Scope and Mount for DSO Imaging

[Pi]

I'm looking to spend around $3-4k on a mount and scope for my DSO imaging setup. My main goals are to aim for long exposure shots of galaxies and nebula.

My current scope is a 12" solid tube dob (not goto) but due to its size and weight (around 20kg ota only) it appears to be too much money and effort to get this bad boy onto a GEM and imaging accurately for an AP first try.

The camera I'll be using is a Pentax K-5.

Does anyone have any recommendations for what type of scope is best suited for my needs? How does one decided whether to go refractor or reflector?

Besides looking at the price and reading personal comments, how can I weigh up the options for mounts? It seems to be the common consensus that you get the best mount you can afford, in my case it looks like it might be the NEQ6PRO, what can/can’t this mount handle?

Finally, how vital are guide scopes and does the “webcam on a finder scope” work (I have a Philips SPC900)?

Thanks in advance!

[Poita (Peter)]

The neq6 will handle any widefield refractor and camera gear, something like an ed80 or 105 scope would be a good and easy start and leave change to get a guider, flattener software etc.