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Nikon ED82 eyepiece question. (1 Viewer)

S

Simmo1111

Well-known member
Hi everyone,

While out with my Nikon ED82 today I chatted to a guy who let me borrow his 30x eyepiece to compare to my 50x, I also took a look at his 25-75 zoom. Not particularly impressed with the zoom due to the poor field of view but I guess that is to be expected. The 30x was very good and obviously made finding any single bird far easier than my 50x eyepiece. On returning home I took a look online at prices for the eyepieces and noticed that there is a 38x wide angle version available and was wondering if anyone had any experience of this particular eyepiece. I did intend buying the 30x but now having seen the wide angle one I,m a bit unsure which way to go ....

Any advice would be very welcome.

Thanks in advance.
 
Simmo1111 said:
Hi everyone,

While out with my Nikon ED82 today I chatted to a guy who let me borrow his 30x eyepiece to compare to my 50x, I also took a look at his 25-75 zoom. Not particularly impressed with the zoom due to the poor field of view but I guess that is to be expected. The 30x was very good and obviously made finding any single bird far easier than my 50x eyepiece. On returning home I took a look online at prices for the eyepieces and noticed that there is a 38x wide angle version available and was wondering if anyone had any experience of this particular eyepiece. I did intend buying the 30x but now having seen the wide angle one I,m a bit unsure which way to go ....

Any advice would be very welcome.

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...
My recommendation is to get the Nikon 6954 30X DS eyepiece.
I think these guys still have them on sale:
http://www.cameralandny.com/optics/nikon6954.html

It's simply the finest wide angle eyepiece you can mount on the ED82.

John

PS
I just noticed your location so the seller may not work for you.
 
Last edited:
Where to begin?

There are three EPs that will yield 50x on your scope. Which do you have?

There are two 30x EPs. Which one did you sample?

My advice is to stick to either the MC wide versions or the DS versions. These have a 72 degree AFOV and are excellent.

To your question, I have/had the 16/24/30 DS, 20/30/38 MC wide, 27/40/50 MC wide, and 27/40/50 DS. The MCs have twist up eyecups and the DS have a flange that is optimized for digiscoping. Both types perform equally for visual, with the exception of the eyecup.

If you have one of the wide 50x EPs, I'd keep it for my high power EP
Adding the MC wide or DS 30x EP seems the most logical for a good two EP setup.

You really can't go wrong, and to me a wide 30x is mighty sweet on an 80ish mm scope.

Cheers,
Kevin
 

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Kevin Conville said:
Where to begin?

There are three EPs that will yield 50x on your scope. Which do you have?

There are two 30x EPs. Which one did you sample?

My advice is to stick to either the MC wide versions or the DS versions. These have a 72 degree AFOV and are excellent.

To your question, I have/had the 16/24/30 DS, 20/30/38 MC wide, 27/40/50 MC wide, and 27/40/50 DS. The MCs have twist up eyecups and the DS have a flange that is optimized for digiscoping. Both types perform equally for visual, with the exception of the eyecup.

If you have one of the wide 50x EPs, I'd keep it for my high power EP
Adding the MC wide or DS 30x EP seems the most logical for a good two EP setup.

You really can't go wrong, and to me a wide 30x is mighty sweet on an 80ish mm scope.

Cheers,
Kevin
Click to expand...

I tried the 30x DS version and I currently have the 50x DS version
 
I started out with the 50x DS as it was between the 30xDS and the 75x Ds. A few months latter got the 30x DS and a few months after that got the 75xDS. the 75 was return within a day or two it was very poor. The 50x rarely comes out of the bag. The 30x is excellant and great for digiscoping with any of the coolpix cameras.
 
I had the 30xw MC but switched to the 30xw DS as my eyesight deteriorated and I needed better eye-relief for glasses. It´s really superb. I also have the 50xw but I keep that for use on my ED50 (as 27xw). I also have the 25-75 zoom but don´t use it much. I once had, for a while, the 38xw MC, but found that the loss of FOV and brightness for the extra mag wasn´t worth it. If you´re going for one eyepiece, and you need eye-relief or digiscoping, I reckon you can´t go wrong with the 30xw DS.
 
Hi all,

I am after a 30x lens and am set on the MC as I have looked thorugh this and it suits my eye with the eye cup all the way down (I don't wear specs but am of the deep set eyes variety!). This thread has raised my interest in the DS but I won't get a chance to try one and am concerned about eye relief (too much!).

I don't digiscope, but no doubt will at some point in the future. How is the MC for digiscoping? Is the DS that much better? Could anyone comment if the DS would be good for my eyes, bearing in mind that I would use the MC with the eye up all the way down.

