Digiscoping with Nikon ED50 which eyepieces are suitable (1 Viewer)

[mcepjg]

I have a Canon A590IS and am thinking of buying an Nikon ED50 for digiscoping and general use. I realise the best eyepiece for digiscoping would be the 16x DS but how do the others perform?

My understanding is that the DS (digiscoping) range of eyepieces are designed for digiscoping (particularly with Nikon cameras) and therefore do not have the twist-up eyecups and require fewer adapters to attach them to the Nikon cameras than the MC range of eyepieces. Do these eyepieces offer any advantages for use with non-nikon cameras?

Are the MC range of eyepieces also suitable for digiscoping (albeit not using Nikon Adapters).

Optically how does the MC 27x compare with the DS 27x?

and is the 13-40 MCII zoom suitable for digiscoping (I hear it is darker and has a smaller FOV than the fixed eps)?

I want to know if one eyepiece (13-40) will fulfil my needs or whether I will need 2.

If I need 2 will it be the DS27 plus DS16 or will it be the MC27 plus DS16?

How does the brighter 27x MC compare with the zoom at 40x when IDing distant birds?

Cheers

Pete

 

[mcepjg]

Since starting this thread I have done a lot of research. It turns out that there are users that use the MC20 eyepiece successfully for digiscoping.
Whilst its not designed for digiscoping like the DS eyepieces and there for is not very compatible with the Nikon Digiscoping system (extra connectors are needed, this does not appeal to me as I have a canon anyway) it can be used with a universal adapter (my favourite so far is the SRB griturn, as I have heard the Olivon adapter needs modifications before it fits this piece of kit, the SRB adapter is a swing adapter which I think would be best for my camera as the LCD screen isn't very high resolution so this type would be convenient for focusing the zoom before fine tuning, srb griturn also do remote shutter releases).

Since british conditions are rarely very bright it would be an excellent eyepiece for dull days & digiscoping perhaps complemented with a 27x (I don't know whether DS or MC is better) for use on brighter days and for better IDing. However if I was to choose only one eyepiece and wanted to dabble at digiscoping this is the one I would try as the Zoom has only a small FOV. Hope this helps anyone who is interested if anyone is.

 

[Jason Bugay Reyes]

Hio Pete,

I'm using the SRB-Griturn universal adapter on my ED50 and DS16x with Fujifilm F31D camera. So far so good except when I shoot in dark area (rainforest) it tend to show noise on my default ISO 400.

With good lights around, I don't see any noise. But with my ED82 and DS30x eyepiece on ISO 400 in the rainforest, noise is not visible hahaha.

 

[mcepjg]

I've had a look at your photo's and videos they are very good, looks like there are many more species of birds in malaysia/borneo than the UK looks like a great place to live.

Sounds like the DS16 is a good eyepiece for digiscoping (especially if you've got an ED80) I was wondering have you tried any of the other eyepieces?

 

[Jason Bugay Reyes]

I've had a look at your photo's and videos they are very good, looks like there are many more species of birds in malaysia/borneo than the UK looks like a great place to live.

Sounds like the DS16 is a good eyepiece for digiscoping (especially if you've got an ED80) I was wondering have you tried any of the other eyepieces?

Thanks Pete :king: and I have used the DS27x and 13-40x MC II zoom eyepiece.

The DS27x is good for normal viewing n digiscoping in opena area but not great for my eyes when I used it in the forest, quite dim and for digiscoping, I need to raised the ISO to 800 and only got 2/1000 shutter speed which is too slow.

So my default eyepiece for ED50 is the zoom eyepiece and it is flexible for me while leading birding groups in the forest. I need to get another digiscoping adapter to suit this zoom eyepiece, therefore I can leave the DS30x on my ED82.

But when I used zoom eyepiece for digiscoping while hand holding my camera, there is a vignetting on 13x but disappeared on 25x.

 

[RJM]

I am taking an alpine lake birding tour on the 24th in search of the Crested Kingfisher and it will require ~12km hike around the lake. We have been told there is not room in the minibus transport for much gear so I am leaving my big Kowa kit behind and taking my ED50. I foolishly sold my DS16x so did not think I could digiscope with the MCII zoom on the ED50 but was happy to see my Panny FX150's lens fits perfectly within the zoom's eyecup. Took it out today for a test run to see how handholding works and I was quite suprised with the result given the gusty winds! Didn't think decent pics would be possible with the short eyerelief of the zoom but vignetting went away easily. I'm encouraged!

All taken between 25-40m distance.

 

[NoSpringChicken]

When I used to digiscope with the ED50 I found that the zoom worked well at the 13x end, although I had to zoom in the camera a bit to get rid of vignetting. There were no vignetting problems at all with the 20x and I found it to be an excellent choice for digiscoping and general viewing use. It is still my preferred eyepiece over the zoom, although I still have both.

Ron

 

[mcepjg]

Thanks for the comments they are very helpful and from what you've said it's encouraging to know that decent digiscoping results can be achieved by all the eyepieces (although with the 27x very bright conditions are necessary).

RJM Those are good results with the zoom lens and the hand held camera, I worried the zoom lense would be too dark to get shots like those but evidently it is also very good.

At the moment I could only afford one eyepiece and I'm unsure what to get.

I've got a feeling that the best combination of two eyepieces overall would be one of the 27x eyepieces (for day to day birding) and a 16x eyepiece (for scanning for birds before swapping lenses to the 27x, digiscoping and for use on dim days). However the 20x and zoom probably offer the best compromise (not as bright as the 16x for digiscoping, not as good as the 27x for id'ing but capable for both).

