Hi blackpearl,
to the forum and glad to see you posting!
By the sounds of your first post, you've done your research and you've already got a good grip on what you'll need for the different aspects of this hobby.
A dob is a great starting scope, great for the beginners and great for kids too. Easy to setup, easy to transport, put it on the ground, point it, and you're ready to observe.
You
can take basic photos with them, as I have done, either afocally with a digicam, or by using a webcam. If you're
serious about getting full-blown into astrophotography, then perhaps you should consider a motor-driven EQ mount from the get-go, but you'd need to be sure that's the area of the hobby you wanted to get into, because that's where a lot of additional cost will come in..
Solid motor-driven EQ mounts (or fork-mount scopes likes the LX200) are expensive, and will cost at least 4 times what your 10 or 12" dob will cost. Add on the DSLR or other long-exposure camera, filters, time and patience, and the cost can be quite high.
If you're pretty sure that for the short-medium term you just want to take basic photos, then a dob will work fine. Either that, or look at getting the 10" newt on an undriven EQ6 mount. I think the EQ6 mounts are about $1600, and the 10" OTA probably another $700 or so.
Or, get a dob and plan to get (or make) an EQ platform in the future. Depends how handy you are at DIY stuff.
The 12" dob that the guys talked about above is a great price for a large aperture, no doubt about it. But it is bigger, longer and heavier than an 8" for $399 for example. The replacement focuser is a great upgrade, but you could also do that with an 8" or 10" as well.
I've got the 10", and it's true that the base and tube separately aren't *that* heavy that anyone with a moderate amount of strength would be able to move them around the yard, load the scope in the car, etc. It just fits sideways in the backseat of my hyundai excel, or longways with the backseat down in the family stationwagon.
The 12" is a longer tube, the base will be bigger, heavier, and the tube will be heavier (bigger mirror too). You
have to think about portability around the house, transportation in the car etc.
I
strongly suggest you get out to Bintel or Andrews and have a look at their 12" dobs, take a tape measure or measure your car first.. work out where and how you're going to transport it around the house and to a dark site before you buy one. You might be surprised or shocked about how big it is in real life.
When people see my 10" dob standing upright for the first time, they mistake it for a water heater.. the 12" will be even more so!
But, if you can overcome those issues, the 12" will be a great scope for the price, tonnes of aperture and the ability to do mods on it for years!
Good luck and keep us informed!
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