tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52983511700165081942024-03-13T17:28:23.776+00:00UK Telescopes and Binoculars ForumOptical instruments for nature and astronomy - Online user guide and discussion forum.Nipon Scope and Opticshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124907943435655979noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5298351170016508194.post-68163930281683617032014-02-15T22:38:00.002+00:002014-02-15T22:38:26.316+00:00Where can I download the software driver for my digital eyepiece EE300 for Windows 8?<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Please go to this<a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=page&id=3" target="_blank"> User Guide</a> page for the software download. </span>Nipon Scope and Opticshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124907943435655979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5298351170016508194.post-3631014007343549602014-02-15T22:30:00.000+00:002014-02-15T22:32:36.094+00:00Why won’t my erect image eyepiece or diagonal always give right-side-up images with my telescope?<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Image erectors won’t work in all circumstances. The orientation of the image produced by your scope depends on its optical design and its orientation. Though optics of many scopes create inverted images, an image may actually be right-side-up, sideways, or at an angle depending on how your tube is oriented, how your head is oriented and looking in the eyepiece, etc. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">An erect image eyepiece is a series of prisms combined with eyepiece lenses designed to rotate the image from a telescope’s main optics by 180°. It’s most commonly used with the Newtonian reflector. It simply replaces whatever eyepiece you would normally use. When used with the reflecting scope where the image is presented upside down, it will give a right side up image that’s correct right to left.<br /><br />An erect image diagonal is a right-angle or 45° star diagonal that replaces a regular prism with an Amici or roof prism. When used with a refractor (where the straight-through image is inverted), it will give a right-side-up image that’s correct right to left. A regular prism star diagonal also gives a right-side-up image, but it’s mirror-reversed.<br /><br />Image erectors--whether eyepieces or diagonals--are also affected by orientation. They will work properly only in certain scope and viewer orientations.<br /><br />An erect image eyepiece with a Newtonian will give the erect views only when the tube is in certain positions and you are looking into the tube from a certain position relative to the tube’s axis. The combination works when the main tube is level and the eyepiece drawtube is level on the right-hand side and you are looking directly into the eyepiece. The corresponding position on the left-hand side will also work (tube is rotated 180° in the tube rings). A third position that gives an erect image is with the tube level, the eyepiece drawtube on top, and looking into the eyepiece from behind (standing back towards the mirror end of the tube). Any other position will give a tilted or even upside down orientation, despite the use of the erecting eyepiece.<br /><br />For Newtonian telescopes with dovetail mounting systems that place the eyepiece at a convenient 45° position for astronomical observations, you can't get an erect image, only a tilted one. So these scopes will show landscape scenes and terrestrial views at an angle.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=13&products_id=68" target="_blank">An erect image diagonal</a> has similar limitations. It will work with a level refractor tube when looking straight down into the diagonal and the eyepiece you’ve inserted. It will also give an erect image when rotated 90° right or left and you are looking in from the right or left side. Other orientations of the diagonal and your viewing angle will give slanted views.<br /><br />Note: A simple trick will work with a Newtonian reflector without any erecting optics. Point the level scope at what you want to see and rotate the eyepiece drawtube so it is pointing straight up. Now stand in front and to the side of the scope (not blocking light from getting in the tube), looking back towards the mirror end of the tube. Bend over and look into the eyepiece from this position; you will see an erect image.</span>Nipon Scope and Opticshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124907943435655979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5298351170016508194.post-90456003436028961102014-02-15T22:22:00.000+00:002014-02-15T22:22:26.081+00:00Why do I see stars only as points of light even when using my highest power eyepiece?<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The ability to see details on an object ultimately depends on how far away it is and how big it is. Stars are so very far away that they will never show a real disk or ball shape in a telescope.<br /><br />Planets, the Moon, and the Sun are much closer and will show discernible disks and details even at low or medium powers in most telescopes. Nebulae and galaxies are also very far away, but are so enormous they will also show details in many telescopes.<br /><br />What you will see looking at stars at high magnifications (assuming a steady atmosphere that will allow this) is an optical pattern known as the diffraction pattern. It’s a bull’s-eye with a bright central area or disk surrounded by one or more concentric rings. It is not the actual disk of the star you are seeing. The diffraction pattern is due to the way the telescope’s circular lens or mirror acts on light from a pinpoint source like a star.</span>Nipon Scope and Opticshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124907943435655979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5298351170016508194.post-71689344622330359112014-02-15T22:15:00.001+00:002014-02-15T22:15:59.925+00:00Why does there appear to be a black circle in the middle of my image when I look at a star or planet?<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">If you can see the shadow of the secondary mirror (black circle) and spider vanes in the eyepiece, the telescope is not focused. <br /><br />As you move the focuser up, the image should get smaller until you reach a point where the shadow disappears. This image is now in focus. If you continue turning the focus knob and the shadow returns and image grows larger, you have passed focus and need to turn the knob in the opposite direction. If you want to make the focused image larger, you will need to use a higher power eyepiece (or zoom in if you use a zoom eyepiece).</span>Nipon Scope and Opticshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124907943435655979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5298351170016508194.post-25794606538589379582014-02-15T22:03:00.005+00:002014-02-15T22:11:01.036+00:00How do I connect a SLR (Single-Lens Reflex) camera to my telescope?<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To connect an SLR camera to your telescope, you’ll need two accessories: a camera T-ring and a T-adapter. T-ring is also known as T2 mount, and T-adapter is sometimes known as T-mount. This system is a worldwide standard 42mm thread to connect cameras to other devices.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> A <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=44_46" target="_blank">T-adapter</a> attaches to the scope and a <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=44_45" target="_blank">T-ring</a> attaches to your SLR camera. A <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=44_46&products_id=131" target="_blank">T-adapter with a 1.25” eyepiece barrel</a> is very versatile and slips into the eyepiece drawtube of most telescopes. Other types of T-adapters with threads are specific to certain types of scopes. (Specialized accessories like a radial guider or tele-extender have T-threads that take T-rings, so they act like specialized T-adapters). For example, a <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=44_46&products_id=229" target="_blank">T-adapter</a> has been purposely designed to connect various SLR cameras to the <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=164" target="_blank">Nipon 25-125x92 spotting scope</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The threads on the T-adapter fits into all T-rings. Since each brand of camera has its own specific thread size or bayonet type, you need the proper T-ring. Thus <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=44_45&products_id=125" target="_blank">Canon</a> has its T-rings (two of them); <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=44_45&products_id=126" target="_blank">Nikon</a> has its own T-rings; Minolta has their own specific rings, and so on. Some T-rings are available <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=44_45" target="_blank">here</a> for most popular brands, such as <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=44_45&products_id=127" target="_blank">Sony</a>, <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=44_45&products_id=129" target="_blank">Olympus 4/3</a>, <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=44_45&products_id=193" target="_blank">Olympus Micro 4/3</a>, <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=44_45&products_id=192" target="_blank">Pentax K</a>, in addition to those mentioned earlier.<br /><br />To attach SLR cameras to your telescope, first, remove the visual accessories you are using – eyepiece, diagonal, visual back. Then either screw on or insert the correct T-adapter for your scope and the type of photography you want to do.<br /><br />For example, to use the <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=32&products_id=208" target="_blank">T-adapter with the 1.25” barrel</a>, remove your SLR's lens and attach the T-ring to your camera, then the T-ring to the T-adapter and slide the 1.25” barrel into your eyepiece holder. Add a shutter release and the camera is now ready for prime-focus photography. Your telescope acts as a platform and can be used to provide tracking if the scope has been polar aligned. Tracking may not be needed for very short exposures of the sun, moon and planets.