Would the sellers you bought it from give you a trade-in on the 20x? Alternatively you could try selling the 20x on the classifieds forum, or fleabay, as it´s in demand as it gives 38xw on the ED82A. I´m sure you´d have no trouble selling it.
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Nikon ED50 Mini Review (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Kevin Conville
- Start date
Would the sellers you bought it from give you a trade-in on the 20x? Alternatively you could try selling the 20x on the classifieds forum, or fleabay, as it´s in demand as it gives 38xw on the ED82A. I´m sure you´d have no trouble selling it.
Kevin Conville
yardbirder
Ron,
I recently sold my 20xw on *b*y to a guy in the UK. I sold it for $170.US and he felt OK dealing with any customs/VAT duty.
The market for that eyepiece should be very healthy as it is also 30x on the 60mm Fieldscope, and 38X on the 78/82mm Fieldscopes. Very desirable magnifications on these scopes.
At the risk of being obnoxiously repetitive, the 27x(wide) does represent the sweet spot with the ED50 IMO.
I recently sold my 20xw on *b*y to a guy in the UK. I sold it for $170.US and he felt OK dealing with any customs/VAT duty.
The market for that eyepiece should be very healthy as it is also 30x on the 60mm Fieldscope, and 38X on the 78/82mm Fieldscopes. Very desirable magnifications on these scopes.
At the risk of being obnoxiously repetitive, the 27x(wide) does represent the sweet spot with the ED50 IMO.
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vkalia
Robin stroker
Kevin, Sancho et al - have any of you had kidney-beaning or similar blackout problems when using the 27x EP? I love the scope, but I have noticed that it is a little bit finicky when it comes to precise eye placement. Is it just me?
I am in the market for replacing my 80mm scope. I had the Vortex and while it is still a very good scope, I have gotten spoiled by the views from the WA fixed eyepieces. Trying to decide between a bigger Nikon or a Pentax (Sancho, if you ever decide to sell your 82mm....).
Vandit
Kevin Conville
yardbirder
No Vandit,
I don't have any issues with kidney beaning or black-outs. I find the EP very friendly in this respect. Note that I do not wear glasses when using the scope and have the eyecup twisted all the way out.
It's been my observation that there must be quite a variance among different people. Here's one example:
I bought a Pentax XW10 for my brother to use on his Pentax PF65. He has had issues with black-outs. I have none looking through the same EP and indeed keep an XW14 on my PF80 and it is the best EP I've ever looked through on any spotter. I also have an XW20 and never experienced any issues at all.
I'm also an amateur astronomer and the Pentax XLs, and now XWs, are famous for being VERY user friendly with a consistent 20mm eye relief and the infinitely adjustable eyecup.
So, go figure...
BTW, I can understand your dilemma of choosing between the Nikon 82mm Fieldscope and a Pentax PF80. Both are very good scopes. From a sheer optical performance standpoint, my PF80 with the XW14 cannot be bested I believe. Spectacular performance, right to the edges. I prefer the focus mechanism of the PF80 over the Fieldscope 82 also.
To the Nikon's favor, I like the way the EPs attach better and is undoubtedly more weather resistant because of the O-ring. The Nikon is also a little more compact though slightly heavier. I'm sure the big Nikon with the 38x wide is a delightful package however.
I don't have any issues with kidney beaning or black-outs. I find the EP very friendly in this respect. Note that I do not wear glasses when using the scope and have the eyecup twisted all the way out.
It's been my observation that there must be quite a variance among different people. Here's one example:
I bought a Pentax XW10 for my brother to use on his Pentax PF65. He has had issues with black-outs. I have none looking through the same EP and indeed keep an XW14 on my PF80 and it is the best EP I've ever looked through on any spotter. I also have an XW20 and never experienced any issues at all.
I'm also an amateur astronomer and the Pentax XLs, and now XWs, are famous for being VERY user friendly with a consistent 20mm eye relief and the infinitely adjustable eyecup.
So, go figure...
BTW, I can understand your dilemma of choosing between the Nikon 82mm Fieldscope and a Pentax PF80. Both are very good scopes. From a sheer optical performance standpoint, my PF80 with the XW14 cannot be bested I believe. Spectacular performance, right to the edges. I prefer the focus mechanism of the PF80 over the Fieldscope 82 also.
To the Nikon's favor, I like the way the EPs attach better and is undoubtedly more weather resistant because of the O-ring. The Nikon is also a little more compact though slightly heavier. I'm sure the big Nikon with the 38x wide is a delightful package however.
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vkalia
Robin stroker
Hmmm.. must be the way I place my eye then. It may also just be a case of different EPs requiring different eye placement; I reckon I can get used to it with time. The ED50 + a lightweight Benro makes a cracking travel combo... used it a lot in Lake Baringo in Kenya, and had no problems lugging that around for 8-10 hours a day.
