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AP F12 would be a specialty scope- specifically designed for planetary viewing.
APM152mm doublet for 5990 Euros seems way overpriced. Doublets can be good (Tak FS152)
but at the end of the day they are not APO and therefore have problems with chromatic aberration (FS152 did and that was fluorite doublet not ED). It would end up being a very good visual scope and probably 2nd rate for imaging. You need a triplet design to get rid of the aberrations properly. I have never seen an APM image that matches AP or high end TOA images. They are often very good but lack that last little bit ( Dietmars 9 inch TMB may be the only example that does but thats a $40,000 scope or so).
The APF12 would not be good for imaging. F12 would be slow as. Too zoomed in on a smaller slice of light.
Bang for buck TEC140 is the king. A proven performer, its a bit underpriced for the quality of it.
There are plenty of excellent example images.
Tak TOA scopes are also hard to beat with the TOA150 being a really high end performer if heavy. Lots of
accessories are available as well.
As far as I am aware the pecking order on APOs hasn't changed much if at all at the high end.
Its still AP at top, Tak and TEC next, APM. Perhaps Officina Stellare refractors are similar to APM (same lenses different body).
Large aperture APOs are largely a thing of the past from the top 3 (they can't get reliable supplies of good glass).
TEC may do more TEC180's. But not at present. I knew this would happen and is one reason I decided to get a TEC180. I knew they would not last as Yuri is following in Roland Christens footsteps and he has been there, done that, glass companies screw these guys over and make it next to impossible to produce their high end scopes.
Greg.
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