What telescope should I buy?

This is the number one question astronomers get asked... so what's the answer?
Videos mentioned:
How to "see" the constellations:
• How to see the constel...
I'm new to astrophotography and don't know what to do:
• Astrophotography Walkt...
Hardware Mentioned:
Nexstar 8"
optcorp.com/products/celestro...
Nexstar 6"
optcorp.com/products/celestro...
Nexstar 4"
optcorp.com/products/celestro...
Edge HD 8"
optcorp.com/collections/celes...
Sky-Watcher eq6-r pro equatorial mount
optcorp.com/products/sky-watc...

[@TALLYTHER]

I'm 76 years young and haven't done any stargazing since 1966 so to say the least I have forgotten 90% of what I learned in college. Before I depart this world I thought it appropriate to review the basic issues regarding what I should buy at this late stage of the game. Oh my vision isn't all that great either! Once upon a time I was enthralled with viewing the heavens throughout the night using a 16" reflector mounted on a trailer with 13" car wheels. It was all I could do to drag it out of the school hanger located at the end of a WWII plane landing strip. I would spend 6 or 7 hours in a winter night for 3 months 2 times a week. I was given instruction one time only and left alone. Needless to say it got a bit tiring but I have longed to go back to those times and do it again with a bit less inconvenience to my much weaker body. I've looked at a number of Astronomy related channels in the last 3 months and never left a comment. Now to the point! I want to praise your channel in that you make things interesting and almost make me excited to get back into this. Your descriptions of what, how and why are second to none for this tiring engineer. Besides its time to spend some of that money on me instead of the grandkids or two great grandkids. All I can say is Thanks and you are a TRUE PROFESSIONAL in every way! But I will be doing astrophotography as the main objective.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Thank you so much for your kind and encouraging words. I'm glad you find the channel useful. When I was first getting into this, I found a lot of the videos out there to be confusing as a beginner. Many of them assumed a significant amount of Base knowledge. I wanted to make something more accessible. You say you're having trouble with your eyesight, so astrophotography might be a good option for you. The camera can see more than our eyes can even if you had 20/20 vision. If you do want to use the telescope for optical viewing, then getting one with a lower f-stop value will help the telescope gather more light, which will make the image brighter for the eye. My telescope, which is the one I recommend in this video, is f10. That's about as slow as it gets which means I get a darker image which is harder on the eyes. But my other telescope is f2 which captures light like a beast! Unfortunately that one is exclusively for astrophotography as there is no place to attach an eyepiece. But I can get amazing images with far less exposure time with that telescope. There is an attachment called a reducer that I can attach to my f/10 telescope which brings it down to f6. The lower the number, the brighter the image. So there are lots of options both for optical and photography. That's one of the things I like about this hobby is that it is quite flexible and you can take it in so many directions.

[@icyxxxxx]

Wish u the best

[@howlinallen7720]

This is an amazing story! For myself I am a 21 year old man who has always found the stars fascinating. I am finally getting into the hobby as I am going through college and I am loving it so far! I have started out on an extremely budget friendly travel scope, but I feel I am about ready to upgrade and increase my horizons! That’s what brought me to this video and to your comment! Have a fantastic time stargazing! I hope I get to see some of your Astrophotography one day! Clear Skies!

[@danytoob]

@TALLYTHER ... I'm in a very similar boat as you, (couple years younger & no grandkids ... yet ...🤣). My Jr. college actually had (still has I think) a small observatory. The class I was able to take only gave us 2 or 3 opportunities to use it and I never was able to continue the hobby. I'm just now trying to decide if (or what) scope I'm going to take a shot on. Best of luck and wishes to you on your quest (& to me too I guess ...lol)

[@swapshots4427]

68 same boat

[@evelynschneider1548]

This was, hands down, the best informational video I have seen on this subject. You now have one more loyal viewer.

[@iMelxis]

Thanks, this is the best video so far that I watched about buying first telescope

[@nocturnalmayhem0]

the best advice i can give anyone gettin into this is do your reaearch and see if theirs any clubs you can visit to look through a telescope before you pay a single dime. once you know you like it buy the best gear you can afford you get what you pay for especially in mounts. my 250 dollar f6 6in reflector works amazing but ive got 6500 dollars in my mount and eyepieces. so buy the best you can and only buy what youll use.

