Does the Fieldscope ED III get overlooked? (1 Viewer)

NoSpringChicken · Nov 20, 2007

I have read some great reviews of the ED III and it appears to have a lot going for it but I get the impression that it often gets overlooked in favour of the ED50 and ED82.

Is it because it is slightly redundant with these two alternatives or is the price a little too close to the ED82? Or have I got it wrong and there are hundreds of delighted owners on this forum using them without making a fuss about it?

The ED III looks a bit more rugged than the ED50 to me and, presumably, is a little brighter but it is considerably lighter than the ED82 so it should have its niche place in the market.

So, would anyone care to tell me how great they are and also whether they use one for digiscoping. Some sample photos taken through one would be great.

Ron

postcardcv · Nov 20, 2007

NoSpringChicken said:
Is it because it is slightly redundant with these two alternatives or is the price a little too close to the ED82? Or have I got it wrong and there are hundreds of delighted owners on this forum using them without making a fuss about it?

I think that's the answer - with the ED82 being so heavily discounted recently the two scopes are very close in price. The ED III is a better scope than the ED50, but at more than twice the price (and much heavier) it really isn't a fair comparision.

NoSpringChicken · Nov 20, 2007

postcardcv said:
I think that's the answer - with the ED82 being so heavily discounted recently the two scopes are very close in price. The ED III is a better scope than the ED50, but at more than twice the price (and much heavier) it really isn't a fair comparision.

The ED82 does look a bit of a bargain at the moment, although it is hard to make direct comparisons as some places charge more for the angled versions than the straight ones and it seems as if the ED III price normally includes a stay on case.

I read one review which said that the ED III is a bit back heavy which could make digiscoping difficult. The ED50 is quite good in this respect.

Ron

postcardcv · Nov 20, 2007

NoSpringChicken said:
The ED82 does look a bit of a bargain at the moment, although it is hard to make direct comparisons as some places charge more for the angled versions than the straight ones and it seems as if the ED III price normally includes a stay on case.

I read one review which said that the ED III is a bit back heavy which could make digiscoping difficult. The ED50 is quite good in this respect.

Ron

Nikon's RRP is different for the angled and straight versions of this scope, so this is often reflected in retailers pricing. Indeed the ED III does comes supplied with a case, but even if you buy one for the ED82 it would only work out ~£100 more then the ED III.

The ED III is said to be back heavy and the ED82 is said to be front heavy, with a decent tripod neither is a real issue. I agree that the ED82 is excellent value at the moment, anyone buying a big scope should give it very serious consideration.

Jason Bugay Reyes · Nov 20, 2007

lets buy ED82, EDIII and ED50 so can have complete set of the best nikon fieldascopes hahaha

scampo · Nov 20, 2007

The EDIII is a super scope and matched with the 30x wide it's outstanding.

dogfish · Nov 20, 2007

The build quality of the EDIII (made in Japan) is also first rate (though the price is a heavy scope for its size, at least in the angled version). The ED50 (made in China) is not in the same class in terms of build quality, though optically excellent. for its size and price. The tripod screw assembly on the ED50 has broken on several models, including mine. There is a thread to this effect on this forum.
I'd agree with Steve on the EDIII's excellence, and the choice of eyepiece.
|
Sean

NoSpringChicken · Nov 20, 2007

dogfish said:
The tripod screw assembly on the ED50 has broken on several models, including mine. There is a thread to this effect on this forum.

I check the thread on mine every time I unscrew it and so far so good. I usually leave the quick release plate attached all the time to avoid having to tighten the screw too often and very rarely carry the scope on the tripod. I have a Cley Spy stay on case and carry it over my shoulder as it only takes a few seconds to attach it to the tripod.

Ron

scampo · Nov 20, 2007

I have my ED50 in a CleySpy stay-on case now and, well, it is a super scope. I was using it this morning in dull weather doing a bird count using the zoom and it did everything and more that I wanted. I would certainly consider the EDIII as it is a work horse of a scope that will give sterling service for years but the ED50 is truly a wonder for its weight and size. It gives up very little indeed to the larger scopes optically.

joannec · Nov 20, 2007

NoSpringChicken said:
I have read some great reviews of the ED III and it appears to have a lot going for it but I get the impression that it often gets overlooked in favour of the ED50 and ED82.

Ron

postcardcv said:
The ED III is said to be back heavy and the ED82 is said to be front heavy, with a decent tripod neither is a real issue. .

I'm interested in this thread Ron because I have in the past week, bought an ED III. After hours of thought about upgrading my Mighty Midget 2 and even more hours research on BF and on internet retail sites, I went to an optics day on Sunday and took everyones perennial advice to try various scopes "side by side". The ED III looked great in the field on a dull day; bright, clear and easy to use. I went thinking I would opt for the ED50 but it didn't cut it in the dull conditions. The ED III is twice as heavy as the ED50 but still less weight than the others in its class. I also felt I would be duplicating my Mighty Midget with the ED50. Being female I just didn't want a heavy cumbersome scope that would probably end up staying at home...no point in that!