<br /><br /><b>Important Note:</b> For some Newtonian telescope models, the focal plane of the telescope may not be far enough from the tube to allow you to focus with the T-adapter/camera setup you are using. Try using a T-adapter with a built-in Barlow lens (with the lens at the forward end), such as this <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=32_33&products_id=147" target="_blank">Nikon SLR adapter</a>, to extend the focal plane to reach your camera’s imaging plane. Another way that will achieve infinity focus with almost any Newtonian or other telescope is eyepiece projection directly into your camera with a large <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=26_27&products_id=29" target="_blank">32mm</a>, <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=26_27&products_id=51" target="_blank">40mm</a>, or <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=26_27&products_id=145" target="_blank">10-30mm zoom</a> eyepiece. Some eyepieces have even got T-threads under the rubber eyecup, so simply thread it into your camera T-ring and then attach to your camera and put the assembly into your scope’s eyepiece drawtube.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">More information can be found from this link: <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=page&id=7" target="_blank">Digiscoping</a></span></span></b>Nipon Scope and Opticshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124907943435655979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5298351170016508194.post-30798556227209510872014-02-15T21:33:00.000+00:002014-02-15T21:33:57.458+00:00How much magnification can I use, and how much is too much?<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Telescope magnification is actually a relationship between two independent optical systems – the telescope itself and the eyepiece you are using. To determine power, divide the focal length of the telescope (in mm) by the focal length of the eyepiece (in mm). By exchanging an eyepiece of one focal length for another, you can increase or decrease the power of the telescope. For example, a 25 mm eyepiece used on a 1250 mm focal-length telescope would yield a power of 50x (1250/25 = 50) and a 10 mm eyepiece used on the same instrument would yield a power of 125x (1250/10 = 125). Since eyepieces are interchangeable, a telescope can be used at a variety of powers.<br /><br />There are practical limits of magnification for telescopes. These are determined by the laws of optics and the nature of the human eye. As a rule of thumb, the maximum usable power is equal to 50-60 times the aperture of the telescope (in inches) under ideal conditions. Powers higher than this usually shows a dim, lower contrast image. For example, the maximum power on a 127 mm telescope (5” aperture) is in the range 250x - 300x. As power increases, the sharpness and detail seen will be diminished. The higher powers are mainly used for lunar, planetary, and binary star observations. <br /><br />Most of your observations will be done with lower powers (6 to 25 times the aperture of the telescope in inches). With these powers, the images will be much brighter and crisper, providing more enjoyment and satisfaction with the wider fields of view.<br /><br />A good way to increase magnification is to use a <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=13" target="_blank">Barlow lens</a>. A Barlow lens rated at 2x can be used with your existing eyepiece and it will double the magnification of any existing eyepiece.</span>Nipon Scope and Opticshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124907943435655979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5298351170016508194.post-30967050491098652232014-02-15T20:28:00.000+00:002014-02-15T20:31:59.967+00:00What are the different types of eyepiece filters: Colored, Neutral Density and Polarizing?<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Eyepiece filters are an invaluable aid in lunar and planetary observation. They reduce glare and light scattering, increase contrast through selective filtration, increase definition and resolution, reduce irradiation and lessen eye fatigue.<br /><br />Most quality eyepieces have threads in the base of the tube to accept filters. Many manufacturers use the same threading.<br /><br />The effectiveness of the filters depends on several factors, including: the aperture and focal length of the telescope, the magnification being used, and seeing conditions. Here are descriptions of what to expect from each filter: Yellow, Orange, Red, Blue, Green, Violet, ND and Polarizing–in different observing situations. At the same time, you’ll become familiar with the astounding variety of enhancements available through these simple accessories. Also given for each filter is the percentage of light transmitted (T).<br /><br /><span style="color: yellow;"><b>Yellow:</b></span><br /><br />#12 Deep Yellow 74% T<br />#15 Deep Yellow 67% T<br /><br />Moon – Enhance lunar features.<br />Jupiter – Penetrate and darken atmospheric currents containing low-hue blue tones. Enhance orange and red features of the belts and zones. Useful for studies of the polar regions.<br />Mars – Reduce light from the blue and green areas which darken the maria, oases and canal markings, while lightening the orange-hued desert regions. Also sharpen the boundaries of yellow dust clouds.<br />Neptune – Improve detail in larger telescopes (11" and larger apertures).<br />Saturn – Penetrate and darken atmospheric currents containing low-hue blue tones. Enhance orange and red features of the belts and zones.<br />Uranus – Improve detail in larger telescopes (11" and larger apertures).<br />Venus – Reveal low-contrast surface features.<br />Comets – Enhance definition in comet tails.<br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">#8 Yellow 83% T<br /><br />All observing information for this filter is the same as that given for the #12 and #15 Deep Yellow filters, with the exception of the following:<br /><br />Mars – Improves the Martian maria by reducing scattered light from blue areas, while allowing passage of additional green light for studying yellow dust clouds.<br />Comets – Brings out highlights in yellowish dust tails and enhances appearance of comet heads.<br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: orange;"><b>Orange:</b></span><br /><br />#21 Orange 46% T<br /><br />Moon – Greatly enhances lunar features.<br />Jupiter – Improves appearance and detail revealed in structure of Jovian belts. Enhances viewing of festoons and polar regions.<br />Mars – Reduces light from the blue and green areas which darken the maria, oases and canal markings, while lightening the orange-hued desert regions. Also sharpens the boundaries of yellow dust clouds.<br />Mercury – Reduces the brightness of blue sky during daylight observing, to reveal surface features. <br />Saturn – Improves structure of the cloud bands and highlights blue polar regions. <br />Venus – Use during daylight observing to reduce brightness of blue sky. Comets–Enhances definition of comet dust tails and heads in larger telescopes (11" and greater aperture). <br />Solar – When using some Mylar Solar Filters, adding this orange filter will give a truer color rendition.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /><span style="color: red;"><b>Red:</b></span><br /><br />#25 Red 14% T<br /><br />Moon – Improves lunar features.<br />Jupiter – Useful for studying bluer clouds.<br />Mars – Ideal for observation of the polar ice caps and features on the Martian surface. Sharpens the boundaries of yellow dust clouds.<br />Mercury – Improves observation at twilight, when the planet is near the horizon. During daylight, it reduces the brightness of the blue sky to enhance surface features.<br />Saturn – Useful for studying bluer clouds.<br />Venus – Use during daylight observing to reduce brightness of blue sky. Occasionally deformations of the terminator are visible.<br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">#23A Light Red 25% T<br /><br />All observing information for this filter is the same as that given for the #25 filter, with the exception of the following:<br /><br />Mars – Reduces light from blue and green areas which darkens the maria, oases and canal markings, while lightening the orange-hued desert regions. Sharpens the boundaries of yellow dust clouds.<br />Comets – Improves definition of comet dust tails. <br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: cyan;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Blue:</b></span></span><br /><br />Light Blue 30% T<br />#82A Pale Blue 73% T<br />#38A Blue 17% T<br /><br />Moon – Enhance lunar detail.<br />Jupiter – Enhance the boundaries between the reddish belts and adjacent bright zones. Useful for viewing the Great Red Spot.<br />Mars – Very useful during the violet clearing. Helpful in studying surface features and polar caps.<br />Mercury – Improve observation of dusky surface markings at twilight, when the planet is near the horizon.<br />Saturn – Enhance low-contrast features between the belts and zones<br />Venus – Useful for increased contrast of dark shadings in upper Venusian clouds.<br />Comets – Bring out the best definition in comet gas tails.<br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: lime;"><b>Green:</b></span><br /><br />#56 Light Green 53% T<br /><br />Moon– Enhances lunar features.<br />Jupiter – Increases visibility of the Great Red Spot. Useful for observing the low-contrast hues of blue and red that exist in the Jovian atmosphere.<br />Mars – Excellent for increased contrast of Martian polar caps, low clouds and yellowish dust storms.<br />Venus – Useful for Venusian cloud pattern studies. Reduces brightness of blue sky during daylight observing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />#58 Green 24% T<br /><br />All observing information for this filter is the same as that given for the #56 Green filter, with the exception of the following:<br /><br />Saturn – Enhances white features in the Saturnian atmosphere.<br />Comets – Useful for observing brighter comets.<br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: magenta;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Violet:</b></span></span><br /><br />#47 Violet 3% T<br /><br />Mars – Useful for detecting high clouds and haze over the Martian polar caps.<br />Mercury – Helpful in detecting faint features.<br />Saturn – Good for ring structure studies.<br />Venus – Increases contrast of dark shading in upper Venusian clouds.<br />Comets – Useful for observing brighter comets. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />#96ND (Neutral Density)<br />#96ND 50% T – Density 0.3<br />#96ND 25% T – Density 0.6<br />#96ND 13% T – Density 0.9<br /><br />Moon – Excellent for reducing irradiation, glare and subject brightness. Colors are unaltered, as light is transmitted uniformly over the entire spectrum. Each model performs somewhat differently, depending on the brightness of the Moon.