Opticron IS60+HDF Zoom vs Nikon ED52+Zoom (1 Viewer)

Hi there,

I'm in the market for a lightweight scope to take backpacking in India next month and have narrowed my choice down to the two above. I'm going to try both combinations out at my local stockist but I was wondering if any of the scope cognoscenti on BF might have an opinion on which would be best or why to part with an extra £200+ for the Nikon. I guess the Nikon must have superior optics but is it worth paying that much more than the IS60 with the reputedly excellent HDF eyepiece?

Also which scope is likely to be better for primitive digiscoping: the Opticron with the bigger objective or the Nikon with its ED glass? I could also try the Mighty Midget 2 but I wondered if the image would match the IS60 with its bigger lens.

Many questions asked so many thanks in advance for all advice proferred...

DB

Well the Nikon is waterproof and Nitogen filled and has ED glass whether its worth the extra.........

dombates said:

Also which scope is likely to be better for primitive digiscoping: the Opticron with the bigger objective or the Nikon with its ED glass? I could also try the Mighty Midget 2 but I wondered if the image would match the IS60 with its bigger lens.

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I'd guess that the Nikon will be better for digiscoping as it is ED glass... I've yet to look through the new Nikon (not seen one yet), but am not convinced that it would be worth the extra money.

When you do look at them check out the new Opticron IS zoon eyepeice, it feature a twist-up eyecup and a wider field of view than the original IS zoom (close to the HDF in spec) and is just £99. This would make the Opticron set up half the price of the Nikon which is a big plus.

Hi DB,I use the IS60/HDF Zoom combo when out and about on my ATB. Wonderfully light and amazingly bright its a real bargain.Although I have no exp of the new IS Zoom the original is not a patch on the HDF. A friend uses an Imagic 80 with the HR Zoom and excluding Dusk we both agree that the IS60/HDF offers comparative brightness up to about 35x with a much more comfortable "walk in" image.Excellent resolution for the money.Sadly not W/p and the soc though effective adds to the cost.

chrisgarner said:

Hi DB,I use the IS60/HDF Zoom combo when out and about on my ATB. Wonderfully light and amazingly bright its a real bargain.Although I have no exp of the new IS Zoom the original is not a patch on the HDF. A friend uses an Imagic 80 with the HR Zoom and excluding Dusk we both agree that the IS60/HDF offers comparative brightness up to about 35x with a much more comfortable "walk in" image.Excellent resolution for the money.Sadly not W/p and the soc though effective adds to the cost.

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I'd agree that the HDF zoom is a real stunner and is a hundred times better than the original IS zoom. However one of the biggest problems of the old IS zoom was the narrow field of view, which (on paper at least) has been sorted out in the new version. I have yet to see the new zoom 'in the flesh', but will let you know how it compares when I do.

Quick comparison of the three Opticron zooms in question...

Magnification/Fied of view/Price
Original IS - 18-54x - 31/15 - £75
New IS - 15-45x - 41/26 - £99
HDF - 15-45x - 46/14 - £179

Thanks for all the advice. It seems the Nikon scope isn't yet available so I may end up with the Opticron in any case as I'm running out of time before I go away...

Cheers

DB

I'm told in-focus will get the Nikon next week.