I just got into the hobby in August 2023. I had a $300 budget. I wanted to do deep space astrophotography. Everyone said I must buy a Dobonian and aperture is king. So, I bought a 10" Dobsonian. Then found out it was too heavy for me to drag into the back garden and not well suited for photography. Then, I bought a 150mm Newtonian on a CG-4 mount. Still too heavy and no motor drive. Then, I bought a 130mm Newtonian on a EQ-3 motorized mount. Great! Not too heavy and could track. But, in my Bortle 6 sky, looking through my cataracts, I could not star hop. Then, I bought a Sky-Watcher AZ GTi mount and an 80mm ED refractor. Worked nicely. Started taking pictures. But, field rotation kept eating my photos. So, I recently purchased a Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTi equatorial mount, a 6" SCT, a x0.63 reducer and a Hyperstar 4 v6. When the weather clears, I hope to use this setup for most all photographical needs. Oh, and I am over budget.
@@osamakareem9739 National Geographic 114mm/500 Newtonian reflector with pan handle mount and rickety tripod and poor optics. Not favored. 10% National Geographic 70mm/700 refractor with pan handle mount and rickety tripod and poor optics. Not favored. 12% Celestron 102mm/1000 refractor. Very big and awkward refractor. Good for lunar and planetary us. 50% Celestron short tube 80/400. Very light easy to use pluse 1.25" SvBony 231 color correction filter.. Preferred grab ad go optical tube. 75% Skyoptikst 90mm/500 refractor plus 2" SvBony 231 color correction filter. Surprisingly good optical tube. 80% SvBony 80mm ED - very nice takes good pictures easy to focus and use. 85% Bresser 102mm/460 ED refractor with Founder Optics generic x0.8 reducer corrector runs at f/3.6, my fastest refractor. Lightning fast. Lots of chromatic aberration. Fringe killers don't help. Takes terrible pictures. But, using an SvBony 220 dual band narrow filter on emission nebula, no chromatic aberration, lots of glowing nebula and very small., tight stars. 5%-90% Will make and post some videos reviewing all my scopes once I figure out how to use my new video camera and my new video editor.
Dobsonians are just a astronomy tax on newbs. They are amazing for people who live with dark skies, but very limiting for those anywhere near a major city. Thus Dobs are commonly found used on craigslist.
@@osamakareem9739 I like the SvBony 80mm ED for a grab and go. I like the 6" SCT for lunar, planetary and with the Hyperstar, very large things. I also like my brand new Sky Watcher Startravel 120 refractor for general work. If I use an SvBony 231 color correction filter and the color correction function in Sharp Cap Pro - no purple fringe. It is the largest refractor I can use with my light mount. Was out last night photographing galaxies. Used the 120mm refractor. With the x0.8 reducer/corrector, it is quite fast @ f/4.0. Going out tonight to photograph M27 with my SCT and x0.63 reducer, humidity allowing.
This is my new favorite video to send people when I get the "what telescope should I buy?" question from my friends who are beginners. Agree entirely with everything you recommended. I especially love the GoTo tabletop Dobs like the Sky-Watcher Virtuoso GTI 150p. 👍
That was my reaction too. ian goes from "dont' buy computerized" to "buy smart" to "buy a dob". The Sky-Watcher Virtuoso GTI 150p has been on my radar for awhile as a good suggestion to start with. If you want to use it for astrophotography, there was a presentation on "The Astro Imaging" channel about a year ago with tips from a seasoned user. One: back focus is an issue, but since these are collapsible, just dont extent it 100%. and two. tracking sucks, so go with short exposures. He was using 3 seconds. Modern cooled cameras with very little read noise can handle it.
Hey, as a beginner, i got a 152/1200 dobsonian to learn the sky and constellations. I got to see m29 and m39 in cygnus! I am in b4 germany. I am loving it!
I can see both sides of this argument. There's no way I'd personally use a smart telescope for observing BUT if that's what it takes to get someone outside and interested in the Hobby then so be it!
What a narrow minded take on technology. For the people with limited mobility/stability, like me, Smart telescopes are a God send. My ZWO Seestar S50 is also light enough to carry and set up. While images are building I use that new thing called the INTERNET to research what I'm trying to capture. Best part is being able to share my efforts with friends and family no mater where they live. Traditionalist equates to deniers.
I've been watching so many videos so help simplify the language required to purchase a great scope for my 8 year old. This video was by FAR the most helpful. Thanks.
Hello! Did you happen to test it out? I’m considering buying this one for my girlfriend, would make me the best bf ever if I can impress her with a nice one haha 😂
I have been interested in buying a telescope for a long time. However, I found it difficult to find out more about it. This video gave me some very good tips and advice to help me make a decision. Very helpful video and very nice explanations. Subscription is out.
Just buy a stupid cheap one and point it at the moon. Get a feel for using one and the enjoyment of getting to see things. Then start your search. That's what I did and I'm a little more knowledgeable of what I'm looking for. Same boat as you otherwise.
OMG Ian! This is the guide I was looking for thanks a for the amazing content. Liked, Subbed! When I was a kid I wanted to be an astronomer. Un/fortunately I ended up in tech. I am planning to get me a smart telescope. At 4:41 where you said, they are not good to gaze on planets in Sol is a bummer since I wanted to start local 😄 Does that include the Vespera II? Thanks!
excellevt video - I also have my checklist of requirements and will use this along with the information from your video to make my first telescope purchase from a retailer that also provides the benefits of knowledge and customer service - so excited
killer video, love all the points you touched on, thank you for sharing your summarized decade of experience with us! I now want a smart telescope badly!
Nicely done! I has a 6" EQ, it was a pain to get it pointed where I wanted. I upgraded to a 10" Dob, much easier to use and almost 3 times the light gathering (10^2 / 6^2). But, even with moderately dark skies, deep sky objects were were disappointing. I bought the SeeStar, (only $500) wonderful for deep sky. I use a tablet for a larger screen, easier to share with the grand kids. Compared to an EQ mount, a camera body, a good lens, the software, and the time to use the software, (many thousands of dollars), very nice. The 10" is great for planets, and giving the kids the real time look through experience. One point, the Newtonian telescopes using mirrors have another advantage. Inexpensive glass lens act like a prism, the blue and red have different focal lengths. So you get blue on one side, red on the other. Mirrors reflect light the same, no matter the color.
Thank you so much for this awesome video. i had a telescope as a kid and just the other day my kids were telling me they wanted to see the milky way (somehow i have failed them for the past 14 years and they have never seen it) and just do some star gazing. I didn't know that there were such a thing as smart telescopes... that is what i'm going to go with and i'm tempted to go big and get the Vespera II.
Great, informative video. Despite being rather experienced with telescopes and astrophysics myself, I learned more here. What is your opinion on the Flex-tube vs. traditional Dobsonian? I always viewed the open flex-tube as inviting unwanted light pollution....
Thank you! If you need to travel and have limited space, the flex tube scopes would be my choice because they are easier to transport (being collapsable and whatnot), otherwise the classic dob will get the job done. The open tube is an issue if you're in a light polluted area, but you can always buy a light shroud (a piece of fabric that blocks stray light).