<br />Planets – Stacking in combination with color filters lowers transmission, but retains true color balance for specific applications. Reduces glare on brighter planets and minimizes irradiation.<br />Binary (Double) Stars – Helpful in splitting binary stars, because it reduces glare and diffraction effects around the brighter star of the binary pair.<br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Polarizing:</b><br /><br />Reduces reflected polarized light in the Earth’s atmosphere.<br /><br />Moon & Planets – Invaluable in reducing irradiation and glare.<br />Binary Stars – Helpful in splitting binary stars, because it reduces glare and diffraction effects around the brighter star of the binary pair.</span>Nipon Scope and Opticshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124907943435655979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5298351170016508194.post-8382801973548809282014-02-15T20:17:00.000+00:002014-02-15T20:18:28.308+00:00What are the different eyepiece sizes / diameters?<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Astronomical eyepieces are described by the diameter of the base tube or barrel and come in several standard diameters. This is not to be confused with the focal length of individual eyepieces. The eyepiece diameter for your telescope is important to know when purchasing other accessories, such as cameras, adapters and filters.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />Eyepiece diameters commonly found in the market are 0.965", 1.25" and 2".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">0.965" eyepieces are an older size that is still used on some smaller telescopes. They are inexpensive to make and are well-suited to simpler eyepiece optical designs that have 2 or 3 lenses. For example, <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3&products_id=77" target="_blank">Nipon 300x70 refractor</a> is fitted with these eyepieces. <br /><br />1.25" is widely considered to be the standard size for eyepiece barrels today. There are many different designs and focal lengths available from many manufacturers. Almost all accessories that fit into focusers are available in the 1.25" size. Most <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=3" target="_blank">Nipon telescopes</a> use 1.25 inch eyepieces.<br /><br />The largest eyepiece size commonly encountered is the 2 inch barrel diameter eyepiece. The larger optics in these eyepieces provides wide, unobstructed fields of view. They are heavier and more expensive than standard 1.25 inch eyepieces and are best used on larger-aperture telescopes which have larger beams of light from the optical system.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=5" target="_blank">Eyepiece adapters</a> are available, enabling a particular telescope to use different diameter eyepieces. For example, you can use 1.25" eyepieces on telescopes with 0.965" eyepiece holder, with a <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=191" target="_blank">0.965" to 1.25" eyepiece adapter</a>.</span>Nipon Scope and Opticshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124907943435655979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5298351170016508194.post-27268563619926961832014-02-15T20:02:00.000+00:002014-02-15T20:02:15.408+00:00How do I use eyepieces with my telescope?<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Your eyepieces are the first accessories you should have and use with your telescope. Since they are interchangeable, a telescope can be used at a variety of powers.<br /><br />Look through the eyepiece by placing your eye just behind it to take advantage of its eye relief, the spacing between the lens and your eye. This should be at least 15 mm for the best comfort, maybe more if you wear eyeglasses. You’ll lose field of view if you place your eye farther away and may even move your eye out of the beam of light from the eyepiece. Viewing too close to the eyepiece will prevent you from blinking and may also cause a black ring to appear around the field of view.<br /><br />Now turn the focus knob of the telescope, first one way then the other until the object is in focus.<br /><br />Always start with the lowest power eyepiece (i.e., the one with the highest number in millimeters printed on it). It is much easier to focus and has a wider field of view, making it easier to aim the telescope at a distant target.<br /><br />As power increases, the sharpness and detail seen will be diminished. The higher powers are mainly used for lunar, planetary, and binary star observations.<br /><br />Most of your observations will be done with lower powers. With these lower powers, the images will be much brighter and crisper, providing more enjoyment and satisfaction with the wider fields of view.<br /><br />A good way to increase magnification is to use a Barlow lens. A Barlow lens rated at 2x can be used with your existing eyepiece and it will double the magnification of any existing eyepiece. Since longer-focal-length eyepieces generally have longer eye relief, using a Barlow to increase magnification will allow more comfortable high-power viewing.<br /><br />A basic set of eyepieces would be 32 mm, 20mm (or 26mm), and 10mm (or 16mm), plus a Barlow (2x or 3x power).</span>Nipon Scope and Opticshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124907943435655979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5298351170016508194.post-41731416766064736402014-02-15T19:52:00.000+00:002014-02-15T19:52:49.007+00:00Why don't the images I see through my telescope look the same as photos taken with the same telescope?<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The reason photos sometimes look better than what you see with the unaided eye is due to the camera’s ability to store light continuously as long as the shutter is open. The human eye doesn’t do that. Instead, it captures a scene moment to moment.<br /><br />Many pictures you see in magazines and catalogs are time exposures. The camera shutter is kept open for several minutes or even hours while the telescope tracks the object across the sky. This allows the camera to record fainter detail and colors that cannot be seen with the naked eye.</span>Nipon Scope and Opticshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124907943435655979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5298351170016508194.post-19986645476149409912014-02-15T19:47:00.000+00:002014-02-15T19:47:39.652+00:00I have a refractor telescope with 900mm focal length and 60mm objective lens. Why can't I get a clear image when I try to use a 2x Barlow lens with a 6mm eyepiece?<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This is because you’ve exceeded the practical limits of magnification for your telescope. The practical limits of magnification of a telescope are determined by the laws of optics and the nature of the human eye. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As a rule of thumb, the maximum usable power is equal to 50x-60x the aperture of the telescope (in inches) under ideal conditions. Powers higher than this usually give you a dim, lower contrast image. For example, the maximum power on a 60 mm telescope (2.4 in aperture) is in the range 120x-142x. The higher powers are mainly used for lunar, planetary, and binary star observations. As power increases, the sharpness and detail seen will be diminished. <br /><br />The combination of the 6 mm eyepiece, 2x Barlow, and 900 mm focal length gives 300x. This is well beyond the maximum usable power of the scope. <br /><br />The Earth's atmosphere also plays an important part in limiting the maximum magnification you can use. Instabilities in the atmosphere such as heat radiating from the ground and surrounding buildings, high altitude winds, and other weather conditions can cause the image to blur. This "bad seeing" can drastically distort your image. This also explains why bright stars appear to twinkle. The best time to use high magnification is on nights when the stars do not appear to twinkle very much.</span>Nipon Scope and Opticshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124907943435655979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5298351170016508194.post-69857712133679830352014-02-15T19:40:00.001+00:002014-02-15T19:40:04.928+00:00Everything I see through my refractor telescope is an inverted upside down image. How can I correct this?<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To correct an inverted image, you will need a 90° diagonal lens. When a 90° diagonal is used, the mirror flips the image over, giving a right side up but reversed left to right image. You can achieve a fully corrected image using an erect image prism diagonal. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">These image converters are available from <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=13" target="_blank">Nipon Scope online store.</a></span>Nipon Scope and Opticshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124907943435655979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5298351170016508194.post-2068407546867177902014-02-15T19:34:00.000+00:002014-02-15T19:34:39.306+00:00How to determine a telescope's magnification?The magnification of a telescope changes as the eyepiece is changed. Magnification can be calculated by dividing the focal length of your telescope by the focal length of the eyepiece. <br /><br />Calculating magnification = Telescope's focal length / Eyepiece focal length<br /><br />Always start with your lowest magnification eyepiece (longest focal length) and work upwards from there. <br /><br />A 2x Barlow lens will double the magnification of whatever eyepiece you use with it while preserving its eye relief. For example: using a telescope with a 800 mm focal length with a 16 mm eyepiece will give you 50x magnification. Using the same telescope and eyepiece with a 2x Barlow lens will give 100x magnification. This would be the same magnification as a 800 mm telescope with a 8 mm eyepiece.Nipon Scope and Opticshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124907943435655979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5298351170016508194.post-16779708382435568352014-02-15T19:23:00.000+00:002014-02-15T19:27:49.507+00:00How far can I see with a telescope?The farthest you can see in the sky with your telescope will depend on its ability to gather light and where you observe.<br /><br />The most distant objects visible with amateur-sized telescopes are faint galaxies and the brightest quasars. They will be brighter and easier to see in a telescope that gathers more light and has a greater magnitude limit. Here bigger is better and a larger aperture scope will see more remote objects.