[John K]

Just wanting to get some advice from the experienced deep sky imaging people on the forum.

Will a 90 mm Mak Cass guidescope with a focal length of 1250mm be good enough to do deep sky imaging "manually/visually" with a 12.5" f/5 scope with a focal length of 1650mm? I have a 12.5" illuminated reticle and 2 x barlow.

I have been trying an off axis guider which is not bad but wanting to see if a guidescope is better than an off axis guider. Will images be brighter in the 90mm guidescope compared to the off axis guider? (i.e. 10% of the light of a 12.5" is equivelant 2.5" right?)

Also plan to go auto guider within 6 months.

If you were in my position would you save your money and go with an autoguider and keep the off axis guider or go to a guidescope as it will be eaier in the long run?

Weight limitations mean a 90mm guidescope is the max I can go with and even that is pushing it.

Look forward to advice.

John K.