A great comparison test with the new 120ED

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

I started this thread so those interested in stepping up to the new ED120 could read a recent review and comparison test, not as a free-for-all against retailers!!!!!

Yes, they may be dear, but if you want something bad enough, you'll pay for it!

I believe that some of the retailers in Oz do a sterling job satisfying our demanding requests. 3 cheers to those retailers.

I'm sorry I started this thread now!

[casstony]

Most of the posts have NOT been against retailers. If one or two posts do attack retailers but are balanced by other posts supporting retailers no harm is done and we may learn a little. Free but polite speech.

[janoskiss (Steve H)]

Originally Posted by ballaratdragons

I started this thread so those interested in stepping up to the new ED120 could read a recent review and comparison test, not as a free-for-all against retailers!!!!!
...

I'm sorry I started this thread now!

Don't be sorry Ken. I read the review and found it very informative.

[Starkler (Geoff)]

Originally Posted by iceman

You can't honestly expect an Australian retailer, with all of those overheads, to sell something at the same price you'll get it for by importing it direct? You will have to pay shipping, customs duty + GST, and you take a risk with warranty support.

We normally compare prices with US dealers and they have overheads and profit margins built in also. They have advertising and warranty support costs as well. This is not a comparison of local retail vs foreign wholesale, the comparison is all at the retail level.

Some adjustment should be made for the local US state taxes that are not included in the advertised price. So when comparing prices, add GST then look again.

Economies of scale can account for some of the difference, but in some cases the differences have the appearance of blatant profiteering. All we can do is weigh our options and vote with our wallets.

[g__day (Matthew)]

Well apart from the strange drift from the title ... I'll say that if USA imports from China in volume and we import from either China or the USA at far lower volume, our costs could be absolutely higher, even though you'd think distribution cost by sea would be half. But that's not so because the USA has such large volumes of imports I'm sure their cost per good is far lower than ours.

Secondly you shouldn't compare retail buy or sell prices, as its dealer buy prices that you're really pondering. And once again dealer buying power for the half dozen retailer here who combined sell hundreds of scopes a year is not going to compare favourably to dealers in the USA that aggregrate buying power and buy hundreds of thousands or millions of similar scopes per year.

But personally - back on topic, seeing the astrophotgraphs APOs of this size produce, I can clearly understand where a 4" or 5" quality APO sits as an imaging platform. For several objects its ideal. I guess each scope has objects its design is better suited for within its aperature and price class.

[Stephen65]

A 4 or 5" APO is never going to compete with a much larger reflector when it comes to sheer light grasp and thus image brightness and resolution, even when you factor in the reflector's obstruction and greater light loss off the mirrors. But for sharpness and contrast on planetary and wide field photos they do seem to be excellent.

[Stephen65]

Back on topic, or closer to it....re the Meade 127mm APO, there is a post on the CN refractor forum today describing a conversation with the Meade rep at NEAF where the poster was told by the rep that the current release date is September/October 2007 and that if you are not on a wait-list soon you will not get one this year.

[anthony2302749]

Originally Posted by ballaratdragons

I started this thread so those interested in stepping up to the new ED120 could read a recent review and comparison test, not as a free-for-all against retailers!!!!!

Yes, they may be dear, but if you want something bad enough, you'll pay for it!

I believe that some of the retailers in Oz do a sterling job satisfying our demanding requests. 3 cheers to those retailers.

I'm sorry I started this thread now!

Thats OK Ken I added a photo taken through an ED120 and had no comments. Currently that ED120 is sitting under the computer desk waiting for a new observatory.

[casstony]

Originally Posted by anthony2302749

Thats OK Ken I added a photo taken through an ED120 and had no comments. Currently that ED120 is sitting under the computer desk waiting for a new observatory.

I think that's a beautiful image Anthony, but as I don't do any imaging I didn't feel qualified to comment. Is the scope introducing a little CA on the brighter stars? Have you used the ed100 for comparison?