Description
You wouldn’t think this simple-looking fresnel lens magnifying sheet has its origins in lighthouses.
This type of magnifier is named after Augustin-Jean Fresnel (1788-1827), a French civil engineer, who pioneered the use of a ‘stepped’ lens, which was deployed in lighthouses two hundred years ago to gather and reflect back light to stop ships crashing into the rocks.
So that’s why if you look closely at this flat, almost A4-sized lens, you can see a series of slightly raised concentric circles. The combined effect is that they gather and re-direct the light towards the centre, magnifying any subject underneath two times (2x) its original size.
To use, hold the sheet a few inches over your words or images, and move it up or down until it is in focus for you. This type of lens is ideal for anyone wishing to magnify a large area, though it works in a different way to more conventional magnifying glass (or plastic) lenses. They are not for everyone but this one is a cut above the rest, being made from 2mm thick rigid, injection-moulded plastic so you can hold it in just one hand. The optics are pretty good, especially at the centre. This item is a great favourite in the Magnifico range and likely to be a decent, budget reading aid alternative to a standard magnifier for most people. We do not recommend fresnel lenses so much for people with low vision, who may benefit from a normal magnifier, which has offers better optics.
This magnifying sheet is just one of many good value, popular magnifiers that Magnifico has been supplying since 1999. Check the full range to find the UK’s most extensive selection of magnifying glasses, magnifying lamps, fresnel lenses, inspection loupes and other low vision aids
- Large fresnel lens sheet magnifier
- Made from injection-moulded plastic
- Hold a few inches over subject with one or both hands
- Size: 10¾ x 8¼"/275 x 210mm (nearly A4 size)
- Magnification: 2x
- For reading, maps, spreadsheets, magazines, photos