The Dr. Bill Takeshita Foundation

Last Modified: Wed, 23 Apr 2008

Portable video magnifiers have become very popular over the past two years. In 2008, there have not been significant changes to popular portable video magnifiers such as the Looky, Enhanced Vision Nemo and Amigo, or the Optelec Traveler. The following reviews will describe some of the newer portable video magnifiers as well as some of the most popular video magnifiers in the past.

The Ashe QuickLook Zoom

The QuickLook Zoom is one of the most popular portable video magnifiers for 2008. Ashe has upgraded the original QuickLook to incorporate a higher range of magnification. The QuickLook Zoom can provide between 4x to 18x, providing the widest range of magnification in a small and lightweight video magnifier. The QuickLook Zoom has a 4.3-inch diagonal LCD screen. The screen produces a bright and sharp image and the QuickLook Zoom has the capability of changing the colors of the background and text. The QuickLook Zoom also has a contrast adjustment button along with an image capture button, which takes an image of the desired reading material. This feature is very helpful when trying to read price tags on the top shelf.

The QuickLook Zoom works by placing the device directly on the paper. The camera turns on when the camera is swiveled. Users can simply slide the QuickLook from left to right across the page to read. The camera can also be swiveled to the side to allow users to see while writing and signing checks.

We have found the QuickLook Zoom to be a very good video magnifier. The images displayed on the screen are very clear and the wide range of magnification is very helpful. We found the QuickLook Zoom to be very lightweight and was extremely easy to use when reading papers, books, and documents. The QuickLook Zoom has a long battery life, lasting more than 6 hours. We found the QuickLook Zoom to be a bit more difficult to use while shopping and reading food labels on cans and round bottles as compared to the Looky and Optelec Compact Plus. Comparing the QuickLook Zoom with the Enhanced Vision Amigo, we found the QuickLook Zoom to provide similar levels of magnification at an affordable price. However, the brightness and contrast of the image on the QuickLook was not as sharp as the Amigo. Overall, we feel the QuickLook Zoom is an excellent choice for those who need a wide range of magnification in a portable device that can be easily carried in a purse or in a jacket pocket. MSRP: $795

Clarity Rio

In 2008, Clarity has released the portable Clarity Rio. The Rio has a 7-inch diagonal screen and a 5-hour battery life for extensive use. The Rio produces high levels of magnification and is capable of displaying images in color, white letters on a black background, black letters on a white background, yellow letters on a blue background, and black letters on a yellow background.

The Rio can be used in two primary ways. First, the Rio can be placed directly on a page and the screen swiveled upward to be positioned similar to a computer monitor. A second way that the Rio can be used is by placing the mouse camera directly on the reading text This feature can allow users to place the camera on the top shelves at the grocery store or library to read items on the top shelf or when looking into file cabinets. The Rio weights less than 1.5 pounds and the screen is well protected when the Rio is folded similar to a clamshell.

We found the Rio to produce a sharp image and were very easy to carry. The Rio rolled along the page of reading materials smoothly and the mouse camera attachment was very handy when trying to read items in awkward places, such as files in our filing cabinets. We wish that the Rio had a larger field of view with less magnification. The Rio starts at 10X and many patients may not require this much magnification. We also wish that the screen of the Rio could be tilted to a larger extend. We found the screen to be too upright for comfortable reading, forcing us to lean forward to get closer to the desk to view the screen. This may be problematic for taller adults and students. We at a price of $1595, the Rio may be very helpful for people with moderate or severe low vision who require more than 10X magnification.

Enhanced Vision Amigo

The Amigo has not been modified or altered in 2008. The Amigo continues to be one of the more popular portable video magnifiers with a 6-inch diagonal screen. The Amigo produces a very sharp and bright image in color as well as multiple color combinations to change the colors of the background and text. The Amigo has a wide range of magnification ranging from 3X to 14X, allowing users to have a larger field of view. This is very helpful when reading various size print.

The Screen of the Amigo produces a brilliant image, arguably the best image of all portable video magnifiers. The screen of the Amigo tilts, providing users of all heights a comfortable angle to view the screen. The Amigo can also be connected to a television screen to provide a larger viewing area when reading at home.

The Amigo works by simply placing the Amigo on top of the paper or text. The camera is located directly under the center of the screen, making it easy to read newspapers, memos, and other documents. The Amigo also comes with a writing stand that elevates the Amigo to allow users to place a pen under the camera.

We have found the Amigo to be a very popular video magnifier. It comes with two batteries, allowing users up to 6 hours of use. The Amigo is about the size of a VHS videotape and is very portable for use on vacations, in the classroom, or at the library. However the Amigo is not small enough to use for reading labels of food items at the store. MSRP: $1695

The Looky

The Looky has not been changed or modified for 2008. The Looky is a very popular portable video magnifier for those who want to perform spot reading, such as reading a menu, food label at the market, or when reading price tags. The Looky is shaped similar to a conventional magnifier with a handle. This design makes it very easy for users to take the Looky with them everywhere they go.

The Looky has a 3-inch color screen and has a battery life of 1.5 hours of continuous use. The Looky can be quickly recharged but can also run on ordinary alkaline AA batteries. The camera of the Looky is directly in the center for the back for the screen, making it very easy for users to focus on what they want to read. Users can change the magnification from 3X to 9X by adjusting the distance between the Looky and the reading material.

We have found the Looky to be one of the most popular portable video magnifiers since it was originally released. The Looky produces a sharp and clear image and is the most portable video magnifier we have used. The Looky is an excellent choice for those who want to perform short reading tasks, such as reading receipts, food label, price tag, and a menu. We also like the manner that the handle of the Looky can be flipped to make signing checks very easy. We wish the battery life of the Looky were longer like the Optelec Compact Plus. We also wish the Looky had a magnification control button so that users could change the magnification without having to hold the Looky at a specific distance from the text. MSRP: $640

Optelec Compact Plus

The Optelec Compact Plus was released in 2007 and has been a very popular portable video magnifier. The Compact incorporates many of the best features of many portable video magnifiers. Similar to the Looky, the Compact has a handle to make it easy to use at stores, restaurants, and at the office. The Compact has a 3.5-inch LCD screen, multiple color selections to change the color of the background and text, a freeze frame feature to take an image of the screen, and it also has variable magnification ranging from 5X, 7X, and 10X.

The Compact produces a very sharp image and has very vivid colors. It runs on rechargeable batteries but can also be powered by AA alkaline batteries for duration of 3 hours of constant use. The Compact Plus has a single button that controls both the magnification and the contrast, making the Compact Plus very easy to use. Also has.

We have found the Compact to be an excellent portable video magnifier. It has many features of other portable video magnifiers. Similar to the Looky, the Compact Plus has a handle, making it very useful when shopping. Like theEnhanced Vision Amigo, the Compact Plus can be placed directly on the paper and the magnification can be adjusted with a turn of a button. We appreciated the folding handle to hold the Compact similar to a hand magnifier. We wish the handle were a bit wider and that the Compact Plus were a little lighter in weight. We were very impressed with the quality of the image. The text was sharp and bright. We feel the Compact Plus is an excellent choice for anyone who needs between 4x to 10x magnification. We preferred the adjustable magnification of the Compact Plus over the Looky but the Compact Plus was also heavier and more difficult to hold. MSRP: $795