Greetings,
I am finally going to get a decent telescope, and I want to make sure that I get the right one, so I'm asking your assistance.
I was going to get an 8" LXD-55 but was concerned about the low contrast for planetary viewing. I am now interested in getting a Mak, but cannot really afford the Meade 7" LX200. I have read some of your recent discussions on the fact that this scope is totally unsuited for astrophotography because of the long focal length, and while I don't plan on doing that now, I won't totally rule that out for the future.
I can afford the Meade ETX-125 however. With the free Aotostar and free deluxe field tripod (how does the built in wedge function? OK for equatorial tracking?), and the $99 eyepiece offer it's too good to pass up.
I talked with someone at OPT, and they said that the ETX-125 was equivalent to the ETX-90 in contrast and resolution, whereas the ETX-105 was superior in both categories. However, the ETX-125 has about 50% more light gathering power than the 105, which means that I'd have a better shot at seeing more obscure DSO's.
Can anyone verify that information, and how are the ETX's for astrophotography? It seems like there may be a clearance problem with the base when taking photos of objects near the zenith.
Thank you for your assistance.
John |