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Buying Guides
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Everything you want and need to know about choosing the right product, simple, easy and straight forward,
without any meaningless tech talk. |
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| Telescope Buying Guide |
Telescope Types & Difference in Uses
Few things can provide as much total family enjoyment and opportunities for learning, as a telescope, but many people are nervous at the prospect of shopping for one.
However, buying a telescope doesn't have to be an expensive, unnerving experience. There are basically 3 types of telescopes for astronomy:
( Reflectors ; Refractors ; Cassegrains ).
Each does something better than the other, or does something more economically.
Which type is for you is really very easy to decide. Read the short descriptions of the 3 basic scope families below. Depending on whether deep space or terrestrial viewing is your objective, or astrophotography, or the most economic option for a beginner, this guide and our experienced staff, will make sure you have the right item in your hands.
Once you settle on a type, the rest is easy. For each type, there are low budget selections, mid-range choices and higher end units worthy of an observatory. The final decision comes down to what you've budgeted for the total purchase and how many additional bells and whistles you'll want, above the features of the lowest cost models.
Simple, clear and honest value is what you'll find with us. |
Reflectors (Also known as Newtonians, or Catoptrics)
- Best for remote, deep space objects, such as galaxies, nebulae & star clusters.
- Fast f-stops usually between f4 and 8.
- Also good for lunar and planetary observation.
- 2nd to cassegrains for astrophotography.
- Low aberration and bright images.
- Compact & portable up to 8".
- Most are available either with equatorial mounts, or the more economical Dobsonian mount.
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Refractors (Also known as Dioptrics)
- Best lunar, planetary and binary star observation.
- Also good for terrestrial observation.
- Very easy to maintain.
- Higher contrast images.
- No obstruction from secondary mirrors or diagonals.
- Achromatic models offer good color correction, Apochromatics & fluorites offer even better correction.
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Cassegrains (Schmidt or Maksutov) (Also known as Catadioptrics)
- Best all-around scopes & #1 choice for astrophotography.
- Excellent performance for deep sky & terrestrial viewing as well as best near-focusing.
- Razor-blade image sharpness, over wide field.
- Good for lunar, planetary & binary star observation.
- Compact, portable & extremely low maintainance.
- More economical than refractors, for equivalent aperture.
- More accessories available, allowing more expansion and upgrade capability.
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Mount Types:
All complete scopes come packed with some kind of mount and most also include a tripod. For larger, higher end units, for which
optional tripods are available, some, or all components will be sold separately. As is the case with the scope type, certain mounts
are preferable, depending on what you primarily want the scope for. |
Altazimuth (Dobsonian)
- The simplest mount type.
- Two motions: up/down and side to side.
- Higher end units will have slow motion control.
- Good for terrestrial viewing and low power sky scanning.
- The simplest, economic versions, called Dobsonian, are excellent for novices.
- NOT for astrophotography.
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Equatorials:
- A MUST for astrophotgraphy.
- Better for long exposure astronomical observation.
- Allows guiding scope, either manually, or electrically, to compensate for the earth's own motion vs. stationary stars,
which would eventually disappear from view with an altazimuth, or azimuth mount.
- Come in 2 basic subtypes: German & Fork Mount.
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German Equatorial:
- Large counterweight to balance weight of optical tube.
- Used on Newtonian and refractor equatorials.
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Fork Mount Equatorial:
- Better for astrophotography.
- Used on most cassegrains and short tube models.
- Usually used with a wedge, for tilting scope.
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