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Optolyth 80mm or Nikon ED 60mm? (1 Viewer)

>.<

New member
Hi, my first post!

hope you don't mind another 'which is the preferable scope' type of question.

I'm about to have a go at digiscoping, using a Coolpix 995. I have an old Optolyth drawscope, with an 80mm objective lens and a 20x eyepiece. I have the chance to swap this (though I also have to hand over £80!) for a Nikon fieldscope II ED, which also has a 20x eyepiece.

Hmm.

My main query is this: I know that ED glass is very advantageous in reducing chromatic abberation, and so on, but I also know that a larger lens is useful for improved light gathering.

Clearly an 80mm ED lens would solve the 'problem', but, as I'm permanently skint, this seems out of the question.

So, stick with the old scope, or swap for the new one?

All replies gratefully received!
 
Hi >.< and welcome to BF

Personally I'd make the change and go for the Nikon scope... ED glass will make a big difference to the quality of the images you can obtain digiscoping. I'd rather use a 60mm ED scope than a standard glass 80mm for digiscoping. Your shutter speeds will be slightly slower, but in decent light you'll get better shots.

Another thing that would make me suggest changing is the focusing systems of the two scopes. The Optolyth drawtubes use eyepeice focusing making attahcing a digiscoping adapter very difficult (if not impossible), it also makes handholding digiscoping tricky. The barrel focus on the Nikon is a lot easier to use and the Nikon will work fine with a cheap universal adapter.
 
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