Questar Field Scope for Birding? (2 Viewers)

[gmkirk130]

Questar, in its advertisements in the 60’s and 70’s, often showed an image of a bird through the scope, if I remember correctly. Just wondering whether any BF members actually use their Questar scopes for regular birding. If so, do you use the fast focus accessory or the regular focus?

Thank you in advance,
Gary

 

[Mike Crawley]

I remember a guy regularly turning up at twitches in the early 90's with a Questar. IIRC he would have a selection of eyepieces and the view using his 100x eyepiece was remarkable.
My guess is that it wouldn’t be weather resistant.
I haven’t seen him or another Questar in over 20 years.

I regularly see a guy who carries his Swarovski ATX 115 around my local RSPB reserve, often with a x1.7 multiplier. That's an extremely impressive set up.

 

[dwatsonbirder]

I can't recall seeing one in the field during my birding career (20yrs - quite short relative to many others on here) but I believe that Steve Gantlett of birding world fame used to use one around Cley. I suspect that the reversed image, awkward focusing mechanism, lack of armouring and waterproofing (not to mention the price) means they are not particular useful for fieldwork - not in comparison to say the big modern Kowa or Swarovski scopes.

 

[wllmspd]

I sometimes lug an 80mm ED Astro refractor around, using an erecting diagonal so the views are the right way up/round. Not sealed, not armoured, feels like it’s made of lead, but gives very nice wide views using Astro eyepieces. Not a scope for all locations, but good when lots of walking isn’t involved. Never come across anyone with a quest at either… almost mythical, bit like swaro BTX, which I’ve only come across once.

Peter

 

[Binastro]

I use a Questar but not for birding.

The Skywatcher 90mm Maksutov Cassegrain, a good example, is just as good optically, although the Questar is fancier.

I mostly used a custom made 150mm f/10 Maksutov Cassegrain with separate secondary and oversize primary at 95x for terrestrial viewing. It has a Porro prism erector.

This was far better than the Questar, BAS or Skywatcher 90mm Maksutov Cassegrains.

The 150mm f/15 custom Maksutov is used for planets.

The Mirador 70mm Maksutov is superb. It has a standard 30x-120 zoom eyepiece or the supplied 1.25 inch fit eyepiece. It takes any 1.25 inch fit eyepiece.

My 127mm Skywatcher Maksutov is poor optically, not a good example.

The 70mm Konus is complete plastic junk.

The zoom Celestron 70mm spotter is poor.

The Astele 65mm? is excellent.

The 30x60 Zeiss is very good but has no high power eyepiece.
It is missing the electric focus adapter.

Horace Dall's 8 inch Maksutov was almost the equal of the thin edge mirror windowed 12.5inch Dall Kirkham.
It was unbelievably good.

Regards,
B.

 

[DMW]

Questars used to be considered the Holy Grail of birding scopes back in the 1980s, when ordinary mortals squinted through Bushnell Discoverers or Spacemasters.

 

[henry link]

Questars used to be considered the Holy Grail of birding scopes back in the 1980s, when ordinary mortals squinted through Bushnell Discoverers or Spacemasters.

Exactly, the Questar's reputation with birders dates from a time when the competition was very weak. That began to change with the appearance of the first ED Nikon Fieldscope and the first Kowa Fluorite spotting scopes. Back in those days I birded with a Takahashi FC-76, a 76mm Fluorite APO that was obviously superior to the Questar. Virtually every large high end spotting scope beats the Questar now.