I am thinking about buying my husband a telescope for Christmas. He is a complete novice (and I am too!) so I am trying to find a starter one. I have done some research and narrowed the choices to either a Sky-Watcher Explorer Reflector or Sky Watcher Evo Star Refractor. My mind problem is I can't decide whether it should be a reflector or a refractor. Anyone out there have any knowledge ?
If you were in the UK then I would suggest going to http://www.wexphotographic.com/?/latest-deals-telescopes.html but you can still visit this website because they do have hints and tips so you might get some info to help you make up your mind.
@steampowered thanks Paul - thats exactly where I have been to narrow down the choices to the two above but I just wondered if anyone had any personal recommendations. I am in the U.K and use this company a lot - they are very good
I don't have any experience at all (but I am looking into it because I think I want to have a go at astrophotography) but I typed "reflector or refractor telescope which is better" (without the quotes) into Google and came up with loads of compelling arguments for buying either but one site wa srefreshign saying that if you have a budget of £150 or less then consider a good pair of binoculars. I don't know if Alexis @abirkill or Frank @frankhymus have anything to offer on the subject. I know that Daniel @danielwsc has used telescopes for photography before and may be able to help but he is rather occupied at the moment with his Dad's health failing so may not respond quickly.
I've been an amateur astronomer for years, and I've also done a bit of astrophotography. The first piece of advice I'll offer is "avoid starter telescopes." The quality of the mount, the glass, the type of eyepiece it will hold, and what you plan to do with that telescope will all determine your level of satisfaction. If you plan to do astrophotography, then you must have an equatorial mount with a VERY stable tripod (2" in diameter legs), with a very reliable drive system. Expect to spend upwards of $1500 US for a backyard telescope suitable for astrophotography.
What (other than photography) do you want to do with it? Is your interest primarily planets? If so, a refractor works well, tends to be lighter,and is fairly easy to setup. Is your interest deep sky, comets, and asteroids? A refractor is still a good option, but deep sky objects are easier with a Schmidt-Cassegrain style setup. You want light gathering ability, and the SC models are affectionately known as "light buckets" for very good reason.
The other item I'd consider essential these days, is a "GoTo" system or a computer controlled system. When I first got into astronomy, it was all manual. We learned to "star hop" to find the objects we wanted to observe. It's frustratingly slow, and it really limits your time outdoors in the bitter cold (which just happen to be the best observing nights.) Modern systems, once you polar align the scope, allow you to quickly navigate to the object. It's ideal for observing comets and asteroids, and is a real time saver for deep sky observing.
The two US-based companies I look to first for telescopes are Meade and Celestron. If nothing else, check out their websites for the various options. Both are structured based on what you want to do with your scope. Remember, though, the "starter scopes" are extremely poor quality glass (or even plastic), and it's highly unlikely that you'll be pleased with them.
@kannafoot thank you so much for all the information - we would like to begin looking at the moon and planets (neither of us have done anything like this before !) I will definitely look into the GoTo system as that does sound a must have. I would also like to be able to take photographs with it
I am a beginner here, but reading Getting Started: Long Exposure Astrophotography from Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1484143477/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 was a great help, and it certainly jives with what Ron said above @kannafoot. As he says, be prepared to spend $1,500 or more, or don't really bother at all if you want to get into astral photography.
@frankhymus thank you for replying but photography is not so important for this telescope - as I mentioned, this would be a present for my husband (who is not a photographer) as I thought it would be interesting. Any photography that I could do with it would mearly be a bonus
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What (other than photography) do you want to do with it? Is your interest primarily planets? If so, a refractor works well, tends to be lighter,and is fairly easy to setup. Is your interest deep sky, comets, and asteroids? A refractor is still a good option, but deep sky objects are easier with a Schmidt-Cassegrain style setup. You want light gathering ability, and the SC models are affectionately known as "light buckets" for very good reason.
The other item I'd consider essential these days, is a "GoTo" system or a computer controlled system. When I first got into astronomy, it was all manual. We learned to "star hop" to find the objects we wanted to observe. It's frustratingly slow, and it really limits your time outdoors in the bitter cold (which just happen to be the best observing nights.) Modern systems, once you polar align the scope, allow you to quickly navigate to the object. It's ideal for observing comets and asteroids, and is a real time saver for deep sky observing.
The two US-based companies I look to first for telescopes are Meade and Celestron. If nothing else, check out their websites for the various options. Both are structured based on what you want to do with your scope. Remember, though, the "starter scopes" are extremely poor quality glass (or even plastic), and it's highly unlikely that you'll be pleased with them.