Hi Marcel,
OK, then with this in mind, my recommendations are;
If COST is the main issue, buy the 10inch collapsible for $799. You would notice the difference (resolution on planets, or brightness of some DSO objects like galaxies) BUT it wouldnt be enough to justify the extra $400 (I am quoting what Andrews Comms prices are as of right now)
Also, the 10 inch is slightly less bulky which means more room in the back of the car when camping.
I was all set on buying the 10 inch collapsible as the best bang for buck / performance / portability / light gathering scope after 6 months of research. The ONLY real reasons why I went with the 12 inch scope were;
1) I was ALWAYS going to be thinking...."should I have bought the 12 inch version?" and having aperture envy everytime someone with a 12" turned up next to me.
2) This is probably the killer; When I asked my wife of her opinion as to whether I should buy the 10" for $800 or the 12" for $1500, she said, (and I quote) " what is going to shut you up once and for all about this freakin' telescope?"
So I bought the 12" version....
For $1199 for a 12", you can't really go wrong, but again, if times are tight, $799 for a 10" is $400 saving for NOT TWICE the performance hit.
I suppose I could also say that by buying the 12", I will get better value for money in the long run as I will be able to see FAR more with better clarity than the 10" for a LONG LONG time..... I could have seen myself upgrading in less than 12 months the longer I think about it.
By the time I run out of stuff to look at with the 12", I probably will have enough money to buy a FLT132 Refractor on an EQ6, so it really wont matter by then.
Sorry if this muddies the water somewhat.
Cheers
Chris