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Hmm...
What’s your budget $1000, $2000,$3000 or $10,000+ ??
If your looking a good visual kit now with capabilities to do lunar and planetary imaging and then Deep Sky imaging down the track then IMHO the best all round scope to do all of the above at a budget cost would be a newtonian reflector with a focal ratio of f5 or f6 on a equatorial mount
Deep Sky imaging is best captured on an equatorial mount ( EQ mount )
I solely use newtonian reflectors for visual observing (Skywatcher 12” Goto dob ) and imaging ( Bintel GSO 6” f6 newt and Bintel 8” f5 newt )
So IMO the best all round budget kit would be a Bintel 6” f5 newt on a Skywatcher HEQ5 mount ( approx cost under $2,000 , less eye pieces and imaging gear ) This is a great entry level kit to achieve all of your beginner requirements
Skywatcher mounts are Goto and use a Synscan handcontroller to control the mount / navigate the night sky. You can also use EQMOD program to control the mount via your laptop either locally or remote or other software packages. Skywatcher EQ mounts are very popular for both beginner, intermediate and experienced astronomer and Astrophotographer , low cost, excellent performance and well supported in Australia which is very important
If your budget is significantly higher say $5,000 plus then there are endless options available which other IIS folk could offer some suggestions
At the end of the day if want to observe and image ( especially long exposure Astrophotography) you are better off using an equatorial mount ( not an Alt Az mount )
Hope the above is of some help and hope others can offer their advice as well
PS: Please note I’m not anti refractor telescopes at all, they are great scopes , I just started with newts as a beginner and never changed , they are simply the best all rounder scope at a budget cost ( biggest bang for the buck )
Good Luck !!
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