Nikon EDG Fieldscope 85-A
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Unveiled at this year’s Birdfair and set to go head to head with the likes of Leica, Swarovski and Zeiss, Nikon’s new EDG (pronounced ‘edge’) Fieldscopes have widened the choice for buyers at the top end of the telescope market. The new range, which also includes a 65-mm model, comes in both angled and straight-bodied versions.
I took the 85-mm angled version out for a spin in August to see how this big scope handled and just what it is capable of delivering in terms of image. Large-bodied, solid and beefy, this macho piece of contemporary optical refinement weighs in at a hefty 2.36 kg, and will command presence in a crowd as a result of its size alone.
A series of three threaded holes in the ‘foot’ allow for balance adjustment (with or without a camera attached) when mounting the scope on a tripod head. This should also prove useful in preserving the longevity of the tripod attachment, making it possible to move the point of connection from one hole to another if threads wear out – it is likely that thread wear will be increased by the mounting pressure of this heavy instrument on the tripod quick-release plate over time.
As a result of the weight of the scope, I found the vibration and torque generated by carrying the tripod around and swinging it on and off the shoulder meant it became loose on the quick-release plate after a short period of time, making re-tightening necessary. The foot rotates a full 360 degrees, click stops in seven positions, and is secured by a mill-headed screw which is easily tightened between finger and thumb.
The part-rubber body armour includes an integral objective lens cap, which is hinged into a broad (20-mm) rubber ring at the extendible lens hood. This ring is detachable but should ideally stay on the scope for added protection. The hinge is made of flexible rubber and allows the rigid plastic lens cap to be removed and reinserted if desired. The lens hood is rubber armoured, as is the prism housing, but the scope body is not, although the helical focusing ring is milled, raised rubber and is four fingers’ width, fitting my hand perfectly.
Attaching the FEP-20-60x zoom eyepiece is simple and easy, as it is a bayonet fitting with an automatic locking device and a small lever to unlock it before removing. The eyepiece rubber rainguard slips snugly over the lens, stays put and is detachable. It is attached to a rubber ring that sits in a specially designed groove on the outside of the eye-cup. It is unobtrusive, does not impede use of the scope and forms an integral part of the eyepiece.
The magnification range of the zoom eyepiece drops to 16-48x when used with the 65-mm scope. For this reason the eyepiece does not show an incremental scale of magnification, leaving you to estimate the magnification from the marker on the zoom ring. A further six new eyepieces make up the range and current Fieldscope eyepieces are also compatible when used with a Nikon FS eyepiece mount adapter.
Nikon has billed the FEP-20-60x as “long eye relief (18.4-16.5mm)”, the ocular twisting outward but not click-locking. However, I found it extended only 7 mm above the lens on the eyepiece I tested.
The focusing ring turns remarkably smoothly, with fine tuning achieved by careful manipulation of the ends of the ring. At first I found it difficult to obtain a sharp image at magnifications above 40x, although with practice I was achieving an astonishingly sharp, bright image at 60x – the fine plumage detail clearly visible on a group of distant Common Sandpipers I was watching just before dusk.
This focusing system may not be as easy to use for those with small hands, but arguably scores over the finger wheel in terms of fine focus control. It does, however, introduce the potential for image shake, which is exacerbated at higher magnifications, and may not suit everyone in this respect.
Other aspects of the image were pleasing: high contrast with clean, natural colours and a generally warm overtone, with a barely detectable yellowish colour rendition. Chromatic aberration has also been pegged back to a very low level – a reflection perhaps of the refined apochromatic lens system which utilises ED glass to effect CA reduction. The end result is a superbly clean, bright image which is extremely satisfying, even at low light intensities.
Price: £1,899.99 (body); £599.99 (FEB-20-60x eyepiece)
Size: 398x102 mm (x131 mm height) (body); 99 mm (eyepiece)
Weight: 2,030 g (body); 330 g (eyepiece)
Field of view: 38-19 mm at 1,000 m
Close focus: 5 m
Gas-filled: yes
Waterproof: yes
Guarantee: 10 years
I took the 85-mm angled version out for a spin in August to see how this big scope handled and just what it is capable of delivering in terms of image. Large-bodied, solid and beefy, this macho piece of contemporary optical refinement weighs in at a hefty 2.36 kg, and will command presence in a crowd as a result of its size alone.
A series of three threaded holes in the ‘foot’ allow for balance adjustment (with or without a camera attached) when mounting the scope on a tripod head. This should also prove useful in preserving the longevity of the tripod attachment, making it possible to move the point of connection from one hole to another if threads wear out – it is likely that thread wear will be increased by the mounting pressure of this heavy instrument on the tripod quick-release plate over time.
As a result of the weight of the scope, I found the vibration and torque generated by carrying the tripod around and swinging it on and off the shoulder meant it became loose on the quick-release plate after a short period of time, making re-tightening necessary. The foot rotates a full 360 degrees, click stops in seven positions, and is secured by a mill-headed screw which is easily tightened between finger and thumb.
The part-rubber body armour includes an integral objective lens cap, which is hinged into a broad (20-mm) rubber ring at the extendible lens hood. This ring is detachable but should ideally stay on the scope for added protection. The hinge is made of flexible rubber and allows the rigid plastic lens cap to be removed and reinserted if desired. The lens hood is rubber armoured, as is the prism housing, but the scope body is not, although the helical focusing ring is milled, raised rubber and is four fingers’ width, fitting my hand perfectly.
Attaching the FEP-20-60x zoom eyepiece is simple and easy, as it is a bayonet fitting with an automatic locking device and a small lever to unlock it before removing. The eyepiece rubber rainguard slips snugly over the lens, stays put and is detachable. It is attached to a rubber ring that sits in a specially designed groove on the outside of the eye-cup. It is unobtrusive, does not impede use of the scope and forms an integral part of the eyepiece.
The magnification range of the zoom eyepiece drops to 16-48x when used with the 65-mm scope. For this reason the eyepiece does not show an incremental scale of magnification, leaving you to estimate the magnification from the marker on the zoom ring. A further six new eyepieces make up the range and current Fieldscope eyepieces are also compatible when used with a Nikon FS eyepiece mount adapter.
Nikon has billed the FEP-20-60x as “long eye relief (18.4-16.5mm)”, the ocular twisting outward but not click-locking. However, I found it extended only 7 mm above the lens on the eyepiece I tested.
The focusing ring turns remarkably smoothly, with fine tuning achieved by careful manipulation of the ends of the ring. At first I found it difficult to obtain a sharp image at magnifications above 40x, although with practice I was achieving an astonishingly sharp, bright image at 60x – the fine plumage detail clearly visible on a group of distant Common Sandpipers I was watching just before dusk.
This focusing system may not be as easy to use for those with small hands, but arguably scores over the finger wheel in terms of fine focus control. It does, however, introduce the potential for image shake, which is exacerbated at higher magnifications, and may not suit everyone in this respect.
Other aspects of the image were pleasing: high contrast with clean, natural colours and a generally warm overtone, with a barely detectable yellowish colour rendition. Chromatic aberration has also been pegged back to a very low level – a reflection perhaps of the refined apochromatic lens system which utilises ED glass to effect CA reduction. The end result is a superbly clean, bright image which is extremely satisfying, even at low light intensities.
Price: £1,899.99 (body); £599.99 (FEB-20-60x eyepiece)
Size: 398x102 mm (x131 mm height) (body); 99 mm (eyepiece)
Weight: 2,030 g (body); 330 g (eyepiece)
Field of view: 38-19 mm at 1,000 m
Close focus: 5 m
Gas-filled: yes
Waterproof: yes
Guarantee: 10 years
