Back even a couple of years ago, laser optics used to be considered extremely high tech. The most basic LED laser pointer ran something like 90 dollars, and no one got than except for the biggest geeks and people with a lot of money to throw around. Nowadays, however, things have changed quite a bit. The laser pointer has really come into its own. You can buy them at drugstores, in fact. I’ve even seen them at the counters of gas stations, selling for a few bucks a piece. Nonetheless, it might make sense to invest in a quality product. If you are a teacher, someone who has to give lectures, or anyone who finds occasion to speak in front of an audience, a good laser pointer can really help you out.
Nowadays, green laser pointers are getting more and more popular. I have done some research, but up until now I have not been able to find out why that is. My best guess is that the green light is just that much more visible. Red is kind of a tricky color. It jumps out at you, but it is hard to see exactly the position that it is in. With a green laser pointer, however, you can always tell where the dot is. It is a much brighter color, and as a result much easier to distinguish.
Although all small laser pointers might look the same, they aren’t all the same. There’s a big difference in quality between the novelty ones that people buy as toys and the professional ones. One of the biggest differences, of course, is range. Although any handheld laser pointer will be a fairly weak laser, the range can vary tremendously. Some of them are hard to distinguish at 100 feet, while other ones are clear as day at 500. As long as you are careful not to point it in anyone’s eyes, it is better to get a pointer laser that can shine further than one that can’t shine as far.
Another big difference in laser pointers is beam dispersion. What separates lasers from normal lights is how well the beams are focused. The better focused the beam, the smaller and brighter the dot. Nevertheless, to my mind small differences in beam dispersion rates don’t really make a big difference. Obviously, it is better to get a nicer laser optic tool, but for small class lasers it does not make that big a difference. It certainly isn’t worth spending another 50 dollars on.
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