Eyepiece query for ED78

[Quacker]

Hello all you ED78 users out there.

I have a question for all of you who use them, whether you digiscope or not.

Which eyepiece do you use, or have you used and would recommend for the scope.

Personally, I have the 25-75x zoom, and while I think it is the business, I have nothing else to compare it with and against. I can use it a both extremes, well and on the lower setting for scoping.

What I'd like to know is whether the wide eyepieces (MC?) are worth the cost. I knew the zoom would cover the range I wanted with the obvious trade-off. I would, however, like to try a lesser mag/wider view piece for viewing and scoping.

All comments welcome, especially from those fortunate enough to have owned and used the zoom as well as others. I have no regrets buying either scope or eyepiece, but as expected, I am now wondering what might have been.

Regards
Steve

[kabsetz]

I have had the ED 78 A for many years, and have owned (in order of acquisition) the 38x, 50x and 75x wides (non-MC, rubber eyecup) and the first-generation 25-75x MC zoom (the one with a twistable locking ring and wide zoom ring). After getting the zoom, I pretty much stopped using the others, and subsequently sold the 50 and 75x models. The 38x I have used occasionally, but all in all very little. It all depends on what you want, but for me the versatility of the zoom outweighs the narrow fields. I simply end up using high magnifications so often that always having to switch eyepieces when I wonder whether I would see something at 50-75x that I cannot make out at 38x is too much of a hassle and takes too much time. That said, I feel that sometimes the 30x wide could be very nice, especially in raptor migration watching when there is heat haze in the air.

With Nikon eyepieces, contrary to what some say, the 25-75x zoom is just as sharp, and, if anything, even brighter than their wideangles. This is because Nikon - unlike other top brands - uses a zoom design with fewer, not more, lens elements than their wide-angles (with the exception of the 30x, which might be slightly brighter, although I haven't tested it thoroughly). In any case, the top-range zooms nowadays have such good light transmission, contrast and sharpness that any shortcomings in the image (except for field of view, where wideangles still reign supreme) are caused by the scope optics, not the eyepiece. Wide-angles also have better eye-relief, if that is important to you.

In summary, I think you already have the best eyepiece for the scope, and if you want an icing on your cake or plan to digiscope much, get the 30x Wide DS as your second eyepiece.

Hope this helps.

Kimmo

[Swissboy]

This is because Nikon - unlike other top brands - uses a zoom design with fewer, not more, lens elements than their wide-angles .....Kimmo

Kimmo,
it's this additional info you can provide, that always makes your contributions special for me. It's great to get some insights into WHY something is the way it is. Thanks for participating here!

[william j clive]

At one time or another, I have owned every eyepiece Nikon has ever made for its fieldscopes, and still have most of them. I have been using the 78ED since its introduction and now have my second one, having taken advantage of the clearance price to obtain a new one. The MC2 zoom is, to my eye, the best eyepiece Nikon has ever made. It is supremely sharp and contrasty. I now use it almost exclusively. I also carry the 30x and 50x primarily for sea watching. The 25x is excellent for digiscoping. The only way to complete satisfaction is to buy them all!

[scampo]

Hello all you ED78 users out there.

I have a question for all of you who use them, whether you digiscope or not.

Which eyepiece do you use, or have you used and would recommend for the scope.

Personally, I have the 25-75x zoom, and while I think it is the business, I have nothing else to compare it with and against. I can use it a both extremes, well and on the lower setting for scoping.

What I'd like to know is whether the wide eyepieces (MC?) are worth the cost. I knew the zoom would cover the range I wanted with the obvious trade-off. I would, however, like to try a lesser mag/wider view piece for viewing and scoping.

All comments welcome, especially from those fortunate enough to have owned and used the zoom as well as others. I have no regrets buying either scope or eyepiece, but as expected, I am now wondering what might have been.

Regards
Steve
My son has the same eyepiece as you and the 30x fixed (which is a truly superb eyepiece). For digiscoping, we have found that the zoom eyepiece, set at 25x is probably best.

[Quacker]

At one time or another, I have owned every eyepiece...

The 25x is excellent for digiscoping. The only way to complete satisfaction is to buy them all!

