by Jne_K on Sun Feb 26, 2012 2:14 pm
Hi
There will be no discernible advantage over nitrogen with argon filled. Makes for a nice advertising, but not something you will ever notice. Use other features to make your decision.
While it is true that companies such as Nikon make a lot of their adapters for Nikon cameras, only, it really depends on the camera in question and what type of photography you want to pursue with the spotting scope. I certainly wouldn't let such blanket advice keep you from buying a Nikon spotting scope. Let's take a look;
You will need to use Nikon DSLRs with Nikon DSLR adapters because the adapter uses a standard Nikon bayonet camera mount. In other words, it's no go if you want to use Canon DSLRs on Nikon spotting scopes.
On the other hand, you are not necessarily stuck using Nikon point and shoot Coolpix cameras if you want to do digiscope with Nikon spotting scopes. Yes, Nikon does make an entire line of digiscoping adapters for specific models of their Nikon Coolpix cameras. If you want to use these adapters, you are absolutely stuck using only specific models of Coolpix cameras. However, you can still use a universal digiscoping adapter, such as the Alpen 706, with any brand of small digital point and shoot and mount both on any Nikon spotting scope.
All of those scopes are suitable for digiscoping, yes. Eyepieces are important, though. The best choice as far as spotting scope eyepieces for digiscoping are long eye relief, wide-angle fixed power eyepieces. Second best are zoom eyepieces that also offer enough eye relief to minimize vignetting with the camera. Cheap zoom eyepieces are always limited in eye relief and almost always poor choices for digiscoping.
The Brunton and Vixen scopes have decent zooms for digiscoping, yes. Not great, but usable. You might want to also consider brands of spotting scopes that offer fixed power, WA eyepieces as options. For instance, Nikon makes an entire line of these digiscoping eyepieces for their Fieldscopes. Kowa spotting scopes also offer excellent fixed power digiscoping eyepieces as options. Brunton has offered a fixed power eyepiece in the past, but not sure what is still available. Same story with Vixen. You might want to check on this.
All else equal, a spotting scope with ED or fluorite objectives is better for taking pics than a scope without, same as it works with camera lenses. Given the choice between a good 65 mm scope with ED objective and a larger 80 mm without ED, I'd go for the smaller scope with ED when it comes to digiscoping. ED, fluorite and so on are big plusses for photography.
Hi
There will be no discernible advantage over nitrogen with argon filled. Makes for a nice advertising, but not something you will ever notice. Use other features to make your decision.
While it is true that companies such as Nikon make a lot of their adapters for Nikon cameras, only, it really depends on the camera in question and what type of photography you want to pursue with the spotting scope. I certainly wouldn't let such blanket advice keep you from buying a Nikon spotting scope. Let's take a look;
You will need to use Nikon DSLRs with Nikon DSLR adapters because the adapter uses a standard Nikon bayonet camera mount. In other words, it's no go if you want to use Canon DSLRs on Nikon spotting scopes.
On the other hand, you are not necessarily stuck using Nikon point and shoot Coolpix cameras if you want to do digiscope with Nikon spotting scopes. Yes, Nikon does make an entire line of digiscoping adapters for specific models of their Nikon Coolpix cameras. If you want to use these adapters, you are absolutely stuck using only specific models of Coolpix cameras. However, you can still use a universal digiscoping adapter, such as the Alpen 706, with any brand of small digital point and shoot and mount both on any Nikon spotting scope.
All of those scopes are suitable for digiscoping, yes. Eyepieces are important, though. The best choice as far as spotting scope eyepieces for digiscoping are long eye relief, wide-angle fixed power eyepieces. Second best are zoom eyepieces that also offer enough eye relief to minimize vignetting with the camera. Cheap zoom eyepieces are always limited in eye relief and almost always poor choices for digiscoping.
The Brunton and Vixen scopes have decent zooms for digiscoping, yes. Not great, but usable. You might want to also consider brands of spotting scopes that offer fixed power, WA eyepieces as options. For instance, Nikon makes an entire line of these digiscoping eyepieces for their Fieldscopes. Kowa spotting scopes also offer excellent fixed power digiscoping eyepieces as options. Brunton has offered a fixed power eyepiece in the past, but not sure what is still available. Same story with Vixen. You might want to check on this.
All else equal, a spotting scope with ED or fluorite objectives is better for taking pics than a scope without, same as it works with camera lenses. Given the choice between a good 65 mm scope with ED objective and a larger 80 mm without ED, I'd go for the smaller scope with ED when it comes to digiscoping. ED, fluorite and so on are big plusses for photography.
