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Interesting topic Barry, sure to have as many 'correct' answers as there are amateur astronomers on the planet.
Not being an imager, but being rather pedantic about quality assurance aspects, I prefer to spend more initially as I know how much it would bother me to have to deal with QC issues.
Seems that to get that last 5% you have to spend 3 or more times as much from purely optical quality aspect. But then there is the aesthetics, perceived investment values, peace of mind, pride of ownership etc.
No doubt the imagers will advise that the mount and its tracking ability is paramount to get great results. Personally I think the key to great images is equally in the post-processing ability and commitment.
Some of my favourite images were actually done with a 60mm Tak FS60 on a Vixen GPDX mount, a modestly priced combination by today's standards.
Obviously if one was earning their living from this equipment the situation would differ markedly from the casual hobbyist.
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