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Hi Meru,
Malcolm's pretty correct, there's a difference between 10" and 12" scopes, but it's not huge. It comes down to what you can handle physically and financially. If you can manage a 12" then go for it. A 10" will fit on the back seat of most cars and will give you years of good service.
Magnification really depends on the size of object and the seeing. A large extended area such as Eta Carina requires a wide field, then more power for a closer look. My eyepieces are all Naglers, 22, 17, 12, 9, 7, 5. I normally use the 12mm Nagler first for most DSO's (125X in my 12") and the 7 or 9mm Nagler (214X and 167X) for most small galaxies. For planetary nebulae (especially the small ones) I use whatever the seeing will permit. My shortest EP is the 5mm Nagler (300X). Quite often the seeing doesn't permit it's use very often, but when it does, then it's worth it. Some good quality filters (UHC and O-III) are swapped around when examining nebulae (gaseous and planetary) to see what works best.
Cheers, Paul.
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