Mighty Midget 2 (1 Viewer)

I am thinking about going down the digiscope route but already have additional SLR kit I will continue to use so I am looking for a compact scope to save weight.

Has any one tried the Mighty Midget 2 and if so what is the compromise between low weight and small size and quality of image like.

John

John,

I've got an MM2 and it's great for travelling. It is incredibly compact and you get a good image for your money. I would say it's a worthwhile buy if you want something small and light that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

helenh

Yes, I'd 2nd all of that.

I have one too with the 15 - 40 zoom lens. Dunno about the digiscoping aspect - currently thinking about getting into that myself, so will be interested to hear the replies with that regard.

I would have thought ( ??? ) that the image has to be somewhat less than high-end scopes, but don;t know for sure cos I've never looked through one !

But good image & very compact, hence good value as far as I'm concerned.

Oh, and welcome to BF

Hi John,
A big welcome to you from all the admin and moderators at BF. We hope you enjoy your time here.
The Mighty Midget II is an excellent scope for many reasons but it's seems as if it's not really suitable for digiscoping, I have no personal experience of it.... but know others who have tried it and had very poor results.
If you can lay your hands on a suitable digicam, by all means give it a try... just putting the camera lens up to the scope's eyepiece will give you a good idea as to it's suitability.
Best regards,
Andy

For what its worth, I was at Washington Wildfowl Trust a couple of months ago to buy my first ever scope. Another guy was trying out the MMII at the same time I was looking at an Opticron and the In-Focus Delta 70 (which I'm pretty sure is made by Opticron). It was a very bright May morning, so least demanding of light gathering ability in a scope. He was keen on the MMII until together we looked at a duck in the shadows at the far side of the viewing gallery pond - about 200 yards away. Both the bigger scopes could easily focus on the bird but the MMII showed little more than a murky blur.

He bought the Opticron at about double the price....

Hi John,
I have a MMII that I carry in the boot of my car as a back up to my Opticron ES80. I agree with John Fleet, the MMII is good as a travelling compact but cannot compare with a bigger scope.

John
ive a MM2 as a second scope for when i go on holiday i purchased it with a used HDF eye piece i found this was far better than the 20x eyepiece . It gives 18x ,i have tried digiscoping with it and the results were ok if heaverly sharpened, but if your serious about wanting to digiscope i'd go for a full sized scope.

Thanks to everyone for suggestions. Looks like I will have to reconsider and either dump some SLR kit to make way for a bigger scope or build up my muscles!

Will let you know how I get on.

John

As a solution for those walks/bike trips when I am without a main scope, I am considering getting a MM2.

I already have a HDF eyepiece for my ES80 scope (32xWW) which apparently will work as a 18xWW on the MM2.

With the MM2 body, I am thinking of getting a decent HDF eyepiece which will be good on the MM2, and also good as a second option on the ES80.

I was thinking of the 40858 (24xWW MM2 = 44xWW ES80) or the 40859 (28x MM2 = 50x ES80). Not sure though if 28x/50x too high for the respective scopes in terms of brightness/resolution ?

The 40862 HDF zoom (12-36x MM2 = 20-60x ES80) could be a better option ? There is something on the Opticron website though about having to pull back the drawtube to use it on the MM2 .

Anyone using any of these eyepieces with good reports or other comments ?

Also, would be interested in info on how people use their MM2s in practice. Lightweight tripod obviously is an option. But how does the MMII work in practice with a monopod and/or grippa case ? Is it easy to hold still ? Would be interested to hear your experiences.

thanks, and cheers
-
Niall