Been trying out MM4 60 and SDL v2 (1 Viewer)

[Boogieshrew]

Hi all,

I was using a secondhand MM4 with SDL v2 for several hours at the weekend. I also used the HDF 40809 and 40810.

I have to say I am very impressed.
I have owned many scopes, including several top notch ones over the years, including Swaro ATS65, Nikon ED78, and for the last couple of years a Nikon EDG 65.
Now I,m not going to say that the MM4 competes optically with any of these. I have deliberately not directly compared it with my EDG65 (yet) but the fact is it beats all of the other scopes because I can carry it comfortably all day.

What I am particularly pleased about is that I used it on very overcast days and did not feel it was lacking in light gathering at all. In fact the SDL zoom is fantastic, even at the max 45x mag on a very gloomy day. I find it easier to use with my glasses on than the HDF zoom.

For me it is a keeper and my new go to scope.
I will keep the EDG65 for the sheer joy of the image it provides with its fixed e/ps but it is related to car use only.

👍👍👍

 

[MartinH80]

I too recently got a 2nd hand MM4 60 and am similarly impressed - it's just so easy to take out and about. I have the HDF zoom which seems pretty good although obviously significantly dimmer at the highest mag. Did you notice any appreciable difference optically between the HDF zoom and the SDL?

 

[Derbyfella]

I too recently got a 2nd hand MM4 60 and am similarly impressed - it's just so easy to take out and about. I have the HDF zoom which seems pretty good although obviously significantly dimmer at the highest mag. Did you notice any appreciable difference optically between the HDF zoom and the SDL?

I have to say I have a lovely first scope in a celestron 100f-Ed that stands In the spare room looking over fields. BUT it’s just soo heavy, generally out and about its not ideal….and I have an intermittent bad back. I need to lo9 at something a lot lighter and smaller that I can just whip out….as it were….
also as I haven’t compar3d the celestron with anything else directly it’s difficult to call. I will say I was impressed with the mm4 when I viewed one at Titchwell

 

[Boogieshrew]

I too recently got a 2nd hand MM4 60 and am similarly impressed - it's just so easy to take out and about. I have the HDF zoom which seems pretty good although obviously significantly dimmer at the highest mag. Did you notice any appreciable difference optically between the HDF zoom and the SDL?

I haven't done a proper comparison yet. Only the very briefest one that only really told me that the SDL was more comfortable to my eye. It is easier to see the full fov with it.
I will compare more at the weekend.

Others here have reported that they find no difference.

 

[Boogieshrew]

I have to say I have a lovely first scope in a celestron 100f-Ed that stands In the spare room looking over fields. BUT it’s just soo heavy, generally out and about its not ideal….and I have an intermittent bad back. I need to lo9 at something a lot lighter and smaller that I can just whip out….as it were….
also as I haven’t compar3d the celestron with anything else directly it’s difficult to call. I will say I was impressed with the mm4 when I viewed one at Titchwell

Yes the MM4 does punch well above its weight (pun intended😃)

 

[Owene]

It’s a great scope. I especially liked that you could easily put it and a light tripod in a regular small backpack. I had two scopes when I had one and I barely took the other, larger ‘better’ one out at all

 

[Ratal]

MM4 50 ED SDL V2 user here.

Small, light, sharp. And light. Superbly light.

 

[Boogieshrew]

It’s a great scope. I especially liked that you could easily put it and a light tripod in a regular small backpack. I had two scopes when I had one and I barely took the other, larger ‘better’ one out at all

I suspect that is what will happen with me. Why carry another kilo?

 

[Owene]

I suspect that is what will happen with me. Why carry another kilo?

I kept the heavier scope and heavier tripod for sea watching and when I could drive right up to a spot. Any walking I took the MM

 

[Tringa45]

I see that the MM4s have a 9:1 fine/coarse focus ratio, so that if the coarse focus is suitably geared at 15x, the fine focus will be good at 45x (1/9th the depth of field).
This is a feature some other manufacturers have not got right and helical focussers can, of course, become extremely difficult to focus precisely at higher magnifications.

John

 

[Boogieshrew]

I see that the MM4s have a 9:1 fine/coarse focus ratio, so that if the coarse focus is suitably geared at 15x, the fine focus will be good at 45x (1/9th the depth of field).
This is a feature some other manufacturers have not got right and helical focussers can, of course, become extremely difficult to focus precisely at higher magnifications.

John

I hadn't thought about the reason why but I do find the MM4 easy to focus at 45x. It is something I have always struggled with on other scopes. I had assumed it was because the SDL zoom is so good but what you say has a lot to do with it I think.

 

[jring]

I hadn't thought about the reason why but I do find the MM4 easy to focus at 45x. It is something I have always struggled with on other scopes. I had assumed it was because the SDL zoom is so good but what you say has a lot to do with it I think.

Hi,

difficult to focus is usually a sign of so-so or worse optical quality of the objective. With a low aberration objective the focus tends to "pop" - you can easily discern the point of best focus while with more aberrations, you get a wide zone of least blurriness where it is impossible to decide where the image is good (because it isn't really).

So congratulations to getting a good example of MM4.

Joachim

 

[Boogieshrew]

Hi,

difficult to focus is usually a sign of so-so or worse optical quality of the objective. With a low aberration objective the focus tends to "pop" - you can easily discern the point of best focus while with more aberrations, you get a wide zone of least blurriness where it is impossible to decide where the image is good (because it isn't really).

So congratulations to getting a good example of MM4.

Joachim

Thanks Joachim. I had thought I have a good sample. I have never done a star test though.
I have had a lot of scopes over the years and only a few that I was really happy with above 30x.
My Nikon EDG 65 is good at high mag as is my Vortex Razor 65 (old model).