Thanks William!

Just the type of response I was dreading! I intended not to spend more on eyepices than the scope lol. Thanks for the other info Kabsetz and Scampo. As I mentioned, I'm very happy with the zoom but just curious.

I do use the 25x end for digiscoping as you said Steve, and you have all more or less convinced me the 30xW will be a good bet.
Once I get the opportunity, whenever or however that may be, I will try out the 30xW directly against the 30x setting on the zoom - I reckon that will be the way I get my answer and decide whether the difference is worthwhile (or perhaps more accurately, the cost worthwhile).

I always maintained I liked the zoom - I did so much research before, during and after the purchase and read somewhere how zooms are now much better than what they were and no longer a gimmick- I also trusted Nikon with lens reputation of course.

Steve

[Tim Allwood]

the 30 x wide MC is amazing

it's all i use on this scope

great field and resolution

and you don't get the 'looking down a tube' Zoom effect either.

Tim

[Steve999]

In total agreement with Tim.

I've had my ED78A for several years now and always use my 30xW which has the rubber eyecup. I could go into raptures about the all round performance but suffice to say that it is totally satisfying.

My wife has the same eyepiece on her ED111A but a later version with the hard slide-up eyecup.

I have swapped the pieces from one scope to the other to compare and if anything, the older model eyepiece is (to my eye) marginally superior in detail and contrast. Of course, that may just be on those particular pieces but having said that, a s/h older model would definitely be worth a look when they occasionally come up for sale.

Steve

[scampo]

The new MCII is waterproof and is supposed to have less flare - not that I've ever seen flare with a Nikon scope. It is a stunning eyepiece, absolutely ideal for birding.

[healeyfels]

I've recently bought a ED78mm and it came with the older type 38mm eyepiece with rubber hood, I'd like to upgrade to one of the new MC lenses but not sure what I'd get for my old eyepiece.....anyone any experience of selling a lens?
Richard

[Quacker]

I've recently bought a ED78mm and it came with the older type 38mm eyepiece with rubber hood, I'd like to upgrade to one of the new MC lenses but not sure what I'd get for my old eyepiece.....anyone any experience of selling a lens?
Richard

Welcome to BF Healeyfels (it's addictive)

Just out of interest, did you get this from Warehouse Expresss because I got the MC eyepiece when I bought mine last year? - I'd assumed at £189 that's all they were selling, unless of course you knew you were paying for a non-MC.

Steve

[healeyfels]

No I bought my ED78mm(A) 2nd-hand on Ebay, I was about to get one from WE when I saw it and managed to get it for £360 with the 38mm eyepiece, it's in fantastic condition so v pleased!

Just need to sort out a case for it now which of course seems to be one of the harder tasks known to mankind!
Richard

[bill lord]

No I bought my ED78mm(A) 2nd-hand on Ebay, I was about to get one from WE when I saw it and managed to get it for £360 with the 38mm eyepiece, it's in fantastic condition so v pleased!

Just need to sort out a case for it now which of course seems to be one of the harder tasks known to mankind!
Richard

Opticron Imagic 80 SOC fits well. See picture below.

[MCracknell]

Opticron Imagic 80 SOC fits well. See picture below.
Agreed its a very good fit, does hamper slightly access to the focusing ring (as you can see from Bill's photo) particularly on a cold day if you wear gloves as you need to use your fingertips to do the focusing. But you soon get used to it and its a whole lot better than having no case at all.
I have the old rubber cup 38xW eyepiece and am very happy with it, made my first forays into digiscoping recently and the results with my eyepiece are good, although a friend does have excellent results using the zoom also. I guess if money was no object you could buy every eyepiece they make but I would wager that most users have one favourite they use 95pct of the time.

[pes]

My son has the same eyepiece as you and the 30x fixed (which is a truly superb eyepiece). For digiscoping, we have found that the zoom eyepiece, set at 25x is probably best.

I have the same eyepieces (25-75x MC II and 30x DS), and I prefer the fixed than the zoom for digiscoping, because vignetting remains annoying with the zoom even at its minimum magnification (with CP4500 and CP7900).