Grab and Go Scope / Tele lens: shortlist suggestions?!

[uhb1966]

Dear all! I am looking for a good Grab and Go Scope / Tele lens with a total price tag below 1000 EUR. I have 5 candidates so far:

 

(1) TS Imaging Star 70mm f/6,78 QUADRUPLET ED - Flatfield ED Refractor - 474mm focal length
599 Euro, no TSFLAT2 necessary + case 60 = 660 euros. astrobin sample w/ DSLR: https://www.astrobin.com/160820/

(2) Skywatcher dublet Apo  80/600 EvoStar ED OTA, FPL 53, 649 Euros
+case 60 + flattener 179 = 890 Euros astrobin sample w/ DSLR: http://www.astrobin.com/236429/

(3) TS Imaging Star 65mm f/6.5 Quadruplet Astrograph - 44 mm field diameter 900 euros + case 60 = 960 euros 
astrobin sample w/ DSLR: http://www.astrobin.com/12039/

(4) TS PHOTOLINE 80 mm f/7 FPL53 Doublet Apo - rack and pinion focuser
745 euros + tsflat 179 + case 60 = 980 euros astrobin sample w/ DSLR:  http://www.astrobin.com/213138/0/

(5) TS Photoline 80mm f/6 Triplet Super-Apo with FPL53 triplet - 2" Crayford focuser
+ case 798 euro
+ TSFlat  179 euro
== 980 euros. astrobin sample w/ DSLR:  http://www.astrobin.com/210940/

Edit: i was aiming for a total cost of max 1000 eur, a weight for the OTA of up to 4-5kg, and a max length of about 60 cm.

I would really like your suggestions on that gear, as well as suggestions for good scopes that i may have missed... thanks a lot!!!

 

[spaceboy]

The ED80 should fit the bill. I assume you mean grab and go visual not imaging ??? I may be wrong but for visual you don't need a flattener.

[Timebandit]

Hello. I can recommend a great grab and go scope, to which I own. The skywatcher equinox 120ed. Obviously this will not be in your budget new, but second hand then it should well be.

I find this scope a lovely grab and go , big enough aperture to perform but manageable to take out and reasonably quick to set up. Performance wise a crisp performer and for the money IMO I don't think  you will find a better refractor . 

I hope this has helped☺

[spaceboy]

I'm sorry to disagree. I have the ED120 and I would not consider it a grab and go scope ??? A manageable scope maybe but not something I could easily cart out side on a mount using only one hand. Any of the OP's recommendations on an AZ4 (or even a good quality camera tripod / AZ setup) could easily be carried with one hand. I'm not sure what officially equates to a grab and go but my thoughts are if you have to make more than one trip outside to carry scope, mount and eyepieces then it's not grab and go IMO.

[Timebandit]

16 minutes ago, spaceboy said:

I'm sorry to disagree. I have the ED120 and I would not consider it a grab and go scope ??? A manageable scope maybe but not something I could easily cart out side on a mount using only one hand. Any of the OP's recommendations on an AZ4 (or even a good quality camera tripod / AZ setup) could easily be carried with one hand. I'm not sure what officially equates to a grab and go but my thoughts are if you have to make more than one trip outside to carry scope, mount and eyepieces then it's not grab and go IMO.

Hi. I suppose everybodys  view of a grab and go scope is different. To me for the time to get it out side, and effort ,it is grab and go. The OP said they were looking for a good grab and go scope to which I put this idea forward for him to consider ,as the OP did also ask for good scopes they may have missed. To me this is a grab and go and an absolute great scope to put forward to the OP for their consideration, but we all have our own definition of what is a grab and go I suppose, and the OP did not say anything about being wanting to move it with one hand.  I hope this clarifies the suggested 120ed. Thanks☺ 

[uhb1966]

Hello dear timebandit and spaceboy! I was also thinking about the larger scopes like the ED120 at first, but it should also be manageable as a tele lens, and the ED120 is quite long and heavy.

I added 3 more requirements to ny first post: weight 4-5kg, cost, and max length over all<=60cm.

What we see here is how extremely important it is to make really ALL requirements explicit!

 

[spaceboy]

1 hour ago, uhb1966 said:

 

What we see here is how extremely important it is to make really ALL requirements explicit!

 

I'm for ever being pulled up on not being thorough enough in posts. My trouble is I think I have Jedi mind control and everyone already knows what I'm thinking so fill in the gaps <(°.°)>

[uhb1966]

SOLVED- Lots of thanks to everyone who posted!!!

I finally went with (1) TS Imaging Star 70mm f/6,78 QUADRUPLET ED because of weight and length, as i will be carrying the unit around with me (at least sometimes) for terrestrial photography. So i guess "the best gear is the gear that gets used a lot"!

[uhb1966]

The unit arrived today ... BOY what a gun! Weighting in 2.8kg with a huge focuser! Glad that i didnt get a bigger one.

[uhb1966]

scandal... my 1990 tripod couldn't hold the load... had to invest in a new tripod... which arrived today! Ready to rock! Had to add an adapter to reach focus with this ep, though.