Good day. Starting to get involved in numismatics and having gray hair with a coin and a magnifying glass large number time (while discovering that one pupil is larger than the other, it seems to be chronic), I decided to return their natural charm by converting a state-of-the-art telephone into a magnifying glass. This device is called HTC beats audio (of course, China). Being on the verge of disposal (reasons: the battery almost does not hold a charge, and it is difficult to find the same one, and the phone is so-so), he did not resist the rework. Before the photo shoot, the device wanted to undergo a cleaning and disinfection procedure. (in two words, wipe with alcohol). Here he is.
The tools I needed were:
Scissors, a folding knife, tweezers (or a device for manipulating small objects that are impossible, inconvenient, or undesirable or dangerous to handle with unprotected hands) and a dental spatula (very convenient for picking).
From the materials I needed (came to hand):
Self-tapping screws, as you can see for roofing yourself, are usually found on the roof (neighbors’ ones are even better suited).
Double-sided tape.
Let's start vandalism. What I liked about this phone is that there is minimal rework. All the manipulations carried out with it took less than thirty minutes, and the result exceeded all expectations, so to speak, but you can evaluate this for yourself at the end of the article by looking at a few photographs.
And so I open the battery compartment cover.
I use a knife to pry out the plastic protection of the camera lens, which is poorly glued and uses poor-quality glue. Naturally, observing proper safety precautions so as not to chop your limbs, and I think you shouldn’t damage the polished surface of the optics, so as not to look at a solid cloudy spot later.
Then, very carefully, using tweezers and a dental spatula, I slightly pulled out and began to unscrew the lens with its body from the base of the camera; to my surprise, it was not secured, as is usually the case, with a drop of glue (or maybe it wasn’t glue).
If it had been glued, then I would have had to disassemble the phone, in general, I was very lucky. After closing the lid back and adjusting the focus, it is practically a nearly complete magnifying device.
But considering that it would not be very convenient to look at something, holding it with (sometimes shaking, just a joke) hands, I decided to install the phone on the legs. I also decided that I wouldn’t burden myself too much with these legs, and I didn’t. Using double-sided tape, I glued the washers to the lid, which were easily torn out from the screws. It could have been done differently and with other washers, but as I already wrote, I wanted it quickly, and the screws fell under the (hot) hand.
The height adjustment (for viewing coins) was done by additionally placing double-sided tape; in my case, the optimal amount was three layers of double-sided tape under each washer, but I adjusted the focus setting by twisting it “with the lens itself.” Well, a few photos that were taken with the finished device. Coin fifty kopecks St. Petersburg Mint (photo taken with a 5 megapixel digital camera).
It’s the same, but only through a ready-made (enlarger) filmed on a digital camera.
Ten kopeck coin from the Moscow Mint through a phone with a digital camera.
He simply took a photograph using a directly converted camera.
Ten again.
Sugar crystals on a ten-kopeck coin.
I didn’t do any backlighting, but I think with properly done backlighting the quality of the photos would be much better. On the cover it says that the phone’s camera is five megapixels (I don’t believe it), by the way, you can compare it with a digital camera, it’s also five megapixels.
For the test, I even decided to sacrifice my hair, a hair pulled from my head, lost and mercilessly torn out again.
Hair against the background of a sugar crystal.
Calipers.
Caliper scale.
I noticed that when you photograph everything as if smaller, for example, the scale of a caliper (in the photo below), the same photo on the screen of a magnifying phone looks different, the screen only fits two millimeters across the entire width, in other words, the magnification is much greater.
Although I was not chasing the maximum magnification (then the article would have been called a microscope from a Chinese phone). But I needed a simple, very quickly made device, specifically for examining coins and, through visual comparison, weeding out the mediocre ones, and sending the dubious ones to a personal computer and examining them various programs who can work with photographs and know how to superimpose images on top of each other.
And a few more photos. Gel pen paste with fine tip.
A lighted magnifying glass is, of course, most needed by forensic scientists studying fingerprints. It is also needed for children who are interested in wood burning. But it can be very useful for you and me in everyday life. As is known, according to current legislation useful information information about the product must be printed on its packaging.
But you probably noticed that it is printed in small print (especially if this information is undesirable for the seller or manufacturer).
