Electronic magnifier or optical magnifier that is the question…
We understand the complexities of this question aren’t quite Shakespeare; however, the choice between a portable electronic magnifier and their low-tech optical sibling is undoubtedly worth exploring.
If you have a form of low vision or know somebody who does, you will probably have come into contact with an optical magnifier at some point. Invariably made from glass, an optical magnifier is usually very lightweight, low cost, and simple to use. As one can imagine, this is a large part of their appeal.
Schweizer is the market leader in optical magnifiers, with the range containing a vast variety of magnifications levels, shapes, and functionalities. For example, bar magnifiers are great for being placed on a flat surface over the text that needs to be read, whereas hand magnifiers will have a handle and may contain an in-built light.
Optical magnifiers certainly have their advantages; however, once compared to an electronic magnifier, the limitations of these devices becomes apparent. Each is useful in its own way. Ultimately, it will come down to the severity of the eye condition and what the magnifier will be used for most often.
Below, we have explored some of the advantages and disadvantages of both the typical portable electronic magnifier and an optical magnifier:
Optical magnifiers
The varieties of optical magnifiers include dome magnifiers, bar magnifiers, handheld magnifiers, pocket magnifiers, and stand magnifiers. NHS and community eye clinics will generally only dispense free low vision aids in the form of optical magnifiers.
Advantages
· Low cost. Compared to electronic magnifiers, optical magnifiers are a lot cheaper, with most costing somewhere between £30-£100.
· Lightweight. Generally made of glass and plastic, the weight of the typical optical magnifier is only a few grams.
· Highly portable. Due to their small size and lightweight nature, they are effortless to carry around, or to carry around multiple – some are even designed to fit in the pocket.
· No power needed. Unless one opts for a magnifier with an inbuilt light, these magnifiers don’t need any power to operate. Even those with a light will only need a set of batteries for it to work.
· Very simple. Effectively as analogue devices, optical magnifiers use no software, and as a result, are very simple to use for people who may not be confident with digital technology.
Disadvantages
· Cannot change the level of magnification. Unlike an electronic magnifier, one cannot change the level of magnification on an optical magnifier, so if there is a need to zoom in further, a different optical magnifier will be needed.
· No OCR. OCR stands for optical character recognition, and it means that the magnifier in question will be able to read text aloud. Some, but not all, electronic magnifiers have this feature.
· No ability to change the colour of what is being viewed. For some eye conditions, it is easier to view text when it is displayed in a different colour to the typical black and white; all electronic magnifiers have the ability to change text colour.
· More than one needed. As each optical magnifier only has one level of magnification, in order to achieve higher or lower levels of magnification one must carry around multiple devices. There is only so much pocket space.
Portable electronic magnifiers
Electronic magnifiers are the natural successor to optical magnifiers, and from a functionality perspective, are superior in every way. However, as the advantages of the optical magnifiers demonstrates, there is still a need for these devices as cost and complexity can be barriers.
Electronic magnifiers come in a variety of shapes and sizes, including portable and desktop. For the sake of a fair comparison, we only look at portable magnifiers in this article.
Advantages
· Variable magnification. Most electronic magnifiers allow for anywhere between 0.5x-22x zoom. The highest level an optical magnifier will go to is 14x.
· Fit more on the screen & use both eyes. Depending on the size of screen one opts for, an electronic magnifier will have a much larger viewing area than an optical magnifier; as a result, more text can be magnified at one time, allowing for quicker and more effortless reading.
· Portable. Although not as lightweight as their optical counterparts, portable electronic magnifiers are still considered lightweight – although only a select few will fit in the pocket, all will fit in hand or the typical bag.
· Colour change & freeze. With an electronic magnifier, one can manipulate what is being magnified on the screen to freeze it in place, allowing for closer inspection or change the colour to encourage text to better stand out.
· Rechargeable. All electronic magnifiers are rechargeable, ensuring one has the option not to use single-use batteries.
· Tactile buttons. Many devices are designed with tactile and brightly coloured buttons, which ensures they are easy and simple to use.
· Read it aloud. More advanced electronic magnifiers such as the Compact 10 HD with Speech, will read any magnified text aloud either via the speakers or through headphones.
Disadvantages
· Higher cost. Electronic magnifiers start at around £345.00, and so are more expensive than an optical magnifier. They do generally have a longer lifespan than an optical magnifier, however, and more features.
· Power required. As the magnifier is powered by electricity, it does need to have a charge (or in some cases batteries) to operate.
Although it is useful to know the advantages and disadvantages of each device, in the first instance, it is highly recommended to try a few of each type of device out. Preference, eye condition, and level of vision all play a part in what type of device will be best for you.
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