Col, as a newcomer to this hobby I can understand where you're coming from. I'm amazed at the cost of some gear (which also reflects the quality, of course). Fortunately it is possible to get started at a "reasonable" cost as there is often good value to be had on used items. I picked up a virtually brand new 6SE, with all sorts of extras, for a fraction of the new price (I think I was lucky) off gumtree, also an older, but perfectly usable, equatorial mount off there to use with a Celestron refractor bought from a member here. I know it's not an APO but for my needs it will be more than adequate - total cost $300. Adapted the mount to work on a Manfrotto tripod that I already had.
The 6SE came with a Canon camera and adapters, so for well under $2,000 I have enough to keep me amused for quite a while and let me dabble in basic AP.
Mind you, I saw a 10" Dob on gumtree for $200 (
) that someone just wanted to get rid of. I was very tempted, but realised I've got nowhere to store it! Plus domestic harmony would suffer significantly.
Unfortunately, almost any hobby these days costs $$$. I took up shooting some time ago and don't want to know how many $1000's I've poured into it.