Hello! Thanks for posting such an awesome video! This was very informative and helpful. You are clearly extremely knowledgeable. My current goals are to visually observe the outer planets and their moons in decent detail and clarity. I'd love to see Titan and Enceladus. As well as neptune and uranus to some degree. I am strongly considering the Heritage 150 dobsonian, or their classic 6" dobsonian I just worry about the heritage series in my yard since i have a lot of glare there and the heritage series has an exposed mirror. How reasonable are my goals for these telescopes?
I’m only interested in visual so I bought a stellalyra 8 inch dob and it’s fantastic!I think Astro would be far too difficult for me so I just use my smartphone for photos!
I am really new to astrophotography and just at home astronomy in general so this was really helpful for me so thank so very much!! I would ideally I think want a good telescope that can get good photos with my phone and one I can look through so maybe I’m leaning more to the side of big telescopes. But I really love the idea of smart telescopes because they look super cool and from my point of view they are not that expensive and I’m in college rn so I’m all about saving money. But think my most idea setup in terms of having the most telescopes is having a telescope great for astrophotography and one that is great for looking through.
Would you say Catadioptric telescopes are good for beginners? Basically I want something that can track and follow planets so I don't have to move the telescope manually.
I somehow don't agree on your point with the EQ mounts. You are right - they are not the easiest to handle for a beginner. And if you only want to watch the sky, I agree - a dob is the way to go.But if you plan to do astrophotography, an EQ mount isn't so bad to start with. To use it, you have to learn how to orient your mount, you learn how to point your scope to the stars and you learn how to track objects by using only the right ascension axis. With some practice, you can even start to take some photos with 10-15 Seconds exposure time if you have a steady hand. Of course these telescopes are not viable for serious astrophotographie and you need a complete new rig to start with, but they teach you the basics. On the other hand, smart telescopes don't do that. You put them on the ground, start your app on your phone or tablet and then magic happens. Sounds good at first but you cannot process from there further. Most of the smartscopes come with an 50mm/F5 scope and therefore are somehow limited in what you can observe. If you update to a larger rig, let's say a 6 inch or 8 inch newton, you start at zero - you need a serious mount to carry your scope which requires a lot of knowledge and practice to get good photos out it. Chances are high that your first photos will be terrible because of poor alingnment of the mount, non-working tracking, bad focus. In the end, it feels like "I've spend thousends of bucks for nothing".
Came across your video by accident. Glad I did. Recently started paying attention to what's above instead of what's put in front of us. Found your information insightful and helpful . Subscribed and look forward to videos and information. Thanks
Hi Ian, thanks for the informative and comprehensive video. I find myself in a particular situation. I am a photographer who is passionate about astro photography and I have always taken photos with the equipment I have. Currently I'm looking for something that allows me to do sky observation and deepsky astro photography. The longest lens I have and use is a 70-200 with an APSC body. I'm using the Sky Watcher Star Adventurer 2 as a mount. I would like to upgrade the lens. I'm looking for something that can be used to take even more "distant" photos but at the same time that can also be used for just viewing and that's it. What do you recommend? Thanks again
Thanks for the overview and great education. Between the Celestron Startscense Explorer 130MM and the Sky-Watcher heritage 130 Dobsonia which one would be a better shot?
Hi. Id like to start getting into this hobby but I wonder if there's a telescope that could be used for both visual and astrophotography. The visual part is mostly for my kids (under supervision) so we can see Saturns rings and Jupiter stripes. Thank you in advance
So here’s my question, I’m getting into astrophotography and I got a good old canon 6d and a couple cheap lenses that get the work done and I have a cheap and but alright tripod with 3d head. It doesn’t hold much weight, it holds like 5kg max before the legs start losing the grip and sliding down on it’s own. I wanna do some Milky Way shots and deep sky shots like nebulae and close galaxies, what you recommend?! A mount that comes with the EQ thing on a tripod or getting a new sturdy tripod and a mount separately?! I don’t got to much money to spend but I’m willing to spend some extra for a better thing because Ive been trying to get some night sky shots and stacking them but I get star trails bue to lack of a mount and shacking tripod, I’m willing to get a nice refractor achromatic or apochromatic telescope in the future
I’m looking to get a telescope as a Christmas gift for my husband. Something we can take with us when we go camping to stargaze. Or enjoy at home. What would you recommend? Would the Dobsonian be a good choice?
hey lan thank you I have learned so much from your video so I want to get my first telescope but I want some thing that is traditional and smart but not fully smart I want a telescope that locate the objects in the sky since I don't have any experience in the sky can you please recommend me some I have seen many but I couldn't decide what to get ,I want to see if I'm really in to it
It sounds like you’re looking for a go-to telescope (one that will find objects for you). The Celestron nexstar or evolution telescopes are very good for that. Skywatcher also makes go-to dobsonian telescopes, take a look at those. As an alternative, there are “push-to” telescopes like Celestrons star sense explorer telescopes, where you use a phone app attachment which helps guide where you should manually move your telescope to. Hope that helps!
Hey, loved your video, you have made us very excited about getting our first telescopes. Def gotta us a Dobsonian. But man these smart telescopes! Our question is... between the Dwarf 3 and the Seestar S50, which one do you recommend and why??? From video reviews, the S50 appears more fun and user friendly, but the field of view on the Dwarf 3 is very compelling. I do have experience with photography and post processing, so that's not really a factor. Would love to hear any of your opinions on this specific matchup!! Thank you
Which would you recommend for someone with a master's degree in Space Physics, but no experience operating a telescope? Is there a best intermediate-level telescope I could figure out how to operate if I put the time in? Price range would be 1k-2k
I always dreamt of having a high end telescope. I’m between getting the nexstar 8 se or the nexstar 8 evolution. Interested in looking at planets and galaxies among others. Which one you recommend please
I own the 9.25" evolution and love it. The motorized mount on the 8se feels limiting. Both will perform the same when looking through it, so it's up to you whether the additional features of the evolution are worth it.
Hey Ian I'm looking for a telescope with a video out feature so I can plug it into a 25 inch monitor I have. This is so a group of people can see the view without having to take turns looking through an eyepiece.
One of the smart telescopes might be the best choice, then you can screen mirror your iPhone or iPad view to the monitor to show the results of the telescope
How do you feel about the sky watcher 8 in comparison to the aperture 8? I noticed that when you were discussing Dobsonian telescopes you did mention the other company but stuck primarily with sky watcher. I’ve read on other forums and people seem to favor the aperture eight Dobsonian so wanted to hear your thoughts on your preference.
What do you think about the BRESSER GoTo Telescoop 80/400? I want to use is also when I'm for traveling but the most times @ home. Photography is not a important fact but nice if you can do it.
Hi! May I have a question? If I already bought a (used) Bresser Spica 130/1000 EQ3 before watching your video and cant return it. Do you have a Video or can you recommend a video for beginners how to use it?
Moonraker sells some stunningly good looking hand-made telescopes: shiny steampunk tubes with intricate sciency details. They're not just showpieces though, many of them have impressive optics varying from classic f/15 doublets with long tubes to state of the art modern APO triplets. I'd have a Moonraker if I could afford one.
