Nikon Fieldscope 13-30x50 video review

[stdeb11]

I picked one up here on the classifieds last year. First spotting scope I've had and now I can't imagine life without it. Little thing rocks. I ran the 13-30 eyepiece for a year and then upgraded to the 13-40 MCII for this year and love it even more.

I don't have a ton to compare it to but here's my thoughts. 40X eye relief isn't great but it is definitely useable and is a worthy upgrade. It's a much larger eyepiece than the 13-30x tho so it does add a little weight if that is your primary concern. I have both still so I can weigh them if people are that interested. I'm happy enough with the 13-40 MCII eyepiece that I don't think I'll ever switch back. I've heard good things from the birding crowd about the 27X eyepiece so may have to try that.

 

[robby denning]

I would like to know the differences or comparison with the ED50 and the Leupold gold ring 15-30x50. Price wise you can find both scopes for a few hundred bucks, so I would like to know if clarity or glass quality is a wash or if one is better then the other.

me too!

 

[Tyler_son]

Thanks for the great review

 

[Eric Bailey]

I run an ED 50 and Monarch 7 8X30s (which weigh 15 oz). Use both of them on the vortex SSP tripod. Completely agree about weight being one of the most critical factors.

 

[robby denning]

I run an ED 50 and Monarch 7 8X30s (which weigh 15 oz). Use both of them on the vortex SSP tripod. Completely agree about weight being one of the most critical factors.

Nice setup!


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[Frank Grimes]

I’ve been trying to decide on a smaller spotter for awhile. I was thinking if gettting this with the 27xwa, and the mc2 eyepiece. Not sure if the Kowa 60 would be better though with the the 30xwa and the 20-60 eyepiece. Then there’s the dialyt and the Kowa 55. I don’t think I will ever decide.

 

[willfrye027]

I’ve been trying to decide on a smaller spotter for awhile. I was thinking if gettting this with the 27xwa, and the mc2 eyepiece. Not sure if the Kowa 60 would be better though with the the 30xwa and the 20-60 eyepiece. Then there’s the dialyt and the Kowa 55. I don’t think I will ever decide.

I’ve got the kowa 602, it’s a great little scope and only 33oz with the 20-60x. I do wonder about the little Nikon and if it would compromise much compared to the 60mm kowa.

 

[HuntHarder]

Anyone know of the best place to pick up the MCII eyepiece?

 

[BeaverHunter]

I love my Nikon fieldscope. I went with the upgraded 13-40 eyepiece. Carbon fiber tripod. Clarity at 40 power is better than my Vortex razor hd 20-60x80 in my opinion. Wish I would have went to this setup sooner, with what it weighs, it will always be with me.

 

[BeaverHunter]

Anyone know of the best place to pick up the MCII eyepiece?

eBay.

 

[BeaverHunter]

I bought my fieldscope and 13-40 eyepiece separately and was in both combined way less than $600

 

[HuntHarder]

eBay.

Did you order the one from Japan? Are there any import duties or is the price you pay the price you pay?

 

[BeaverHunter]

Did you order the one from Japan? Are there any import duties or is the price you pay the price you pay?

Yes from Japan. Scope and eyepiece from different sellers, both from japan. Price you see is the price you pay. Took a few weeks for both to get here but the price was great and they were both brand new in box. Very good quality.

 

[HuntHarder]

Thanks man, appreciate it.

 

[Hill Difficulty]

Just thought I'd add a little to help anyone interested in the ED50 topic.

Am a big fan of my ED50. No complaints.

Mine separated at the seam where the two main parts of the housing shell come together. Upon contacting Nikon and letting them know I wasn't the original owner and did not have the original receipt (warranty language requires), was instructed to send it in anyway, so I shipped it to Nikon (California address) for repair. After 4 weeks of some less than clear customer service communication, someone let me know that they'd be sending me a new ED50. Total wait time for my new ED50 spotter required 8 weeks.

I notice a lot of people describing the different eyepieces. I have the standard 13-30x that comes with the scope + a 27x wide that I bought through Amazon from Nikon in Japan. Can tell you 1) focal clarity is identical, 2) eye relief for each eyepiece is identical, and 3) my eyecups don't rotate. Causes me to think there are different generations of the 27x wide considering other owners mention a twist-up eyecup.(?) If you wear eyeglasses (I don't) and want the 27x, the non-twist eyepiece may not be the answer for better relief. Can anyone confirm having a 27x with a twist-up eyecup? Wish mine twisted.

Tip: The best method I know for comparing or testing optic quality is to view cemetery gravestones from a distance. Keep looking at headstones a little further away until one optic will still read a name or date and one won't. The ED50 is sharp/impressive!

 

[ljalberta]

Can anyone confirm having a 27x with a twist-up eyecup? Wish mine twisted.

Can confirm. There are at least 2 generations of 27x eyepieces. The older Nikon 27x MC had twist up eyecups. They stopped producing these sometime in the early 2010s I believe. I have recently been searching out for one myself. The DS (digiscoping) version replaced them though. The optics are identical, but the DS eye piece lacks the twist up eyecups, and instead allows for easy attachment of the Nikon digi-scoping accessories.

 

[Hill Difficulty]

Very helpful - thank you, ljalberta.

 

[Frank Grimes]

Anyone know if there is a way to add a twist up eyecup for the 27x DS? Almost ready to order but not sure how I feel about not having an eyecup.

 

[EastMT]

No you can’t, it’s made that way for attaching a digiscoping clamp. The view in the 27x is unreal and you won’t need an eyecup. The rubber outer sleeve is removable for clamping a camera or phone scope to it.

I have glasses and use it, eye relief and view is the best of the 4 Eyepieces I have.

 

[oenanthe]

There's another thread on the eyepieces here:

Nikon ED50 eyepiece suggestions?

Looking for advice on eyepiece for the ED50 fieldscope. I'm a few field days now into using it (with the 13-30x eyepiece), and loving the size and glass. I'm finding that i'd like more eye relief though, it's quite shallow. Do you put an eyecup on it? Also i'm wondering if anyone has...

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