Scope for observing & imaging.

[oldannie]

I'm just in the process of setting up my new HEQ5 Pro Synscan and as a naive beginner am intending to use my DSLR and various lenses before thinking about a telescope. My husband - Joe - is keen on observing (but not imaging) and has been finding his way around the sky with binoculars and is now thinking about a telescope. We were initially thinking about a Dob purely to use for observing but wonder if there are other options that would not preclude its use for imaging at a later stage. The prime intention however would be to use it for observing as I will most likely buy a scope later specifically for imaging. Would a Cat be in any way a realistic option? Joe's budget would be up to £2000 (or thereabouts!)

Like the post before am sorry to be asking another 'which telescope' question but it's not easy, Dobs, Cats, Fracs etc. etc....there are so many to choose from and we don't have much in the way of local clubs etc. I've had some really great advice from this site already which helped me decide on the HEQ5 so hoping for even more help!

All the best

Annie

[nightfisher]

I think there may be a simple answer to this, buy a 200 skyliner dob, and a set of tube rings plus dovetail bar, you then have a nice dob for observing, then the 200 can be used for imaging on the HEQ5, long term you would be better with an ED80 for imaging

[szymon]

[Edit: Whoops, I misread your request -- you plan to get a dedicated scope for imaging later.  In which case, frankly, buy a large dobsonian now (12" or more), and buy an imaging scope later!]

Does the £2k include your HEQ5? My imaging setup cost was probably worth about half of your budget if new, although I bought most of it second hand and I already had a DSLR. Here's what I bought and how it would cost new (and how much I bought it for):

HEQ5 pro synscan - £750 / £400
Skywatcher 200P with SW autofocusser - £300 / £120
Synguider (used on the finder) - £230 / £110
Intervalometer - £15
2" SW LP filter - £29
Low profile T-adaptor (holds 2" filters) - £30
Canon 6D - £1300 / I had it already

Plus a bunch of assorted "extras", like collimators and bhatinov masks and etc etc etc (this is astronomy, there are always extras).

I still need to buy a Coma corrector, and I'll have pretty much what I want. I consider what I have to be about the "bottom end" for SLR imaging.

If your £2k is just for the OTA, you have two choices - either buy an expensive top end triplet, or buy an ED doublet and spend the rest on a good mono CCD and good filters.  I would go the the ED doublet plus CCD narrowband imaging if I could afford it, it seems the only way to truly beat the Light Pollution.

One thing I wouldn't do is by a 200P dobsonian and put it on the HEQ5 too. The 200p explorer is already at its limit of DSLR focussing, if you move the mirror back another 200mm I don't know how you'd achieve focus!

[Red-Dwarf82]

When I first started my move in to astrophotography I bought a dedicated short tube fast newtonian. However, as all quickly realise, they are not great all-rounders and the eyepiece/focuser location is very inconvenient most of the time! Although they provide bright images, they are often not contrasty enough or have a long enough focal length to be useful for planets or small DSO's. 

I moved on to a Meade LX200 10" SCT on an equatorial mount. These are superb all-rounders, and great for astrophotography with a f6 focal reducer and with a tele-extender/barlow in the back they are great for imaging planets etc. Note: long focal lengths = small field of view, but better for planetary nebulas. They also have nice large flat fields suitable for DSLR's.

However, if your preference is for wide field deep sky objects, I would probably opt for fast refractor. These offer a convenient position for the camera/eyepiece and with a dedicated reducer/field flattener should offer a flat field big enough for your DSLR. 

[Herbig]

If you've already got an HEQ5 and a DSLR and you have £2k to spend you should be able to afford both a big Dob and a fast refractor for wide field imaging. This will stand you in good stead for a move to CCD imaging later. You could also manage say a Celestron C8 in place of the Dob and use it on the HEQ5 so you get goto as well. The only drawback with this this is you will have to share the mount!

[oldannie]

Thanks - as usual food for thought and much appreciated. Have looked at the Meade and will look at the Celestron C8 - hadn't though of that one - though not sure sharing a mount is the best idea for us!!