Celestron VX 700 Mak.
A very good scope on a nice solid mount. A bit heavy due to the Maksutov optical tube but considering the mount and counterweights it doesn't add much.
A very nice thing is that you'll have a good mount that you can put other optical tubes on. Some people disparage the Mak design as being "unsuitable" for deepsky photography but, depending on the object, it's perfectly useable. Great for Solar, Lunar, and Planetary imaging, it's also good for imaging stellar component objects (open and globular clusters).
Conventional photgraphers think a high F/ratio always means a darker image and they are correct for extended objects like the Moon, Planets and "faint fuzzies" like nebulae and galaxies. BUT ... it's not true for point sources like stars. Point source exposures are related to the surface area of the primary mirror or objective lens. I use that trick for shooting globular clusters. I use a teleconverter on my vintage 1983 Celestron-8 to change it from a 2000mm f/10 to a 4000mm f/20. It gives me a bigger plate scale (larger image of the target) AND alows me to expose for 4x as long before the light pollution becomes an issue. That trick works visually too. Find a globular or open cluster and crank up the magnification to darken the sky, but it won't dim the stars.
BTW ... If you haven't already done so ... find a local astronomy club and become a member ... we/they will fall all over themselves to help you with any problems or questions AND they may have access to dark sky locations not available otherwise. I belong to two clubs and help out at several other institutions.
A very good scope on a nice solid mount. A bit heavy due to the Maksutov optical tube but considering the mount and counterweights it doesn't add much.
A very nice thing is that you'll have a good mount that you can put other optical tubes on. Some people disparage the Mak design as being "unsuitable" for deepsky photography but, depending on the object, it's perfectly useable. Great for Solar, Lunar, and Planetary imaging, it's also good for imaging stellar component objects (open and globular clusters).
Conventional photgraphers think a high F/ratio always means a darker image and they are correct for extended objects like the Moon, Planets and "faint fuzzies" like nebulae and galaxies. BUT ... it's not true for point sources like stars. Point source exposures are related to the surface area of the primary mirror or objective lens. I use that trick for shooting globular clusters. I use a teleconverter on my vintage 1983 Celestron-8 to change it from a 2000mm f/10 to a 4000mm f/20. It gives me a bigger plate scale (larger image of the target) AND alows me to expose for 4x as long before the light pollution becomes an issue. That trick works visually too. Find a globular or open cluster and crank up the magnification to darken the sky, but it won't dim the stars.
BTW ... If you haven't already done so ... find a local astronomy club and become a member ... we/they will fall all over themselves to help you with any problems or questions AND they may have access to dark sky locations not available otherwise. I belong to two clubs and help out at several other institutions.
. Luckily I have 
and frequently appears around the Equinoxes. I have time too get my kit set up for later this year 