Hi Ian, This video was super helpful :) im looking at getting my first ever telescope, and you mentioned Celestron in your video. Would the "Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ Telescope" be a good first one? Cheers 😊
I've only used the Starsense Explorer 130, but it worked just fine, amazing views of the Moon, and pretty nice views of the planets. If you find you enjoy using it a lot, I would recommend upgrading the eyepieces next, and getting a variable moon filter to reduce the moon brightness when looking at it near full moon.
Nice vid, I am using a Skywatcher 200mm Newtonian ( 200P ), Skywatcher 102mm/f500 ( very compact ) , Teleskop Service 102mm/1100mm refractor with fine dual focuser ( my best lens and view quality for the planets ) and a Bresser 127mm/F9,5 refractor ( nice but not especially better than my other refractors ). All fine scopes for very reasonable prices. But please boys and girls, spend some money on better eyepieces and the mount, it WILL change the hobby! My favorite scope is my smaller 102mm/F500, you know why? Very easy to handle and the setup is done in 2 minutes, the only one that is also possible to travel with without car. Crispy clear views one Jupiter, Saturn, the Moon and some star clusters and yes Andromeda is watchable as well. The best telescope is the one you use the most, simple as that :)
Having been a telescope user since the 1960s, I feel like this video addresses a small number of wannabe viewers. I would recommend try it before you buy it. Local astronomy clubs have public viewing nights. Getting a chance to talk to an actual owner and why they like a particular telescope is really helpful. You will get an excellent sense of what you can see through a telescope and how good the planets, moon, stars, celestial objects are seen through the different models. I find that knowing what can be seen and how pleasing a view is of different objects would help you in your choice. Telescope operation can be confusing as I have found as lead instructor for telescope facilitation at DMNS so working with your local club is so vital. Get involved with other amateur astronomers and your telescope will not end up collecting dust.
I feel like you're talking about me, I don't see how I'm a wannabe anything....I know absolutely nothing, and I'm wanting to get a telescope, I live in rural country Australia, and live with chronic illness, and I can only research online, and so this video has been helpful, every little bit helps..... It makes you come across as an Astro purist/elitist, that kind of attitude will push people away, and I could only assume that you would rather be spreading interest and being able to share your passion with other people? No need to be negative, this guy is just trying to help and share his knowledge, and I am thankful for one🙂🖖🙏
Hi. Loved ur advise. As iam a bigenner and searching for the right one. Amazon is the place as of now to do my search later might choose to go to Astronomical store for final pick up. Just checking how is KSON brand 135mm dobsonian telescope
Hi Ian. Is a Sky-Watcher Flextube 250P SynScan GoTo Collapsible Dobsonian a good choice for a beginner living in the country. Its only 2300.00 canadian. Would this be good for planets and deep sky as well?
That’s a great visual telescope for planets, moon, and if you’re away from light pollution, deep sky. I used one regularly for outreach years ago, and it’s quite heavy, but we mounted it on a custom roller base and it was great
Hey I got my very first telescope I've just brought a Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 127AZ Telescope. Is it any good? It came with a 25mm and 10mm eye piece and a 2x Barlow lense so I'm hoping to see some planets and nebula etc.
We usually suggest to start with a good binocular. An 8x40 (or 10x50 or 7x50) of a respectable brand costs 100~200€ and is easy to use, easy to carry, can give good sights of Pleiades, Milky Way, Andromeda Galaxy, bright comets like the one is passing in these days, and of course moon, landscapes and birds. And when one decides to buy a telescope, you don't throw away the binocular, because it is still a good companion (if you bought a decent one and not a cheap 30-50€ one) Another amateur astronomers group of our zone (Ravenna, Italy) bought 15 8x40 Nikon binoculars to make lessons on how to use binoculars and what to watch. We think it's an awesome initiative so we called them to do it also in our city
Hello, i was wondering if "pullox space hunter az 76mm Newtonian astronomical reflector basic telescope with 700 focal length 175x upto 350 magnification " Is a good choice for being my first telescope, hope you can tell me
Hi . i want to buy a telescope . Should I get a 6 inch dob or 114mm eq ( It has an eq3 mount which I can convert to goto easily ) ? I want to do visual and deep space astrophotography
A 6 inch dob is a great visual astronomy telescope. I would not recommend the 114mm eq for astrophotography, you will spend a lot of time struggling with it as it's not a great astrophotography telescope. Check out my video "New To Deep Space Astro? My Advice To You", it will answer a lot of your questions about deep space astrophotography.
I’m looking for one that is small because we travel I want it tor looking at planets and stars. I want to attach my phone on it as well. Is there something you can recommend
It's a nice visual telescope, but not made for deep space photography, though with the right equipment, software, and plenty of practice you can get some nice photos of the Moon and planets.
Wouldn’t an equatorial mount be better for a beginner? I know they’re more complex to set up, but once you have it set up, it’s really easy to track whatever object you’re viewing. Just a thought. Edit- Great video!
I’m a beginner, and I want to see as much w/in our galaxy (at least.) I was looking at the 130EQ Newtonian Reflector w/ an equatorial mount, but he said EQ’s are terrible. I’m so confused. W/ a $300-350 budget, could you recommend the best telescope for a beginner, please? I do not know the nighttime sky well.
Hi Ian! Really very informative video for someone like me who is interested in astronomy and wants to start! I live in an area with little light pollution (bortle scale 4-3) and since I don't have to travel anywhere with my telescope I would like to get one of the BIG TELESCOPES you mentioned in the video. When I researched the Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian Telescope I came across your telescope and saw that Orion, one of the brands you recommend, produces it, but I wanted to ask you since I am new to this business. I am interested in deep space images and I wonder if I can view them with this telescope. Would you recommend this telescope?
SkyQuest is a great visual telescope. It's good for viewing deep space targets! You said deep space images, so I'm guessing you're interested in astrophotography? If so and you are looking to do deep space photography, it is not a great option. Astrophotography is a different animal and requires different equipment entirely.
I sadly got one of the super cheap EQ ones from amazon (it was a christmas gift). I couldn’t manage to see anything and I really tried many times (research and tutorials included). It was and is truly frustrating! As you mentioned they break fast and indeed that’s happened to mine as well. So now here I am frustrated with a broken meh „telescope“!! Actually I would love to do both, see stuff the old fashioned way and take photos as well. Do you have any advice for me?! Thank you in advance!
Any recommendations for a telescope that will work well for both dSLR/mirrorless camera via a t-mount and traditional viewing? It also needs to be light enough that I can take it with me to a dark sky location. I’m too close to my city.
I wasn't sure what type of telescope that was given to me as a gift years ago. Thank you. I now know what I have. 😊 Turns out it was a pretty nice one for my level. 😀
The first thing I learned about using my "department store" telescope was to set the whole thing, tripod and all, up on a table so I didn't wreck my back looking through it for more than a minute. The second thing I learned was that it's surprisingly hard to find what you're looking for. The third thing was, the farther away you're looking, the more you have to keep moving the thing to keep up with what you're looking at.
