Lately I've been wondering about my NF BR scope with adj. objective lens. When its in focus there seems to be some parallax and to remove the parallax its a little out of focus. My wonderment question is , does this scope or any scope come with a fixed no parallax specification or do they all need to be adjusted to remove parallax and my older eyes need glasses? Thanks for your input.
Parallax ?
- Thread starter Steve Ladino
- Start date
Less expensive scopes have a "catchall" setting that gives "adequate" parallax for the expected distances that they're operated at. Better scopes offer you the operation for you to adjust them more effectively.
I regularly find that I am challenged to correctly focus my scopes with the eyepiece so that the crosshairs are sharp when viewed against a neutral background - and that's the essence of getting other adjustments to function correctly. I'm surprised at your issue is with a NF BR, as that's the scope I own which I find easiest to get all the ducks in a row with. On the other hand, The slow eyepiece adjustment on my Leupold VX IIIs is darned annoying & I have yet to be able to dial out parallax & get a crisp crosshair. Further, as I use them out to 1200 yards, I've learned to live with only a sharpish, not sharp crosshair on them.
Incidentally, a sage taught me to stick a ring of masking tape around the tube of my Leupys & crank the bugger one way until the crosshairs obviously blurred, put a mark on the tube corresponding to that little dot on the eyepiece, crank her back until it happened the other way & call the mid point between them best focus.
I regularly find that I am challenged to correctly focus my scopes with the eyepiece so that the crosshairs are sharp when viewed against a neutral background - and that's the essence of getting other adjustments to function correctly. I'm surprised at your issue is with a NF BR, as that's the scope I own which I find easiest to get all the ducks in a row with. On the other hand, The slow eyepiece adjustment on my Leupold VX IIIs is darned annoying & I have yet to be able to dial out parallax & get a crisp crosshair. Further, as I use them out to 1200 yards, I've learned to live with only a sharpish, not sharp crosshair on them.
Incidentally, a sage taught me to stick a ring of masking tape around the tube of my Leupys & crank the bugger one way until the crosshairs obviously blurred, put a mark on the tube corresponding to that little dot on the eyepiece, crank her back until it happened the other way & call the mid point between them best focus.
I like the eyepiece-masking tape procedure....I will do that and in combination with the Objective Bell hopefully get the positive immovable vision through my NF that I'm after. Thankyou ~ Steve
If the reticle is out of focus when the scope is focused at target range and there's no parallax, the scope eyepiece needs to be adjusted for your aiming eye. The target image is well focused on the reticle, but the scope eyepiece is not focused on the reticle.
Once perfect target focus is made and there's no parallax, make 1/3 turns on the scope eyepiece until the reticle is sharply focused as soon as you look through the scope.
Once perfect target focus is made and there's no parallax, make 1/3 turns on the scope eyepiece until the reticle is sharply focused as soon as you look through the scope.
Yes these operations are the keys i was looking for.... Thanks ~
Yes true...With the help from input here I have eliminated my parallax... Thanks ~
wedgy
Gold $$ Contributor
I have this issue with a 5-25x ATACR and a 3.5-15x50 NXS, when parallax is removed the target is blurry. The OP didn't say the reticle/crosshair was blurry, my reticle/crosshairs are sharp. Tested side by side a 3.5-15x56 NXS and two VX-6's do not have this issue. There is a thread on LRH about this NF issue. I am at a loss, NF says there is no issue but I'm considering other scopes than NF
When there's no parallax and the reticle's sharp, that happens only when both the scope's front and back lenses are set to focus both target and reticle correctly. If the target image is blurred in this situation, that's a lens quality problem, not a focus problem. It gets worse at higher magnifications and may not be seen at lower powers.
Kinda long read but the best write up I have found that I show people to explain parallax, what it is, why it occurs and what to do about it! I have a hard time trying to explain so a complete layman understands what I am trying to tell them about parallax. Hard to do while for 30 minutes of facing that 'deer in the headlight' stare.lol Easier to show them what it is but not as easy to explain why it happens, at least to this ignorant illiterate old turd!!!!
http://www.snipercountry.com/Articles/Parallax.asp
http://www.snipercountry.com/Articles/Parallax.asp
Brians356
Silver $$ Contributor
You might want to read my post on adjusting out parallax from 2014. They key is to properly adjust the ocular. Typical manufacturers' instructions are woefully inadequate, and written for the lowest common denominator of scope owners (present company excluded, of course!) Endeavor to surpass!
http://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/wondering-if-i-am-missing-anything.3859051/#post-36485790
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http://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/wondering-if-i-am-missing-anything.3859051/#post-36485790
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The eye opener for me was the downside to side focus scopes and to set parallax correctly you have to ALWAYS adjust to infinity first and then back to correct parallax. That if you go past with slop/clearance tolerances of erector tube you cannot obtain zero parallax??? I have found that to be absolutely fact with my 16X MK4, the side focus I have that sees the most use at different yardages. Also though the highest mag as most of what I use for doggin etc are only 10X just because of mirage around here in summer.
Brians356
Silver $$ Contributor
IMO adjusting eyepiece (ocular) focus on the reticle while looking at the sky, catching your eyes napping, not allowing your eyes to auto-focus, etc. is too subjective. By removing parallax first (and focusing objective on reticle plane) you are then free to adjust ocular for sharpest target image without any gymnastics to catch your eyes napping. When the target is in sharp focus, so must be the reticle as well if parallax error has been been removed.
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That link from Sniper Country on parallax and image planes has some incorrect info. Odd number image planes have target image reversed in both axes. Even numbered plane images are normal, not reversed; they reverse odd number planes. It claims the third image plane in variables is not reversed like the second image plane is.
First time I've heard of a third image plane. None are shown in all the variable power scope optical diagrams I've seen. Power is changed by changing the focal length of the erector lens group that's between the first and second image planes changing the second ones size. Name one rifle scope maker who claims their variables have a third focal plane image; erect or reversed.
Yes, all parallax can be completely removed, but for only one target range at a time. When parallax is minimal, looking through a monocular into the scopes eyepiece magnifies the reticle and target image. The details of image shift due to parallax is magnified equal to the monocular power; much easier to see details The scope eyepiece may need to be adjusted so images in the monocular are in focus and sharp, so focus the monocular on some distant object before doing this check. Do not change monocular focus and when finished, the scope reticle will probably be sharper normally used.
First time I've heard of a third image plane. None are shown in all the variable power scope optical diagrams I've seen. Power is changed by changing the focal length of the erector lens group that's between the first and second image planes changing the second ones size. Name one rifle scope maker who claims their variables have a third focal plane image; erect or reversed.
Yes, all parallax can be completely removed, but for only one target range at a time. When parallax is minimal, looking through a monocular into the scopes eyepiece magnifies the reticle and target image. The details of image shift due to parallax is magnified equal to the monocular power; much easier to see details The scope eyepiece may need to be adjusted so images in the monocular are in focus and sharp, so focus the monocular on some distant object before doing this check. Do not change monocular focus and when finished, the scope reticle will probably be sharper normally used.
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