100mm Binoculars
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 MICROSCOPE BINOCULAR HEAD MOTIC K 500 GREAT PARTS NEEDS REPAIR  US $9.99
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 7X 90X Stereo Zoom Microscope on Boom 80 LED Light US $512.00
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 Bogen Manfrotto 3185 Mini Pro Cine Video Tripod NEW US $314.97
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 Canon EF 100 400mm f 45 56L IS USM Lens KIT NEW US $1,649.97
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 Canon EF 100 400mm f 45 56L IS USM Telephoto Lens NEW US $1,619.97
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 Canon EF 100mm f 20 USM Telephoto AF Lens Kit NEW US $509.97
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 Nikon Coolpix P300 26246 42x Fast f 18 HD Digital Camera 32GB Kit NEW US $343.97
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 Brand New Professional Adjustable 20 180x100 Zoom Binoculars US $45.99
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SR-100 with P/T Thermal Camera
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3X / 8D Schweizer LED Illuminated Stand Magnifier - 100 x 75mm Lens
Sale Price: $201.95 |
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BUSHNELL 788840 NORTHSTAR 100MM MAKSUTOVE TELESCOPE
Sale Price: $490.49 |
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Celestron 44102 400x Power Laboratory Biological Microscope
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Orion Observer 70mm Equatorial Refractor Telescope
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Buying A Telescope: What Kind Of Telescope Should I Buy?
Although it is possible to have many hours of pleasure observing the night sky using the naked eye or binoculars, at some point in every amateur astronomer's career the decision is made to buy a telescope.
With the huge number of telescopes (and types of telescope) available, deciding which is the right one to buy can be a tough decision. So it pays to do a little research to find a telescope that suits your individual needs.
Some things to think about when you're buying a telescope:
Telescope Portability
Portability is a major issue. Differences in size and optical design create vast differences in telescope portability, and any telescope that you take out and use will be far better than one that sits in the cupboard because it is too heavy or too cumbersome.
Telescope Aperture
The diameter of a telescope - its aperture - determines how well the telescope will perform. Aperture actually refers to the diameter of the 'scope's main lens or mirror and not the telescope tube itself. The larger a telescope, the more light it can gather and the fainter the objects you can see with it. Bigger telescopes also have better resolution, which means you'll see finer detail on planets and deep-sky objects and you'll be able to split tighter double stars.
Your Local Conditions
These days, suburban areas are heavily light polluted. There's an ever-present glow in the sky from all the city lights, drowning out faint objects. To get truly dark skies, you may need to travel some distance outside of a city. In such cases, a portable telescope will be of better use to you. On the other hand, a large telescope used with filters can eliminate a lot of the effects of light pollution and a backyard observatory might be a better solution for you (this saves time setting up and taking down a telescope each observing session).
How Much Should You Pay?
Poorly built telescopes are less common these days but expect to pay a few hundred dollars for a quality telescope. For the same amount of money, you will always be able to buy a larger reflecting telescope than a refracting one (one that uses lenses). More work is required to grind lenses than mirrors, so this is always reflected (no pun intended) in the price.
You can see hundreds of deep-sky objects, the planets and features on the Moon with a good-quality 80mm refractor or a 6-inch reflector. Larger telescopes will allow you to see deeper into the night sky. Telescopes hold their value well over time and do not depreciate in value like personal computers. A quality instrument will always command a good resale price should you ever come to sell.
Telescope Accessories
Most telescopes these days are provided with a mount. Some even come with GoTo mounts as standard (these allow you to select an object to look at and have the telescope slew to that object in the sky). Without GoTo, you'll need to use a map of the night sky and navigate to the object of interest using a procedure called star-hopping (essentially using known bright stars in the sky as a roadmap to fainter objects you're interested in viewing). If you're not interested in learning your way around the sky or you want to pursue astrophotography, then a GoTo Mount will be essential.
Conclusion
Analyse your lifestyle first. Minimise the set-up.
Don't buy in a camera shop / catalogue shop. Buy from a dedicated telescope shop.
Spend as much as you can. Ignore accessory bundles. Note the resale value of the same or similar used telescopes. Don't overspend.
Unless you already know you're very serious about astronomy, buy an 80mm refracting telescope or a 6-inch reflecting telescope. Stay away from smaller telescopes as you'll find them too restrictive after a while. If you are serious about astronomy, then buy a 100mm (or larger refractor) or an 8-inch (or larger) reflector. Large telescopes may need to be housed outside (in a shed or backyard observatory).
Remember, above all, you're buying a telescope to appreciate the wonders of the night sky, not to give you back trouble or frustration because it's too awkward to move! Buy a telescope that you will actually use, not one you think would be great but that will never actually get used in practice.
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