Can any of those Dobson telescopes connect with the phone (with an app) to help pointing to whatever is now available on sky? I'm looking for a decent telescope for my 13 years old son and affaraid that it won't be used as it will be too complicated. Also, I saw somewhere that pictures can be done with a normal camera, just need an adaptor between camera and telesope..
Hey Ian , just curious why you didn't mention SCG style scopes like those in Celestron's Nexstar series? Is there a fundamental problem with them that should be avoided?
They’re great telescopes and nice optics, and if it was a few years ago I would have suggested nexstar (and similar) scopes no problem. But the price of the telescope has skyrocketed to the point that I can’t recommend it for someone’s first telescope. But if someone has their eyes set on one and is fine with the cost, go for it!
I know you literally just told me not to buy the motorized telescope, but I am hard headed... I have been looking at the virtuoso gti 150 Go to version. Partly because I am new new to any of this, And worry without the go to functionality I wont be able to find or track anything cool to look at. I guess the question boils down to are the cons truly bad enough to not consider this model? Over all seems to get really good reviews and seems to be one of the more highly recommended for the price range. Just curious about your thoughts.
Hey! I've been using an Orion XT10 for about the past 3 years. I want to get into astrophotography, but this scope just isn't it. I also want something portable, and im not very worried about aperture anymore. Would it be a smart move to sell my scope and buy an entry level Go-To EQ? I've been watching one on Explore Scientific for about 500 USD that really interests me. Whole kit, comes with an 80mm refractor and an adapter for a DSLR I already own.
It depends on your goals. The Explore Scientific GoTo is not amazing for astrophotography, and you'll likely end up upgrading sooner rather than later. I always recommend folks starting with a star tracker like the Sky Watcher GTI, and using a lens or wide-field telescope (redcat 51 or similar) as it's an easy entry point that you can still use, even as you upgrade to larger equipment. I have a video for people getting into Deep Space AP that should help: ua-cam.com/video/xy5yv20m3gA/v-deo.htmlsi=crj0RJT0oo0Wh_RH
It all depends on what you're interested in. If you like idea of viewing space through an eyepiece, and don't mind the size of the telescope, the Dobsonian is awesome (especially for the Moon and planets). If you are more interested in seeing deep space objects in detail, the SeeStar is the preferred choice.
Good advice! I've had a 4.5" w/ EQ mount. I've had an 8" Dob. I got frustrated with tracking, especially with the Dob. I want to view and photograph things from the moon to deep space objects. I know it's going to cost me, so I want to be smart about it. I've seen some nice "smart" mounts from iOptron and others. I assume I could find a mid-sized Schmidt-Cassegrain (like 8"?) and add a camera, or use an eyepiece?
As long as you have a computerized EQ mount that can handle the weight capacity of your telescope, you'll be in a good place to start in astrophotography. The Schmidt-Cassegrain is a good scope for doing both visual and astrophotography - keep in mind the long focal length will have quite a learning curve if you aren't experienced with astrophotography...but don't let that stop you :)
I think what i am going to buy is the seestar s50 (ive already been looking into buying one) for looking a galaxys and nebulas and ill get 8 dob aptera for looking at planets
It all depends on your budget. Actually collecting data on transiting exoplanets will require a very large telescope and accessories. But if you want to show change in light curves, you can collect data on variable stars with very a modest setup. The SeeStar or, if you have the budget, the vaonis smart scopes, can do the job without the complexity of an telescope imaging system.
Hey Ian! thanks for this informative video :) what build / telescope would you recommend for someone who wants to do astrophotography + visual as well? budget < $2.5k i cant decide if i should spend on the Celestron Nex Star 8SE, or a 8" dobsomian ? or build my own? thank you.
Astro + visual is tough but definitely doable. What type of astrophotography are you most interested in? There’s no one telescope that can do it all (unless you’re willing to dish out some serious cash!) The SE and dobs are great visual telescopes, and can do some lunar/planetary astrophotography, but they are not suited for deep space.
@@jzwgrch The SeeStar is great for exploring around the night sky, but it's not a visual telescope - it has a built-in camera. I do recommend the SeeStar because it allows you to see more details in deep space than you could see with an eyepiece!
I just got into the hobby in August 2023. I had a $300 budget. I wanted to do deep space astrophotography. Everyone said I must buy a Dobonian and aperture is king. So, I bought a 10" Dobsonian. Then found out it was too heavy for me to drag into the back garden and not well suited for photography.
Then, I bought a 150mm Newtonian on a CG-4 mount. Still too heavy and no motor drive.
Then, I bought a 130mm Newtonian on a EQ-3 motorized mount. Great! Not too heavy and could track. But, in my Bortle 6 sky, looking through my cataracts, I could not star hop.
Then, I bought a Sky-Watcher AZ GTi mount and an 80mm ED refractor. Worked nicely. Started taking pictures. But, field rotation kept eating my photos.
So, I recently purchased a Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTi equatorial mount, a 6" SCT, a x0.63 reducer and a Hyperstar 4 v6. When the weather clears, I hope to use this setup for most all photographical needs. Oh, and I am over budget.
That's a lot of telescopes! Hope this latest one works out for you - astrophotography is tough but definitely rewarding.
You didn’t rate any of those scopes, did you like any?
@@osamakareem9739
National Geographic 114mm/500 Newtonian reflector with pan handle mount and rickety tripod and poor optics. Not favored. 10%
National Geographic 70mm/700 refractor with pan handle mount and rickety tripod and poor optics. Not favored. 12%
Celestron 102mm/1000 refractor. Very big and awkward refractor. Good for lunar and planetary us. 50%
Celestron short tube 80/400. Very light easy to use pluse 1.25" SvBony 231 color correction filter.. Preferred grab ad go optical tube. 75%
Skyoptikst 90mm/500 refractor plus 2" SvBony 231 color correction filter. Surprisingly good optical tube. 80%
SvBony 80mm ED - very nice takes good pictures easy to focus and use. 85%
Bresser 102mm/460 ED refractor with Founder Optics generic x0.8 reducer corrector runs at f/3.6, my fastest refractor. Lightning fast. Lots of chromatic aberration. Fringe killers don't help. Takes terrible pictures. But, using an SvBony 220 dual band narrow filter on emission nebula, no chromatic aberration, lots of glowing nebula and very small., tight stars. 5%-90%
Will make and post some videos reviewing all my scopes once I figure out how to use my new video camera and my new video editor.
Dobsonians are just a astronomy tax on newbs. They are amazing for people who live with dark skies, but very limiting for those anywhere near a major city. Thus Dobs are commonly found used on craigslist.
@@osamakareem9739 I like the SvBony 80mm ED for a grab and go. I like the 6" SCT for lunar, planetary and with the Hyperstar, very large things. I also like my brand new Sky Watcher Startravel 120 refractor for general work. If I use an SvBony 231 color correction filter and the color correction function in Sharp Cap Pro - no purple fringe. It is the largest refractor I can use with my light mount.
Was out last night photographing galaxies. Used the 120mm refractor. With the x0.8 reducer/corrector, it is quite fast @ f/4.0.
