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You might need to look for used equipment, and maybe save a bit longer and increase your budget.
EQ6 would be a good starting point for a mount, you can always pass it on to anohter beginer later on when you upgrade.
ED80mm scope, good all round telescope for imaging DSO's and visual.
8" SCT Celestron C8's from the late 80's and 90's can be picked up at a resonable price used and are a good all round scope for Visual and imaging.
DSO imaging at the native FL of this scope is something you will need to work up to, so suggest you start with Planet imaging, and use the ED80 for DSO imaging. You can get a F6.3 which on a DSLR size sensor should still give you a large enough Illuminated field for imaging. You can push it to F3.3 if your using a smaller chip like the DSI cameras.
Another options is 8" F5/F4 GSO/Synta Newts, also a good all round option.
A guide scope Short tube 80mm would be good for DSO imaging with your ED80. You can guide with the C8, but given the mirror shift and FL probably better to have an alternative. You could get this later.
Imaging gear.
Planetary start with at least a Phillips Toucam or DMK colour usb camera.
DSO start with DSI and work up to a DSLR, you can then use the DSI for guiding. But if you get the DMK planet camera thenyou can use that for guiding. DSLR's are a good option because of the twin use Astronomy and Terestrial. But you might want to modify it at some point in which casea used modfied DSLR maybe better option.
If you buy used your still looking at at least 2500-3000dollars worth of gear there. Might be somewhat less if you go the 8" Newtonian option.
If you get the ED80 and EQ6 mount first then you wont really feel the 'Wow' factor visually. So maybe better to start with EQ6, 8" Newt and ST80 guidescope.
Still keep an eye on the clasifieds and sometimes you can get a good bargain.
Regards
Fahim
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