zoom or fixed (2 Viewers)

[gary_2503]

HELP!!! zoom or fixed lens

I have just recently bought a kowa tsn- 823 and was wondering if you guys could give me advice on whice lens to get. There is a choice of 32X, 20x-60x zoom lens or a 50X. It would be a great help if you reply because i am just new at this and want to get it right.:t:

 

[stevo]

Hi Gary

I used to have a Kowa tsn822 I found the best eyepiece to use for digiscoping was the 32x,you might find the 50x a bit to much magnification.

Regards Stevo :t: 3

 

[gary_2503]

will the 32X be as good as the 20X-60X for general birdwatching? Also is the zoom lens a worthwhile investment?what are the advantages and disadvantages?

 

[stevo]

The 32x will be a good choice for birdwatching,it`s always handy to have a higher magnification eyepiece such as the 20x-60x.For digiscoping the 32x will probably be better as it`s a wide angle eyepiece & will lessen vignetting.You could use the zoom eyepiece for digiscoping,but every time you wanted to change magnification you would have to slacken the screws on the digiscoping adapter,plus because the outer part of the eyepiece rotates you might have trouble lining the subject up.For general birding the zoom is optically very good especially as youre using it with a flourite scope.Hope this helps.

Regards Stevo.

 

[CJW]

Nah, go for the zoom Gary - much more versatile and any loss of quality for digiscoping will be negligable. Just look at mine and Pete's results (albeit from a Leica televid and Swarovski ATS) at:
www.iombirding.co.uk

 

[IanF]

I have the 823 as well. When I bought the scope it came with a 32x eyepiece. Two days back I took delivery of a 20-60x zoom. Whilst the 32x gives superb results, already I find the zoom eyepiece gives so much more versatility for framing photos. A few test shots reveal it gives good results between 20x - 40x. At 60x the photos are too soft for my liking but for viewing it's great.

I must admit though for starting off digiscoping not having the zoom to think about, probably helps with perfecting technique.

 

[robinm]

I have a 32WW and a 20-60 zoom for my Leica. While I prefer the 32 for general birding I much prefer the zoom for digiscoping.

 

[Colin]

I have the old 824 (not the 824M) and I have both eyepieces. I prefer the zoom at 20x for digiscoping but generally, I keep the zoom on during the winter because I do a lot of ring reading (plastic darvic rings on wildfowl) and the upper end of the zoom can be useful for that having located the bird in the flock with the 20x. In the summer/autumn, the 32x spends a lot of time on the scope since it is great for seawatching. No experience of the 50x but people that I have spoken with on said bit of kit say its not worth the money. (Maybe for astronomical purposes it may be reasonable). So it depends on what you want to do the most of if you are "rationed" to one eyepiece.

 

[cspratt]

I have the 20x60 zoom for my 823M Kowa. As I wear glasses the long eye relief (27x)eyepiece Zowa offered looked good for my uses. I now have it and it is really great for eyeglass wearers! I can also digiscope with it. The 31mm eye relief is really a bonus. I may get the wide angle 32x some day but right now the 27x works fine for me.

Chris. Spratt
Victoria, BC

 

[mak]

Gary.

With all optics there is a trade of. The higher the magnification the narrower the field of view. The higher the magnification the smaller the exit pupil.
The fixed eye pieces of the leading manufacturers have a wide angled field of view (over 60 degrees), with variable (zoom)eyepieces, the wide angle of the field of view is normally available at the highest magnification. eg. Swarovski, Leica & Zeiss variables are only wide angle at 60x (on the 20x-60x). I do not have the specifications for Kowa, sorry.

 

[chris murphy]

I've always used 32xWW eyepieces and found them to be the best. I used to have one on my TSN2 and now have one on my Leica. I have looked through my mates 20-60x zoom on the Leica and it is still quite impressive. However, I do alot of seawatching and for me, a zoom eyepiece on a seawatch is next to useless. You just don't get the field of view that you do from a 32xWW. Apart from one instance earlier this year (L.G.Shrike in Norfolk) I have not had the need or desire for a zoom. There's my 10p worth anyway!

 

[Ragna]

Gary
I used a 30x eyepiece on my Kowa tsn3 and thought it an excellent lens both for digiscoping and general bird watching,have now changed to aSwarovski HD again with 30x eyepiece, dont suppose this helps much as it seems pretty even regards 30x or zoom. Good luck