Going out tonight to photograph M27 with my SCT and x0.63 reducer, humidity allowing.
My 6 year old daughter is crazy about astronomy and space and begs me to buy a telescope. This was super helpful. Thnx.
Glad it was helpful! Happy stargazing!!
So great yo are stimulating her curiosity.
We’re here for our 6 year old kids. My son is also a solar system nerdy. Trying to give this to him for his 6th birthday this month!
We are all here for the kids!😹 which did you choose?
Thank you for putting together this helpful video!!
Glad you found it helpful - I hope you get to spend some time under the night sky!
This is my new favorite video to send people when I get the "what telescope should I buy?" question from my friends who are beginners. Agree entirely with everything you recommended. I especially love the GoTo tabletop Dobs like the Sky-Watcher Virtuoso GTI 150p. 👍
Thanks so much dude!! I also like those dobs. Appreciate you!
That was my reaction too. ian goes from "dont' buy computerized" to "buy smart" to "buy a dob". The Sky-Watcher Virtuoso GTI 150p has been on my radar for awhile as a good suggestion to start with. If you want to use it for astrophotography, there was a presentation on "The Astro Imaging" channel about a year ago with tips from a seasoned user. One: back focus is an issue, but since these are collapsible, just dont extent it 100%. and two. tracking sucks, so go with short exposures. He was using 3 seconds. Modern cooled cameras with very little read noise can handle it.
Hey, as a beginner, i got a 152/1200 dobsonian to learn the sky and constellations. I got to see m29 and m39 in cygnus! I am in b4 germany. I am loving it!
Very nice!
Excellent and informative video, thank you sir!!!
✨🌟🪐🌟✨
What’s the point of smart telescope if your just going to look through an iPad or phone? Might as well just google the images then…
Some people like explore in different ways. Whatever gets them outside, looking up and interested in astronomy.
I bet you all they’re doing is downloading photos from the Internet. LOL
If smart scopes were just downloading the images, the images they produce wouldn't look so amateurish.
I can see both sides of this argument. There's no way I'd personally use a smart telescope for observing BUT if that's what it takes to get someone outside and interested in the Hobby then so be it!
What a narrow minded take on technology. For the people with limited mobility/stability, like me, Smart telescopes are a God send. My ZWO Seestar S50 is also light enough to carry and set up. While images are building I use that new thing called the INTERNET to research what I'm trying to capture. Best part is being able to share my efforts with friends and family no mater where they live. Traditionalist equates to deniers.
I really needed this video thank u!
You're so welcome!
Good Video. I have owned many telescopes and your advice is good for beginners. 👍👍👍
This was super helpful! Cheers boss
Glad it helped, love your channel dude my wife and I watch a lot of your stuff 🤙
I've been watching so many videos so help simplify the language required to purchase a great scope for my 8 year old. This video was by FAR the most helpful. Thanks.
Glad it helped! Happy stargazing!
Just got our Celestron DOB 8” star sense telescope
Really excited to set it up
I pray we got the right one for basic astronomy for our students
Cheers
Hello! Did you happen to test it out? I’m considering buying this one for my girlfriend, would make me the best bf ever if I can impress her with a nice one haha 😂
I have been interested in buying a telescope for a long time. However, I found it difficult to find out more about it. This video gave me some very good tips and advice to help me make a decision. Very helpful video and very nice explanations. Subscription is out.
Just buy a stupid cheap one and point it at the moon. Get a feel for using one and the enjoyment of getting to see things. Then start your search. That's what I did and I'm a little more knowledgeable of what I'm looking for. Same boat as you otherwise.
Thank you so much, I was struggling to find a perfect telescope for me a beginner. I appreciate this video.
OMG Ian! This is the guide I was looking for thanks a for the amazing content. Liked, Subbed! When I was a kid I wanted to be an astronomer. Un/fortunately I ended up in tech. I am planning to get me a smart telescope. At 4:41 where you said, they are not good to gaze on planets in Sol is a bummer since I wanted to start local 😄 Does that include the Vespera II? Thanks!
i would go for astronomy binocular before a telescope.
the most fun i had watching the night skies was with naked eyes, a starmap and binoc.
excellevt video - I also have my checklist of requirements and will use this along with the information from your video to make my first telescope purchase from a retailer that also provides the benefits of knowledge and customer service - so excited
killer video, love all the points you touched on, thank you for sharing your summarized decade of experience with us! I now want a smart telescope badly!
Nicely done!
I has a 6" EQ, it was a pain to get it pointed where I wanted. I upgraded to a 10" Dob, much easier to use and almost 3 times the light gathering (10^2 / 6^2).
But, even with moderately dark skies, deep sky objects were were disappointing. I bought the SeeStar, (only $500) wonderful for deep sky. I use a tablet for a larger screen, easier to share with the grand kids. Compared to an EQ mount, a camera body, a good lens, the software, and the time to use the software, (many thousands of dollars), very nice.
The 10" is great for planets, and giving the kids the real time look through experience.
One point, the Newtonian telescopes using mirrors have another advantage. Inexpensive glass lens act like a prism, the blue and red have different focal lengths. So you get blue on one side, red on the other. Mirrors reflect light the same, no matter the color.
Thank you so much for this awesome video. i had a telescope as a kid and just the other day my kids were telling me they wanted to see the milky way (somehow i have failed them for the past 14 years and they have never seen it) and just do some star gazing. I didn't know that there were such a thing as smart telescopes... that is what i'm going to go with and i'm tempted to go big and get the Vespera II.
Great, informative video. Despite being rather experienced with telescopes and astrophysics myself, I learned more here. What is your opinion on the Flex-tube vs. traditional Dobsonian? I always viewed the open flex-tube as inviting unwanted light pollution....
Thank you! If you need to travel and have limited space, the flex tube scopes would be my choice because they are easier to transport (being collapsable and whatnot), otherwise the classic dob will get the job done. The open tube is an issue if you're in a light polluted area, but you can always buy a light shroud (a piece of fabric that blocks stray light).
Hello! Thanks for posting such an awesome video! This was very informative and helpful. You are clearly extremely knowledgeable.
My current goals are to visually observe the outer planets and their moons in decent detail and clarity. I'd love to see Titan and Enceladus. As well as neptune and uranus to some degree.
I am strongly considering the Heritage 150 dobsonian, or their classic 6" dobsonian
I just worry about the heritage series in my yard since i have a lot of glare there and the heritage series has an exposed mirror. How reasonable are my goals for these telescopes?
I’m only interested in visual so I bought a stellalyra 8 inch dob and it’s fantastic!I think Astro would be far too difficult for me so I just use my smartphone for photos!
I am really new to astrophotography and just at home astronomy in general so this was really helpful for me so thank so very much!! I would ideally I think want a good telescope that can get good photos with my phone and one I can look through so maybe I’m leaning more to the side of big telescopes. But I really love the idea of smart telescopes because they look super cool and from my point of view they are not that expensive and I’m in college rn so I’m all about saving money. But think my most idea setup in terms of having the most telescopes is having a telescope great for astrophotography and one that is great for looking through.
Very Knowledgeable and will surely consider. Thanks for the great insights, appreciate that.