Not worried about the back heaviness; Peter you know I have a decent tripod

. This is probably the last scope I will buy, it was hugely expensive so tell me we've made the right decision. LOL It is a 30th wedding anniversary present to my husband and myself and hopefully will us give long service.

We decided on the 20-60 zoom eyepiece, maybe not the best choice in light of some earlier posts on this thread. The salesman was pushing the 27X eyepiece(or was it 30x, can't remember) but I like a zoom....like the way you can find a bird, then zoom in on it.

Joanne

scampo · Nov 20, 2007

The zoom's really great on the EDIII so no problems there. If you want, in the future, to have a different experience, buy the 30xW (I think that's right - 38x on the ED82): it's a wonder of an eyepiece with a very real wow factor!

postcardcv · Nov 20, 2007

joannechattaway said:
This is probably the last scope I will buy, it was hugely expensive so tell me we've made the right decision. LOL It is a 30th wedding anniversary present to my husband and myself and hopefully will us give long service.

We decided on the 20-60 zoom eyepiece, maybe not the best choice in light of some earlier posts on this thread. The salesman was pushing the 27X eyepiece(or was it 30x, can't remember) but I like a zoom....like the way you can find a bird, then zoom in on it.

No worries there Joanne, it's an excellent scope and will give you many years pleasure (no reason you shouldn't still be using when you get to your golden wedding anniversary). I know that a lot is talked about fixed eyepeices and they may well have an optical edge, but like you I prefer a zoom. The zoom on the Nikon works well and will remain sharp even at 60x. It's a great scope and a wise choice, I know you'll get a lot of enjoyment from using it.

Edward woodwood · Nov 20, 2007

EDIII is a top class scope, as good as anything available, and portable too

that's it for me really.

NoSpringChicken · Nov 20, 2007

You've done exactly the right thing, Joanne. All three are excellent scopes. You have tried them all and picked the one which suits your needs best with the eyepiece which you liked the most. That is completely the right way to go about things.

I bought the ED50 largely because I couldn't afford either of the others but the ED82 is a bit heavier than I would like anyway. The ED III really appeals to me for its superior robustness over the ED50. It should serve you well for many years to come.

Ron

Dave B Smith · Nov 21, 2007

I've had an ED III 60 for about 4 years now and love it. I have both the 20X60 zoom and the 30X WA eyepieces. I prefer the 30X and my wife prefers the zoom so there you have it - both great eyepieces.

For some sample digiscoped pictures you can check out my gallery. If digiscoping was very important to you the 82 mm would probably be worthwhile, if weight is important the ED III is the way to go.

Alexis Powell · Nov 21, 2007

As others have said, the EDIII is a superbly robust scope compared to the 50 ED. I'd pick it over the ED50 for everything other than ultralight travel, but the nearly identical price of the 82 ED is hard to ignore. For digiscoping, you can use all the light you can get, so I'd go with the 82 in that case.

--AP

joannec · Nov 24, 2007

Dave B Smith said:
For some sample digiscoped pictures you can check out my gallery. If digiscoping was very important to you the 82 mm would probably be worthwhile, if weight is important the ED III is the way to go.

Nice pictures Dave.

I've been dying to get out all week with the new ED III but work and bad weather prevented it until yesterday afternoon. The scope really is a dream. I went to the coast, sheltered from the north wind by the Sussex cliffs and spent a happy few hours seawatching.....really excellent image. There were oystercatchers on the beach at low tide prizing up the mussels. With the zoom on maximum I felt like I was right among them; it felt really intimate. Then I went up on the cliffs, found a male black redstart and had a similar close encounter with him. So ....very pleased so far with the new scope and so far not too heavy for me.

Thanks for comments about the various eyepieces people.

Joanne

jimb · Nov 24, 2007

I bought the ED III last year with the 30x WA eyepiece (thanks to a generous long-service award from my employer !) to replace my old Kowa TS2 and I have been really pleased with it. I decided to opt for this one instead of the ED82 due to the weight and the fact that I would have limited time for digiscoping. As mentioned previously, the 30x WA is outstanding and is great for seawatching. Hoping to soon be the owner of a 20-60 zoom as there are times when a zoom would be really handy.
Thoroughly enjoy reading the comments on this forum.
Good watching,
Jim

snarbles · Dec 2, 2007

What about the TF3? Seems this is a very overlooked Nikon Fieldscope model and can be had with zoom on some sights for around $800. I'm looking into this model heavily and it's more compact than the Fieldscope III. Only thing is that it only comes in straight versions.

Alexis Powell · Dec 2, 2007

snarbles said:
What about the TF3? Seems this is a very overlooked Nikon Fieldscope model and can be had with zoom on some sights for around $800. I'm looking into this model heavily and it's more compact than the Fieldscope III. Only thing is that it only comes in straight versions.

The TF3 is identical to the Fieldscope III ED except for the color.
--AP

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