Does anybody sell tested scopes? (1 Viewer)

[Tringa45]

The few really outstanding optics I have had I usually didn't use because they were more difficult to use.

Like a grab'n go 150 mm f/15 refractor or a 36" Dobson?

Regards,
John

 

[Binastro]

Post #20.

The Pentax 100mm f/12 demonstrator was essentially perfect.

But setting up an equatorial mount refractor on a balcony or hauling it down to the yard was a pain.

The imperfect 150mm f/10 Maksutov on an altazimuth mount was used frequently.
Much shorter and actually showed more on Saturn despite not being very good.

Also a top notch terrestrial scope.
I doubt that any of today's spotting scopes would be better.

The Zeiss 20x60S is better, but the Canon 18x50 IS is more practical.

The 123mm f/5.15 Jaegers refractor on a simple garden tripod was light and a joy to use.
My most used scope, despite the howls of protest here because of CA.
Usually used at 80x, but anything from 16x to 145x.
It showed magnitude 13.1 stars from a town garden and hundreds of deep sky objects.
Not a planetary telescope.

I am much more interested in practicality than near perfect scopes.

It amuses me when people seek perfection.

Practicality is to me much more important if the scope or binocular is good enough for the observation.

Regards,
B.

 

[etudiant]

Agree 100% on the need for practicality.
But think customers should also get some reasonable indication of quality, beyond just the nameplate.

 

[Binastro]

The Japanese inspection system and stickers did address these problems quite well.

But since the dumping practices of China and now a complete free for all on Chinese optics, the ethics worldwide have changed.

One can be reasonably sure that Televue and Takahashi optics are good.

But looking at the posts here, even the top names don't seem to ensure top quality.

Some firms like Opticron and a few others test nearly each binocular.
Beacon Hill says he tests all optics except big telescopes.

It may be better to rely on these firms, although damage in transit occurs.

Regards,
B.