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What scope is this ? (1 Viewer)

NDhunter

Experienced observer
United States
What model Nikon scope is this ?

I am familiar with the FS II and III models.

It is 60mm with 20X eyepiece.

Thanks, Jerry
 

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That is what I thought, a Fieldscope, must be the first version, note it is called a Spotting Scope on the
name plate.

It has the same shallow eyepiece socket to limit what eyepieces can be used, similar to the FS II.

I will be checking performance, I have a FS III, angled, and a FSIII ED 60.

What are some differences ? I suppose mostly coatings upgrade, and sliding hood.

Jerry
 
They weren't nitrogen purged so could develop internal moisture problems. Being non ED, the image was noticably duller than the later upgraded II and III ( both standard and certainly ED versions imho ). Changing eyepiece in the field was considered risky due to dust and the risk of water ingress. At the time a useful and portable telescope that could if required be handheld, particularly the straight body.
The eyepieces at the time were the MC series with fold down rubber eyecup such as the one in the photo and wide angle options were available though the one showed isn't a w.
Good to have what looks a well cared for example.
 
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It is Fieldscope I, non ED, but I don't think it is the very earliest production. I have two of these. One, which is the older of the two that I have, is labeled as Spotting Scope but it lacks the sighting ridge on the top that the one in your photo shows. My other one is labeled Fieldscope and it has the sighting ridge. The one you show seems intermediate--it is labeled Spotting Scope but it has the sighting ridge.

I find the performance of this scope to be quite good. I use it quite a bit on a car window mount for quick checks of things too far to easily ID with bins. I usually use the 20x eyepiece but it also works nicely with the 24x WF or MC. I'm not a fan of the tiny 40x and 60x eyepieces that fit this scope because they have poor eye relief and a dim view.

--AP
 
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I found it on the famous auction site. In very nice, little used condition.

I will probably loan it to somebody this fall.

Jerry
 
Jerry that Nikon spotter looks in very good shape. It is very nice of you to loan out to people, I know that first hand in the past and I thank you. I ended buying buying a Nikon 50ED because of it.
 
It looks like it's built like a tank! I have the new MONARCH 20-60x82 Fieldscope and I am very happy with it. The built-in sliding sunshade has been a much-used feature.
 
I just had a go with the scope with a 16-24-30, MC wide eyepiece. This is the eyepiece that is
24mm at 60, with the twist-up eyecup. I also have the 16-24-30 Wide digiscoping eyepiece, both
are very similar.

This is a great magnification for this scope, and makes a great view. This is one of the few more
modern Nikon fieldscope eyepieces that fit. The zooms have the long tail that will not fit.

I will report back later to compare with the FS III, and ED 60.

Jerry
 
Was this the first widely available consumer telescope to have barrel focusing?

No, I'm sure that it wasn't. This Nikon scope was introduced in ~1982. I think barrel focusing goes back, way back, before that. One that used to be popular when I was a kid was the Bausch & Lomb (and Bushnell version) 15-45x60 Discoverer, which featured barrel style control rings for focus and for zoom. I don't know when that model was introduced, but maybe in the 1960s. It was produced in one form or another for a really long time.

For me, the innovative aspect of the Nikon Fieldscope (and later scopes in the series) was its short length. It wasn't alone in that respect (The B&L/Bushnell Spacemaster II were also short, compared to the earlier Spacemaster and competing scopes), but it was a standout for its optical quality in such a short scope. When I bought my first ~80 mm scope, I went for the Nikon 78 Fieldscope ED because it was so much shorter than the Kowa and Swarovski competition at that time. Later Kowa and Swarovski models have been designed to be short, as is just about everything these days. At the time, I thought of the 78 ED as a scope with the aperture of a big scope with the handling qualities/practicalities of a 60 mm scope.

--AP
 
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I just had a go with the scope with a 16-24-30, MC wide eyepiece. This is the eyepiece that is
24mm at 60, with the twist-up eyecup. I also have the 16-24-30 Wide digiscoping eyepiece, both
are very similar.

This is a great magnification for this scope, and makes a great view. This is one of the few more
modern Nikon fieldscope eyepieces that fit. The zooms have the long tail that will not fit.

I will report back later to compare with the FS III, and ED 60.

Jerry

Yes, I use the older 24/30 WF version (identical to the MC but with fold down eyecup) a lot and it's a great match to this scope. It doesn't protrude into the scope body at all.

Wow, I never realized that the 16/24/30 DS had a short enough protrusion that it would fit this scope! It must barely fit, because I'm sure the 27/40/50x WF/MC/DS and 40/60/75x WF/MC/DS will not. I have that eyepiece, so I'll have to give it a try.

--AP
 
Ah yes, now I recall the B & L Discoverer as a barrel focuser. Thank you.

Yes me too. I had one as a personal import from the USA from 1979 to 1983. I had it mounted on a rifle stock from which I removed the breech and barrel, and I used it held up to my shoulder just like a rifle. I had to stop using this eventually when we began visiting Scotland more frequently as I got stopped by gamekeepers more and more because they thought I was carrying a firearm.

Lee
 
Hi Lee,

I had it mounted on a rifle stock from which I removed the breech and barrel, and I used it held up to my shoulder just like a rifle. I had to stop using this eventually when we began visiting Scotland more frequently as I got stopped by gamekeepers more and more because they thought I was carrying a firearm.

Thanks for sharing your first-hand experience ... I had this possiblity in mind when designing my 3D-printable shoulder stock for the Nikon ED50, but so far, I thought such a misinterpretation of the device was a purely hypothetical situation! :)

Regards,

Henning
 
Yes, I use the older 24/30 WF version (identical to the MC but with fold down eyecup) a lot and it's a great match to this scope. It doesn't protrude into the scope body at all.

Wow, I never realized that the 16/24/30 DS had a short enough protrusion that it would fit this scope! It must barely fit, because I'm sure the 27/40/50x WF/MC/DS and 40/60/75x WF/MC/DS will not. I have that eyepiece, so I'll have to give it a try.

--AP

Alexis:

I did not fit the DS eyepiece but just eyeballed it should fit, so be careful.

I have been busy with wheat harvest, lots of rain, now finished today.

Very nice crop, we are blessed.

Jerry
 
Alexis:

I did not fit the DS eyepiece but just eyeballed it should fit, so be careful...

It doesn't fit. The sealing window on this scope doesn't allow for eyepieces that protrude into the scope body. Consequently, the 24/30x WF/MC are the most powerful widefield long eye relief eyepieces that will fit this Fieldscope. They have the same optical design, which is quite different from the 16/24/30x DS.

--AP
 
Hi Lee,

Thanks for sharing your first-hand experience ... I had this possiblity in mind when designing my 3D-printable shoulder stock for the Nikon ED50, but so far, I thought such a misinterpretation of the device was a purely hypothetical situation! :)

Regards,

Henning

At that time I carried the scope/stock in my back pack with the butt of the stock and the eyepiece of the scope sticking out of the pack. From a distance it could have looked like a shotgun with the barrels sawn off. A folding stock made out of a framework might not attract the same attention as a tradiitional wooden stock....

Lee
 
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