Glad it was helpful!
Would you say Catadioptric telescopes are good for beginners? Basically I want something that can track and follow planets so I don't have to move the telescope manually.
This has been very helpful. I know now I need a Dobsonian. Thank you
I somehow don't agree on your point with the EQ mounts. You are right - they are not the easiest to handle for a beginner. And if you only want to watch the sky, I agree - a dob is the way to go.But if you plan to do astrophotography, an EQ mount isn't so bad to start with. To use it, you have to learn how to orient your mount, you learn how to point your scope to the stars and you learn how to track objects by using only the right ascension axis. With some practice, you can even start to take some photos with 10-15 Seconds exposure time if you have a steady hand. Of course these telescopes are not viable for serious astrophotographie and you need a complete new rig to start with, but they teach you the basics. On the other hand, smart telescopes don't do that. You put them on the ground, start your app on your phone or tablet and then magic happens. Sounds good at first but you cannot process from there further. Most of the smartscopes come with an 50mm/F5 scope and therefore are somehow limited in what you can observe. If you update to a larger rig, let's say a 6 inch or 8 inch newton, you start at zero - you need a serious mount to carry your scope which requires a lot of knowledge and practice to get good photos out it. Chances are high that your first photos will be terrible because of poor alingnment of the mount, non-working tracking, bad focus. In the end, it feels like "I've spend thousends of bucks for nothing".
I absolutely agree with you
Thank you, I did listen and I will use your tips 😊 TY
Thanks. I appreciate your last tip on not buying from Amazon. I searched and I will buy a Celestron from a local shop.
Came across your video by accident. Glad I did. Recently started paying attention to what's above instead of what's put in front of us. Found your information insightful and helpful . Subscribed and look forward to videos and information. Thanks
Welcome aboard! Thanks for the kind words.
Hi Ian, thanks for the informative and comprehensive video. I find myself in a particular situation. I am a photographer who is passionate about astro photography and I have always taken photos with the equipment I have. Currently
I'm looking for something that allows me to do sky observation and deepsky astro photography. The longest lens I have and use is a 70-200 with an APSC body. I'm using the Sky Watcher Star Adventurer 2 as a mount. I would like to upgrade the lens. I'm looking for something that can be used to take even more "distant" photos but at the same time that can also be used for just viewing and that's it. What do you recommend?
Thanks again
Thank you so much for this information 😊 as i didn't know what to get as a beginner 😊
Thanks for the overview and great education. Between the Celestron Startscense Explorer 130MM and the Sky-Watcher heritage 130 Dobsonia which one would be a better shot?
Excellent video. Thanks!
Hi. Id like to start getting into this hobby but I wonder if there's a telescope that could be used for both visual and astrophotography. The visual part is mostly for my kids (under supervision) so we can see Saturns rings and Jupiter stripes. Thank you in advance
Bro there is no shipping for india please help me 😢
Send me some Links with can ship to india ❤❤❤
I just got a celestron star Sense explorer DX and I am trying to figure out what I am doing wrong . Thank you for your awesome video
So here’s my question, I’m getting into astrophotography and I got a good old canon 6d and a couple cheap lenses that get the work done and I have a cheap and but alright tripod with 3d head. It doesn’t hold much weight, it holds like 5kg max before the legs start losing the grip and sliding down on it’s own. I wanna do some Milky Way shots and deep sky shots like nebulae and close galaxies, what you recommend?! A mount that comes with the EQ thing on a tripod or getting a new sturdy tripod and a mount separately?! I don’t got to much money to spend but I’m willing to spend some extra for a better thing because Ive been trying to get some night sky shots and stacking them but I get star trails bue to lack of a mount and shacking tripod, I’m willing to get a nice refractor achromatic or apochromatic telescope in the future
I’m looking to get a telescope as a Christmas gift for my husband. Something we can take with us when we go camping to stargaze. Or enjoy at home. What would you recommend? Would the Dobsonian be a good choice?
The Sky-Watcher Heritage Table-top 130mm mentioned in the video is the perfect size for camping.
@ thank you!
Im looking into getting a beginners telescope with an affordable price around the $ 300 and easy to use also not to heavy. Which would you recommend?
hey lan
thank you I have learned so much from your video
so I want to get my first telescope but I want some thing that is traditional and smart but not fully smart
I want a telescope that locate the objects in the sky since I don't have any experience in the sky
can you please recommend me some
I have seen many but I couldn't decide what to get ,I want to see if I'm really in to it
It sounds like you’re looking for a go-to telescope (one that will find objects for you). The Celestron nexstar or evolution telescopes are very good for that. Skywatcher also makes go-to dobsonian telescopes, take a look at those.
As an alternative, there are “push-to” telescopes like Celestrons star sense explorer telescopes, where you use a phone app attachment which helps guide where you should manually move your telescope to. Hope that helps!
Hey, loved your video, you have made us very excited about getting our first telescopes. Def gotta us a Dobsonian. But man these smart telescopes! Our question is... between the Dwarf 3 and the Seestar S50, which one do you recommend and why??? From video reviews, the S50 appears more fun and user friendly, but the field of view on the Dwarf 3 is very compelling. I do have experience with photography and post processing, so that's not really a factor. Would love to hear any of your opinions on this specific matchup!! Thank you
Thank you very much for this information Ian
This was so thorough! I really appreciate your input.
Glad it was helpful. Happy stargazing!
Hello there, very informative video!!
Thank you
I am planning to buy a dob STARSENSE EXPLORER 150mm, would that be a good choice?
Which would you recommend for someone with a master's degree in Space Physics, but no experience operating a telescope? Is there a best intermediate-level telescope I could figure out how to operate if I put the time in? Price range would be 1k-2k
I always dreamt of having a high end telescope. I’m between getting the nexstar 8 se or the nexstar 8 evolution.
Interested in looking at planets and galaxies among others. Which one you recommend please
I own the 9.25" evolution and love it. The motorized mount on the 8se feels limiting. Both will perform the same when looking through it, so it's up to you whether the additional features of the evolution are worth it.
Hey Ian I'm looking for a telescope with a video out feature so I can plug it into a 25 inch monitor I have. This is so a group of people can see the view without having to take turns looking through an eyepiece.
One of the smart telescopes might be the best choice, then you can screen mirror your iPhone or iPad view to the monitor to show the results of the telescope
How do you feel about the sky watcher 8 in comparison to the aperture 8? I noticed that when you were discussing Dobsonian telescopes you did mention the other company but stuck primarily with sky watcher. I’ve read on other forums and people seem to favor the aperture eight Dobsonian so wanted to hear your thoughts on your preference.
Both are identical, my recommendation is to go with whatever is priced better at the time of purchase.
What do you think about the BRESSER GoTo Telescoop 80/400? I want to use is also when I'm for traveling but the most times @ home. Photography is not a important fact but nice if you can do it.
Hi!
May I have a question? If I already bought a (used) Bresser Spica 130/1000 EQ3 before watching your video and cant return it. Do you have a Video or can you recommend a video for beginners how to use it?
