Nexstar 6SE vs 8SE field test reports?

[seiko]

Hi, I don't suppose anyone has actually managed to put these two head to head. I appreciate, everything bar aperture is practically the same however the 8SE is clearly more expensive and a little more bulky.

I'm looking at the 8SE as my next scope, I had an ETX 90, Nexstar 8i and then CPC. Long story short I sold them in the wrong order and ended up with the CPC that just wasn't for me. In hindsight the 8i plus Skyalign would have been ideal but thats gone now so I'm after a replacement. The 8SE is clearly going to be showing me more compared with the 6SE but as a newcomer its so difficult to really quantify especially as I live in a light poluted area. I might actually be putting more pressure on myself to get the 8" than I need?

Any thoughts?

[Mark at Beaufort]

Seiko

I have owned a Nexstar 5 and the C6-S SCT. Clearly the bigger the aperture the more you will see. With these scopes plus my 4" APO refractor I have seen 106 of the Messier objects plus a high number from the Caldwell list. With the 8" SCT the quality of the view will be better, as you know from having the 8i, although living in a light polluted area the view that you get is going to be dimished.

The old saying of what is the best scope to buy - the one that you use!!

The 6" SCT is a great small scope - can be transported without difficulty and I would suggest will keep you happy for years especially if you can find a dark sky nearby.

The question that you also need to ask is whether you require a goto mount or a straight eq mount with slow motion drives.

Mark

[seiko]

Thanks Mark, yes I'm torn between the 8 and 6. The 8 would no doubt put my mind at rest in relation to aperture as the last time I had a similar choice I opted for the smaller cheaper scope. It was actually the ETX90 as opposed to the ETX125. To be honest if I'd got the 125 the chances are I wouldn't have got the 8i as I only got that because the 90 was just too small. I nearly fell over when the 8i arrived as I had no idea how much larger it was. (lol). But in order to get to dark skies I'm going to have to drive and even though the 6 isn't much smaller it is.

I really wish their was an astro shop near Ipsich that had both on display. Would make the whole thing so much easier!

As for astrophotography, I actually had the nexstar imager with my CPC and didn't really get into. My sessions really are grab and go and dont really last more than an hour or so. I'm clearly ito visual at the moment as I'm very much still the newcomer.

Just want a scope that is small enough that I can grab and go but one that wont turn into aperture fever! The 8 is borderline for grab and go but would prevent aperture fever. The 6 is closer but will it be enough?

[steve_bham]

I brought my Nexstar 5 scopr from Mark, and have to say its a little cracker! like you i have you drive to a site to use it so i need one that would be easily transported so when i was looking for a scope the bigger the scope theory was out the window for me it had to be what was the best scope i would use and transport and the nexstar 5 won hands down.

In saying that if you will easily transport the 8se then go for it, but if you wont go for the 6se and use it more often.

[seiko]

Thanks Steve, sound advice, my previous ETX got more use then the 8i although the 8i showed me my first none planetary views. It's like you say, could I lug the 8SE around noting it can now be slit into 4 sections, tripod, mount, OTA and of course power tank

Of course as a counter argument the 6SE isn't actually much smaller or lighter anyway. The 5 yes but everyone I'm asked has told me skip the 5".

[steve_bham]

i orignially wanted the 6se but got a great deal on a 2nd hand nexstar 5 and to be honest it will get alot more use as i have to drive 30mins before i set up the scope. The best bet is to go and look at both in a shop see what you think is best for you and go for it.

I know im never going to get hubble quality colour shots but its the thrill of finding the object and then doing a bit more research on net where i can look at the glossy pics.

I had a few years back an 8inch dob and used it for a few months and then didnt bother it was just to large to carry about.

[BlueAstra]

I have the 8se and find it easily portable in two parts, the OTA and the tripod/motor mount section. I believe the 6se and 8se share the same mount.

[MeerkatinBKK]

My first ever post here on SGL was pretty-much exactly the same question - 6 or 8SE.

In the end I went for the larger one, in spite of a price difference even greater than that in the UK, and have been very happy with it.

Cost aside you're getting a 75%-ish increase in light gathering capability for a weight penalty of about an extra 1.5kg (plus I suppose the fact that carrying the 8" attached to the mount is slightly more awkward than would be the 6".) As has been pointed out above, the mount and tripod are the same for both. I happily lug the whole thing from the house to garden in one go, but disassemble everything for trips in the car. I'd imagine it would be exactly the same situation had I gone for the 6" instead.

As to your thinking about perhaps wasting the extra aperture from a light polluted site, I'd have thought the opposite would be true. If your LP is such that you'll be using some kind of LP filter, then that filter will be stealing photons from the eyepiece, so it would be better to start out with more of them to start with. I'd be happy to be corrected if my logic is flawed here (wouldn't be the first time!)

Either way you'll be getting a great scope - I'm afraid it just comes down to a personal aperture/expense ratio, which only you can calculate!

Hope this helps,

Nick

[seiko]

Thanks guys, I think the only reason I'll end up with a 6SE is if a 2nd hand deal comes along that makes it impossible to say no. I saw a good one posted here for £650 that had a huge amount of accessories including bino viewers. I've also seen a few at £600 with no accessories but with retail at £779 it simply isn't enough of a saving. Alas, I've yet to see an 8i or 8SE for sale.