Vortex Razor HD 50 : any other eyepieces? (from Vortex or other brand, Swarovski, Opticron, ...) (2 Viewers)

[mbb]

Do we know of any other eyepiece than its standard zoom-eyepiece that would fit this Vortex Razor HD 50, preferably with a wide FOV, either fixed or zoom?

Curious about small, easy-to-carry spotting scopes, I have found a lot of information about the Nikon ED50 and the different (Nikon) eyepieces that fit.
However, there is less information here about the Vortex Razor HD. I have read that it only has its standard zoom-eyepiece and that is a significant disadvantage. I first thought that this was because it had a non-removable eyepiece (like e.g. the much more expensive Kowa TSN-553), but based on the following link from Vortex, it seems the eyepiece is actually removable: VTX_RZR-50A1_HD_SS_C_XVIEW_V2.pdf
Therefor the obvious question: would any other eyepiece, from Vortex or any other brand, fit and work well with it?
I know that the first-generation Razor-HD 65/82-scopes accepted Swarovski eyepieces, just like our Kite SP-82ED/Vogelbescherming Havik 82ED does. Thus maybe this little Vortex also does?
The different eyepieces on Vortex' website are either not mentioning the HD50 or stating that it is not compatible. Still, I'm wondering if none of them would work at all, or maybe just with some (acceptable) limitation (e.g. about focus-range, or some light vignetting, or...)

 

[mbb]

I have just seen a picture of the body and the eyepiece separately (one next to the other in the original box), thus the eyepiece really seem to be removable from the body.
Does anyone know if it has some kind of standard bayonet, or one that would be compatible with other zoom or fixed eyepieces from Vortex, Kowa, Nikon, Swarovski, Opticron, ……… ?
(Being mainly interested in e.g. wide angle eyepieces.)

 

[davem]

Sorry, in a quest for an eyepiece with a twist-up eyecup (that we have been asking for ever since their introduction with the fold-down rubber version) we have tried just about every screw-thread eyepiece out there and cannot find one to fit the Razor 50. Sorry!

 

[wllmspd]

Are there any non-twist up eyepieces that can fit….?

Peter

 

[dunder]

The parts diagram you link to above, and davem’s comment suggest the eyepiece has a screw thread. If that’s the case, it may be possible to adapt threaded eyepieces from other manufacturers using an adapter ring. For this to work the eyepiece socket of the vortex scope would need to be sufficiently wider than the width of the eyepiece to allow an adapter to fit in-between (a couple of millimetres should suffice). You’d probably need to know the thread and pitch of both parts, and make the adaptor yourself (or get a machine shop or 3d printing service to do it)

There are some posts here of people who have successfully tried this method with a Nikon ED50. The advantage is that there are potentially lots of eyepieces, but the downside is there’s potentially lots of trial and error before finding a good combination.

Adapting 1.25" Astronomy Eyepieces to the Nikon ED50

Owners of the little Nikon ED50 spotting scope who want wider fields than zoom eyepieces provide and do not have a full assortment of the hard-to-find Nikon wide field fixed focal length eyepieces may want to adapt astronomy eyepieces to their scope. An excellent post suggesting this was made by...

www.birdforum.net

Let us know if you try it and how you get on!

dunder

 

[mbb]

The parts diagram you link to above, and davem’s comment suggest the eyepiece has a screw thread. If that’s the case, it may be possible to adapt threaded eyepieces from other manufacturers using an adapter ring. For this to work the eyepiece socket of the vortex scope would need to be sufficiently wider than the width of the eyepiece to allow an adapter to fit in-between (a couple of millimetres should suffice). You’d probably need to know the thread and pitch of both parts, and make the adaptor yourself (or get a machine shop or 3d printing service to do it)

There are some posts here of people who have successfully tried this method with a Nikon ED50. The advantage is that there are potentially lots of eyepieces, but the downside is there’s potentially lots of trial and error before finding a good combination.

Adapting 1.25" Astronomy Eyepieces to the Nikon ED50

Owners of the little Nikon ED50 spotting scope who want wider fields than zoom eyepieces provide and do not have a full assortment of the hard-to-find Nikon wide field fixed focal length eyepieces may want to adapt astronomy eyepieces to their scope. An excellent post suggesting this was made by...

www.birdforum.net

Let us know if you try it and how you get on!

dunder

That is interesting! Thanks!

I do not have the the Vortex nor any threaded eyepiece. Thus the route to trying this myself would be too expensive :-( If I were already the happy owner of one or the other, I migth consider it.
If anyone has a Vortex Razor HD, it would be interesting to e.g. already share what the size/diameter is of the fitting is, helping to know what eyepiece series are smaller and thus might be an option.
It’s a pity that Vortex didn’t make these small scopes with the same bayonet as the old bigger Razor, which appeared to have been compatible with the Swarovski eyepieces. Or if Swarovski were to release a compact 50mm scope… but those might become very expensive…

 

[mbb]

Or if Swarovski were to release a compact 50mm scope… but those might become very expensive…

maybe a 50 or 60mm draw tube, out of pure curiosity :-D

 

[wllmspd]

The Baader 8-24 zoom mark IV has some thread adapters for various manufacturers of spotting scopes, but Vortex isn’t one mentioned.
Peter

 

[mbb]

The Baader 8-24 zoom mark IV has some thread adapters for various manufacturers of spotting scopes, but Vortex isn’t one mentioned.
Peter

I have seen this model popping up quite often on this forum. Is it that great? (Did someone e.g.compare this to a highly regarded zoom eyepiece such as the Swarovski 25-50x, Opticron SDL v2/3 zoom, etc.?)
I’m not familiar at all with astro eyepieces etc. (I assume it has a standard astro fitting.)
Can we easily know what the magnification range and FOV would be for it on the Vortex? I cannot find the focal length of the Vortex Razor HD 50 body.

 

[mbb]

Is there seomeone with a Vortex Razor HD, who would be willing to measure with some calliper the outer diameter of the eyepiece thread?
(And/or of the inner diameter of the thread in the body where the eyepiece is mounted.)
Just in order to try to know what threaded eyepiece series have a smaller thread/diametee and thus might be an option.

If anyone knows such figures for other brands' threaded eyepieces (e.g.Opticron,Meopta,Nikon), that would be great info too!