[Destrious (Dean)]

Hi everyone,

I'm wanting to buy a decent telescope for my wife for Christmas but I'm having trouble deciding what to get. The 2 stand out telescopes for me are the Celestron Nexstar 130 SLT and a 10 inch dobsonian. My questions are:

Is there a big difference in what you can see between these 2?

Is it more exciting to explore the sky manually or is it better with a go-to? (would my wife get bored with one or the other?)

Would either of these work OK from a tiny balcony in suburban Brisbane?

What would be better for astrophotography if my wife gets interested in this later on?

Finally, is there an alternative telescope that would suit better (my budget is $500 - $1000)

Thanks in advanced for your help.

Dean