Features:

  • Multi-Pack: Includes 4 units of the 5x Power MiniBrite Slide-Out Magnifiers
  • Each magnifier contains a built-in LED light | Lens Diameter: 1.3 inch (L) x 1.5 inch (H)
  • Crystal-clear Aspheric lens
  • Compact and light weight
  • Backed by Carson's Limited Lifetime Warranty
Great Magnifier and light, Excellent customer service!

Great Magnifier, Excellent customer service. I've ordered these small magnifiers for years -- everyone likes them. It works with or without the light -- just slide the cover back a little less than full retraction if you don't want light. The light is bright enough to fill in for a flashlight if needed, and the entire thing fits in a purse or pocket. I recent.ly ordered three of these to replace ones we have given away -- we keep them around the house, one in the office, one in the workshop, etc. When the three arrived, two worked perfectly, but the third was faulty (the light would not shine, despite trying with two different sets of batteries). I reported the broken one to the seller on Amazon and got an immediate email response apologizing and saying they'd send a new one out, no need to return the broken one. This was Friday. They sent one that got here Sunday, special Sunday delivery! I don't write many reviews but this kind of prompt professional service deserves five stars.

Comparison of Small Magnifiers

Small magnifiers with real glass optics are inexpensive. Many reviewers recommend buying several and placing them in various sites, such as glovebox, tool shelf, or desk drawer. With this in mind, I bought three different brands. The Carson 5X minibrite with LED is my favorite for around the house and car. I perceive that it has slightly more width of field than the Bausch & Lomb 5X Aspheric, meaning that I see the magnification extending in a larger ring around the target item without distortion. There also appears to be less distortion in the depth of field, meaning that you can move the magnifier in slightly larger increments toward and away from the target item without encountering blur. The case is nicely designed and the LED is a useful on-off feature for many situations, but the 3 AAA batteries add weight. I will use the Bausch & Lomb 5X Aspheric for back packing. It is smaller, light weight, and easily balanced for reading topographical maps. The case is a less rugged plastic than the Carson case, but I have had it rattling around in an exterior pack pocket with no sand entry or breakage. The third glass magnifier I have tested is the General Tools 532, with 2.5X magnification. It is a more slender and comfortable pocket carry than both the B & L and Carson. The lens is stored in a fold of soft leatherette that is open to dirt. When the lens is rotated out, the leatherette is easy to hold between thumb and forefinger for inspecting. The General Tools 532 is the lightest of the three and I carry it for wildflower hikes. To me, the optics have adequate but not powerful magnification, good width of field and it is easy to read left to right without distortion.

If you are looking for one of these, this one is worth the money!

Its not just because you are older and your vision is not what it used to be that you need one of these. A lot of times serial numbers and other codes are engraved on products using lasers and they are very hard to see even with 20/20 vision. What I like most about this one is the build quality and the LED light. Great Lens quality. Great build quality and Great LED light placed perfectly. I own two of these; one with an old style mini light bulb and this new one. WOW, what a difference. Yeah, yeah, who writes reviews on something like this... ME. And why? Because there is a lot of crap out there, I work hard for my money and this Carson magnifier isn't a piece of junk like so many other ones you will find out there for less money.

I was "blind" but now I See

When my older brother who's visiting from out of the country bought me a credit card size magnifying glass (plastic), I thanked him politely but in my head I said, "You kidding me? I can still thread a needle in my room under natural sun light." But I must admit that recently I need to pull out my 4-year old prescription reading glasses to be my Visual Assistant (1) a little more than I like! I actually did use my brother's gift in a restaurant when reading their menu's fine print for their fine food. All good, right? Well, only when it's well lit. My Visual Assistant (2) couldn't help much at all. The waiter had to perform the "Let There Be Light" trick by using the flash light of his cell phone so my eyes could be "opened" to choose what I wanted. With that experience, I deliberately went to amazon in search for my Visual Assistant (3). After having read the "recommendation letters" of Carson® 5x MiniBrite LED Lighted Slide-Out Aspheric Magnifier with Protective Sleeve (PO-55), I "hired" it on the spot. I even "hired" one of its siblings for my husband. I've uploaded a photo showing the difference of before my Visual Assistant (3) and after. Given I just hired this assistant, I don't know how it will perform in the long term. Will update its Star Ratings if the performance is sub-par at the end of the probation period. At present, I recommend it's siblings if you have a need.

Really handy with the sliding cover, lens is protected. Decent optics, too.