Thanks in advance

Perry
 
Hi Perry, I don´t digiscope but I´m sure someone will be along to tell you the advantages of the DS eyepiece with Nikon cameras...simpler attachments, or something. You can of course digiscope with MC eyepieces, but apparently it´s more complicated.
The advantage for me of the DS 30xw is that it has a wider ocular lens, far more comfortable with or without glasses. However, perhaps you´ll find the rubber doohickey that takes the place of an eyecup a bit odd....it isn´t to everyone´s liking and comes off completely (for photography). I have mine attached at just the right position (for me) with a coil of duct-tape. I can use it without glasses, or with glasses by simply leaning a little more "into" the eyepiece....the soft rubber "gives" and allows my specs closer to the glass. I´d recommend you try them (MC and DS) out before choosing.
 
Perry Grin said:
How is the MC for digiscoping? Is the DS that much better? Could anyone comment if the DS would be good for my eyes, bearing in mind that I would use the MC with the eye up all the way down.
Click to expand...

The larger diameter ocular on the DS makes it easier to match with most compact digital cameras (easier to avoid vignetting). You might find that the DS has too much eye relief, but it would be easy to rig something up--maybe an eyecup from bike innertube. The DS has better edge resolution than the MC besides its other differences in overall size and eye-relief.

--AP
 
Well the actual diameter of the DS glass lens is the almost same as a MC. It is only the diameter of the overall eyepiece that is different. Basically there is no eyecup as such. It is just has a 57mm? bare metal flange for easy attachment of Nikon camera adapters. The MC eyepiece is not suitable for digiscoping because the rubber twist-up eyecup will not allow easy attachment of a camera adapter.

For visual use, I found the MC to be more comfortable to use since the eyecup allows proper positioning of the eye and blocks glare.

cheers,
Rick
 
RJM said:
Well the actual diameter of the DS glass lens is the almost same as a MC. It is only the diameter of the overall eyepiece that is different.
Click to expand...

Are you sure? I don't have the MC, but I do have the WF (predecessor to the MC, which is, by the way, at least partially multicoated). It has a smaller housing because of having a folding eyecup design rather than twist up, but as far as I know is the same optical formula (same glass) as the MC. The WF ocular lens is about 25mm across, whereas the DS is substantially larger at about 31mm diameter. I'd be interested to know if the MC were different because that would make the 24/30x unique as the only fieldscope eyepiece design to have been optically reformulated 3 times. As far as I know, the 24/30x and 20-60/25-75x zooms are the only fieldscope eyepieces to have been optically redesigned (apart from coating improvements) over the many many years that the traditional fieldscope design (i.e. not the new fieldscope reconceptualization) has been around.

--AP
 
Sancho said:
Hi Perry, I don´t digiscope but I´m sure someone will be along to tell you the advantages of the DS eyepiece with Nikon cameras...simpler attachments, or something. You can of course digiscope with MC eyepieces, but apparently it´s more complicated.
The advantage for me of the DS 30xw is that it has a wider ocular lens, far more comfortable with or without glasses. However, perhaps you´ll find the rubber doohickey that takes the place of an eyecup a bit odd....it isn´t to everyone´s liking and comes off completely (for photography). I have mine attached at just the right position (for me) with a coil of duct-tape. I can use it without glasses, or with glasses by simply leaning a little more "into" the eyepiece....the soft rubber "gives" and allows my specs closer to the glass. I´d recommend you try them (MC and DS) out before choosing.
Click to expand...

Thanks Sancho,

I picked up an MC lens for a good price from a US site. I might add the DS as well to put 'in the bank' so to speak as these are being sold cheaply at the moment so may become discontinued in the near future. However, I'm getting along fine with the zoom at the moment and really enjoying my new toy!

Perry
 
Perry Grin said:
Thanks Sancho,

I picked up an MC lens for a good price from a US site. I might add the DS as well to put 'in the bank' so to speak as these are being sold cheaply at the moment so may become discontinued in the near future. However, I'm getting along fine with the zoom at the moment and really enjoying my new toy!

Perry
Click to expand...
Good to hear that, Perry....oddly enough, I picked up an MC 30xw from the US too...just to "put in the bank". Which is kind of silly, I used to have one and sold it. But it seems that Nikon Fieldscope eyepieces are disappearing from our dimension, so I thought one in reserve at a low-cost would be wise. I think it cost me about 80 dollars, which is even less in You-Ropes.
 
Sancho said:
Good to hear that, Perry....oddly enough, I picked up an MC 30xw from the US too...just to "put in the bank". Which is kind of silly, I used to have one and sold it. But it seems that Nikon Fieldscope eyepieces are disappearing from our dimension, so I thought one in reserve at a low-cost would be wise. I think it cost me about 80 dollars, which is even less in You-Ropes.
Click to expand...

DS lens now 'in the bank'. Think I'm pretty much future-proofed now. I've also managed to put the 'silly' idea of adding an ED50 out of my head (for now). Wouldn't be fair to have to leave one of them behind on a day out!

Perry
 
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