<br /><br />Location is also important. Even with a big telescope, you’ll see fainter, deeper and farther out into the universe from an isolated dark-sky site than from the heart of a megalopolis. For example: quasars are all very faint as seen from the earth. The brightest one is 3C 273 in Virgo. It is magnitude 12.9. A good 4-inch scope is capable of seeing it in dark-sky conditions. You’ll need a larger scope to be able to see it at all from a city.Nipon Scope and Opticshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124907943435655979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5298351170016508194.post-54198738920115728902012-07-15T22:31:00.001+01:002012-07-15T23:41:33.712+01:00When using an adaptor direct from camera body to scope, is it possible to shoot in auto focus or do you use manuel (i.e. F stops)? I would appreciate some advice (question from JE)Hi, thanks for your enquiry. You would need to set the camera to manual mode when the camera lens is removed, as part of the auto focus function is achieved through the lens system.Nipon Scope and Opticshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124907943435655979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5298351170016508194.post-62447262211764838402012-03-10T21:38:00.000+00:002012-03-10T21:38:05.760+00:00Could you please tell me what would be a better telescope for looking at stars, the moon, etc.?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For stargazing/astronomical observations, we recommend the telescopes that are specially designed for astronomy, such as NIPON 700x60 refractor astronomy telescope (entry level), NIPON 800x60 refractor telescope (better/more powerful model), or 900x114 telescope (more advanced model).</span>Nipon Scope and Opticshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124907943435655979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5298351170016508194.post-10300690396670803452012-03-10T21:34:00.000+00:002012-03-10T21:34:29.180+00:00Running NIPON EE300 digital eyepiece under Windows XP system<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This upgraded digital device should work straight away under the updated windows XP system, so there is no need to install anything from the CD (some of the information on the printed sheet can be related to previous versions of the windows systems). Just plug the device into a USB slot, and then open "My Computer". You should see a camera icon on the hardware list. Double click that icon, you can see the image viewing window. This is what you see through the telescope. You can take pictures using the button located on the top-left manual bar of the computer screen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For video recording, you can install the driver by following steps 3.4 & 3.5 of the User Manual (skip step 3.3). Note: if you use a laptop that has a built-in webcam, there can be a conflict between the existing software for the webcam and the new video driver you try to install. Check to see if you can share the webcam software with the digital eyepiece, or use a computer that does not have a built-in camera system (this is related to video recording function under Win XP only. You don't have this issue with Win 7).</span>Nipon Scope and Opticshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124907943435655979noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5298351170016508194.post-56639771490563351012012-03-10T21:12:00.002+00:002012-03-10T21:23:27.893+00:00Compact Barlow lens - A new design by Nipon Scope & Optics<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A newly designed compact Barlow lens has become available at <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/" target="_blank">Nipon Scope & Optics</a>. </span><br />
<h4><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">This compact Barlow can be fitted to the end of a standard 1.25" eyepiece to increase the overall image magnification by 3 times. It consists of two parts, a compact Barlow lens (with M30x0.75mm thread) and an eyepiece adapter tube (with M28.5x0.75mm thread). This enables the Barlow to be compatible with 1.25" eyepieces with either inner barrel thread.<br />
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The design of this compact Barlow lens ensures a perfect alignment between the centre of the Barlow lens and the eyepiece.</span></h4>Nipon Scope and Opticshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124907943435655979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5298351170016508194.post-78597687648534102792011-07-03T19:53:00.008+01:002011-07-03T23:29:31.945+01:00Glossary of terms for telescopes and binoculars<b></b><br />
<h2 style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">by <span style="color: purple;">NIPON SCOPE & OPTICS </span></span></h2><br />
<h2>Index</h2><h3><a href="http://scope-binoculars.blogspot.com/2011/07/glossary-of-terms-for-telescopes-and.html#A"><b>A. </b> </a><a href="http://scope-binoculars.blogspot.com/2011/07/glossary-of-terms-for-telescopes-and.html#B"><b>B. </b> </a><a href="http://scope-binoculars.blogspot.com/2011/07/glossary-of-terms-for-telescopes-and.html#C"><b>C. </b> </a><a href="http://scope-binoculars.blogspot.com/2011/07/glossary-of-terms-for-telescopes-and.html#D"><b>D. </b> </a><a href="http://scope-binoculars.blogspot.com/2011/07/glossary-of-terms-for-telescopes-and.html#E"><b>E. </b> </a><a href="http://scope-binoculars.blogspot.com/2011/07/glossary-of-terms-for-telescopes-and.html#F"><b>F. </b> </a><b>G.</b> <a href="http://scope-binoculars.blogspot.com/2011/07/glossary-of-terms-for-telescopes-and.html#H"><b>H. </b></a><a href="http://scope-binoculars.blogspot.com/2011/07/glossary-of-terms-for-telescopes-and.html#I"><b>I. </b></a><b>J. </b> <b>K. </b> <a href="http://scope-binoculars.blogspot.com/2011/07/glossary-of-terms-for-telescopes-and.html#L"><b>L. </b></a><a href="http://scope-binoculars.blogspot.com/2011/07/glossary-of-terms-for-telescopes-and.html#M"><b>M. </b></a><a href="http://scope-binoculars.blogspot.com/2011/07/glossary-of-terms-for-telescopes-and.html#N"><b>N. </b> </a><a href="http://scope-binoculars.blogspot.com/2011/07/glossary-of-terms-for-telescopes-and.html#O"><b>O. </b> </a><a href="http://scope-binoculars.blogspot.com/2011/07/glossary-of-terms-for-telescopes-and.html#P"><b>P. </b> </a><b>Q. </b> <a href="http://scope-binoculars.blogspot.com/2011/07/glossary-of-terms-for-telescopes-and.html#R"><b>R. </b> </a><a href="http://scope-binoculars.blogspot.com/2011/07/glossary-of-terms-for-telescopes-and.html#S"><b>S. </b> </a><a href="http://scope-binoculars.blogspot.com/2011/07/glossary-of-terms-for-telescopes-and.html#T"><b>T. </b> </a><a href="http://scope-binoculars.blogspot.com/2011/07/glossary-of-terms-for-telescopes-and.html#U"><b>U. </b> </a><a href="http://scope-binoculars.blogspot.com/2011/07/glossary-of-terms-for-telescopes-and.html#V"><b>V. </b> </a><a href="http://scope-binoculars.blogspot.com/2011/07/glossary-of-terms-for-telescopes-and.html#W"><b>W. </b> </a><b>X. </b><b>Y. </b> <a href="http://scope-binoculars.blogspot.com/2011/07/glossary-of-terms-for-telescopes-and.html#Z"><b>Z. </b> <br />
</a></h3><a href="http://scope-binoculars.blogspot.com/2011/07/glossary-of-terms-for-telescopes-and.html#Z"></a><br />
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<a href="" name="A"></a><br />
<b>Altazimuth Mount</b> – This usually refers to telescope mount which allows movement in two directions: azimuth (horizontally) and elevation (vertically).<br />
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<b>Aperture </b>- The diameter of the binoculars' or scope’s objective lenses, measured in mm. <br />
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<b>Apparent magnitude</b> - This refers to how bright the star appears to the naked eye. The difference between the apparent brightness of two stars follows a logarithmic ratio of 2.512. Therefore, a star that is three magnitudes less than another is (2.512) 3, or about 16 times brighter. Using this system, stars can also have negative magnitude values, and these are the brightest we see in the sky. See also <a href="http://scope-binoculars.blogspot.com/2011/07/glossary-of-terms-for-telescopes-and.html#magnitude"><b>MAGNITUDE</b></a>. <br />
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<b>Aspherical Lens </b>- A lens with flattened edges, useful for a clearer, sharper image. <br />
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<a href="" name="B"></a><br />
<b>Bak-4 Glass</b> - Premium, high-density barium crown glass that minimises internal light scattering so the images seen through these lenses are sharper. See also <a href="http://scope-binoculars.blogspot.com/2011/07/glossary-of-terms-for-telescopes-and.html#prism-glass"> <b>“Prism Glass”</b></a>.<br />
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<b>Barlow Lens </b>– An extra lens used in conjunction with a telescope’s eyepiece to increase the magnification, usually by 2 or 3 times. This is named after the English physicist Peter Barlow. View <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=13" target="_blank"><b>Barlow lenses</b></a> in the Nipon Scope & Optics online store.<br />
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<b>Binocular tripod adaptor </b> - An L-shaped adapter that connects a binocular to the pan head of a standard tripod.<br />
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<b>Bk-7 glass</b> - Also known as "borosilicate" glass. Most optical prisms are made of BK-7 glass.<br />
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<b>Cassegrain</b> – A reflecting scope comprising a primary mirror with a central hole through which the light from the primary mirror is reflected to an eyepiece at the focus, the cassegrain focus, beyond the primary mirror. The design is often used in compact and portable telescopes.<br />
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<b>Center-Focus binoculars</b> - A mechanism that allows both eyepieces to be adjusted at the same time, useful for rapid focus. Centre focusing is the most common and convenient and generally the most preferred way of focusing. See also <a href="http://scope-binoculars.blogspot.com/2011/07/glossary-of-terms-for-telescopes-and.html#Diopter-adjuster"><b>Diopter Adjuster</b></a> and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5298351170016508194&postID=7859768764853410279&from=pencil#Individual-focus"><b>Individual Focus</b></a>.<br />
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<b>Central Focusing Wheel</b> - A wheel mounted in the middle of the binoculars for focus adjustment. <br />