How to make a magnifying glass with LED light
An illuminated magnifying glass will help you easily read the instructions for any medicine, the inscription on any package, or the intentionally small print of a credit or insurance agreement. It allows you to read small but necessary text in any conditions, for example, in a dimly lit store or in a gateway.
The good thing about backlit text is that it is perceived as having more contrast, so your eyesight doesn’t strain or get tired when reading for a long time.
For men, an illuminated magnifying glass helps with soldering and repair work with small details, for women - when searching for small pieces of jewelry that fell out at a dark entrance, for children - in the study of insects, philately, and working with microcircuits.
That’s why we suggest you make such a backlit lamp with your own hands.
Preparing materials:
– 8 white SMD PLCC LEDs;
– 8 SMD resistors (size 0805 or 1206) 100 Ohm each;
– an ordinary magnifying glass;
– a printed circuit board cut in the shape of a ring from a foil blank (according to the size of a magnifying glass);
– battery compartment for AA batteries (for 4 places);
– 4 batteries;
– Moment glue;
– connecting stranded wires of two insulation colors – one meter of wire of each color;
– wire cutters;
– soldering iron and solder;
– Dremel with cutting wheel;
– a drilling machine with large diameter drills.
Designing an illuminated magnifying glass
First we prepare printed circuit board, to which the LEDs are to be soldered. It should consist of two concentric rings separated from each other. The inner diameter of the ring plate should be equal to the diameter of lens A, and the outer diameter should be equal to the diameter of the lens frame B.
Such a board can be cut from copper foil on a milling machine. But you can also do it manually - using a Dremel and a drilling machine.
Now let's prepare the LEDs. We have white SMD LEDs in PLCC housing. The size of the LEDs does not matter - any one will do: 0805. or 1206. Let us only take into account that it is easier to solder large LEDs. It’s the same with resistors: it’s more convenient to solder resistors in large cases. Solder a resistor to the positive terminal of each of the 8 LEDs at a right angle, as shown in the photo.
We mark eight equidistant positions along the edge of the ring board and solder a pair of LED-resistor at each mark, as shown in the photo. To ensure that soldering occurs without unnecessary heat and without fuss, we first tin the soldering areas with tin. Having soldered each LED-resistor pair, use a multimeter to check whether the LED lights up. This way we make sure that the LEDs were not damaged during the soldering process.
Having carefully aligned the board with soldered LEDs, we glue the LEDs outwards to the lens frame from the lens side (we use Moment glue). We solder lead wires of different colors to the inner and outer rings.
Now we connect a current source to the copper strips of the ring board: we solder the negative terminal from the battery compartment to the inner concentric ring, and the positive terminal to the outer one. You can also include a switch in the circuit, although to turn off the device you can simply remove the battery.
Magnifying glass - is it necessary in principle in everyday life, is it worth spending time on making it? There are a wide variety of lenses available for sale. But sometimes you want to make something with your own hands. This also happens. You've probably read “The Mysterious Island” by Jules Verne. I never wanted to repeat the experience of Cyrus Smith, who made a wonderful magnifying glass from a watch. In essence, this simple device saved the lives of the colonists. Intrigued? Then now we will tell you how to make a magnifying glass at home. Let's consider several ways.
From a plastic bottle
You will need:
- A bottle made of transparent (not colored!) plastic with a semicircular top, without relief.
- Scissors.
- Two-component epoxy glue or “Superglue”.
- A roll of electrical tape. This will serve as a template for the magnifying glass.
- Marker.
- 20 ml syringe with needle.
The procedure is as follows:
- Cut off top part bottles with scissors. This is exactly what you will need in your work.
- Using an electrical tape template, cut out two identical convex circles. These are the two halves of the future lens.
- Connect two circles and glue the joint with epoxy glue or “Superglue”.
- Place the workpiece in water. This is necessary in order to check the tightness of the structure. Small bubbles will appear in the unsealed areas. Mark these areas with a marker and then seal them.
- Make a hole with a syringe needle.
- Fill the space between the two plastic shells with salted water.
Important! You can use regular tap water with a little bleach added. This is necessary so that the water does not deteriorate and turn green over time.
Magnifying glass is ready! Tested: it is no less convenient to use than a regular store lens.
