Ledd Slinger
Silver $$ Contributor
I have always heard these old Japanese Nikon ED Fieldscopes set the bar for optical superiority back in the day amongst the birding community but never had the chance to look through one. And people still regard them as having top notch glass even by today's HD/ED standards. As a reference for my spotting scope reviews, I currently own the Swarovski ATX with 95mm and 65mm objectives. To my eyes the Swaro ATX sets the "bar" for top level glass.
Well I found Nikon Fieldscope ED 60mm model online in excellent condition with mint glass. It came with the 20x and 40x fixed eyepieces. Curiosity finally got the best of me and I couldnt resist the purchase. The eyepieces thread into the scope and have an o-ring seal to keep water and moisture out. The 20x eyepiece has a much larger piece of glass and delivers a nice wide field of view. I also have a 20-45x zoom eyepiece on the way for the Fieldscope but cannot comment on that eyepiece until it arrives.
Right off the bat I noticed this scope has a normal length but the objective is quite small. Also very lightweight. Had me wondering if the little glass could pull off the view everyone used to rave about back in the day. Well I can tell you this little spotter packs a huge punch! The view is stunning with awesome resolution and excellent true color rendition. Chromatic abberation is controlled very well and the depth of field is pretty good. The very edge of the view doesnt come into perfect focus, but there is a huge sweet spot in the center and the picture is so nice that you dont even notice it.
The scope has the same large barrel type focus that Swarovski has always used and it is ultra smooth and precise. No issues at all dialing in perfect focus at any range with either the 20x or 40x eyepieces.
As usual in my reviews, I tried to capture the view with my Samsung Galaxy Note 9 smartphone. As good as the pictures are through my phone, they still cant capture the full detail and beauty this little powerhouse spotter delivers. Nonetheless, I tried to get the best photos possible. Below are pictures of the spotter itself and views through the 20x and 40x eyepieces. No editing or enhancements added to the photos whatsoever.
Enjoy
THE SCOPE
Well I found Nikon Fieldscope ED 60mm model online in excellent condition with mint glass. It came with the 20x and 40x fixed eyepieces. Curiosity finally got the best of me and I couldnt resist the purchase. The eyepieces thread into the scope and have an o-ring seal to keep water and moisture out. The 20x eyepiece has a much larger piece of glass and delivers a nice wide field of view. I also have a 20-45x zoom eyepiece on the way for the Fieldscope but cannot comment on that eyepiece until it arrives.
Right off the bat I noticed this scope has a normal length but the objective is quite small. Also very lightweight. Had me wondering if the little glass could pull off the view everyone used to rave about back in the day. Well I can tell you this little spotter packs a huge punch! The view is stunning with awesome resolution and excellent true color rendition. Chromatic abberation is controlled very well and the depth of field is pretty good. The very edge of the view doesnt come into perfect focus, but there is a huge sweet spot in the center and the picture is so nice that you dont even notice it.
The scope has the same large barrel type focus that Swarovski has always used and it is ultra smooth and precise. No issues at all dialing in perfect focus at any range with either the 20x or 40x eyepieces.
As usual in my reviews, I tried to capture the view with my Samsung Galaxy Note 9 smartphone. As good as the pictures are through my phone, they still cant capture the full detail and beauty this little powerhouse spotter delivers. Nonetheless, I tried to get the best photos possible. Below are pictures of the spotter itself and views through the 20x and 40x eyepieces. No editing or enhancements added to the photos whatsoever.
Enjoy
THE SCOPE
Last edited:
