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New scope from Zeiss... (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter dwatsonbirder
- Start date
Vespobuteo
Well-known member
Harpia scope will probably be similar to the photoscope (see photo below) so there will be more elements in there compared to a conventional spotting scope. Coatings and glass are so good these days so transmission will probably not suffer much, but will be interesting to see and I hope they put some HT-glass in there. The smaller exit pupil (seems to be about 1 stop slower) compared to other large scopes might be more of an issue in low light. Keeping the exit pupil smaller might help with minimizing aberrations though.
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Vespobuteo
Well-known member
Interesting/puzzling that Zeiss now seem to have removed the info on exit-pupil in the specs.
https://www.zeiss.com/sports-optics...es/victory-harpia-spektiv.html#technical-data
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Hi VB
Yes it is interesting isn't it. Since Harpia is not in the shops yet (and in view of the restructuring taking place within Zeiss Sports Optics productionising has probably taken longer than Zeiss wished) it may be that the final specs might be changed a bit following production by normal processes rather than prototyping, but I have no info on this.
Lee
henry link
Well-known member
Hey Lee,
If the scopes have been changed wouldn't it make more sense to revise the exit pupil specs rather than dropping them completely?
Another less innocent explanation is that Zeiss came to realize that including exit pupil specs tips off alert consumers about the loss of aperture at low magnifications - something Zeiss would rather not reveal.
Henry
Jason Middleton
Well-known member
Saw the following in a Birdguides review of the harpia:
"In a departure from earlier models, the tripod foot is not compatible with a Manfrotto 200 PL plate."
Does anyone know what this means? Is it that the thread required to fit the telescope foot is different in some way to the traditional? Confused?!
"In a departure from earlier models, the tripod foot is not compatible with a Manfrotto 200 PL plate."
Does anyone know what this means? Is it that the thread required to fit the telescope foot is different in some way to the traditional? Confused?!
I'd think that not many people spend Zeiss kind of money without ever reading the reviews.
henry link
Well-known member
That could be, but how many reviewers measure the clear aperture?
This explanation is an obvious one but I don't believe it is correct due to something I have been working on with Zeiss for publication on here. Sorry to be mysterious but expect to post something in the next couple of weeks.
Lee
My Post 61 maybe.
It took me almost a day from the specs release to realise there was something fishy about the exit pupil.
Not sure if Zeiss were pleased or not, or if they read these posts.
I usually try to measure the clear aperture of everything.
There was a case of a new aircraft being announced, with a photo.
The makers wish they hadn't, as someone measured the size of the piston engines blades, calculated the power, range and everything just from the photo.
Also the wingspan size release of another aircraft allowed me to determine a cruising height way above the published ceiling.
It took me almost a day from the specs release to realise there was something fishy about the exit pupil.
Not sure if Zeiss were pleased or not, or if they read these posts.
I usually try to measure the clear aperture of everything.
There was a case of a new aircraft being announced, with a photo.
The makers wish they hadn't, as someone measured the size of the piston engines blades, calculated the power, range and everything just from the photo.
Also the wingspan size release of another aircraft allowed me to determine a cruising height way above the published ceiling.
Vespobuteo
Well-known member
A few scopes have had a foot that fits directly into some smaller Manfrotto video heads. Might be handy, but the Harpia is too long and heavy to be a good match to those quite small heads in my opinion. All serious video heads that can take heavier gear have sliding plates of some sort (the 200 PL is fixed on the head).
To be able to balance a large scope properly, a longer plate that you can adjust back and forth, is often needed. Especially if adding digiscoping equipment.
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henry link
Well-known member
Vespobuteo
Well-known member
A bit OT but, increasing number of lens elements seems to be the new normal in camera lenses.
All the latest Nikon telephoto prime lenses have at least 16 elements, the 800mm lens has as many as 20.
When it comes to zooms the brand new Nikon 180-400mm zoom have 27 elements in 19 groups. And that does not include the built in teleconverter that has 8 elements in 5 groups.
My guess is that the power of optical computer simulation is developing rapidly and makes these kinds of lens designs possible.
I followed the scope from the beginning so I understand the principle of this design, though this lens count still came as a surprise.
I think that will have some impact, especially in twilight situation, which is so important for birders, small effective aperture + low light throughput.
I can't wait to see the real thing and how does Zeiss cope with this.
Hi Vespobuteo.
The large number of lens elements for primes usually comes with a fast speed lens.
TTH T.V. and movie zoom lenses commonly had 25 elements, sometimes more, in the 1960s. Each group was hand assembled and matched.
The secret to their success was tunable multicoating and other in house methods.
Early computers were used to design them.
The reason nowadays is computers, but mainly sophisticated coating to produce a 27 element commercial lens.
I suppose Nikon has caught up with TTH by now.
The large number of lens elements for primes usually comes with a fast speed lens.
TTH T.V. and movie zoom lenses commonly had 25 elements, sometimes more, in the 1960s. Each group was hand assembled and matched.
The secret to their success was tunable multicoating and other in house methods.
Early computers were used to design them.
The reason nowadays is computers, but mainly sophisticated coating to produce a 27 element commercial lens.
I suppose Nikon has caught up with TTH by now.
No conspiracy Henry, more like a SNAFU, the data is back on the website, and it always was in the owners manual and current nature brochure, as well as being in the forefront of my mystery project that I hope to publish on here next week.
Lee
henry link
Well-known member
Thanks Lee. My apologies to Zeiss for ever having doubted them. 
Henry
Henry
Thanks Lee. My apologies to Zeiss for ever having doubted them.
Henry
:-O:-O:t:
Lee
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