Nikon ED2 too long in the tooth? (1 Viewer)

Hi,
I have just acquired an ED2 body boxed and in mint condition for £170 with SOC. I suspect I paid a bit over the odds but I am not too worried about this. I bought it on a whim while in a hospital waiting room waiting to have some stitches removed from my eye! I wanted a bit more reach with the 20 and 27 eyepieces I use on my ED50, but don’t want the 82 as I don’t drive and don’t want a too heavy scope. Would it have been worth hanging on and paying a bit more for an ED3? I will play with the ED2 for a few weeks and see how I like it, but am just curious what people think.
Many thanks

Hi,

Check out my thread right below this one on the 60 and 82. I had an EDII from new (about 1992) and it got knocked over at the Point Reyes lighthouse about 3-4 years ago and the objective lens ring was bent, making it unserviceable. Long story short, I now have both EDIIIs. The EDII is a great scope, and I didn't think the EDIII was a big step up, but the waterproof element is really nice. I'm actually curious if you find the EDII better than the ED50.

I don't think the EDII is long in tooth - it is a classic.

I used the EDII for a long time before switching to the EDIII. Still got the old one though as a spare. We've got two more EDIIs in the family, so I know that scope quite well, and while the EDIII is *a bit* better optically (better coatings) and has better waterproofing, it's still a very good scope.

In fact, it it so good that I've got no complaints at all when I look through my mother's or my sister's scope on a trip. Just slightly better contrast - and that's it. Compared to the ED50 it's got slightly lower contrast due to the older coatings, but the larger objective lens is a clear advantage, and not just at higher magnifications.

I reckon you'll like it a lot ...

Hermann

I also think it is notable that Better View Desired had the EDII as their reference standard (back in the 90s).

I used an EDii for a few years with the 24x DS eyepiece - an excellent combo. If you look at any images of birding in the 80's and early 90's on Scilly, its rare not to see a number of these in action.
The coatings aren't the latest (the scopes are getting on for 30 years now!) but with the more modern eyepieces, they deliver a fantastic image that's 90% as good as anything else out there. I upgraded to an ED50 and ED82, but optically the EDii is still very good. I know they weren't considered waterproof, but ever had any issues with mine - used in in rainforests in Thailand, autumn/winter on the east coast etc and never leaked and rarely steamed up. For £170, you probably got a bargain classic scope!

Thanks for the responses - they were really helpful. I am just getting back in to birding and am still finding my feet with the scopes. I was out with the 50ED yesterday and am still astonished at the quality. There is aVelvet Scoter visiting a local reservoir and I also managed to find a Green Woodpecker in an area I remembered they frequented a few years ago. Both these locations are very local to me and I could easily have taken the new (to me) ED2.
There will be a few weeks of experimenting!