
Vintage Selsi 75mm f/12
#1
Posted 15 October 2006 - 10:23 PM
I know some history of Selsi. They have been an importer of telescopes and binoculars since the early 1900's. Selsi imported many telescopes and binoculars, mainly of French origin up until post WWII and then slowly began importing Japanese scope in tandem with French scopes. Selsi standards were very high with regards their imported scopes and binoculars.
My Selsi is a 75mm refractor of 910mm focal length making it an f/12 scope. Color correction is astounding, as is the star test. As near perfect inside/outside focal patterns as one could hope for, but showing just a hint of pinched optics, which should be easy to correct once I get a spanner wrench that will allow me to loosen the objective retaining ring a tad.
The focuser is bult like no other Japanese scope I have ever encountered, a totally different design from Tasco, Mayflower, Unitron, Towa, Carton, etc. that I have come across in the past. It is finely built and thoroughly thought out. This is without doubt the most interesting vintage Japanese telescope I have come across.
Regards,
Don
#3
Posted 16 October 2006 - 07:42 AM

Yeah, let's see!
Clear dark skies...
MikeG
#4
Posted 16 October 2006 - 07:52 AM
- Dave
#5
Posted 16 October 2006 - 04:34 PM
I'm sure you suspected this was coming...

Don
#6
Posted 16 October 2006 - 07:05 PM
Anyone looking at the TOWA 80 ?? for a hundred bucks ? I'll bet it keeps up with the Selsi....


#7
Posted 17 October 2006 - 02:22 AM
http://www.selsioptics.com/index.htm
look at the Model 247 telescope - Like a trip back to the 60's, except it's brand new! It even has the little accessory tray lamp! look at the big picture.
http://www.selsiopti...om/TELESCOP.htm
Really cool. Also note on the cat page they offer 2 models - the 245 and the 245 C which stands for china. So they set apart the chinese made stuff.
I have an email into them asking for pricing on the 247. I think that scope is dead sexy, and if it's not thousands, I'm gonna get one. Just like a trip back in time. I love the old refractors with the wooden tripods!

#8
Posted 17 October 2006 - 10:55 AM
Jess Tauber
#9
Posted 17 October 2006 - 11:30 AM


#10
Posted 17 October 2006 - 11:32 AM
http://www.cloudynig...t=&cat=4&page=1
#11
Posted 17 October 2006 - 11:53 AM
#12
Posted 17 October 2006 - 12:58 PM
#13
Posted 17 October 2006 - 07:20 PM
#14
Posted 19 October 2006 - 08:14 PM
Don
#15
Posted 20 October 2006 - 09:45 PM
It's a smooth orange tube of 70's vintage (as best I can tell) so I'd guess it too fits in here with classic scopes.
Definitely!
#16
Posted 23 October 2006 - 04:50 PM
The glass mix is exceptionally good, but as with your Selsi the optics are pinched. I have tried rotating the lens elements with respect to each other, but to no avail. It appears to be an inherent 'problem' with these older 910mm objective lenses. Sometimes rotating the crown and flint elements with respect to each other can significantly improve the high power image, but not always. However, the low power views are still great!
The 76.2mm telescope is a solidly-constructed telescope. Interesting collectible, but I like my 3-inch f/12 Lafayette Radio Electronics "Arcturus" from 1961 much better.
Do you have the original instruction booklet for your Selsi? What is the model number on the focuser plate? How did the seller know that it was from the year 1965? I am of the opinion that my Sans & Streiffe is from the late 1950s, but have not been able to date the scope accurately.
#17
Posted 25 October 2006 - 08:04 PM
It's been a few years but it's great to hear from you again.
Unfortunately I did not get the original manual with the Selsi 75 f/12 scope. And I have no idea how the previous owner came up with the 1965 date, or at least he didn't reveal it to me.
As to the pinched optics, it should be easy enough to correct but the objective cell is a one piece unit and the retainer ring is buried deep (accessible only from the back side of the cell, the side that screws onto the tube) and will require a proper spanner to loosen, which I need to order. The objective/cell has never been violated, as best I can tell, and I don't want to be the one to try loosening it with the wrong tool and muck it up. So that will have to wait. Sadly I haven't had the Selsi out under a good night of seeing (can be rare here at my location) so I cannot speak to the quality of the optics in terms up higher magnification, and Jupiter was just too low in the sky when I first got it to on a planet (and I've been too lazy to get up early and check our Saturn with it).
I've attached a couple of pictures showing the name plate on the focuser, and what I think is a unique focuser assembly. It may look similar to other scopes of the period but it is very different in small design details.
I'd like to see pictures of your Sans & Streiffe if you get the chance.
Don
#20
Posted 22 November 2006 - 08:58 AM
#21
Posted 22 November 2006 - 11:03 AM
Don,
Doesn't this look similar ? My Bushnell Sky Chief II with the similar mount we were talking about in the other thread.
Jae
Jae,
Too cool! That's the only other one I've seen with a focuser like that. I wonder if all Bushnell Sky Chief II's used that focuser? The Selsi 75 I have has no stamping on the focuser nameplate whereas your Bushnell SC II is stamped APL. Now if we could only track down those codes...
Don
#22
Posted 22 November 2006 - 01:51 PM
Don,
Doesn't this look similar ? My Bushnell Sky Chief II with the similar mount we were talking about in the other thread.
Jae
Jae,
Too cool! That's the only other one I've seen with a focuser like that. I wonder if all Bushnell Sky Chief II's used that focuser? The Selsi 75 I have has no stamping on the focuser nameplate whereas your Bushnell SC II is stamped APL. Now if we could only track down those codes...
Don
Don,
It would be interesting to see if Steve's Bushnell had the same set up.
For those that don't know how this focuser works, I found out after trying to tighten the screws shown in the picture in the dark as the focuser was sagging. It did nothing. When I removed the screws, the cover protected another mechanism inside (I think it was copper tabs that apply pressure) that was used to tighten or loosen the focuser action. I'll take a pic if I get a chance later.
Definitely a higher end design.
Jae
#23
Posted 22 November 2006 - 02:06 PM
Don,
It would be interesting to see if Steve's Bushnell had the same set up.
For those that don't know how this focuser works, I found out after trying to tighten the screws shown in the picture in the dark as the focuser was sagging. It did nothing. When I removed the screws, the cover protected another mechanism inside (I think it was copper tabs that apply pressure) that was used to tighten or loosen the focuser action. I'll take a pic if I get a chance later.
Definitely a higher end design.
Jae
Jae,
I too would say it's a higher end design. I had to take my focuser apart to straighten the pinion shaft was bent in shipping. That's when I found what a nice design it was what with the copper pinion shaft retainer/tensioner. Just be careful with the four small screws that hold the cover in place. If one doesn't use a proper fitting screwdriver the slots are not very deep and can be easily marred.

Don