I have an ETX90-EC and an 8"SCT so I speak from some authority! The ETX is very diffcult to focus plus atmospheric seeing will seriously degrade the image on most nights. So the 9.7 will be less sharp than the 26mm, but should provide more detail for some targets (ie the moon and large planets). It is a common mistake to over magnify images. You should be able to see some if not all messier objects - how bad is your local light pollution? Is your Autostar working properly so that you are looking at the object. Never go below a 26mm for deep sky. Amongst some of the most difficult I have seen with the ETX are M3, M81 and M82. The 8"SCT is of course better, but not so much. Seeing conditions are much more important. Unless you can afford a full goto version, stay with the ETX for a while at least. Let us know how you get on.