Questa 3.5" or Questar "Birder" (1 Viewer)

Questar 3.5" or Questar "Birder"

Anyone still use one for birding?
I remember looking through one in China 1992 and being knocked out by the view. Couldn't however get over the mirror use, - to pan to the right you moved the unit left.

Didn't see many of these out in the field afterwards back in the UK due to the fragility of them and limited ease of use e.g.. flying or fast moving close in birds.

Bet someone has one if they overlook an estuary or reserve.

I use mine for astronomy, but optically the Skywatcher 90mm Maksutov is almost as good.

I have used both for looking at birds sitting on chimney pots.

My 150mm f/10 Maksutov is much better for distance observations than the 89mm Questar.

Questar made a 7 inch and 12 inch version.
Most of the Questars lately seem to be for military usage.

Some Russian Maksutovs are as good or better than the Questar.
But they are over engineered and heavy.
I have a very early 100mm Russian Maksutov that is better than the Questar.
Made by a master optician.

Horace Dall said that the Questar he examined was, I think, undercorrected.
His 8 inch Maksutov was in a different league to the 89mm Questar.

One observer claimed to have seen Pluto in his 89mm Questar. Not the dog, but the ex planet.

It matters little to me whether the image in inverted or not, but I don't like lateral change so much.

Someone was kind enough to let me view the Lundy Ancient Murrelet through one. I was well impressed. On another occasion someone else was kind enough to let me view some flying Shelducks through his. I was very confused!

Jack Dawe said:

Someone was kind enough to let me view the Lundy Ancient Murrelet through one.

Click to expand...

Now, that's impressive....off a boat.

If anyone is interested.
Maksutovs and near relatives that I have used.

1970s custom 90mm fair, quality only restricted to 100x.
Celestron C90 average only.
Questar 3.5 inch very good.
Skywatcher 90mm very good, remarkable for the price.
Skywatcher 127mm not great, but sometimes good. Temperature problems I think.
5.5 inch Dutch De Oude Delft military, Superb.
c.1950 Russian 4 inch Unbelievably excellent.
150mm f/10 very good up to 100x,. With higher powers only fair.
150mm f/15 custom Excellent or better.

H.Dall's 8inch probably as good as any made anywhere in the world. Stunning.

Nikon 500mm f/5. Two both very good.

Sigma 500mm f/4.5 complex mirror. Poor.

Samyang 800mm f/8 poor. Contrast poor.

3 or 4 MTO 1000s, fair only. Temperature problems usually. Great quality filters.

Zoomatar 2000mm f/14 complex mirror awful.
Zoomatar 500mm f/5.6 and 2x converter. Average.

Celestron 500mm f/5.6 not great.

Celestron 70mm fair minus.
Italian firms 70mm plastic monstrosity. Terrible.

Home made 5.5inch Dall Kirkham. Poor but H.Dall made triplet corrector very good. Corrector broken replaced with doublet corrector. Not good.

12.5 inch Dall Kirkham thin edge mirror and optical window. Excellent.

Nikon, Canon, Minolta, Optomax, Tamron SP 500mm f/8 mirror lenses. All good.

Vivitar 600mm f/8 Series 1 Solid Cat. Excellent new one. Poor secondhand one.

Sigma 600 f/8 good.
Bell and Howell 650mm f/8? O.K.
Pentax 500mm mirror spotting scope average, but back can be used on any T2 mount lens. 0.965 inch or 24.5mm fit eyepieces can be easily fitted to give different powers.

Zeiss 30x60mm mirror spotter. should have provision for much higher power.

Mirador 30x to 120x 70mm Spotter Really excellent. Also can use 1.25inch eyepieces.

Celestron C5 SCT average only.
1970s Celestron C8 SCT Temperature problems, rarely very good.

PYRTLE said:

Now, that's impressive....off a boat.

Click to expand...

No, it wasn't from a boat!

I also saw the AM on Lundy through a Questar (don't know who's but thanks whoever you are/were) when it was sat on rocks at the base of the cliffs. Much better view than through my old Kowa.

Nick