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Yes when I was in the market for an 8 in E.Q. Newt. I looked at the GSO and S.W. Very similar optics and build qualities. I actually got the GSO as it had a Crayford focuser and the S.W. had a basic R. and P. focuser at the time.
I have had 2x previous GSO Newts. and they have proved reliable and accurate. The GSO mirrors appear to have consistent Q. and A.
One of them was a 8 in F/4 which after some adaptaion was good for A.P. although I never really went down this path. GSO do sell a modified F/4 version for A.P. - larger diagonal, different focuser etc. But then again you want a 10 in. Orion also sells a 190 mm F.5.3 Mak. Newt. which is apparently excellent for A.P. I viewed through one at Sirius Optics in Brisbane and the image was flat. Build quality was excellent. There are reviews here and on the web on these.
Really however I believe the S.W. and G.S.O. both offer good quality for the price. My current S.W. Equinox 120ED has excellent optical and build qualities.
Chris
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