Review on 🔍 Versatile Magnifying Lamps: Adjustable Swing Arm Lamp with Light and Stand for Home Office, Hobby Craft and Repair by Dominique Garrett

1 - Outside packaging was minimal and looked pretty tatty, but inside was soft enough and the contents couldn't be faulted 2 - Assembly instructions were not included. It didn't really matter because it wasn't difficult to understand, but for some people this omission can be annoying (and maybe rightly so). A small piece of paper would suffice, and... 3 - There is no instruction manual, no instructions. Again, this isn't a big deal as there are only four buttons on the controller - on/off, cycle color, dim and bright - and they have icons on them. But if there was a piece of paper with assembly instructions in the kit, it would be easy to attach a simple control circuit (in an enlarged form, since the thing is for people who need to enlarge something)4. All metal parts. pleasantly robust: hinges, springs, lever segments and pivot bearings, all solid and smooth-running. The clamp that secures the entire unit to your desk (or whatever) has jaws that can be extended a few inches if needed and are easy to adjust, but become firm when fully tightened. 5 - Without the LED light ring. , the only plastic parts are three knobs, one at each point of movement: the base (fulcrum), the middle of the arm (flexion), and the head (free rotation), which can be tightened to fix that point. They work great, but the first two seem unnecessary: the base doesn't need to be locked at all, and the lever remains perfectly still (held by springs and hinges) even without the use of this lock. The LED light in the head is very bright (at the maximum setting), and the Cycle Color button lets you choose between a pretty standard white, a harsh cold white with a slight blue tint (like fluorescent lights) and a warm white with a strong one yellow tint (almost orange) 7 - The zoom lens is excellent - clear, no distortion, no scratches or stains on the glass. (And 5x is actually MUCH better than 3x.) One very minor quibble: I wish it had some sort of lens cap so it doesn't collect dust in the air. Conclusion: Although this lamp is not quite perfect, this lamp does not have any particular disadvantages either. - and given the relatively low price, I should have expected some flaws, but was pleasantly surprised. It is very beautiful and worth the money. There are cheaper ones out there, but they're *cheaper* in literally every way. Also note (for what it's worth) I bought it to clip to my desk to help draw thumbnails. It's *perfect* for the job and way, way better than any small unlit 3x alligator clip jig.