Magnification you can trust

Carson is the number one manufacturer of magnifiers in the USA, with optical products designed by engineers and built to a high standard.

Hands-free for close-up work

Crafters and hobbyists rely on Carson’s tabletop, neck-hanging and wearable magnifiers, so both hands stay free for sewing, knitting, model building and more.

The history of Carson

Carson Optical was founded in 1990 by Richard Cameron on Long Island, New York. He started by importing a unique digital binocular from Copitar Japan, working out of his mother’s basement and cold-calling buyers and writers until the products appeared in catalogues like The Sharper Image and Orvis, and in titles such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Popular Science.

As the business grew, it became Carson Optical and shifted from importing finished goods to designing and engineering its own products. Today the company is headquartered in Ronkonkoma, New York, with a research and development workshop, an optics lab, and a design team that turns new ideas into products crafters, students and makers can trust.

Over 30 years and more than 100 patents later, Carson is the number one manufacturer of magnifiers in the USA. Crafters, teachers, students and collectors keep coming back for optics that help them see more, work more comfortably, and keep going for longer.