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<b>Chromatic Aberration</b> - This is a defect of optical lenses used in binoculars. Different wavelengths (producing different colours) are diffracted, or bent, at different angles and produce coloured halos around images.<br />
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<b>Close Focus (Near Focus)</b> – The closest you can be from an object and still get a clear, focused view through the binoculars or the scope. For example, the close focus of Nipon 10x50 binoculars is around 7m; the close focus of NIPON 26-78x78 is about 10m, suitable for birding at close range.<br />
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<b>Coated / Multi-Coated Glass </b>- Thin layer(s) of coating applied to the glass surface to help reduce light reflections. This coating reduces the amount of light lost as the light passes through the glass surface. <br />
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<b> <u><i>Note</i></u></b><i> </i>- Types of optical coating:<br />
<ul><li><b>Coated optics (C)</b> - one or more glass surface is coated.<b> </b></li>
<li><b>Fully coated optics (FC)</b> - all glass surfaces that have any vulnerability to air are coated.<b> </b></li>
<li><b>Multi-layer coated (MC)</b> - one or more glass surfaces are coated multiple times.<b> </b></li>
<li><b>Fully Multi-Coated (FMC)</b> - all glass surfaces susceptible to air are multi-coated.<b> </b></li>
<li><b>Broadband Anti-Reflective (AR) Coatings</b> - this is a relatively new optical coating technology to provide anti-reflective properties over much wider spectral range for improved image quality.<b> </b></li>
<li><b>PC-3 Phase coating</b> - this chemical coating is applied to the prisms to enhance resolution and contrast. It is found on some roof prism binoculars, but it would not provide an advantage on porro prism models.</li>
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<b>Collimation</b> – The process of aligning the optical system of a scope or binocular so that the light is brought to a focus at the correct position. <br />
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<b>Compact Binoculars or Scopes</b> – Small binoculars or scopes that can fit in a pocket or handbag and are convenient to carry around. Compact binoculars are roof prism binoculars or reverse-Porro prism binoculars. Compact scopes are those with Maksutov-Cassegrain System, such as the NIPON 26-78x78 scope model.<br />
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<b>Compass Binoculars</b> - Binoculars with a compass built in - perfect for finding your way back to the campsite after a long day of bird-watching or hunting. <br />
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<b>Contrast</b> – Good image contrast is desirable for viewing low contrast objects such as the targets in low lighting condition or the lunar surface and planets.<br />
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<b>Crosshairs</b> - Also known as reticle, it is a system of cross wires, dots, or rings in the focus of a finder scope or eyepiece for target centring purposes.<br />
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<a href="" name="D"></a><br />
<b>Declination </b>– A system for measuring the altitude of a celestial object, expressed as degrees north, or south, of the celestial equator. Angles are positive if a point is North of the celestial equator, and negative if South. It is used, in conjunction with Right Ascension, to locate celestial objects.<br />
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<b>Depth of Field</b> – This refers to the distance from “near” to “far” that is in focus at a certain setting of the focus or at a certain distance. In a given system, as the magnification increases, depth of field decreases. Depth of field also changes with the distance observed, usually reducing in depth as the distance decreases.<br />
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<b>Dew shield</b> - A covering of ABS plastic wrapped snuggly around the tube assembly and extending beyond the aperture of a telescope to prevent dew from forming on the objective lens of a refractor or correcting plate of a Schmidt-Cassegrain or Maksutov telescope.<br />
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<b>Diagonal, correct-image </b>- A 45° or 90° diagonal used primarily for terrestrial viewing because it renders images as the unaided eye sees them — upright and left-to-right. Some resolution is lost when using a correct-image diagonal, so it is generally not recommended for astronomical viewing.<br />
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<b>Diagonal, mirror </b>- An accessory that fits into a telescope's focuser and diverts incoming light at a right angle. This is for viewing at a more comfortable angle when using a refractor or catadioptric telescope. Mirrors are used to redirect the light within the diagonal.<br />
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<b>Diagonal, prism </b>- An accessory that fits into a telescope's focuser and diverts incoming light at a right angle. This is for viewing at a more comfortable angle when using a refractor or catadioptric telescope. Prisms are used to redirect the light within the diagonal.<br />
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<b>Digital Camera Binoculars</b> - Binoculars with a digital camera built in - useful for taking clear, magnified pictures. <br />
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<b>Digital Eyepiece</b> – A digital eyepiece can be attached to a scope using a specially made eyepiece adapter to take pictures and even video footage through the scope. One example is digital eyepiece <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=14" target="_blank"><b>EE300</b></a>.<br />
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<a href="" name="Diopter-adjuster"></a><br />
<b>Diopter Adjuster</b> - A separate eyepiece-focusing tool, usually on the right lens, that allows the user to adjust the lenses separately to allow for eyesight differences. <br />
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<b>Dispersion </b>- The breaking of white light into its component colours when it passes through one medium, like air, into another medium, such as glass. Dispersion is what causes chromatic aberration in lenses. <br />
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<b>ED glass</b> - Short for "Extra-low dispersion", an optical glass that has superior refractive properties compared to standard optical glass. Lenses made with ED glass typically exhibit less chromatic aberration than lenses made with standard glass.<br />
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<b>Erector Lens </b> – Certain combinations of objective and ocular lenses yield an inverted image. An erector lens incorporated into the system serves to reorient the image right side up. In binoculars and scopes, prisms are often used to ‘erect’ the image.<br />
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<b>Exit pupil</b> - The amount of light rays that enter the objective lens and exit the ocular lens (eyepiece) to form a magnified, circular image. The measurement is achieved by dividing the lens aperture by the magnification. For example: In the <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=5" target="_blank"><b>NIPON 10x50 binoculars</b></a>, the exit pupil is 50mm/10=5mm. A higher exit pupil means the binoculars will work efficiently in dim light. For well-lit surroundings, an exit pupil of 2.5 to 4 is sufficient. If you hold a pair of binoculars away from your eyes and look through the eyepiece, you'll be able to see the clear circular exit pupil. <br />
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<b>Eyepiece</b> – Sometimes known as an ocular. This is a system of lenses closest to the eye. Its purpose is to magnify the image at the focus of the scope. The magnification of an eyepiece can be obtained by dividing its focal length into that of the scope.<br />
<b> <i> Note</i></b><i>:</i> There are various types of eyepiece designs, such as Kellner, Orthoscopic, Erfle, and PLÖSSL. Amongst them, PLÖSSL eyepieces are considered to be a good compromise and offer the best all-around price and performance. According to the scope manufacturer, a set of these PLÖSSL eyepieces with <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=8" target="_blank"><b>16mm, 26mm and 32mm</b></a> focal length would serve a wide range of observation purposes.<br />
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<b>Eyepiece Sizes</b> – There are three sizes of scope eyepieces, i.e., 0.965”, 1.25” and 2”. The sizes are determined by the diameter of the eyepiece barrel that fits into the telescope. 1.25” is regarded as a standard eyepiece size and almost all telescopes are designed to be used with 1.25” diameter eyepieces. <br />
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<b>Eyepiece Adapter (Adaptor)</b> – Eyepiece adapters are used to adapt from one eyepiece size/format to another. This device will make it possible for the same scope to use different types of eyepieces. For example, with a specially designed eyepiece adapter, both the <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=2" target="_blank"><b>Nipon 20-60x70 spotting scope</b></a> and Nipon 26-78x78 scope can be fitted with a digital eyepiece or other standard 1.25” eyepieces (eg. the PLÖSSL eyepiece set) for a wider range of applications.<br />
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<b>Eyepiece, Zoom </b>- Provides a continuous magnification range and hence the option of using a single eyepiece versus switching from one to another. The less expensive zooms sometimes suffer from internal reflections, unless they've been properly coated and their internal barrels blackened or glare-threaded.<br />
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<b>Eye Relief</b> – The distance images are projected from the ocular lens to their focal point, measured in mm. This is the distance a binocular or scope can be held away from the eye and still present the full filed of view. The eye relief of a binocular can vary from 5mm to as much as 23mm. A typical range of eye relief is 8-13 mm which is considered to be appropriate to enable eyeglass wearers to see the whole field of view. <br />
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<b>Eyecups (or eyeguard)</b> - Cups on the eyepieces of binoculars that allow for positioning of the eyes and provide optimal eye relief. It improves viewing comfort and helps block extraneous spripheral light. Some eyecups come in a rubber version that the user can fold down to accommodate eyeglasses. Other binoculars use cups such as 'twist-up' or 'pop-and-lock' that are more adjustable for any user. <br />
