SCT , Refractor or other ?

[Multi-Coated]

I'm about to start out on the AP front and was going to purchase some bits and bobs BUT getting the jitters over possibly waisting hard earned money.

I currently use a 12" LX200 ACF for visual observations in alt az. A new wedge is on its way but i'm wondering if i should image with the LX or mount a refractor on top of the setup for this purpose.

Currently for normal day to day shots i have a Canon 50D with lenses ,24-105mm L 1:4 ,100-400mm L 1:4.5-5.6 , 70-200mm L 1:2.8 and a 17-40mm L 1:4. This then brings the question should i just mount the 50D onto the setup .

Maybe i can't see the woods for the trees but i'd really be very grateful for some guidance / opinions (or am i totally off the mark altogether ).

Go easy as my heads going to pop , thanks Rob.

[ollypenrice]

Well, I'm not a fan of the wedge and fork for DS imaging as is fairly well known by now. I never got anywhere with mine and plenty of guests and friends say the same. On the other hand there are people on here who did get them to work. So what more can I say?

I did get the LX200 to track well enough to image with a small piggybacked apo. The SCT makes a poor guidescope but it does work.

If all you had to do to image at 2.5metres of focal length was buy an American fork SCT then the boards would be full of beautiful Dumbell nebulae, little galaxies up close etc. But they are not, are they.

I'd start by doing DS piggybacked and then try reversing roles.

Olly

[Multi-Coated]

Olly , thanks for your comments , Rob.