Nikon ED50 & 30x MC WA (1 Viewer)

[forent]

Ooops I did it again... Yesterday I received a grey Nikon ED50 for hikes and to complement my ED82A.
First impressions: So small, so light, and oh so great optics - simply stunning, love at first sight! :t: (Of course, in dim light the large ED82A plays in another league.)
The ED50 works extremely well with my MCII zoom eyepiece (= 13-40x) and also with the diminutive 27/40/50x MC (no WA; weights 35g; I picked it once NIB for 40 Euros). With the latter, it seems to be the smallest quality scope ever. I also tried the 24/30x MC WA, my main eyepiece on the ED82A although it is not recommended for the ED50 (besides, it should give a magnification of 16x like the 16/24/30x DS). I expected strong vignetting or something like that but as far as I can see everything works allright.

Do you know whether the 24/30x MC WA should not be used with the ED50/50A?

Kind regards, Walther

 

[Kevin Conville]

Hi Walther,

If it works fine, just use it and enjoy.
Though I haven't used that very EP, here's what I do know...

The DS16/24/30 is a terrific EP on the ED50. Wide, bright, and sharp.

I have the MC27/40/50W -and- the DS27/40/50 and have A-B'd them back to back and can tell no difference between them optically. This jibes with what others have said about their being identical except for the physical differences of twist-up eyecup and the digiscoping interface.

If one extrapolates from that and combines it with your experience that it works fine, then I think it's not only OK but is likely to be the very same as the DS version.

Of course, you can always ask Nikon why some are pondering this issue. If you do, please let us all know so we can put this to bed.

Cheers,
Kevin

 

[forent]

Hi Kevin,

thanks for your reply! But the MC30x and the DS30x are different constructions whereas all other MC eyepieces have optically identical DS counterparts. I wrote to Nikon Germany and that's what they told me:

"Es ist in der Tat so, dass wir es nicht empfehlen das MC 24/30x an das ED 50/50A anzuschliessen. Grundsaetzlich ist der Anschluß moeglich, jedoch passt dieses nicht exakt auf das ED 50/50A, dies ist durch den Aufbau des Okulars so."
My stumbling english translation: "Actually, we do not recommend to combine the MC 24/30x with the ED50/50A. Although the connection is possible in principle, the eyepiece does not fit exactly the ED 50/50A for reasons of the eyepiece construction."

Well, that sounds to me as if the combination is possible mechanically but optically inferior. I don't think of any mechanical problems because the eyepiece does not protrude very far into the fieldscope socket. I will examine the optical performance of my three eyepieces more precisely in the next days.

Best regards, Walther

 

[Kevin Conville]

OK, I'm learning something here. I clearly was unaware that the MC24/30 is unique and not of the same optical design as the DS counterpart.

Let us know what you discover.

At the risk of repeating myself, if you seek that particular magnification and decide the MC version is lacking, the DS version is just great on the mighty ED50.

Cheers,
Kevin

 

[RJM]

I suspect MC 24/30x Wide has a different focal plane than the rest of the series, thus vignettes when used in the ED50.

Rick

 

[Jason Bugay Reyes]

Means there are no problem at all when we used this MC WA 24/30 eyepiece on our ED50 ?

 

[forent]

Means there are no problem at all when we used this MC WA 24/30 eyepiece on our ED50 ?

I have not found any problems so far but maybe side by side the DS version might be superior optically. Who knows?

 

[theconstantwalker]

I have just bought one (cheap on e..y) and its brilliant.Very bright and a very wide field of view.