Posts Made By: Tony Leung

If I were you, I would dump everything except the 5, 7 and maybe 12.5 orthos, and the 12.5mm, 17mm and 26mmm possls... Then get a nice 32-35mm 2" wideangle first. I wouldn't get a 40mm unless you live in an area with pitch black skies and have young eyes since it gives nearly a 7mm exit pupil with f/6 scope (the problems of the central obstruction is also more noticable with the larger exit pupil).

Bushnell 7x35 binocs

I like my Orion/Vixen Lanthanum SuperWide 17mm and 8mm eyepieces. 65 AFOV and 20mm eye relief. Very sharp and nicely built in Japan. The 8mm may be a bit big compared to a Radian equivalent. I may be in the minority amongst all you Televue lovers though...

There is a chapter in 2005 Observer's Handbook on exit pupils (p45)...

From my limited observing experience, larger exit pupils 5mm - 7mm provide brighter images but also brightens the sky also, so unless you have dark skies (i have suburban pollution) its not so good...

Smaller exit pupils darken the sky, and 3mm is balance of darkening the sky (for contrast) and darkening extended DSOs...

Under 1mm exit pupil, you're extended objects are too dark, and the high magnification/small exit pupil combo is bringing out imperfections in the optics, your eyes, increasing diffraction, reducing contrast, magnifying atmospheric turbulence etc.??? Good for seeing dimmer stars (points of light) though and also separating doubles...

(1) I use Sky Atlas 2000 for starhopping with telescope finder or binoculars, and for positive identification/location of moderately bright objects.
(2) I use either Cambridge Star Atlas, Norton Star Atlas and Ref Handbook, or Orion DeepMap 600 for naked eye orientation and for initial determining of what celestial objects to search for (i.e. clusters, galaxies, nebulas, doubles, variables, etc.)
(3) I use TheSky6 Serious Astronomer software for charts to locate faint galaxies, nebulae, asteroids, etc...

Sounds like you have way too many requirements, and too large of a budget for a first setup. The higher your expectations and the higher your initial expenditure, the more potential there will be for getting into something that may not be right for you.

First off, forget astrophotography, even if you're already good with photography. That will make your decision a LOT easier and reduce your almost guaranteed frustration...

(1) If you have little or no observing experience, I suggest either borrowing or spending the $150 on a good pair of binoculars (10x50 or similar), and borrowing/buying some good beginning observing books and basic star atlases from the local library (preferrably ones that don't get you obsessing over equipment) like Turn Left at Orion, Binocular Astronomy, Norton's Star Atlas, The Cambridge Star Atlas, etc. This way you've spent very little to discover if the subtle enjoyments of astronomy is for you. And when you do step up to a "real" scope, you'll appreciate it more, and will find navigating the skies a lot easier!

(2) If you have a little more observing experience or are really ambitious or impatient, then by all means go get a scope. But get a EASY non-computerized one like a 6" to 10" dobsonian (Orion XT8 is perfect - Only $349. And if this scope can't make you happy for at least a few months, I'll speculate that nothing can...)

(3) ... and if after a year of visual observing with your 6" - 8" dob, you're still having fun and excited about astronomy, then you can consider astrophotography desires...

I love astronomy and I love photography, but I have never started astrophotograhy. Maybe I never will...

I used to be REALLY BIG into photography once. Back then, in my photographic pursuits, I used to wonder why other people did't see or appreciate moments like I did. Its "magic light" hour, and all my friends are just sitting around. I would run around to find the best vantage points and find the best scenes to photograph and wait for the "perfect" light. I had to capture the "best" pictures. ... Later on, after my obsessions subsided, looking back, I think I missed fully appreciating the moments also - too much time and energy and focus on capturing the picture just right and letting the moment pass by without really fully appreciating it (not capturing it)...

Astronomy takes a lot more patience to appreciate (and much worst photograph) then dramatic sunsets, grand landscapes, violent weather, or even subtle patterns in closeup photography...

... Be patient. Don't jump in. Learn to appreciate first....

Binos are great! I plan to take my 10x50s to backpacking to experience real dark skies...

One scope does all is always a though call. A WO 66 Terrestrial pkg is probably a good deal at $295 if you're expecting to be doing mostly daytime viewing (since its complete with diagonal, eyepiece, and case; and is lighter for your small tripod). The 45deg diag may be a pain in the neck for stars/moon/planets, and the 66 won't be much in terms of light grasp. Of course the 80mm isn't too much better in terms of light grasp... The WO Megrez II 80 SD (WO says they may have a promo pkg on ZenithStar in Aug too... Megrez SD is slighter better optically, but ZenithStar is slightly nicer mechanically) is good at $599 if you're doing more astronomical viewing, since its complete with nice 90deg diag, ok finder, and case, but needs eyepiece. Of course, you might not like the 90deg diag or the left/right flip for terrestial viewing, so you may want to get a 45 deg diag also... Then of course the Orion 80ED is best optically, but lowest of all mentioned in terms of mechanics, but still with nice focuser, but you'll end up with a BIGGER scope, and will need to buy diag, case, etc... For low powers, a photo tripod such as Bogen 3021 or heavier with a fluid video head - 3126 or better is good. Of course, with the video head, you'll have to tighten the knobs quite a bit when scope pointed high and you'll have quite a bit of backlash at moderate to higher powers (40x - 100x)... You chooose. There is no PERFECT one solution!

... for lower powers, a red dot finder is perfect... No finder is alright, as long as you have at least a 3deg field (4deg + even better; i.e. 15x - 20x with wide angle 65AFOV or better), otherwise it gets frustrating especially looking at the sky...

I vote for a 9x50 right angle plus a red dot easy finder stuck to the tube. On my light polluted skies, the red dot will put me onto any 4th mag star. Then I use the 9x50 RA to star hop around up and can see 8th mag relatively easily. Also the 9x50 will put anything into view onto even my 240x field (1/4 deg FOV) of the primary's eyepiece without going down in power...