Moonraker sells some stunningly good looking hand-made telescopes: shiny steampunk tubes with intricate sciency details. They're not just showpieces though, many of them have impressive optics varying from classic f/15 doublets with long tubes to state of the art modern APO triplets.
I'd have a Moonraker if I could afford one.
Hi Ian,
This video was super helpful :) im looking at getting my first ever telescope, and you mentioned Celestron in your video. Would the "Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ Telescope" be a good first one?
Cheers 😊
I've only used the Starsense Explorer 130, but it worked just fine, amazing views of the Moon, and pretty nice views of the planets. If you find you enjoy using it a lot, I would recommend upgrading the eyepieces next, and getting a variable moon filter to reduce the moon brightness when looking at it near full moon.
@@ianlauerastro awesome thank you :)
Nice vid, I am using a Skywatcher 200mm Newtonian ( 200P ), Skywatcher 102mm/f500 ( very compact ) , Teleskop Service 102mm/1100mm refractor with fine dual focuser ( my best lens and view quality for the planets ) and a Bresser 127mm/F9,5 refractor ( nice but not especially better than my other refractors ). All fine scopes for very reasonable prices. But please boys and girls, spend some money on better eyepieces and the mount, it WILL change the hobby! My favorite scope is my smaller 102mm/F500, you know why? Very easy to handle and the setup is done in 2 minutes, the only one that is also possible to travel with without car. Crispy clear views one Jupiter, Saturn, the Moon and some star clusters and yes Andromeda is watchable as well. The best telescope is the one you use the most, simple as that :)
With your f500, can you take photos through it?
Having been a telescope user since the 1960s, I feel like this video addresses a small number of wannabe viewers. I would recommend try it before you buy it. Local astronomy clubs have public viewing nights. Getting a chance to talk to an actual owner and why they like a particular telescope is really helpful. You will get an excellent sense of what you can see through a telescope and how good the planets, moon, stars, celestial objects are seen through the different models. I find that knowing what can be seen and how pleasing a view is of different objects would help you in your choice. Telescope operation can be confusing as I have found as lead instructor for telescope facilitation at DMNS so working with your local club is so vital. Get involved with other amateur astronomers and your telescope will not end up collecting dust.
I feel like you're talking about me, I don't see how I'm a wannabe anything....I know absolutely nothing, and I'm wanting to get a telescope, I live in rural country Australia, and live with chronic illness, and I can only research online, and so this video has been helpful, every little bit helps..... It makes you come across as an Astro purist/elitist, that kind of attitude will push people away, and I could only assume that you would rather be spreading interest and being able to share your passion with other people? No need to be negative, this guy is just trying to help and share his knowledge, and I am thankful for one🙂🖖🙏
does anyone know if the Celestron StarSense Explorer 80 mm LT 80AZ would be a good beginner telescope? 🔭
Hi. Loved ur advise. As iam a bigenner and searching for the right one. Amazon is the place as of now to do my search later might choose to go to Astronomical store for final pick up. Just checking how is KSON brand 135mm dobsonian telescope
This is literally a gold mine!
Thanks a lot
Hi Ian. Is a Sky-Watcher Flextube 250P SynScan GoTo Collapsible Dobsonian a good choice for a beginner living in the country. Its only 2300.00 canadian.
Would this be good for planets and deep sky as well?
That’s a great visual telescope for planets, moon, and if you’re away from light pollution, deep sky. I used one regularly for outreach years ago, and it’s quite heavy, but we mounted it on a custom roller base and it was great
Hey I got my very first telescope I've just brought a Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 127AZ Telescope. Is it any good? It came with a 25mm and 10mm eye piece and a 2x Barlow lense so I'm hoping to see some planets and nebula etc.
How do I know where to point my scope and adjust it... are there scopes that tell me what to do with an app?
have you had any experience on tthe Celestron orgin telescope, and if so what do you think for me to buy one for my first smart telescope.
Hi
i had celestron star sense explorer DX. can you tell me how to take photograph using Nikon 5300
We usually suggest to start with a good binocular. An 8x40 (or 10x50 or 7x50) of a respectable brand costs 100~200€ and is easy to use, easy to carry, can give good sights of Pleiades, Milky Way, Andromeda Galaxy, bright comets like the one is passing in these days, and of course moon, landscapes and birds. And when one decides to buy a telescope, you don't throw away the binocular, because it is still a good companion (if you bought a decent one and not a cheap 30-50€ one)
Another amateur astronomers group of our zone (Ravenna, Italy) bought 15 8x40 Nikon binoculars to make lessons on how to use binoculars and what to watch. We think it's an awesome initiative so we called them to do it also in our city
Thanks for the suggestions. How about combining Binoculars and a smart telescope?
Hello, i was wondering if "pullox space hunter az 76mm Newtonian astronomical reflector basic telescope with 700 focal length 175x upto 350 magnification " Is a good choice for being my first telescope, hope you can tell me
Hi . i want to buy a telescope . Should I get a 6 inch dob or 114mm eq ( It has an eq3 mount which I can convert to goto easily ) ? I want to do visual and deep space astrophotography
A 6 inch dob is a great visual astronomy telescope. I would not recommend the 114mm eq for astrophotography, you will spend a lot of time struggling with it as it's not a great astrophotography telescope. Check out my video "New To Deep Space Astro? My Advice To You", it will answer a lot of your questions about deep space astrophotography.
What about Omegon EQ telescopes, are they good?
I really need this! I’m getting myself into astronomy!
Glad it was helpful :)
I’m looking for one that is small because we travel I want it tor looking at planets and stars. I want to attach my phone on it as well. Is there something you can recommend
Hi. What do you think about Celestron 8se? I want to do astro photo. Thanks
It's a nice visual telescope, but not made for deep space photography, though with the right equipment, software, and plenty of practice you can get some nice photos of the Moon and planets.
Wouldn’t an equatorial mount be better for a beginner? I know they’re more complex to set up, but once you have it set up, it’s really easy to track whatever object you’re viewing. Just a thought.
Edit- Great video!
I’m a beginner, and I want to see as much w/in our galaxy (at least.)
I was looking at the 130EQ Newtonian Reflector w/ an equatorial mount, but he said EQ’s are terrible. I’m so confused. W/ a $300-350 budget, could you recommend the best telescope for a beginner, please? I do not know the nighttime sky well.
Any advice for "I want to look at a mountain 70 miles away" telescope. (wondering if it would be possible to see hikers summiting it).
Carroll and Ostlie has to be the only book titled “An Introduction” that is over 1300 pages.
As my professor called it, “BOB” aka the Big Orange Book
Incredible guide many tks
Thaks for sharing. Full disclosure question: Were you sponsered or were you benefited in any way by any of these companies you recommended?
I wish! Maybe one day I can get sponsored :)
Thank you Ian, great video.
Thanks so much - I hope it was helpful!
Hi Ian! Really very informative video for someone like me who is interested in astronomy and wants to start!
I live in an area with little light pollution (bortle scale 4-3) and since I don't have to travel anywhere with my telescope I would like to get one of the BIG TELESCOPES you mentioned in the video.
