skywatcher 120/600 AZ3 refractor....

[planetmatt]

Hi all hope you are all enjoying the cold clear nights!!
Just a quick question, a mate just offered me this set up for $450. brand new in box. is this a good deal?? is this a good scope for travelling? and also a starters astrophotography scope? I have a dslr camera so just wondering if I can connect and click away? I think it might be better than my 127 powerseeker for viewing too!? thoughts all
Thanks

[dannat]

not a great deeal, was a scope alone in classifieds here for 275, az3 can be had for 100..id say 400 max -only good for black/white photo -the short achromat will show lots of false colour on colour sensor, bit big for travelling i think [what vehicle you in] certainly too big for carry on

[gaseous]

Brand new from AstroPete's in Brisbane appears to be $559 for the same scope/mount package. As Dannat says, decent second hand would be a bit cheaper, but if it's truly "brand new in box" then it's probably not a bad score. Of course buying it new through a reputable dealer would also come with a warranty (5 years at Pete's), which your mate probably can't offer!

[Benjamin]

I have one as a grab and go, but quickly replaced the AZ3 (which struggles with a 2" Diagonal and heavier eyepieces) with an AZ4. Thw AZ3 can be modded however. You'd probably need a different diagonal for night sky viewing than the supplied 45° version, which suits daytime viewing more (image completely corrected - not upside down or reversed - but at the expense of an observable line through the image). I'd only say it's grab and go in regards to grabbing it from under the house as one unit and being able to observe in a minute or two. Transporting it would require more than a backpack but is small enough to be stashed with other gear in the boot of your car. I found it great for wide field views at low magnificationa and a bit of DSO hunting (without much observable detail), but not great with bright objects like Jupiter or the Moon where chromatic aberration becomes a bit of an issue. For me that's a problem as mostly grab and go sessions for me tend to be about catching a lunar feature or transit of one of Jupiter's moons. A filter helps (I liked the Baader Contrast Booster) but is adds to the hassle and price. Although I've replaced the ST120 with an ED100 I'm still thinking it'd be nice for those Mliky Way sweeps at a dark site or to have handy on the odd camping trip where I'd not be so worried about what happened to it! Oh, and I bought mine as new off Gumtree for $390.