MiniMaster

11 hours ago, Ricochet said:

A 3X barlow is unlikely to be of much use in such a long focal length scope. A 2x option, such as the Explore Scientific 2x Focal Extender is a good choice, but it depends what your budget is.  However, given that you only just got the telescope I would start by just using the eyepieces that came with it for a while before looking at other eyepiece options rather than a barlow. More magnification is not always better and many new users try to push beyond the limits that either their scope or atmospheric conditions allow. You're probably not going to need anything shorter than about 5mm  with that scope and for DSO viewing an eyepiece around 10-12mm is probably going to be the most useful, as well as longer focal lengths for objects that require a wider field of view and/or filtered nebulae. To give suggestions we really need to have an idea of budget and whether you need to observe wearing glasses.

You haven't mentioned collimation tools, but I would suggest investing in a good quality Cheshire/sight tube and learning how to use it. 

Thank you all for your responses. Great info here.

This is the kit I bought from someone on craigslist: https://www.highpointscientific.com/apertura-ad12-12inch-dobsonian-telescope-ad12. I have all of these tools here including the laser collimator. Also I do not wear glasses. I didn't really have an initial budget in mind, just wanted to get the feel for what the recommended ones cost. I'm the type of person that likes to try to only buy things once if I can afford to, so I don't mind shelling out some cash on something that I will keep for a while even if I have to save up (It's ultimately cheaper this way). I see what you all are saying about using eyepieces over Barlows. Another reason I was looking at getting a Barlow though is to attach my dslr to the Dob. I understand it isn't great for long exposure photographs but as a photographer i'm naturally curious with what I can achieve haha and maybe eventually I will upgrade to a refractor with a tracking system. But that is far future, I plan to use this scope for quite a long time. 

Hello, I got a great deal on a 12" Dobsonian telescope by Apertura from craigslist which came with 9mm and 35mm lenses. I am looking to pick up a Barlow lens maybe around the 3x range but don't know which one to get (so many brands and different price points). 

More specifically looking for a 1.25" Barlow with great clarity of course. Hoping you all can steer me in the right direction. 

Also which other lenses would you say are "Must Haves" for this size dob?

Thanks,