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<a href="" name="F"></a><br />
<b>Field Glass</b> - A type of binocular that uses a second lens (instead of a set of prisms) to magnify an object. Field glasses are more durable than prism binoculars, although the magnification strength tops out at about 5x. <br />
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<b>Field of View (FOV)</b> - The size of the image you can see while looking through binoculars or a scope. It is defined by the width in feet or metres of the area visible at 1000 yards or metres. It can also be defined as an angle in degrees (1 degree of field=52.5 ft/1000 yards).<br />
<b> <u><i>Note</i></u></b><u><i>:</i></u> A wide FOV is better for following fast-moving target or scanning for wildlife. In general, the higher the magnification, the narrower the field of view.<br />
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<b>Filter, colour </b>- Glass filters, each of a specific colour, which screw onto eyepiece barrels for enhancing lunar and planetary detail. Various colour filters reduce other interfering or scattered wavelengths that blur certain wavelength-specific features. Red filters, for example, bring out Martian surface detail while green increases contrast of Jupiter's Red Spot. Also called planetary filters.<br />
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<b>Filter, light-pollution </b>- A filter that threads on to an eyepiece or rear cell of a Schmidt-Cassegrain that blocks wavelengths of light pollution sources such as mercury vapour and high-pressure sodium, but pass wavebands specific to deep-sky objects, such as hydrogen alpha, hydrogen beta, and oxygen III.<br />
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<b>Filter, moon </b>- A glass filter in an aluminium cell that threads onto an eyepiece barrel and reduces the Moon's glare so that it can be comfortably observed. Without the eye being overwhelmed by moonlight, more lunar detail becomes apparent.<br />
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<b>Filter, planetary </b>- Glass filters, each of a specific colour, which screw onto eyepiece barrels for enhancing lunar and planetary detail. Various colour filters reduce other interfering or scattered wavelengths that blur certain wavelength-specific features. Red filters, for example, bring out Martian surface detail while green increases contrast of Jupiter's Red Spot. Also called colour filters.<br />
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<b>Filter, solar </b>- A glass filter that fits snugly over the aperture of a telescope and allows the photospheric surface of the sun — sunspots and solar faculae — to be observed comfortably and safely. A good solar filter blocks some 99.99% of the sun. Observing the sun without a solar filter may cause serious damage to the eye.<br />
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<b>Filter, Variable-polarizing</b> - Variable-polarizing filters act as dimmer switches to bright celestial objects, including the Moon or a planet. The filter, which threads on to 1.25" eyepiece barrels, consists of two pieces of polarized glass mounted in an aluminium cell that, depending on how much it is rotated, varies light transmission from 1% to 40%.<br />
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<b>Finder (or Finder Scope/Finderscope)</b> – A small telescope, with a wide field of view, mounted on the main telescope tube to enable an observer to easily locate celestial objects, and place them within the field of view of the main telescope. <br />
<b> <u><i>Note</i></u></b><u><i>:</i></u> In the ‘red dot finder scope’, you see a LED red dot in the centre of the finder’s visual field, which helps to locate the target. <br />
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<b>Focal Length</b> – The distance between the objective lens (or primary mirror) and its focus (or focal plane).<br />
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<b>Focal Plane</b> – The plane where the image formed by the lens or lens system is in sharp focus. In a camera, the focal plane is the sensitised surface of the film.<br />
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<b>Focal Point</b> - This is a point where the light rays from an image come sharply into view after passing through the binocular or scope. <br />
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<b>Focal Ratio (f-ratio)</b> – Defined as f value. This is the focal length of a lens (or mirror) divided by its diameter. A focal ratio of 8 is written as f/8.<br />
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<b>Focusing Range</b> – All binoculars or scopes have the ability to be focused for infinity. So a primary point of distinction between product models is the minimum focus range (see “Close Focus”). <br />
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<b>Focusser</b> – The mechanism which holds the eyepiece and allows adjustment for focussing the image.<br />
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<b>Folded Light Path</b> - A combination optical configuration using lenses and mirrors to create a total scope length much shorter than the total focal length of the system. This provides a compact design yielding long focal length performance. <br />
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<b>Full Size Binoculars</b> – In comparison with compact binoculars, full size binoculars offer better light gathering ability because of a relatively larger objective lens. For example, a <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=12" target="_blank"><b>10x42 </b></a>binocular is a full-sized binocular, while a <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=41" target="_blank"><b>10x25 </b></a>binocular is considered as a compact binocular. <br />
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<b>Fully Multi-Coated Optics</b> – Binoculars or scopes that have fully multi-coated optics have multiple coatings on all air-to-glass surfaces. See also “Coated/Multi-Coated Glass”.<br />
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<a href="" name="H"></a><br />
<b>Haze</b> – Light scattered by particulate matter in the atmosphere, such as dust or moisture droplets. Haze lens a foggy or cloudy appearance to distant objects or scenes, subduing colours and contrast. <br />
<b> <u><i>Note</i></u></b><u><i>:</i></u> Haze effects are more apparent when using high magnification optical instruments than when viewing with lower-power optics, and are more pronounced at long range than short range under a given set of atmospheric conditions.<br />
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<b>Image-Stabilized</b> - Binoculars with a self-steadying feature, designed to counteract any hand-shaking of the user. <br />
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<a href="" name="Individual-focus"></a><br />
<b>Individual Focus</b> - Unlike centre-focus binoculars which adjust both eyepieces at the same time, individual-focus binoculars focus each eyepiece separately. This allows for extra-precise focus adjustment for each eye.<br />
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<b>Infrared (IR) Illuminator</b> – This provides a light source for the optical system to amplify, yielding enhanced images in very low light conditions (such as with night vision systems) where no ambient light is available for amplification.<br />
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<b>Inter-Pupillary Distance (IPD)</b> - IPD is the distance (in mm) between the centers of the pupils in each eye. This measurement is sometimes provided in binoculars descriptions to define a range of user populations the binoculars can fit. For British adults (5th-95th percentile, 18-64 years old), the IPD measurement is in a 54mm-68mm range , with an average value of 61mm.<br />
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<b>Light-Gathering Power</b> - The light-gathering power of a binocular or scope is determined by the surface area of its objective lens. <br />
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<b>Light Transmission</b> - The ratio of the total amount of light passing through the objective lens to the eye. Better coatings on the optics increase the amount of light that reaches the eye. <br />
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<b>Light-Gathering Power</b> - The ability of the binoculars to collect light. This measurement is directly proportional to the size of the objective lens of the binoculars. <br />
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<b>Limiting Magnitude</b> – The faintest object that can just be detected by a telescope.<br />
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<a href="" name="M"></a><br />
<b>Magnification (Power)</b> - The power of the binoculars or scopes. It tells you how many times bigger an image can be seen through the scope (or how many times the target can be ‘brought’ closer) than you would see it with the unaided eye. <br />
<b> <u><i>Note</i></u></b><u><i>:</i></u> the stronger the magnification, the smaller the field of view. <br />
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<b>Magnitude, Absolute </b>- A measure of a star's true or intrinsic brightness. Essentially, astronomers decide this by gauging how bright the star would appear to the eye if brought to a standard distance of 10 parsecs, or 32.6 light-years. Alnitak, the easternmost star in Orion's belt, has an apparent magnitude of 2.05 but an absolute magnitude of -5.9, because that's how bright it would appear if it lay 10 parsecs away. The Sun, with an apparent magnitude of -26.7 has an absolute magnitude of 4.8.<br />
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<b>Maksutov (MAK)</b> - A catadioptric reflecting telescope similar to a Schmidt, except that it employs a deeply curved full-aperture lens called a meniscus to correct for spherical aberration. Maksutovs utilize spherical mirrors and can be designed with a Cassegrain configuration, in which they are called Maksutov-Cassegrains, or as Newtonians, in which they are called Makstutov-Newtonians (or MAK-Newts, for short).<br />
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<b>Mirage</b> – Optical phenomenon that occurs when air near the ground is significantly denser than the air above, creating visible reflected images of distant objects or targets.<br />
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<b>Monocular </b>- A single "pocket-sized" telescope used as a handy spotting scope.<br />
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<b>Near Focus</b> – See “Close Focus”. <br />
