Nexstar 8" and a Tak 4" / 5" refractor

Hi Guys,

Would like to have your opinions on this. What's the difference between an 8" SCT and a Tak 4" refractor in terms of optical performance and astrophotogrpahy. If "bigger is better" then why are the Taks selling like hot cakes and the 8" left behind. Isn't a scope with a larger aperture supposed to be better?

Silly question, but I'm just dumbfounded

Thanks all.
ET

Because the 8" SCT is a jack-of-all-trades and master of none...a good general purpose instrument with comfortable eyepiece position. The 4" and 5" Taks do things the 8" SCT can never do.

The Taks will do fast cooldown without collimation, pinpoint stars, wider field, and better planetary contrast.

...zipping on flame suit now.

First of all, I'm not so sure about your implication that the Tak APOs are outselling 8 inch SCTs! I sure see a lot more SCTs out there than APOs!

I don't know jack about photography, but visually the view through small APOs is aesthetically pleasing (essentially no aberrations, spikes, coma, etc., of any kind; super high contrast, pinpoint stars), they are as convenient or more, are really well built, and are "cool". I don't have one, but I get behind the eyepiece of one every chance I get.

None of this says that, in a competition, the small APO will "win" at seeing something that the 8inch SCT won't. But APOs are fun. More fun? That's an individual decision. Worth the money? Well, 4-inch APOs are not that different in cost from the "flagship" mid-size GPS SCTs from Meade and Celestron. One should buy the one that's more fun for them., limiting magnitudes and theoretical resolutions be damned. Or buy both, of course.