Please Help Me Choose

[rowan46]

End of the month I intend to buy one of the followingfor grab and go imaging and visual.

http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p3881_TS-Super-Apo-80-480mm-F-6---Triplet-FPL-53---colour-free.html

or

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/pro-series/skywatcher-evostar-80ed-ds-pro-outfit.html

triplet pro's

portability, optics

cons price

ED 80 pro's

proven optics, price

Cons

portability

I am only going to have this sort of money to spend once on an apo refractor so are the optics and portability of the triplet sufficiently better to justify the extra money over the less expensive but less portable ed80?

There is not much about the triplet on the web but every report says they are great especially for the price.

The web has loads of reports on the ed80 which say pretty much the same thing.

the thing Is if I buy the ed 80 I am good to go at least for visual whereas if I buy the triplet I will have to wait a couple of months to get going as I will need to save for diagonals and eyepieces.

So what would you do spend the extra knowing you will have to wait quite a while before it can be properly used? or blow the cash on 2nd choice as the gratification will be more instant. I hate these little pennies making me choose.

[FarSide]

The ED80 is a tried and tested telescope, and alot of people here swear by them. At f/7.5 it's pretty slow, but it has a wider aperture, and comes with far more bits and bobs. The triplet is f/6 which is getting down to the point with astrophotography becomes faster, and in my opinion, more realistic, plus the build quality looks far better.

Realistically, i think the tried and tested method of the ED80 trumps the triplet, i also think you can ignore the slower f/stop in favour of the wider aperture. +1 for the ED80.

[rowan46]

forgot to add that for imaging it will go on an astrotrac and photo tripod rated at 68kg carrying weight