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<b>Nitrogen-Purged</b> (or nitrogen filled) - The atmospheric air inside the binocular or scope tubes is replaced with nitrogen, which prevents mildew, mold or acid inside the tubes. Nitrogen-Purged binoculars are commonly known as water & fog-proof, as with the <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=12" target="_blank"><b>Nipon 10x42 binoculars</b></a>.<br />
<b> <u><i>Note</i></u></b><u><i>:</i></u> In rare situations such as extreme humidity and elevation changes, some internal fogging may occur, though the fogging usually clears on its own after a few minutes. <br />
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<a href="" name="O"></a><br />
<b>Objective Lens</b> - The large lens at the end of the binocular or scope away from the eyepiece. This lens gathers light into the eye. The larger the objective lens, the more light that enters the scope and the brighter the image. <br />
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<b>Ocular Lens</b> - An alternate term for eyepiece. <br />
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<b>Optical tube assembly (OTA) </b>- The main tube of a telescope including the primary mirror or objective lens, focuser, and finder scope. The optical tube assembly does not include a mount or tripod.<br />
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<b>O-Ring Sealed</b> - A special sealant on binoculars that makes them waterproof. <br />
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<b>Parallax</b> – Apparent shift in position of a viewed object attributable to the difference between two separate and distinct points of view. In a scope sight, parallax can cause an aiming error, or parallax error, when the target image is not formed in the same plane as the reticle.<br />
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<b>Phase Correction</b> - A coating applied to the prisms of roof prism binoculars to prevent the light beam from splitting into two out-of-phase beams of light. This enhances colour fidelity and reduces image contrast and gives a clearer view. <br />
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<b>Porro Prism</b> – The objective or front lens is offset from the eyepiece (as opposed to the aligned roof prisms). Porro prisms have objective lenses spaced wider than roof prisms, and can provide greater depth perception and generally offer a wider field of view. Good examples are <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=6" target="_blank"><b>Nipon 7x50</b></a> and <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=5" target="_blank"><b>Nipon 10x50</b></a> binoculars.<br />
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<b>Power</b> - This refers to a telescope's magnification (i.e., 80x can be referred to as 80 "power").<br />
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<b>Primary Mirror</b> – The principal light gathering mirror in a reflecting telescope.<br />
<a href="" name="prism-glass"><br />
<b>Prism Glass</b></a> - A solid glass figure cut with flat surfaces. Most optical prisms are made from borosilicate (BK-7) glass or barium crown (BaK-4) glass. BaK-4 is a higher quality glass yielding brighter images and high edge-to-edge sharpness.<br />
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<b>Prism Systems</b> - The prism system turns what would otherwise be an upside-down image right-side-up.<br />
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<b>Prismatic Binoculars</b> - Binoculars that use internal prisms instead of a second lens to magnify an object. These binoculars aren't ideal for heavy-duty use, as the prisms can be broken or knocked out of alignment due to rough handling. However, the magnification strength of prismatic binoculars is much better than that of traditional field glasses. <br />
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<a href="" name="R"></a><br />
<b>Rack-and-Pinion Focuser</b> - A device into which an eyepiece is inserted and adjusted to bring a telescopic image to focus. A focuser can be as simple as a manual drawtube, but the more efficient type is the "rack-and-pinion" design, whereby a threaded axle affixed with knurled knobs at each end meshes with a threaded drawtube, enabling it to be moved up or down through the focal plane.<br />
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<b>Rangefinder Binoculars</b> - Binoculars with a rangefinder built right in. It is a tool used to calculate the exact distance between you and the object in focus. <br />
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<b>Reflector</b> – A telescope in which the main light gathering element is a mirror. <br />
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<b>Refractor</b> – A telescope in which the main light gathering element is a lens, known as the objective lens. <br />
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<b>Relative Brightness</b> – This is a term to quantify the “brightness” of scope sights and binoculars to facilitate comparison. The relative brightness number is the square of the diameter of the scope’s exit pupil, expressed in mm.<br />
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<b>Resolution (Resolving Power)</b> – Resolution or definition is the ability of a binocular or spotting scope to distinguish fine detail and retain clarity. <br />
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<b>Reticle</b> – In a rifle or handgun scope, the reticle is an aiming reference consisting of crosswires, dot, pointed post or other distinct shape that appears superimposed on the field of view. The reticle is positioned within the optical system to coincide with the plane of focus of the objective lens.<br />
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<b>Rich-Field telescope </b>- A short focal-length telescope designed for sweeping very large regions of sky such as star fields (hence the name "rich"). Also known as wide-field telescopes.<br />
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<b>Roof Prism</b> – The prisms overlap closely, allowing the objective lenses to line up directly with the eyepiece (as opposed to the off-set porro prisms). This result in a slim, streamlined shape of binocular or scope. The top models of the roof-prism and porro-prism binoculars are now generally considered to have equal optical quality. <br />
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<b>Ruby Coatings</b> - The objective lenses of a binocular with ruby coatings will be a bright reddish-orange. Since red light is reflected the colours seen through binoculars with ruby coatings are skewed to the cool end of the spectrum. <br />
<b> <u><i>Note</i></u></b><i><u>:</u> </i>Another result of using ruby coatings is a shortened colour spectrum which may increase the contrast and resolution of a binocular. <br />
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<a href="" name="S"></a><br />
<b>Schmidt</b> – A wide field reflecting telescope which uses a special mirror and correcting plate instead of a parabolic mirror. Mainly used for photographic sky surveys.<br />
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<b>Spotting scope </b>- A small, portable telescope used primarily for terrestrial observing, such as nature study and bird watching. Most spotting scopes use prisms to provide an image that matches the naked eye.<br />
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<b>Spyglass</b> – This is another term for handheld telescope. <br />
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<a href="" name="T"></a><br />
<b>T-Adapter </b>- A camera adapter that attaches to the body of a 35mm camera (without the lens) and then connects to the focuser for prime-focus astrophotography.<br />
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<b>T-Ring</b> - Converts the lens mount on a camera body to a standard "T-thread" that can accept a T-adapter or universal camera adapter for either prime focus or eyepiece projection photography.<br />
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<b>Terrestrial</b> - Refers to bird watching, landscape or seascape daytime observing with a telescope, binoculars, or spotting scopes. A terrestrial scope is used during the day or in low light to observe terrestrial fields of view. Applicable to birding, sightseeing, and nature study.<br />
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<b>Transmittance</b> – As light travels through binoculars or scopes, a certain percentage of that light is lost through absorption and reflection at each air-to-glass surface or inside the prism system itself. The term used to describe this percentage of light that is not lost through the optical system is transmittance. See also “Light Transmission”. <br />
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<b>Tripod </b>- A three-legged stand with a swivel or pan head upon which a camera, spotting scope, or binocular can be attached. (Also see 'binocular tripod adaptor')<br />
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<b>Twilight Factor</b> – Most often associated with binoculars, this is a numerical expression of the telescope effect in dim light. It may also be calculated for scope sights. <br />
<b> <u><i>Note</i></u></b><u><i>:</i></u> The twilight factor is derived by multiplying the magnification by the useful objective diameter (mm), and then extracting the square root. This factor assumes realistically that in dim light, all other factors being equal, viewing instruments with higher magnification and larger objective lenses will outperform those with lower power and lesser light gathering capability.<br />
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<a href="" name="U"></a><br />
<b>UD Lens (Ultra Low Dispersion lens)</b> - A lens made of special optical glass possessing optical characteristics similar to fluorite. UD lens elements are especially effective in correcting chromatic aberrations in super-telephoto lenses.<br />
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<b>Universal Digital Camera Adaptor </b>- It holds your digital camera next to your telescope's eyepiece so that you can take pictures of an object through the scope. The adaptor can be adjusted in 3 directions for different camera sizes and for camera lens positioning. See <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=7" target="_blank"><b>some typical universal camera adaptors</b></a>. <br />
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<a href="" name="V"></a><br />
<b>Variable Power (Zoom Lens)</b> – Variable-power scopes or binoculars have a control that allows the user to adjust the magnification over a predetermined range.<br />