Thanks for the feedback on the Pentax. I use my PF65 with a few Orion Stratus EPs - they are probably not as good as the XWs, but provide a more-than-pleasing view for me. As I have them in a few focal lengths, I think I might end up getting the PF80 after all.
Vandit
Thanks for the feedback on the Pentax. I use my PF65 with a few Orion Stratus EPs - they are probably not as good as the XWs, but provide a more-than-pleasing view for me. As I have them in a few focal lengths, I think I might end up getting the PF80 after all.
Vandit
Spectacle wearers using Nikon ED50?
Hi
I've read some pretty enthusiastic reviews here of the ED50 - and its lightness and compactness (and price) is an obvious asset.
But I wonder how many of the ED50 fans are spectacle wearers?
As a newcomer to birding thinking about a first scope - the portability of the ED50 is a real attraction. But I wear specs and have read elsewhere that Nikon eyepieces are not so good as some others for those who wear glasses.
I know the advice is try before you buy. But I have looked through Nikon lenses. And without any experience of telescopes its not always easy to make a judgment of what's good and bad so would be interested to hear from ED50 users with specs....or spectacle wearers who have found another reasonably compact scope that works well for them. What should I be comparing with the ED50?
Hi
I've read some pretty enthusiastic reviews here of the ED50 - and its lightness and compactness (and price) is an obvious asset.
But I wonder how many of the ED50 fans are spectacle wearers?
As a newcomer to birding thinking about a first scope - the portability of the ED50 is a real attraction. But I wear specs and have read elsewhere that Nikon eyepieces are not so good as some others for those who wear glasses.
I know the advice is try before you buy. But I have looked through Nikon lenses. And without any experience of telescopes its not always easy to make a judgment of what's good and bad so would be interested to hear from ED50 users with specs....or spectacle wearers who have found another reasonably compact scope that works well for them. What should I be comparing with the ED50?
apbarr
Well-known member
I wear glasses and have no problems so far with the ED50 and 27x eyepiece. I'm not familiar with any other 50mm scopes.
Thanks - that's helpful
Many thanks for this reassuring reply.
Anyone with specs using the Nikon zoom ep on an ED50?
Many thanks for this reassuring reply.
Anyone with specs using the Nikon zoom ep on an ED50?
Alexis Powell
Natural history enthusiast
All the Nikon fixed power WF eyepieces have excellent eye-relief but the zooms do not, especially in the middle of their magnification ranges. I have a variety of Nikon eyepieces and I wear glasses. Although I do carry the zoom with my big scope (78ED, where it is a 25-75x) for those rare occasions when I want more magnification than my usual 30x WF delivers, I don't like its barely adequate to inadequate eye-relief.
That aside, I don't think it makes sense to use either Nikon zoom on this scope unless for some reason you want ultra low power (or accompanying brightness). I don't use a scope for powers under 20x, the zooms max out at 30x or 40x, and since 40x is only marginally greater magnification than 30x, it makes more sense to go with the 27x for its MUCH greater FOV, its MUCH better eye-relief, and for its simplicity (one less control to fiddle with).
You won't find an equal or better 50mm scope than the 50ED.
--AP
I´ll second that. I sometimes wear glasses with my ED50, with 27xw ep. The ER is fine, mind you I wear small, round-frame glasses that sit quite far back into my eye-socket so the ep comes closer to my pupil. I don´t use the zoom much with the ED50, in fact hardly ever, for all the reasons Alexis gives.
Tvc15_2000
Well-known member
I have the ED50 with zoom (13-30x) - Excellent scope for portability and good quality for the size.
Do you find the 27X is bright enough for most daytime viewing? Evening to sunset?
I have a number of other eyepieces for the 82mm ED fieldscope but not the 27x/40x/50x Wide Angle .
Thanks
TV
For daytime viewing, the 27xw is excellent. It obviously dims towards twilight, faster than the 82mm plus 30xw. I´ve used the ED50/27xw seawatching and found it generally fine, but for very distant birds and in really dark stormy conditions the 82mm is obviously brighter and sharper, and "easier" on the eye for long periods, perhaps something to do with exit pupil.
hello to all:
count me among the new converts to this really killer lil' rascal of a spotter. the boys in brown brought one of the ED50's this afternoon, and i couldnt be more pleased. got what i think is a decent deal also, from Shopwise2000, angled body only, for $409 delivered. since i all ready had the ED82 and a 38X (on that scope) eyepiece, this was a no-brainer way to go for me. could only find two places here stateside, this retailer and optics planet that would ship just the scope, sans ocular. originally placed the order w/ OP, but after a couple of delays and no clear answer for when the unit might ship, i dumped that order and emailed SW2K; their webpage showed they had "100" units in stock. got an almost immediate reply; yes they said the scope carried a usa warranty amd was NIB so i thought what the heck, i'll cancel if it's bogus. later that day got a confirm that they had shipped the scope, tracking number the whole enchilada. sure smells new, that's for sure, and included a usa warranty card and all included accessories, or so it looks. excellent service i have to say.
