MrG1977

That's what I'm swaying towards at the moment something like a skywatcher quattro or explorer 10 inch on a eq mount , that way when budget allows I could get a good refractor and use the same eq mount to keep cost down

Just had a quick look on that thread , some very impressive photos , I'll take a better look later tonight

It will mostly be in my back garden so power wouldn't be a problem , I have also looked at the skywatcher quattro 12s but have read that they maybe a little big for an eq mount and would wobble even in the slightest breeze , I'm thinking perhaps might be better getting a big DOB for the time being as we enjoy the visual more at the moment and then look to add an eq mount and a refractor at a later date when I've learnt more about the photography side

Thanks for your reply , I guess the easiest answer to that question is I want to be able to do both , with what your saying I'm going to need 2 scopes , which I think with the budget I've got I'm going to struggle with

First of all is like to say hi to everyone , I've always had an interest in the night sky since being very young , but never got a telescope until earlier this year , during first lockdown . I bought a celestron nexstar 130slt , it's a fantastic telescope and have loved using it but now I've been bitten by the bug and want to upgrade , but there is just so much choice out there I think I've just confused myself lol . I initially thought I'd like to upgrade to an explore scientific ar 152 , but after reading reviews it's not so good for the photography side of things due to chromatic aberration , so then I looked at the skywatcher skaymax 180pro , but reviews suggest this is best for only planets . I've also read that your best to buy the biggest aperture you can afford , which leads to a dobsonian . So I thought I'd turn to you guys with the experience and the knowledge to help steer me in the right direction . I have a reasonable budget of up to 2k , we currently enjoy the visual side of astronomy but would like in the future to get into astrophotography , my main target objects is planets , in particular Saturn and Jupiter , but would also like to be able to view and photograph galaxies and nebula's , so ideally due to my budget would like to find a scope that could potentially cover all my requirements from a scope , I'm not wanting competition quality photos but something that would still look impressive to friends and family . I'm kind of guessing in advance that it's a tall order and possibly not going to find 1 scope that will be suitable , but thought best to ask you guys on here and see what the general consensus is and go from there . Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this and I look forward to hearing your responses , I'd also consider any second hand equipment that any of you may have for sale that may be suitable for my requirements , I'm based in hull Thanks MrG 👍🏻