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If you can stretch the budget to get an 8” sct I think you’re going to have a lot more fun imaging/observing the planets. An az-eq5 should carry that too.
But I’m not sure this mount will be sufficient for good long focal length dso astrophotography. I think I’ve owned almost every size sct over the years from 4”-14” (except the 6” lol). IMHO 8” is the entry level for satisfying planetary viewing/photography.
If it were me, I’d get a second hand c8 and play with the planets for a bit, perhaps get into some short exposure eaa imaging of dso, and you also have the small frac to do wider angle stuff which will be so so so much easier than wrangling a Hyperstar. Then if I’m enjoying that, upgrade the mount to an eq6 or az-eq6 or cgem or similar down the track, then that opens up your options if you want to go a bigger aperture for planetary imaging, or perhaps even get a 8-10” newt for some more advanced dso imaging. A Hyperstar on a larger aperture sct can be amazing. I seriously love mine. But comes with many headaches compare with a newt and imo will never be able to provide the same image quality as other systems. so just know what you’re getting into before you make that commitment.
Good luck with your decision!
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