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Nikon Fieldscope

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tehcreator View Drop Down
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    Posted: April/27/2009 at 14:36

I have searched through the archives and I have found relatively little information regarding the Nikon Fieldscopes (non-ED). It seems like everyone is in agreement that the ED line is the way to go...

However, I'm still curious to see if anyone has experience with this line (non-ED). Can anyone offer any thoughts, impressions or opinions?

I'm considering the non-ED Fieldscope only because of a potential good buy on one. Otherwise, I'm considering something along the lines of the Bushnell Excursion FLP. The spotter would be used on the shooting range 95+% of the time (I need all the help I can get spotting shots at 600 yards), but there's still a possibility I'd take it into the field once or twice.

I'd appreciate any insight yall have to offer...Thanks!!
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lucznik View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote lucznik Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April/27/2009 at 19:08

From another (similar) thread...

 
Originally posted by lucznik lucznik wrote:

I'm sure what I am about to say about ED lenses is not going to be terribly popular, nevertheless...
Let me start out by saying I love ED glass.  I have a large ED spotter and I am very, very pleased with it.  ED glass absolutely will allow you to see things better.  It is especially important if you plan on doing such things as astronomy or digiscoping.  It can also assist in making difficult bird IDs where very subtle differences in plumage color make a big difference. ED glass (or whatever name your particular brand choice is using) does this by bringing all of the colors back into as close to a single point of focus as is humanly possible.  This reduces the color fringing or chrommatic abberation that is often seen in scopes and binoculars.  However, in high quality scopes, so much of this color fringing is already so well controlled (even in non-ED models) that you have to actually look for it to see it.
 
What ED glass does not do is make a scope any brighter.  It helps control light; it does not allow any more light through.
 
As a result, if your only purpose is hunting, even trophy hunting, ED glass is not particularly critical.  It might be nice.  It would certainly enhance the viewing pleasure.  But, it isn't critical to success. Assuming you are comparing two otherwise identical scopes (Leupold Golden Ring FLPs, Nikon Fieldscopes, Minox MD62s, Swarovski STSs, etc.) it will not allow you to hunt any earlier or later.  It will not allow you to see any more animals nor to "measure" the trophy potential of those animals any better.  
 
If you are going to do digiscoping, astronomy, etc., then definitely get the ED scope.


Edited by lucznik - April/27/2009 at 19:09
What if the hokey pokey really is what it's all about?
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tehcreator View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tehcreator Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April/28/2009 at 20:41
hmm, I somehow missed that in my search...

Thanks for the info though!
 
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Tranan View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tranan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May/29/2009 at 18:20
If you have the money, go for the ED! If you don't I am sure you'll do pretty good without it. I like the old fieldscopes a lot and I think they represent a lot of scope for the buck.
 
I actually even owened an old RA II 20-60x80 and was very content with it.
CHARLIE DON'T SURF!
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tehcreator View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tehcreator Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/04/2009 at 20:00
I definitely like the ED models, but haven't found any great deals on them yet. The non-ED models can be had for around/under $500 with an eyepiece, which seems like a decent deal to me.

I'm still considering the Bushnell Excursion 20-60x80...wondering if the extra 20mm in diameter is enough of an advantage to make it worthwhile over the Fieldscope? Or if the Nikon is clear and bright enough to make the extra 20mm unnecessary...
 
Thanks for the input!!
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Tranan View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tranan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/04/2009 at 20:16
80mm is allways an advantage and never a dissadvantage. I do however think that a fieldscope is a better alternative than the Excursion.
If you are to look at Bushnell then I would consider the Elite 20-60x80.
CHARLIE DON'T SURF!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sparky Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/04/2009 at 22:58
600yds is a tall order even for the Alpha scopes. And I am not sure if color accuracy is the only difference between ED and non ED glass. I looked through a Nikon 13-30x50ED and their 20-60x60 non ED and was able to see finer detail on an optics chart with the 50ED at 100yds and 200yds. For what you want the Bushnell Elite 20-60x80ED would be the bare minimum.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote lucznik Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/04/2009 at 22:59
Originally posted by Tranan Tranan wrote:

80mm is allways an advantage and never a dissadvantage.
  Try packing that 80mm scope around on your back with a suitable tripod and all your gear for 5 days.  You will find that it can and does indeed have its disadvantages.

What if the hokey pokey really is what it's all about?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rick983 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/06/2009 at 21:30
I have a Nikon Earth & Sky spotter that I've had for several years and I really like it. If there's a negative on it, it would be the way the front lens cap is always attached to the scope and does not stay in place. Minor gripe.
Only accurate rifles are interesting.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tranan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/08/2009 at 17:39
Originally posted by lucznik lucznik wrote:

Originally posted by Tranan Tranan wrote:

80mm is allways an advantage and never a dissadvantage.
  Try packing that 80mm scope around on your back with a suitable tripod and all your gear for 5 days.  You will find that it can and does indeed have its disadvantages.

 
I use my scope quite a lot and together with the tripod it gets to be a very heavy equipment. If you carry it right you wouldn't notice to big of a difference between 60mm, 80mm (and mine happens to be an 88mm). I normally ride my bicycle in the mountains with the whole equipment on my back and it works very well. It will be worth it when you have so much more light power and clear picture when you are to make your observations, wether they nature or sky obs.
 
If we are to be pragmatical about it, if you weigh the 60mm and the 80mm you will see that the difference is not so big between them. However when adressing the quality of the image, well, that is gonna be much better.
CHARLIE DON'T SURF!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote lucznik Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: June/08/2009 at 19:10
Originally posted by Tranan Tranan wrote:

Originally posted by lucznik lucznik wrote:

Originally posted by Tranan Tranan wrote:

80mm is allways an advantage and never a dissadvantage.
  Try packing that 80mm scope around on your back with a suitable tripod and all your gear for 5 days.  You will find that it can and does indeed have its disadvantages.

If we are to be pragmatical about it, if you weigh the 60mm and the 80mm you will see that the difference is not so big between them.


Which is exactly why I have an 80mm scope for use at camp or from a vehicle and then a 50mm scope for packing into the backcountry. 
What if the hokey pokey really is what it's all about?
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