Nikon Fieldscope digiscoping

From Steve:

I just purchased a Nikon Fieldscope 13-30x50 ED and I have a Nikon Coolpix S700 that I want to digiscope with.
Can you tell me what will work with this scope?

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Thanks for your question, Steve. Your best bet would be this Vortex small universal adapter. Your camera should work well with this adapter and your scope because it is small bodied and has a below 4x optical zoom. Have fun!

Swarovski scopes-aluminum or magnesium?

From Bob:

Other than the magnesium body and slightly less weight are there any significant differences between the Swarovski ATS 80 HD and ATM 80 HD spotting scopes?

Do you know why Swarovski went to magnesium?

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Thanks for your question.

Swarovski switched to a magnesium housing to reduce the weight of their scopes. The body material is the one and only difference between the discontinued ATS scopes and the ATM scopes. The size, shape, and entire optical assembly, including lens coatings, are the same. While they are available at closeout pricing, the ATS scopes represent a great value while offering identical optical performance to the ATM models. The eyepieces and other accessories between the two models are the same as well.

From Bob in Colorado:
Subject: Intrepid ED and Monarch

Have you compared side by side the Atlas Intrepid ED and Nikon Monarch, and if so, what would you say is the best one to get?

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Thanks for your question, Bob. I am quite familiar with both of these models and have compared them side by side. Without a doubt, the Intrepid is sharper and brighter to the edge of the image. I wouldn't saw there's a world of difference between these, but I think you'd easily see it. The Monarch sits nicely at its price point, whereas the Intrepid ED would be more comparable to products in the $500 range.

Minox digital eyepiece with Kowa 822 scope

From Norm in Ontario:
Subject: MINOX DEC 5.0 DIGITAL EYEPIECE CAMERA

I was about to purchase a Minox 5.0 Digital Eyepiece Camera for my Kowa TSN 822 Spotting Scope when I read that I must own a Kowa TSE-EC Eyepiece Converter to be able to use the Camera.

Does this mean that I will never be able to use the camera eyepiece unless I buy a new scope?

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Norm: Thanks for your question. Unfortunately, this is true; unless you can find the discontinued Kowa TSE-EC eyepiece converter, you are out of luck using the Minox digital eyepiece on your Kowa 822 scope. I wish I had better news, but good luck finding the converter!

Scope and porro vs. roof prism binocular questions

From Ron:

I was curious about scanning with both eyes open with a straight scope (advantage) vs. going back and forth between “gun sight” and angle lens of the angular scope trying to find your intended object to view.

Maybe there’s a better way to scan with the angular style which you could explain to me, but I haven’t figured it out yet.

I see in your Tech reviews about the difference between porro and roof prism binos. Could you give me some additional info about the differences and advantages/disadvantages? Why would there be better field of view with the porro? I have people ask me about the practical use advantages/disadvantages of each; but I can’t really find any good answers. Can you provide some?

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Ron: Thanks for your feedback.
In general, people who use scopes and are scanning with their eyes either put their head up and get used to looking back down at an angle with an angled scope, or are using binos to scan, which would require looking up anyway.

Angled scopes are more popular because they can be left lower on the tripod for stability and because people of different heights can share them more easily.
If someone is the main person using the scope, not super tall, and they want to scan easily with their eyes, we would probably recommend a straight scope.

Porro prisms in general have wider fields of view built in. As technology and market demand change, there are fewer and fewer porros available, and wider and wider fields of view are able built into roof prisms.
I would say in terms of practical different at each price point, the main things to think about are 1) someone might prefer the way barrels are set wider in a porro as far as how it feels in their hands, 2) in general, roof prisms are significantly more durable, and 3)porros tend to have farther close focusing, and nowadays, more and more roofs are built with close focusing.

If your bino feels good in your hands and has a good warranty to cover any accidental damage, you're good to go!

Pentax scope eyepieces?

From Dennis:

Subject: Best eyepiece for Pentax 65 ED-A II scope

I am considering the purchase of a Pentax 65 ED-A II spotting scope. I wish to use the scope for birding. Which Pentax eyepiece would be most appropriate for this scope: the XW 14, the XW 10 or the XF 20-60x zoom? Are there any other options I should consider? Thanks in advance for your reply.

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Dennis: Thanks for your question. The most appropriate eyepiece for the Pentax 65 is the XF zoom, as it is smaller and more compatible with the smaller-bodied Pentax scope.
The astronomical eyepieces do fit it, but they are quite big on the back of that small scope body. Hope this helps you narrow down your options.