Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter Ward
Ironically, there was an old Johhny Walker ad that spruiked the idea
"do you want to take home the Scotch you actually want to drink or the one you want to pay for?"
So many choices in life can be like that. The price tag is long forgotten when I use my AP155, which is something I could not say about less refined/compromised scopes I've used over the years.
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I completely understand, and with your skill, I may well feel the same way.
Given my skill level in processing my data, I'm willing to spend a reasonable amount of money on a telescope/camera/mount setup which is above my skill level, allowing sufficient headroom for growth, but is still squarely planted in the 'amateur' level equipment category (and price bracket).
When my skills advance to a point where the differences between my Askar 120 and the AP130 are going to actually matter to my final images, then I'll find one available.
I know that the AP and Tak 130's are both significantly better optically than the askar... but, again, the TOA-130 is $11,000 more expensive as a bare OTA than the Askar 120APO is as an OTA, rings, dovetail, carry case, and 1x field flattener that produces a VERY flat field across a 35mm sensor, and an electronic focuser..
So - would someone of 'middle of the road' skill level in astrophotography see a benefit commensurate with the potentially $15,000 more expensive Tak... And again, I would say - No. How do I know? Because I never got better images with my Tak FSQ85 than I did with my TMB 80/480 Signature Series, despite the Tak being multiple times the price...
To me - a middle of the road skill level astrophotographer buying a TOA or FSQ scope is kind of like someone getting their open motorcycle license and buying a Panigale V4R SP2... It's very impressive parked at the cafe, but they will spend 90% of their time on it simply trying to tame it and stay alive - rather than actually squeezing the potential out of it...
There is no denying that the most expensive scopes out there, are better than the Chinese counterparts, its just a question of by how much? and does that 'betterness' equate to better images for anyone who uses them, or just to people who have the experience and skill to extract every last scrap of quality out of their data.
We don't all have your skill Peter... For the rest of us, the Askar 120APO or Askar 130PHQ could well be the last scope we ever NEED to buy...