Deciding on what telescope for beginners

[ukwdwnut]

Im Looking to get a telescope hopefully soon

was looking at a this one as im sure this was recommended to me by chris???

if not this one what recommendations would you say chris?

[Skywatcher]

Tis is a HUUUGE topic and I will try and post some links and some tips when I get a chance. I had that scope Mick andi it was great but what I realised early on was that I wanted to do photography and that wasn't the best choice - but you live and learn.

My first tip however is - don't buy from Argos or the sunday supplements - cheaply made scopes on cheap tripods are a disaster and a waste of money - you will not see anything and be put off forever.

Sorry haven't got time at the mo but I will put something together for anyone interested - promise

[Keith]

definitely interested in this and would definitely want to take photos too

[Britchick]

ooooohhhhhhhhhhh i can smell the money!!!

[Keith]

ooooohhhhhhhhhhh i can smell the money!!!

Well many years ago I was in a local camera shop and about to buy a telescope. It was of course, a cheapy one from a non-specialist shop. Whilst the sales guy went off somewhere, a very knowledgeable guy explained to me exactly how rubbish anything cheap would be. So I quickly escaped before the salesman came back

Anyway, few years later I was at a party and someone showed me their "top of the range" argos scope and it was just rubbish, I've had better photos from my SLR camera with decent lens than we were seeing through that scope.

So very glad I didn't buy and looking forward to some good advice

[Skywatcher]

You don't even need a scope to start
pleides

andomeda galaxy

and

orions sword


were all taken with a canon 350d and a 100-300 zoom lens piggybacked onto a motorised mount

promise i will write more - but beware Keith Astrophotography is one of the most expensice words in the english language and if like me ( which I think you are) there is always something more you want and a better pic to be obtained through lower noise levels vignetting etc etc etc

[Keith]

promise i will write more - but beware Keith Astrophotography is one of the most expensice words in the english language and if like me ( which I think you are) there is always something more you want and a better pic to be obtained through lower noise levels vignetting etc etc etc

I suspect you're right and it will be an absolute money pit but the more I see of your photos the more it feels worth the expense!

[ukwdwnut]

julie the one in he link is around £250 here so not that bad really

[Skywatcher]

OK no point in reinventing the wheel - Ihave checked out this website

http://www.findascope.com/

and it offers much sound advice

please ask me if you need any clarifiation.

Simply put no scope will do all you want

Binoculars are a great way to start and I still use mine often.

If you have a local astronomy society pop along and have a look through theirs - it will give you an idea of what you can see.

oh and one other thing

You will not necessarily see through a scope what I have published in the pictures - the nebulae etc are theresult of multiply stacked long exposure photography -you will not see colour in neculas just whispy grey cloud

Planets are visible as discs and surface features are visible on Jupiter Saturn and MArs but they are small ( 5p piece on a dinner plate size)


Mick you ask about the 102 - it was a great scope and got me into astronomy I saw the rings of saturn and the moons of jupiter and took a few pics of both but I wanted a wider aperture for photography and now I have bought a smaller telescope for deep sky stuff on an equatorial mount as opposed to alt/az - Keith will understand about f values - big f numbers are good for planets small for deep sky.

there really is too much to put into 1 post but like I said pour over the site and let me know

[eeyoreguy]

did anyone go though that site and decide what was a good starter scope to still take photos through?

I'm in complete awe of the shots on here taken by skywatcher?