Quote:
Originally Posted by Profiler
My general interpretation of the postings is that a Triplet APO ED127 sized refractor for $1300 is excellent value and a good buy provided you go into it with your eyes wide open as to what you should and should not expect.
This being you are going to get a functional, generally good 127mm sized refractor - but don't expect it to be on par or even close to any of the big name brands which typically cost about 6 to 7 times as much for roughly the same sized refractor.
If you have never had a 127mm APO refractor and/or fairly new to astronomy and want this particular type of telescope they are are a great buy.
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Visually, not many people could differentiate the optics of a "cheap" but decent Chinese made instrument and those from the likes of even Takahashi. It's not until you start using them for astrophotography that the difference even becomes discernible.
Obviously a Tak is going to excel in such a comparison, but then again it damn well better considering the massive price difference.
For instance, the Synta 120 doublet glass (in my case inside a Sky-Watcher Equinox 120) is superb, especially considering just how much more you have to spend on a premium brand name to better it. These 127 mm triplets may not be the top-of-the-line TOAs or FSQs, but a competent APer can produce results that make you think otherwise.
And replacing the admittedly sometimes lesser quality focusers with a MoonLite or FT is well worth the expense, because even then the total is still much less than a premium brand, while the capability increases even more.