anyway, i see myself as fairly critical of image quality, and the first views were absolutely pristine in every catagory i could come up with- flat field, bleeding edge resolution, little to no geometric distortion at the edges, surprisingly bright even in fading afternoon light. this ep gives 20X, which is good enuf for now.
anyone looking for a killer travel scope just cant go wrong with the ED50, as far as i'm concerned!
thanks to all on this site who took the time to record their impressions of the baby nikon.
count me among the new converts to this really killer lil' rascal of a spotter. the boys in brown brought one of the ED50's this afternoon, and i couldnt be more pleased. got what i think is a decent deal also, from Shopwise2000, angled body only, for $409 delivered. since i all ready had the ED82 and a 38X (on that scope) eyepiece, this was a no-brainer way to go for me. could only find two places here stateside, this retailer and optics planet that would ship just the scope, sans ocular. originally placed the order w/ OP, but after a couple of delays and no clear answer for when the unit might ship, i dumped that order and emailed SW2K; their webpage showed they had "100" units in stock. got an almost immediate reply; yes they said the scope carried a usa warranty amd was NIB so i thought what the heck, i'll cancel if it's bogus. later that day got a confirm that they had shipped the scope, tracking number the whole enchilada. sure smells new, that's for sure, and included a usa warranty card and all included accessories, or so it looks. excellent service i have to say.
anyway, i see myself as fairly critical of image quality, and the first views were absolutely pristine in every catagory i could come up with- flat field, bleeding edge resolution, little to no geometric distortion at the edges, surprisingly bright even in fading afternoon light. this ep gives 20X, which is good enuf for now.
anyone looking for a killer travel scope just cant go wrong with the ED50, as far as i'm concerned!
thanks to all on this site who took the time to record their impressions of the baby nikon.
amelia1730
Well-known member
I too love my ED50! I have the zoom but want to go for a 27x wide eyepiece. Can someone tell me what the difference is between the MC and DS please? Is it to do with attaching a camera for digiscoping?? I sometimes use the scope with a Grippa case handheld, depending on how many G & T's I've had!!
Will this be easier with a 27x W?
Many thanks
Amelia
Will this be easier with a 27x W?
Many thanks
Amelia
The DS is for digiscoping, with Nikon cameras I think. But I don´t "do" photography so I got the 27xw MC instead. I preferred the eyecup (the DS has a rather odd soft rubber fold-down affair). However, on some thread or other I learned recently that the DS has wider eye-relief, which might be significant if you use glasses when scoping. As regards grippas etc., I´ve tried everything with the 27xw and nothing beats a light tripod. Even a monopod or a shoulder-pod doesn´t really work, the mag is just a tad too high. Especially with G and T´s....
Alexis Powell
Natural history enthusiast
That is only true of the 16/24/30x DS versus the 24/30x MC. The eye-relief of the 27/40/50x DS and MC eyepieces are the same.
--AP
Nikon Ed50 A Classic Scope
..this has to be the best scope, for its size, on the planet. I am a seller as well as a user.. these little scopes are just brilliant everyone should have one.
My eyepiece choice is as follows
1/ the 13-40 zoom is the best all round still sharp at 40x and if you bird from hides at wetlands and reservoirs the variable lens is a must.
2/ for the purist the MC 20xWA gives pure clarity width and depth of field. Combined with a straight body ideal for travel and would work well with a shoulder pod
3/ for that little bit extra the MC 27x WA..ok extra mag but you lose that beautiful crisp wide perfect view the 20x gives
4/ for digiscoping the DS 16xWA ..also perfect for forest birding scoping tanagers trogons quetzals etc in the tree tops
What colour grey green or pink? well your choice ..all the angled pink ones have gone but you can still buy a straight one for just £199 just add the eyepiece of your choice.
If you already own an ED 82 or ED111 what are you waiting for? You have the eyepieces already just buy the ED 50 body for the perfect travelling companion
..this has to be the best scope, for its size, on the planet. I am a seller as well as a user.. these little scopes are just brilliant everyone should have one.
My eyepiece choice is as follows
1/ the 13-40 zoom is the best all round still sharp at 40x and if you bird from hides at wetlands and reservoirs the variable lens is a must.
2/ for the purist the MC 20xWA gives pure clarity width and depth of field. Combined with a straight body ideal for travel and would work well with a shoulder pod
3/ for that little bit extra the MC 27x WA..ok extra mag but you lose that beautiful crisp wide perfect view the 20x gives
4/ for digiscoping the DS 16xWA ..also perfect for forest birding scoping tanagers trogons quetzals etc in the tree tops
What colour grey green or pink? well your choice ..all the angled pink ones have gone but you can still buy a straight one for just £199 just add the eyepiece of your choice.
If you already own an ED 82 or ED111 what are you waiting for? You have the eyepieces already just buy the ED 50 body for the perfect travelling companion
