Are they worth it?

Well to be honest I have never looked through a telescope. I am still waiting for my Meade AR-5 AT.

Why are Takahashi scopes so expensive? Are they worth it? Why shouldn't someone buy a Meade or Celestron with larger aperture? Does it make sense?

Which other brands are known for their quality?

Takahashi makes some of the finest telescopes in the world. Their workmanship and quality are unsurpassed. Whether they are worth it or not is a subjective opinion, however. It's been said that anything is worth what anyone is willing to pay for it. I own an FS-128 refractor, which I bought used at a substantial discount. The price of a brand-new one, however, would not have been worth it to me.

I'm a member of Denver Astronomical Sociey, and participate in the club's monthly open houses. These events are open to the public, and provide an opportunity to look at objects through a variety of telescopes that members have set up. My Takahashi TOA-130 (a 5-inch apochromatic refractor) consistently gets unsolicited comments from folks along the lines of "this telescope has the image of any telescope here."

Get in touch with a local astronomy club, and if they have public viewing events, star parties, or similar, spend an evening looking through several different scopes. If you have a chance to look through a high-end scope such as an Astro-Physics, Tele Vue, Takahashi, etc., do a comparison to some of the more mainstream scopes. The odds are pretty good that you'll notice a difference.

>>So I purchased three scopes with excellent reputations: a 9.25 Celestron SCT, a 15" Obsession reflector and a 5" Takahashi refractor.<<

So, Tom, this would be the "shotgun" approach. I would say that you made excellent choices in your scopes and your wife (no three at a time around here...)

Milt

Well, will they outperform a Celestron or Meade of a similar price?

If I am not mistaken, a Tak costs nothing less than 4k minimum.

Nitin

Getting an answer to that question is in about the same as asking a man if his wife/girlfriend is worth it.

You'll hardly get a objective reply. That goes right in line with, "Is a bigger aperture worth the money."

Keep in mind that in many cases it's a pride thing.

A. My scope is bigger than your scope.
B. My scope costs more than your scope.

Getting objective brand name answers is difficult. Best advice go to a LARGE star party. You'll get a chance to see a lot of "stuff"

The last one I went too was in Flagstaff. I decided to buy a couple Orions ED eyepieces after seeing them there, instead of Panoptics. Needless to say there is a HUGE difference in price. The club has the Panoptics and frankly, for the difference in money, they aren't worth it.

With that said, just watch the post that follow to tell me how FOS I was.

Darrell

I dont believe there is one unsatisfied person who owns an APO in the 4-up inch range. The only source of unhappiness comes at wishing it was the next step up.

As for the price, if you feel bad about the cost then go to a fine jewelry store and price some rolex watches -these things only tell you the time!.

Hi Nitin,

Takahashi sells every 'scope it builds and makes a profit on every 'scope it sells. Reminds me of Ferrari 8) There is usually a waiting list to buy a large aperture Tak. Is it worth it? The market has spoken clearly and unmistakenly: "yes." If you can afford one get it. You'll be thrilled and delighted. Promise.

All the best,

Dan

I own an FS-102. I have also owned other scopes, and am about to become the owner of a 10" Dob.

The objects I love to look at are at their absolute best in a great refractor (i.e., planets, double stars) and IMO, Takahashi makes some of the best there are. One of their greatest advantages, though, is in the fact that they are both available and eminently portable! And the workmanship is second to none. Try out a typical Tak focuser a few times; you'll be in love.

I've looked (and loved the views) through Astrophysics refractors. Great optics and mechanics; alas, they are eminently unavailable, if you insist on buying new stuff.

TMB's are likewise amazing, in terms of optics. The non-CNC versions make them much heavier than they should be. They are built like small battleships, but are not as easily transported as my Tak.

When I purchased my FS-102, it was actually cheaper than a TV 102 because the FS-102 OTA's were on sale at the time.

Anyway, you can compare and contrast the various models and makes for yourself, if you attend a few star parties and are fortunate enough to find representatives of the competing models. But for availability, mechanics, and optics, the Taks remain my favorite refractor of choice.