The built-in illumination of this handy pocket magnifier adds to the versatility. You can slide the cover down almost all the way to use it without the built-in white LED, or push the cover all the way down to switch on the light. Though the cover does not lock in place it does manage to stay up most of the time while in the pocket, suffering abuse form keys and other objects without coming out scratched and beat up. For reading tiny labels on electric parts or even aiding with threading of difficult sewing needles, after a short while you start wondering why you didn't get one of these before? On the 'cons' side, there is no provision for a lanyard or attachment for key ring or clip. A carefully drilled hole will probably remedy that oversight. I've acquired another to give to a friend who is also a 'DIY builder' for Christmas. Very pleased with mine.

Handy, sturdy, and well designed - the perfect magnifier

Very handy -- not so big that it's bothersome, not so small that the lense is too small to be useful. The aspheric lens does a great job of making this more useful than an ordinary magnifying glass. The light does a good job of illuminating what I'm looking at. To use without a light, pull the cover back until it stops. To turn the light on, pull the cover back a little more until it clicks. It's intuitive, and you will never accidently turn the light on when it's in your pocket. The cover latches in the closed position -- you will not accidently scratch the lense. Rubber hand holds on the side of the cover are very effective. When I left this in a desk drawer at a hotel, I promptly bought another one. This device is slightly less useful to me these days. One of my top uses was to read the tiny-tiny print on the label of electronic devices to get the MAC address. These days, manufacturers aren't printing MAC addresses on the labels -- you have to get it some other way. But that's not the fault of the magnifier. ;-)

Chinese character dictionary/reference readers rejoice!!! Excellent medical kit addition as well. Buy extras!

I loved this so much I ordered 2 more! I originally purchased it to look at Chinese characters in dictionaries and reference texts. It was absolutely perfect and I ordered 2 more to have. Chinese words are usually 2 characters long. This is perfect and lets me see every stroke and dot in a character. I also found it a fabulous use it to remove splinters and it is a wonderful addition to any medical care kit for illuminated up close examination especially for kids boo boos and foot care. The product is well made and the protective sleeve is the best. I carry one around with me in a shirt pocket. It can be easily held between two fingers during use. Thank you, thank you, thank you for making this wonderful item.

Perfect

Its ergonomics are ideal for my hand size, and it's easy to open and close. The LED is promptly activated upon opening. I'm using Panasonic Eneloops as my battery source, and couldn't be more pleased with the LEDs illumination. I bought this for one reason: to read FAA (hard copy) sectional charts, METARs, TAFs and other aeronautical charts. I typically use iOS Apps for such reports/text books. As a contingency, however, I thought it was only prudent to keep this Carson 5x magnifier in my kit, along with (hard copies) of my: Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, '17 FAR AIM and Ground School/Flight/Instruments Manual(s), et al., etc. I recommend this "great" Carson 5x, "bigly."

Great way to pocket some seious illunated magnification

The 5X lens is double the power of common handheld magnifiers -- perfect for reading "fine print" on the label of a small bottle or security code on the back of a credit card, and for accurately identifying small items like pills or hardware. The LED lamp is essential for viewing anything that cannot be easily brought into full light (say, the serial number plate on the back of an appliance) and can even serve as a small flashlight (enough for locating a keyhole or walking stairs in total darkness). The LED is activated by sliding the protective lens cover to the open position, then past a detent, preventing the LED from being turned on when not needed. I have yet to replace the 3 AAA batteries after months of use. Both the body and sliding cover have pairs of ribbed rubber pads for secure grip and easy one-hand operation. The cover has detents for two positions: fully closed, and fully open with LED on. When I first got the magnifier, sometimes I would open it with the LED facing me instead of the subject -- then noticed that the battery compartment cover (which is on the LED side) has a ribbed grip molded into it, which makes it easy to identify "right side up" by feel alone. Some earlier reviewers reported concerns about the unit not being as rugged as they would like, but Carson may have improved the product since then. Although I would not advise stomping on the unit or throwing it against a brick wall, mine has been dropped from waist height onto tile floors and in the garage without damage to the device. Furthermore: This gem fits perfectly in the watch pocket of a pair of jeans!

Works great 5X is perfect!

This magnifier with built in LED light is perfect for your pocket or purse. It is so easy to use and is especially great when you are in a dimly lit restaurant and you need to read the menu. Also great for reading labels. I have a very expensive hand held CCTV viewer that works great but it is the size of an old snapshot camera and not as easy to use. The lens is clear and plenty sharp for most tasks. For the price, you cannot go wrong. Uses three AAA batteries (not included)_ but what can you expect for such a good price. I bought two just to have a spare and will buy another when I lose one of these. I have low vision and this works just fine for me.

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