Hi,
I posted a while back as I was considering an ED100 for (primarily) planetary observation. I have a vixen super polaris mount.
I visited optics central in Mitcham yesterday, just out of interest to get a look at a few scopes. A staff member, upon hearing of my plans, suggested a C8 might be a better choice. The thought had crossed my mind, but up until now I haven't looked any further into it.
At the moment I have the following assumption about the strengths and shortcomings of each:
1. Aperture rules.
- C8 - 8 inch, but some compromise in image due to obstruction
- ED100 - 4 inch, but no obstruction so more contrast
2. Cost - I would need to save for quite a while to get either. ED100 c.$1250, C8 c.$1500.
3. Magnification - C8 can go higher.
4. Cooling - ED100 a lot better in this regard
5. Versatility - although I want to concentrate on planetary for a good while, I'm also interested in deep sky objects. Not to the point that I want a 12" dob - that will probably come later on if I get the faint fuzzy bug.
So, this is the starting point of my limited knowledge of both scopes. I'd be very interested to hear what more experienced members suggest.
At the moment I'm thinking C8 wins easily...
Cheers
Stephen