what to call it besides something to do with dentistry haha

 

[sticky1138]

I've been using a borrowed a desk mount magnifying lamp that works great, but it's a couple decades old and there are no markings on it so I can't find the make/model/specs. I wish I could figure out the magnification level because it's ideal for soldering.

Of course there's an abundance of cheap ones on Amazon ranging from 2x to 10x, but they are all from questionable Chinese brands, complete with comedically Photoshopped product images, and from experience those have unpredictable quality.