When I researched the Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian Telescope
I came across your telescope and saw that Orion, one of the brands you recommend, produces it, but I wanted to ask you since I am new to this business. I am interested in deep space images and I wonder if I can view them with this telescope.
Would you recommend this telescope?
SkyQuest is a great visual telescope. It's good for viewing deep space targets!
You said deep space images, so I'm guessing you're interested in astrophotography? If so and you are looking to do deep space photography, it is not a great option. Astrophotography is a different animal and requires different equipment entirely.
I sadly got one of the super cheap EQ ones from amazon (it was a christmas gift). I couldn’t manage to see anything and I really tried many times (research and tutorials included). It was and is truly frustrating! As you mentioned they break fast and indeed that’s happened to mine as well. So now here I am frustrated with a broken meh „telescope“!!
Actually I would love to do both, see stuff the old fashioned way and take photos as well. Do you have any advice for me?! Thank you in advance!
Any recommendations for a telescope that will work well for both dSLR/mirrorless camera via a t-mount and traditional viewing? It also needs to be light enough that I can take it with me to a dark sky location. I’m too close to my city.
Thanks Ian for the education!
How does the Sky Watcher Virtuoso GTi 130p compare for a beginner. Thank you!
It’s a great telescope! I’ve not used it personally but it’s reasonably priced for what it does
Do you have any recommendations on retailers? I don’t have an astronomy store in my area so I don’t know what else to do besides Amazon
How about a Bresser Messier Dobsonian 12” for a beginner and a 9 year old?
hey! I just got my first ever telescope!!!! Polaris 130 reflector, i am struggling to use it, any videos i should watch to learn it?
I wasn't sure what type of telescope that was given to me as a gift years ago. Thank you. I now know what I have. 😊 Turns out it was a pretty nice one for my level. 😀
The first thing I learned about using my "department store" telescope was to set the whole thing, tripod and all, up on a table so I didn't wreck my back looking through it for more than a minute. The second thing I learned was that it's surprisingly hard to find what you're looking for. The third thing was, the farther away you're looking, the more you have to keep moving the thing to keep up with what you're looking at.
Can any of those Dobson telescopes connect with the phone (with an app) to help pointing to whatever is now available on sky? I'm looking for a decent telescope for my 13 years old son and affaraid that it won't be used as it will be too complicated. Also, I saw somewhere that pictures can be done with a normal camera, just need an adaptor between camera and telesope..
Hey Ian , just curious why you didn't mention SCG style scopes like those in Celestron's Nexstar series? Is there a fundamental problem with them that should be avoided?
They’re great telescopes and nice optics, and if it was a few years ago I would have suggested nexstar (and similar) scopes no problem. But the price of the telescope has skyrocketed to the point that I can’t recommend it for someone’s first telescope. But if someone has their eyes set on one and is fine with the cost, go for it!
@@ianlauerastro I forgot to mention that I love your and Cat's content. You guys should write a book on astrophotography
@@corewarriorreally appreciate the kind words! We’ve talked about it :)
@@ianlauerastro credit card is at the ready! All the best
I know you literally just told me not to buy the motorized telescope, but I am hard headed... I have been looking at the virtuoso gti 150 Go to version. Partly because I am new new to any of this, And worry without the go to functionality I wont be able to find or track anything cool to look at. I guess the question boils down to are the cons truly bad enough to not consider this model? Over all seems to get really good reviews and seems to be one of the more highly recommended for the price range. Just curious about your thoughts.
I know it was 8 month ago , but what do you think about celestron 70mm travel scope?
The tripod and pointing ability on the travel scope is awful and makes it hard to use. I would recommend binoculars over it
10:30 what would you recommend to a photographer trying to come up, having them use not a camera? Dude what..
Hey! I've been using an Orion XT10 for about the past 3 years. I want to get into astrophotography, but this scope just isn't it. I also want something portable, and im not very worried about aperture anymore.
Would it be a smart move to sell my scope and buy an entry level Go-To EQ? I've been watching one on Explore Scientific for about 500 USD that really interests me. Whole kit, comes with an 80mm refractor and an adapter for a DSLR I already own.
It depends on your goals. The Explore Scientific GoTo is not amazing for astrophotography, and you'll likely end up upgrading sooner rather than later. I always recommend folks starting with a star tracker like the Sky Watcher GTI, and using a lens or wide-field telescope (redcat 51 or similar) as it's an easy entry point that you can still use, even as you upgrade to larger equipment.
I have a video for people getting into Deep Space AP that should help: ua-cam.com/video/xy5yv20m3gA/v-deo.htmlsi=crj0RJT0oo0Wh_RH
What are your thoughts on the dobsonian 8” and the seestar s50 as a first telescope? I’m stuck between these in the $600~ish range
It all depends on what you're interested in. If you like idea of viewing space through an eyepiece, and don't mind the size of the telescope, the Dobsonian is awesome (especially for the Moon and planets). If you are more interested in seeing deep space objects in detail, the SeeStar is the preferred choice.
Good advice! I've had a 4.5" w/ EQ mount. I've had an 8" Dob. I got frustrated with tracking, especially with the Dob. I want to view and photograph things from the moon to deep space objects. I know it's going to cost me, so I want to be smart about it. I've seen some nice "smart" mounts from iOptron and others. I assume I could find a mid-sized Schmidt-Cassegrain (like 8"?) and add a camera, or use an eyepiece?
As long as you have a computerized EQ mount that can handle the weight capacity of your telescope, you'll be in a good place to start in astrophotography. The Schmidt-Cassegrain is a good scope for doing both visual and astrophotography - keep in mind the long focal length will have quite a learning curve if you aren't experienced with astrophotography...but don't let that stop you :)
Thank you for the video.
If you get an equatorial mount is it possible to get a different mount and move the telescope to that?
I think what i am going to buy is the seestar s50 (ive already been looking into buying one) for looking a galaxys and nebulas and ill get 8 dob aptera for looking at planets
That’s a great route to take! Happy stargazing!
What would be a good telescope for teaching a HS astronomy and exoplanet class?
It all depends on your budget. Actually collecting data on transiting exoplanets will require a very large telescope and accessories.
But if you want to show change in light curves, you can collect data on variable stars with very a modest setup. The SeeStar or, if you have the budget, the vaonis smart scopes, can do the job without the complexity of an telescope imaging system.
Hey Ian! thanks for this informative video :) what build / telescope would you recommend for someone who wants to do astrophotography + visual as well? budget < $2.5k
i cant decide if i should spend on the Celestron Nex Star 8SE, or a 8" dobsomian ? or build my own?
thank you.
Astro + visual is tough but definitely doable. What type of astrophotography are you most interested in? There’s no one telescope that can do it all (unless you’re willing to dish out some serious cash!)
The SE and dobs are great visual telescopes, and can do some lunar/planetary astrophotography, but they are not suited for deep space.
@@ianlauerastro hmm more for stars + deep space and abit of moon :)
what do you think about the Seestar S50?
@@jzwgrch The SeeStar is great for exploring around the night sky, but it's not a visual telescope - it has a built-in camera. I do recommend the SeeStar because it allows you to see more details in deep space than you could see with an eyepiece!