[@ElectronicElevation]

Great advise thank you! Will definitely watch your other videos👍

[@Standby52]

im a 72 year old vet who is partially disabled. I can't hunt, golf or fish anymore, but I be damed I can look at stars so I'm watching all the videos i can find. I'm happy I found your site and trying to absorb as much as I can before I buy a telescope within the next couple weeks. Thank you very much for your no b..s. explanations. I love that. Thx again and keep the videos coming plz.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Thank you for your kind words and encouragement. I've had to give up some of my hobbies for various reasons too. But you're right, the stars are our constant companion. There's always something new out there to see. Clear skies!

[@ZachPetch]

I like your take on this. Thanks for sharing!

[@Drvelvil]

Perfect explanation! Thank you very much!

[@adamtaylor3352]

very informative, thanks. I'm learning new things every day before i purchase my first telescope.

[@Claudia-ve9vp]

Wow I did learn Easy the difference between those two. Thank you for sharing with us.

[@jorymil]

Really awesome to hear someone talking about rods and cones. We all have them; not many people realize they have them.

[@bite-sizedshorts9635]

If only people could remember what they were taught in school.

[@ntldr2005]

Even though I'm 6 months down the rabbit hole, I enjoyed this video. I jumped straight to astrophotography but have recently taken an interest in visual, which is another rabbit hole in itself. Purchased an EdgeHD8 last week to compliment my Redcat 51. It seems to be such a versatile OTA.

[@johnbarron1494]

Thank you , you did good with this. Very informative.

[@LooknLooks]

I liked this video for its simplicity and advices that make so much sense. I will be watching more of your video

[@Baldharlow]

Great Video... First of yours I've seen and I've subscribed. Looking forward to all you have to offer.

[@scottdallon1544]

I really enjoyed your explanations. Thanks for making these videos.

[@ronaldvanveen7666]

Thanks for your knowledge , great v .I learned some new stuff today.

[@properwaffles]

Astronomy mixed with a little physiology always actives my rods. Fantastic, sir. And the astrophotography rabbit hole is such a cool one to go down. Fun learning process, and seems like you can get some decent results if you do some reading🙌🏻

[@jdjones7065]

Sellers of telescopes are gonna love you. Great perspectives you share.

[@8252001Maverick]

Oh wow. Thank you for making this video. This video certainly provided a lot of clarity to me on telescopes. I don’t feel overwhelmed anymore. You have my subscription to your channel. Well done!

[@legacysearches4481]

I'm an avid astrophotographer. I agree with what he says. At 1st it seemed like SOOOOO much to learn and buy but over time I have been able to get the right gear and capture some images I am VERY proud of. There is a deep and lasting feeling of accomplishment with each new image or improvement on my last attempt.

[@AlexGarcia-cr5st]

Just discovered you channel man! great job explaining

[@frankypc]

I really appreciate this video. My daughter has one of those ToyBeee Telescopes 300F70 and the handicap instead of turning me off just made me want to get something better!

[@robbrookes4686]

So good. Well said. Learnt alot

[@marysed9191]

Thanks so much. I am looking to buy my first telescope. So far, everything is leading to the Celestron 8SE. Thanks for the EQ mount precious advice. You have a new subscriber😃

[@insaneAlchemyOfeviI]

Thanks Dr. Wilson, clear and informative presentation. I will buy one of these, maybe even better, because of you. - subbed & liked

[@sandipkamath7311]

thanks for the amazing summary, answers a lot of my questions.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Glad to help! 😊

[@fikumikudeone9792]

Thanks man I like that compressed version some other channels talk for hours and is challenging to focus

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Thanks for your kind review. I had the same problem with videos I was watching. I just want them to get to the point. At the same time, there are a lot of details that, if missed, will jam you up. So I try to get in all the info without the dilly dally.

[@KarlPerera]

A great little video which I liked so much I added a link to it from my website. I think it really lays everything out clearly.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Thank you for your kind words and support. Clear skies!

