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Have I ever said how much I love my old ED82..? :-) (1 Viewer)

The Kingfisher

Well-known member
I got myself a new tripod and video head (Sirui N-3203X with Manfrotto MVH500AH) to get the weight down slightly with the ED82 attached - but also because on some occasions be able to set up the ED50 and ED82 next to each other. These two fieldscopes with 16/30x, 27/50x, and 13-40/25-75x works for most situations one can think of. The fixed eyepieces are absolutely wonderful to use - crisp, large field of view, generous eye relief and comfortable to look through. No zoom (not even the very nice 25-60x zoom from Kowa) can compete with these two fixed eyepieces, I think!

Lately I've been thinking about replacing my ED82 with Kowa 883 + 25-60x because zoom eyepieces are so practical (and this Kowa 25-60x zoom works well for me with spectacles), but after comparing the scopes side by side at the weekend that went (and against a Swarovski with 20-60x yesterday) this thought is now a memory. The Kowa handle CA a bit better than the ED82 at high powers and has more generous eye relief and larger field of view than the Nikon 25-75x zoom, but I think my ED82 with the 25-75x was at least as sharp as the Kowa 883 at the same magnification. Of course..more details could be seen with the Nikon at 75x versus Kowa 883 at 60x.

If the choice would be between Kowa 883 with the 25-60x and Nikon ED82 with the 25-75x the choice would not have been difficult - the Kowa 25-60x zoom is so much more convenient to use than the Nikon 25-75x that I had chosen the former. I would have sacrificed the opportunity to see some more details for a larger field of view and a generally more comfortable eyepiece. The same can be stated when those fixed eyepieces (30x DS, 50x DS) for the Nikon is compared with the corresponding magnification of the Kowa zoom. The Nikon eyepieces are wonderful to use with more generous eye relief, at least as sharp (if not sharper) and a larger field of view. Also more convenient to use than the Kowa zoom!

It is practical with zoom eyepieces, but using fixed eyepieces works great if you only use the "right" eyepiece for the given situation. Previously I have always considered the 30x DS as the standard eyepiece, ie, the eyepiece to use with the ED82 regardless of where or how I birding. When needing more power (which happens now and then), I have occasionally used the 50x DS or 25-75x. Then I have immediately switched back to the 30x DS standard eyepiece again. This way of using eyepieces is neither fun nor practical, just frustrating. It can be compared to using fixed lenses with a DSLR and constantly change lenses for different motives. It is tedious. Instead..decide to use a 28/2.8, a 90/2.8 Macro or another prime and just make images with that only lens. The same can be said when it comes to eyepieces for our fieldscopes. Use only one eyepiece when birding on a specific site - but choose the "right" one for that site!

An example..if you know that the birds on a specific bird site usually are far away and flying around a lot..then the 50x DS should be the best eyepiece to use in that situation because of the combination of high magnification and large field of view, I think. As long as there not is too much heat shimmer or so of course. Are the birds closer to you and flying around a lot..the 30x DS may be a better choice. The 25-75x is difficult to use for birds in flight because of the narrow field of view, but is perfect when you need very high magnification to be able to see details of waders on a beach..or you are on a birding site where birds can be seen on both short and long distances (but not flying around a lot).

The bottom line is that fixed eyepieces or a zoom eyepiece with a narrow field of view does not need to be frustrating to use as long as you use the "right" eyepiece/tool for the given situation!

Long live the Nikon ED82 and its eyepieces... o:)
 
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I have the same set up albeit the older scope (78 from memory). I prefer the 38w on the big scope and the 13 on the little scope. I have used both at migration sites use the ED50 on a monopod (seated) then jumping up to the bigger scope if something looks tricky or too distant.

I did have an excursion with the zoom but didn't get on with it.

I agree they are great pieces of kit and enjoy using them despite problems wiith the zoom. I also got a video head which is a much better set up with scanning and panning!
 
I also prefer something more powerful than 30x for the large scope..i dont have the ED82, but another venerable workhorse,the kowa 823..I have an adapter for nikon eyepieces to be fitted to the kowa,and used the 27x-40x-50x ,granting 42x.,but i dont have that eyepiece anymore...that was a good magnification for general birding,specially with a red dot finder attached to the scope..then the reduced FOV is not a problem to locate your target...the 38x used on the ED82 should be an excellent all terrain eyepiece...more than 2mm exit pupil ,still very open in FOV, but enough boost compared to the 30x to pull extra definition when distance start to be considerable..past that distance and with more magnification atmospheric conditions usually limit performance anyway..
but I truly reccomend using a red dot finder in your scope if you only use a high power fixed eyepiece, it makes an enormous difference to be able to accurately aim your scope on flying birds or near by targets in thicket and turn into visual experience those truly flying moments....
 
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Kingfisher
I'd like to share my own experience.
I have picked up some offers of Fieldscope's eyepieces on the net (new but discontinued items nowadays, after that one will be obliged to look in the secondhand market), I managed to complete the line of the fixed eyepieces for my Fieldscope ED82A with the 75xMC.
I am able to interchange the eyepieces with the smaller Fieldscope ED 50 and this setup allows me to cover virtually every situation with an enviable modularity.
In particular, for the study and monitoring of migrating raptors I use the 30x DS as main eyepiece; in my backpack I carry the outstanding MC 75x in case of some bird perched at great distance. This takes me 90% of the situations.
For general birdwatching or seawtching from the shore I find the excellent 38x MC as an ideal allround eyepiece.
On the smaller Fieldscope ED 50 for excursions, occasional walking, short vacation, I always keep mounted the DS 27x (that becomes 50x on the bigger scope as you know).
Having then added (built by a local turner) an astro adapter for 1 "25 telescopes so may I used the Nikon fixed e.ps with the Celestron C5, I think I have come full circle.
I'll never stop praising this excellent spottingscope taken secondhand in the UK, cosmethically heavily used but optically perfect; I compared with the brand new Kowa 884 with its 30x of a friend of mine and frankly fail to see substantial differences in optical quality: for 600 € I am sure I took the best value for money of the spottingscopes!
 
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