NW_Gazer

Thank you all very much for all the comments and suggestions so far! Lot's of great expert's advice, and I will need to take some time to study and digest them. I'll post follow ups when I have more questions about these suggestions, but just want to post a thank-you note first to all of you who posted replies and made comments. Appreciate all of your help and wisdom!

Hi All, I'd like to consult with you all about the scope purchase selection.... not sure if anyone has ever in a similar "quandary" as me in terms of trying to deciding what to buy, but would love to hear any comments and expert's opinions about this.... So I want to get a good quality scope to start with - scope with great optical lens so that I can use it for long enough without need to update to a better scope after a short time which I have heard some folks saying that they regretted buying a "cheap" scope to start with and then finding it's not good enough for them after playing it for not too long, so, I want to just get a good one start with, and I have settled on either a spotting scope or a good refractor scope that has a "triplet" glass to get the best possible images in the given price range... Vortex Optics Razor HD Spotting Scopes (Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01J8Y4LWQ): It has a triplet apochromatic lens combined with glass. Orion EON 115mm ED Triplet Apochromatic Refractor Telescope (https://www.telescope.com/Orion/Orion-EON-115mm-ED-Triplet-Apochromatic-Refractor-Telescope/rc/2160/p/132684.uts): It has a triplet glass as well Both are similar in price. The advantage of the spotting scope is that I can immediately use it as is from the delivery (other than adding a tripod), using it for terrestrial observation such as spotting ships in ocean or birds/owls in the backyard, as well as looking at the moon, and can also add an adapter to take photos with a phone or a DSLR camera. However, I suspect that its clarity and magnification can't compare to that Orion telescope (with various eyepieces), and most likely won't be as sharp looking at the moon (or taking photos of the moon) compare to the telescope, but I don't know if this is true or not since I have not had the chance to actually compare them. The "downside" of getting the telescope is that I'd have to buy eyepieces as well as special tripod, before I can actually use it, and also it's possible that the image in it is reversed (upside down) unless using the proper eyepiece, so that I can't use it for spotting to watch ships or owls, etc. If I'd like to use the scope for both terrestrial viewing as well as some basic astronomy viewing (moon and comets), would I better off getting the above spotting scope or the telescope, given their similar price and seemingly great optics on both of them? If it were you, which option would you take? If anyone has compared similar priced spotting scope and telescope, or used one scope for both terrestrial viewing and moon gazing/photos, I'd love to hear your opinion! Thank you all very much in advance for any comments and suggestions! Bill