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<a href="" name="W"></a><br />
<b>Waterproof / Fogproof</b> – The binoculars or scopes that are sealed with O-rings and nitrogen-purged for waterproof and fogproof protection. These products are able to withstand complete immersion and remain dry inside. <br />
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<b>Wedge</b> – A device used to attach a fork mounted telescope to a tripod.<br />
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<b>Wide-Angle Binoculars</b> - Binoculars with a wider field of view (generally described as greater than 6.5 degrees). For example, <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=6" target="_blank"><b>NIPON 7x50</b></a> binoculars have a wide field of view at 7.5 degrees (130m/1000m), convenient for target search.<br />
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<a href="" name="Z"></a><br />
<b>Zoom Lens</b> – See “Variable Power”.<br />
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Thank you!Nipon Scope and Opticshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124907943435655979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5298351170016508194.post-22469874086813840252011-07-03T11:08:00.000+01:002011-07-03T11:08:44.043+01:00Recent user feedback about using the Nipon 350x70 Refractor scope for Archery, with an additional 40mm eyepieceI have tried the Nipon 350x70 Refractor scope out today and it is really fantastic, I can even read at over 200 feet the small letters on the target through the 40mm eyepiece even without the added Barlow, so I am very well pleased and would recommend this scope to any archer. (Message from John to Nipon Scope & Optics on 23/6/2011).Nipon Scope and Opticshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124907943435655979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5298351170016508194.post-34702100708862586182011-05-29T13:00:00.003+01:002011-05-29T13:06:45.577+01:00Nipon Scope Product Brochures OnlineHere you can view and download some Nipon product information:<br />
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<a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/images/products/info/NIPON OPTICS-p1.jpg"title="Nipon Scope Brochure - Page 1"><b>Nipon Scope Product Brochure - Page 1 </b></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/images/products/info/NIPON OPTICS-p2.jpg"title="Nipon Scope Brochure - Page 2"><b>Nipon Scope Product Brochure - Page 2 </b></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/images/products/info/NIPON Telescope Accessories-p1.jpg"title="Nipon Telescope Accessories - Page 1"><b>Nipon Telescope Accessories - Page 1 </b></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/images/products/info/NIPON Telescope Accessories-p2.jpg"title="Nipon Telescope Accessories - Page 2"><b>Nipon Telescope Accessories - Page 2 </b></a>Nipon Scope and Opticshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124907943435655979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5298351170016508194.post-76101927718523576022011-04-29T00:05:00.006+01:002011-07-03T11:14:54.489+01:00I shoot old military guns at distances up to 1000 metres and need to see the bullet holes in the paper targets. Will the Nipon 350x70 scope allow me to do this nice and clearly?To answer this question, we need to establish the level of magnification that is required in order to see a small target such as a bullet hole over that distance. <br />
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Someone with ‘normal’ 20/20 or 6/6 vision (visual acuity) is just able to decipher a letter (eg. E) that subtends a visual angle of 5 minutes of arc (5') at the eye. What this means is that if you draw a line from the top of a 20/20 letter (E) to the eye and another line from the bottom of the letter to the eye, the size of the angle at the intersection of these two lines at the eye is 5' of arc. It does not matter how far away something is from the eye, as long as it subtends an angle of 5' of arc at the eye, then a person with 20/20 visual acuity will just be able to distinguish what it is. <br />
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For shooting range up to 1000 metres, the bullet diameter is assumed to be about 0.45” or 11.43mm. If we know how far an individual with 20/20 vision can see an 11.43mm bullet hole with naked eye, we can then work out how many times the same target should be brought closer from 1000 metres (i.e., times of magnification).<br />
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<b>Here is a calculation on how far one can see this 11.43mm target, where:</b><br />
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<li>The bullet hole’s visual angle subtended at the eye is 5' of arc (5 minutes of arc), one-half of which is 2.5' of arc (this is to form a right angle by the line of sight and the plane of the target); </li><br />
<li>"d" is the distance along the line of sight, from the eye to the target, and </li><br />
<li>"h" is one-half the height of the 20/20 letter in mm. </li><br />
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<img alt="Visual acuity angle calculation" border="0" height="73" src="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/images/products/visual-acuity-angle.gif" width="325" /> <br />
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The simple trigonometry is calculated as:<br />
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(1). 2.5’ of arc / 60=0.04167 degrees<br />
(2). Tangent 0.04167 degrees=h/d=5.72mm/d (note: 11.43/2=5.72)<br />
(3). d=5.72mm/0.00072=7944mm=7.944m <br />
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This means that an individual with normal vision will be able to read a letter with 11.43mm height (i.e., to identify the direction of letter E) at about 8 metres. In fact, to see a round bullet hole is much easier than reading a letter. A field test has indicated that an 11mm white dot on black background (or black on white) can be seen by people with normal vision at 10m or slightly further. In other words, if the same target is placed 1000m away, it needs to be magnified (or 'brought closer') 1000/10=100 times.<br />
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For the Nipon 350x70 scope, with the K9mm eyepiece and 3x Barlow lens included, it can achieve a 120x magnification which is within the power required for this purpose.<br />
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If a target is located at 150 yards (140m), with a 0.22” (5.69mm) bullet, the required scope magnification can be calculated as: 140÷(5.69÷2÷0.00072÷1000)=35x<br />
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It needs to be understood that magnification is only one basic aspect which needs to be considered in this example. There are other factors that also play important role in target observation, such as the size of the objective lens and optical coatings of the scope, which affect image clarity.Nipon Scope and Opticshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124907943435655979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5298351170016508194.post-85769040698750674362011-01-12T17:00:00.000+00:002011-01-12T17:00:45.367+00:00UK Scopes and Binoculars Blog: How to connect a digital SLR (DSLR) camera to telescope for digiscoping?<a href="http://scope-binoculars.blogspot.com/2011/01/how-to-connect-digital-slr-dslr-camera.html#links">UK Scopes and Binoculars Blog: How to connect a digital SLR (DSLR) camera to telescope for digiscoping?</a>Nipon Scope and Opticshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124907943435655979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5298351170016508194.post-53128013719974128832011-01-12T16:41:00.002+00:002011-01-12T16:48:09.025+00:00Why do I only see a white image when I try to take pictures of the Moon using my Nipon digital eyepiece/camera?The Nipon digital eyepiece can be used to take pictures of distant objects through a telescope. You can see on the PC screen what you would see through the telescope's eyepiece and take that picture (or video footage) through your computer. However, if you point your telescope to the Moon, you may only see a spot of bright light on your computer screen, rather than the details of the Moon surface. This is because that the brightness of the Moon has exceeded the exposure limit of the camera's hardware chip. You may get a similar result when trying to take pictures of the moon using some other types of digital cameras.<br />
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<b>A solution for this:</b> add a <a href="http://www.nipon-scope.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=14"target="_blank"><b>Moon Filter </b></a>to the eyepiece holder of your telescope, before putting the digital eyepiece into the holder. You will get a better image of the moon. This should also help your astronomical observation and digiscoping on stars in the night sky.Nipon Scope and Opticshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124907943435655979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5298351170016508194.post-24778506777739034692011-01-12T16:39:00.001+00:002011-01-12T16:48:09.026+00:00User experience with the Nipon digital eyepiece/camera (Model EE300) for digiscoping under Windows Vista systemA customer has recently provided some feedback about his experience in using the Nipon digital eyepiece on his laptop computer which runs the windows vista system. This information should be useful for others who are interesting in digiscoping.<br />
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When the digital eyepiece is connected to your PC through a USB slot, the computer should be able to automatically recognise this device and install the software driver. There is no need to install anything from the software CD which comes with the digital device. You should then be able to see a camera icon in "My Computer" programme. This is true when your PC runs Win 2000, Win XP or Win 7. However, in Windows vista, the camera icon becomes invisible. In fact, it has been reported that Win vista does not show other types of digital cameras in the "My Computer" programme. This is one of the problems with win vista.<br />
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A solution for this is to install the software programme which comes with the digital eyepiece and to take digital pictures or video recordings from your PC using that software programme. This should achieve the same function as you would otherwise be able to do using a simpler "My computer" programme under win xp or win 7.Nipon Scope and Opticshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07124907943435655979noreply@blogger.com2