OK so bit of a noob when it comes to telescopes and have never owned one other than a Tasco 900mm 4 inch which my dad got as a birthday present back in the late 1980's!
Anyway feel the time is right to get one of my own now
I have done a fair bit of internet/forum trawling, so have come up with a list I think of what will be right for me, but looking to get advice from more knowledgable folk as to whether I am looking at the right things. There is a lot im not sure on, so ill start with what I know and then follow up with questions:
1) So in terms of use, I intend to never use an eyepiece and focus on using my Canon 5D MK III for photography or use the viewfinder/Live View for the viewing side of things.
2) I plan to get a scope around the 2000mm focal length mark. My thinking is that without an eyepiece that the magnification is purely a function of the focal length (could be wrong!) So 2000/50 = 40x magnification, which would mean something like the moon will fill the frame in the 5D viewfinder. I am judging this based on the 240-600mm lens I have at present which I use for all my astrophotography.
3) I plan to image primarily the moon and planets, and some of the smaller nebulae/DSO's.
4) I dont want anything rediculously heavy (<40Kg total would be nice).
5) Budget limit is $6K, but flexible.
6) High optical quality is essential, ie flat field, coma free as possible and aberration free as possible.
So based on these requirements, and looking at results that people have got , I am thinking the Celestron 925 HD is the right choice since:
-not too heavy
-not too expensive
-excellent image quality
-enough aperture to resolve detail on Jupiter/Saturn
-designed for use with DSLRs,
-2032mm focal length should be just right for imaging the moon
-Getting equilbrium temperature shouldnt take too long (<1.5 hours?) due to the vented tube (I am in Bellbowrie, Brisbane and the furthest I would go would be to Roma and that would be very rare, Wivenhoe dam would be much more common, but primarily backyard use. So I dont think dew/large temperature variations would be a big problem like they have in the USA or more colder/humid parts of AUS?)
along with a Televue powermate 5x and associated T ring/canon adapter since:
-general concensus is they are quality bits of gear they make
-not too expensive
-effective magnification (again not 100% sure if im right) would be 200x which should be generally useable in average-excellent seeing, and put a big enough image on the 5D sensor to get enough pixels on the target.
- I can always take it off when I want to image the moon.
After that, I kind of have no idea what else I need!
a) Due to the large magnification, I assume I will need some kind of motorised mount and tracking. Would Celestron's CPC GoTo mount be a good choice? I would like the whole tracking and alignment process to be as easy and smooth as possible.
b) I have heard that perhaps Celestron CGEM DX mount would be best since it is equatorial and motorised, but no idea what other equipment I would need in terms of tripod and scope mounting hardware?
c) Is the 9.25" aperture required to resolve good detail on Jupiter/Saturn? Would 8" be sufficient? I realise that the extra 1.25" would be welcomed for dimmer DSOs, and the approx 3.5kg difference in weight (telescope itself) isnt a big deal for me.
d) this could be a very silly question (so please forgive me) but is it possible to get a mount fast enough to track something like the ISS?
e) If neither of Celestron's mounts are a good choice, would it be worth getting just the optical tube assembly that they offer, and going to other companies for mounts/tripod?
Thanks in advance!