[AstroViking (Steve)]

Hi all,

I picked up a catadioptric lens the other week that appears to need collimation. I tried some astro with it and all the stars came out a sort of 'V' shape, mostly seeming to point into the centre of the frame. (The vignetting is also terrible, and uneven, leading me to suspect it's been dropped or abused over it's life.)

The lens itself has zero information that I can find on the Internet. The closest to a brand or maker's name is the text "Reflex BirdScope 1000" and "Made in Japan" on the body.

It has a standard M42*0.75 thread on the back, so I can fit my astro cam to it.

Useful information:
* Maker: Unknown. Body stamped with "Reflex Birdscope 1000"
* Year of manufacture: Unknown
* Country of manufacture: Japan
* Focal length: 1000mm
* Aperture diameter: 104mm
* Aperture: F11 (fixed)
* Focus: Manual
* Weight: 1516g
* Length: 195mm (dew shield retracted), 245mm (dew shield extended)

If you know anything about this beat, I'd love to hear it.

Looking at the sample output, aside from the awful noise and poor focus (both operator induced), is there hope for this thing as an astro-lens? Or will it be relegated to terrestrial imaging?

If it can be salvaged, where can I get it collimated?

Many thanks,
V.