Another 'visual only' observer here. I don't have the energy or inclination to do photography. I operate scientific instruments at work and I really don't want to spend my leisure time stressing about another set of equipment. I just want to wander off into space under a clear sky with a nice wide-field eyepiece.
I've also always lacked a place to do photography; until recently I was in rental houses. I now have my own place and there will be an observatory 'soon' (geologically speaking
) but even then my interest will be in asteroid occultations and variable star photometry - that should provide enough 'instrument stress' to see me through retirement
.
I think visual observers are inherently less obvious on a forum than imagers. Unless you are like ngcles and write up comprehensive observing reports, visual observers don't produce any output. Of course we can carry on about eyepieces and observing conditions but that is just a fraction of the discussion generated by cameras, filters, software, tracking, processing artifacts, etc etc etc discussed by imagers. So the DSOs may be seen but the observers are not heard.