Giant Lens
But this is a truly valuable acquisition for the amateur astronomer. A magnifying glass of this size is quite expensive. And you can make it using two glass frying pan lids. It often happens that the non-stick coating wears off over time and the frying pan is safely disposed of. And the lid, which looks quite decent, can be used to make a magnifying glass with your own hands.
So, you will need:
- 2 glass lids of the same diameter.
- Stationery knife.
- Silicone sealant.
- Wire cutters.
- 8mm drill bit.
- Medical syringe and 2 needles for it.
Operating procedure:
- First, remove the handles from the lids, the metal rim around the edge of the product, and the metal from the steam release valve. The outer rim is easily broken with wire cutters, the handle is unscrewed (it is attached to a bolt), and the metal of the valve is drilled out with an 8 mm drill. You get two identical glass blanks. Wash and dry them well so that the glass is equally clean.
- Cover the holes in the glass with masking tape, then carefully cut the tape to the diameter of the holes. Fill the holes with silicone. Once it has completely hardened, remove the tape. You will get a surface neatly sealed with silicone. Naturally, do the same with the other workpiece.
- Apply silicone sealant along the contour of one of the glass parts and connect both parts. Seal the seam with sealant. After it has completely polymerized, repeat the operation. Carefully trim away excess silicone.
- Now pierce one of the silicone “plugs” with two needles from medical syringes. One needle serves to remove air, and with the help of the second, fill the space between the two glasses with water with the addition of table salt or bleach.
The giant magnifying glass is ready!
Let's get to know the world around us
Children aged 3 to 6 years are desperate whys. It's not bad if they are early age learn the causes of various physical phenomena. Of course, what you will do now can be called a magnifying glass with great stretch, but the experiment turns out to be quite beautiful.
You will need:
- Three liter jar.
- Thick thread.
- Transparent colorless polyethylene film.
Operating procedure:
- Place an object in the jar. Cover the neck of the jar with film so that it sags a little. This is understandable: the lens should be convex.
- Secure the polyethylene with thick thread, tape or twine.
- Now pour water onto the surface of the film. Water plays the role of a magnifying lens. The object inside the jar appears larger.
All modern phones are equipped with a camera that allows you to take photos or record videos.
Some users have found an additional use for the built-in camera - as a magnifying glass. Most matrices have sufficient resolution to zoom in on a specific object and see the smallest details. This feature allows you not to carry a magnifying glass with you - just turn on your smartphone to read small text or examine an image. The function will be especially useful for visually impaired people.
How to use a magnifying glass on your phone?
The easiest way to use a magnifying glass is to launch the camera and set the required magnification (zoom). Depending on the software shell, the corresponding option is contained in the settings or on the main screen of the program. You can try making a stretching gesture with two fingers.
You will also need to turn on automatic focus so that the image on the screen is as clear and rich as possible. However, the stock Camera application is inconvenient for regular use of a magnifying glass, so we suggest that you familiarize yourself with third-party applications.
How to make a magnifying glass from a phone?
Magnifier from App2U. The application has simple controls. After startup, the built-in camera turns on, the image from the matrix and the zoom adjustment scale are displayed on the screen. There are also additional features - manual focusing and turning on the backlight. The program is ideal for reading small inscriptions or delicate work, such as soldering parts.
Magnifying glass from Cool Guy. Features a simplified interface. Several functions are available to the user - the ability to enlarge the image, backlight, focusing on objects. You can also sharpen the image to see even the smallest details. The application is small in size, so it does not clog the built-in memory of the smartphone.
Magnifying glass from HANTOR. A fairly functional application of its kind, offering users several options. It supports four times image magnification, there are built-in filters (sepia, monochrome) and a button to turn on the backlight. You can control the zoom using the volume keys or a slider located on the screen.
Maximum magnification and zoom quality
The magnification factor varies depending on the installed application. Most programs allow you to achieve 8x zoom. This is enough for reading small inscriptions, viewing images or objects. Application developers cannot increase the magnification ratio above the mentioned indicator, since camera matrices have physical limitations.
Conclusions
Smartphone Magnifier is a great app to help visually impaired people and users looking at small objects. It takes up little space in the built-in memory, but has excellent functionality.