What Lens & Eyepiece Combinations For Nikon V1 (1 Viewer)

[Robinl]

Hi All - I have just purchased a Celestron Regal 80mm and intend to use it with my Nikon V1 (I have 18.5mm f1.8 and 10-30mm variable aperture zoom lenses). My other interests include astronomy and I have a wide range of astro eyepieces including 21, 17 and 8mm Baader Hyperions and 14mm XW Pentax.

How can I obtain the best image quality with this set-up? Should I use higher power eyepieces and the 18.5mm lens or perhaps a lower powered eyepiece with the top-end of the zoom lens.

I have looked through several threads on the forum and it seems that a low power eyepiece and camera zoom lens may be the way to go - but I am attracted by the Nikon 18.5mm f1.8 lens because of the aperture.

Any thoughts would be most welcome.

 

[davpen]

Hi. The f1.8 maximum aperture of the 18mm is more or less irrelevant when using this lens for digiscoping. When attached to a scope and eyepiece, the system as a whole will have no greater light-gathering capability with the aperture set at f1.8 than it would have at, say, f3.5. I don't pretend to understand the physics of this, but maybe someone who does will explain why.

Having said that, the 18mm does seem quite highly rated for digiscoping, especially with a zoom eyepiece.

David

 

[Robinl]

David - Thanks for your response. I think you may be right about the impact of an f1.8 lens. This highlights my initial question. With an FT-1 adapter and my 300mm lens with 1.4x tc I can achieve a focal length of just under 1150mm. Therefore, my digiscope focal length range must be 1500-3000mm (I guess this will also depend on atmospheric conditions).

The zoom lens on the Celestron Regal is very good but to be honest I prefer the views from my astro eyepieces. My beloved 14mm Pentax XW gives 34x mag and a focal length of approx. 1700mm with the Nikon V1 with 18.5mm lens.

This is where I hope the collective wisdom of the forum can help do I pack a shorter focal length eyepiece with the 18.5mm lens or longer focal length eyepiece with 10-30mm lens to give me digiscoping fl which exceeds 2000mm.

 

[Neil]

David - Thanks for your response. I think you may be right about the impact of an f1.8 lens. This highlights my initial question. With an FT-1 adapter and my 300mm lens with 1.4x tc I can achieve a focal length of just under 1150mm. Therefore, my digiscope focal length range must be 1500-3000mm (I guess this will also depend on atmospheric conditions).

The zoom lens on the Celestron Regal is very good but to be honest I prefer the views from my astro eyepieces. My beloved 14mm Pentax XW gives 34x mag and a focal length of approx. 1700mm with the Nikon V1 with 18.5mm lens.

This is where I hope the collective wisdom of the forum can help do I pack a shorter focal length eyepiece with the 18.5mm lens or longer focal length eyepiece with 10-30mm lens to give me digiscoping fl which exceeds 2000mm.

Although the zoom lens is nice to have to eliminate vignetting on most eyepieces it's at it's best around 40 - 60 mm. You would be better with the 18.5 mm lens as it should be sharper similar magnification.
Neil.

 

[Robinl]

Thanks Neil. I know from previous threads you are a keen user of the V1.

 

[Bitterroot Birds]

I like the 10-30 for video, but the 18.5 for stills (can't eliminate vignetting). It seems to me the aperture advantage really helps with shutter speeds shooting in aperture priority. Maybe I am wrong, but I generally get the sharpest stills with the 18.5.

I really want to see how the 32mm 1.2 does. Doesn't that seem like that one will be a winner for digiscoping?

I also have the FT-1 and have considered the F-mount 35mm 1.8. Anybody tried it?

 

[jourdaj]

I've been playing w/ both the 18mm f/1.8 and 10-30mm f/4.5-5.6 lenses on both the 20-60X and 40X eyepieces of a Zeiss 85T*Fl. For me it all comes down to which combination gives you the most stable image possible. For me the 10-30mm on the 40X eyepieces (w/ my homemade adaptors) is giving me as good as images as the 18mm f/1.8.

Incidentally, stopping down on either lenses tend to cause overexposures, so shoot them wide open.

 

[Neil]

I like the 10-30 for video, but the 18.5 for stills (can't eliminate vignetting). It seems to me the aperture advantage really helps with shutter speeds shooting in aperture priority. Maybe I am wrong, but I generally get the sharpest stills with the 18.5.

I really want to see how the 32mm 1.2 does. Doesn't that seem like that one will be a winner for digiscoping?

I also have the FT-1 and have considered the F-mount 35mm 1.8. Anybody tried it?

The 32 mm should be a nice lens but maybe a bit long for digiscoping at around 90 mm . It won't give you any flexiblity to back off for bigger birds eg egrets and herons.
Neil.

 

[Bitterroot Birds]

The 32 mm should be a nice lens but maybe a bit long for digiscoping at around 90 mm . It won't give you any flexiblity to back off for bigger birds eg egrets and herons.
Neil.

Yeah plenty of focal length there.

 

[Sandpiper]

I have used with some success a Zeiss 50mm f/2.8 via a third-party adaptor on my V1 for digiscoping attached to my Swarovski scope with 20-60x eyepiece. There is no vignetting throughout the zoom range but focus and exposure have to be set manually. Obviously this setup works best when the air is not disturbed by heat-haze or turbulence.

Mike