Horukuru, have you tried the 27x DS against the 27x MC? why did you pick the 27x DS rather than the 27x MC? is the MC any better optically? is the MC suitable for digiscoping?

Thanks aagin for your helpful comments, Pete

 

[RJM]

The MC fixed magnification eyepieces are in short supply for some reason. The DS eyepieces should share the same basic optical formula, the only difference being the housing around the eyelens. The DS are broad/flat and without eyecups to accommodate a camera adapter. I prefer the twist-up eyecups of the MC.

Changing eyepieces on these Nikon fieldscopes is not fast nor easy. You will have VERY LIMITED success in the field trying to digiscope this way. Now that I see it is possible to digiscope with the MCII zoom IF your camera lens can fit inside the eyecup, then there really is no compelling reason not to choose it over the fixed magnification lenses for you first eyepiece.

cheers,
Rick

 

[Jason Bugay Reyes]

Well said RJM

 

[mcepjg]

Just wanted to say thanks very much for your comments, they have all been really useful. Since I have seen a good deal on the zoom eyepiece I will certainly start with that. Ron I took your advice about your preference for the 20X into account, but the deal on the zoom EP meant I wouldn't feel so guilty about buying a scope . I hope to try digiscoping with this if not it will do for the time being, and will be very useable for birding.

One last question, Horukuru have you use the SRB griturn adapter with the zoom lens? would you recommend it?

Or does anyone have any comments on adapters they would recommend for zoom eyepieces.

Thanks again, I will let you know how I get on,

Pete

 

[Jason Bugay Reyes]

Just wanted to say thanks very much for your comments, they have all been really useful. Since I have seen a good deal on the zoom eyepiece I will certainly start with that. Ron I took your advice about your preference for the 20X into account, but the deal on the zoom EP meant I wouldn't feel so guilty about buying a scope . I hope to try digiscoping with this if not it will do for the time being, and will be very useable for birding.

One last question, Horukuru have you use the SRB griturn adapter with the zoom lens? would you recommend it?

Or does anyone have any comments on adapters they would recommend for zoom eyepieces.

Thanks again, I will let you know how I get on,

Pete

Unfortunately I haven't got the adapter from SRB-Griturn for my zoom eyepiece. Maybe someone could share with us about this adapter

 

[RJM]

There is no suitable commercial adapter. You will have to create your own. To use the zoom with its short eyerelief requires the camera lens to fit inside the eyecup and up against the eyelens. Even if it sits 1-2mm above the eyelens, vignetting will increase dramitically. If you can master a handholding technique you may not even need an adapter. That's actually a good thing since it keeps the scope small and light, easy to balance on minimal support. Afterall, that is the primary reason for buying it!

Also important to choose a camera with 35mm-105mm focal length lens. You go a little wider, say 28mm, but no longer than 105mm.

Rick

 

[Kevin Conville]

If you can master a handholding technique you may not even need an adapter. That's actually a good thing since it keeps the scope small and light, easy to balance on minimal support.

Pete,
What Rick mentions was essentially what I was doing after some other failed attempts using a small variety of setups. I started getting OK results and decided what I needed was a ring to hold the lens centered and at the right distance. It has the bonus of converting from visual to digiscoping very quickly and the extra hardware is easy to tote along.
http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=138637

I also recently started using the same setup on an ED82 with OK results:
http://www.birdforum.net/gallery/showgallery.php/ppuser/63161/cat/500

I'm sure the same type ring can be made to fit the outside diameter of the rubber sliding cup of the MC EPs. There are many different ways to go about this stuff I've found.

 

[mcepjg]

Nikon MCII eyepieces?

well the good news is... the camera fits inside the eyepiece. but I'm confused, are there more than one Nikon MCII zoom eyepieces. See the attached photo's these are clearly different. But both are the MCII 13-40 zoom eyepiece part number 7467, aren't they????

 

[Jason Bugay Reyes]

Pete,

What I know, the first eyepiece is an old one with marking of ED78 on it. The second eyepiece is the MC II with marking of 13-40/20-60/25-75x for ED50, EDIII and ED82.

 

[NoSpringChicken]

well the good news is... the camera fits inside the eyepiece. but I'm confused, are there more than one Nikon MCII zoom eyepieces. See the attached photo's these are clearly different. But both are the MCII 13-40 zoom eyepiece part number 7467, aren't they????

I can't believe how complicated Nikon have made this! My 13-40 MC II zoom looks like the left hand image and, as far as I know, it is the latest version. I have no idea what the right hand image represents.

I don't know if this link is any help:
http://www.nikon.com/products/sportoptics/lineup/scopes/mc/index.htm

Ron

 

[Jason Bugay Reyes]

Ron,

I think when the ED82 was released by Nikon, they updated the current zoom eyepiece casing by putting the 13-40/20-60/25-75x for ED50, EDIII and ED82

But when used on ED78, the power remained the same

 

[NoSpringChicken]

Hi Horu,

I think I got a bit confused by your previous post:
"What I know, the first eyepiece is an old one with marking of ED78 on it. The second eyepiece is the MC II with marking of 13-40/20-60/25-75x for ED50, EDIII and ED82."

When you referred to 'first eyepiece' I thought you meant the image on the left and when you referred to the 'second eyepiece' I thought you were talking about the one on the right. Do you agree that the left hand image is the latest version?

Ron

 

[Kevin Conville]

Well I'm certainly at a loss Pete. The 13-40/20-60/25-75x I have looks like the one on the left, with the longer body and narrower band of knurling. Now I'm curious.