[@lm707]

This was a really great and honest video. Thanks so much.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Glad you enjoyed it..clear skies! ☺️

[@ameetjayawant4114]

Thank you for the simple, clean and concise explanation of the Goto technology. Just what I was looking for.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Glad to help! 😁

[@Shadow_kit4903]

very good introduction to astronomy for newbies

[@FLHTdriver]

As a newbie at 76 your video gave the best overview of what I need and what I want! Many thanks and keep up the great work. Now to check out more of your videos.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Thank you for your kind words and support 😊

[@danytoob]

Just learning about scopes, spending more hours than I care to admit to watching KZbin, checking prices. I did find out about the Edge HD options but those are way over my budget for now, though still good to file away in my memory bank. Thanks for the tips (some old ... but some new!).

[@bill-88]

Very enjoyable video...new subscriber and look forward to watching more of your videos especially ones for beginners.

[@markrichardson5321]

Thanks for the advice. I have a celestron 6SE but have been thinking of upgrading for the purpose of taking photos but might hold off and watch more of your videos first. 👍🏼

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Your 6se is a great scope to start your astrophotography journey with. If you are using the alt AZ mount it came with, you would be better served putting the money you have for a scope toward an equatorial mount instead. That is the most crucial part of astrophotography. I did a video about starting this Hobbie you might want to check out before buying anything kzbin.info/www/bejne/iX-YnXmqZ6pgfqM

[@Tom-zt7jh]

Just starting your video is very helpful. Thank you

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Glad you found this useful! 🙂

[@AirborneSapper82]

Great Video !!!! Thanks !!!!

[@gee6607]

Excellent video sir

[@DarrenPrice333]

Thank you so much for this video 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Glad to help 😊

[@preciouschidi2812]

Thank you so much great information 👏👏👏👏🫡

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

My pleasure. I hope it helps. Clear skies 🌠

[@Davefitz04]

You are very good at explaining these things to a beginner. I’ve always been interested and use those star tracking apps on my phone for years when camping, but i think I’m going to start with the orange telescope you described and go from there. I’m excited :)

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Glad to hear this was helpful. Telescope stuff can be intimidating at first because most people don't have a base knowledge to draw from like they may have with other hobbies. So there is this initial feeling of "where do I even start?". What's more, it's difficult to even know what to ask. My approach to these videos is to remind myself what that felt like and think about what advice I would have given myself when I was first starting. Have fun with the new scope!

[@Davefitz04]

Thank you!!

[@dennydritic2628]

Awesome video. I learned so much in such a short amount of space/time.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

I'm glad you found it useful. Thanks for the support. Clear skies!

[@dennydritic2628]

@@MrWilsonsChannel although i was a bit disappointed to see that the price for even the 4 inch telescope u showed is now well over a thousand smackers

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

In stock for $679 😊 all things telescope you will find to be expensive. If you watch it enough of my videos you'll see it's a constant complaint I have. It is an expensive hobby, but all hobbies seem to be that way. I find this particular hobby to be quite satisfying and worthwhile however. Being able to see with your own eyes things that so many don't even realize exist... It's a cathartic experience. octelescope.com/products/nexstar-4se-computerized-telescope-11049

[@kevinbishop7512]

Glad I found this video. Great presentation. I am totally new and want a 101 FAQ and this delivered. Now on to more of your videos. I am looking at a telescope around 250 bucks and that will guide me through the galaxy. Not necessarily taking photos. I can look at the internet for that.

[@seanmurphy5427]

Thanks

[@jasullyo1]

Just ran across your channel. just wanted to let you know that your video was very helpul to me. Thanks

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Glad it helped. Clear skies!

[@vienna35977]

Amazing video and very clear explanation for a beginner! Might also start going down the astrophotography rabbit hole. :)

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

It's fun, but expensive. If you choose to go down the rabbit hole, make sure you watch a couple of my other videos about how to get started. It'll probably save you a little money so you don't buy things you don't end up actually needing

[@bridgetoreilleymatthews1641]

I love looking at the night sky and trying to wrap my small brain around the shear enormity of the things i see at the distance they exist. I'm brand spanking new to this telescope thing and after 66 years... I'm about to purchase my first one, ever! I've only watched one of your videos thus far and have learned a great deal! I look forward to learning more!

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Thank you for your support. Space is amazing and I'm sure you're going to love your new telescope, whichever one you choose to get ☺️

[@pilotstiles]

Good video, I have been using my Orion XT10 as my second telescope I have ever owned to start taking pictures. I have a Sony NEX 5R and told myself why not it’s just sitting collecting dust. I went out and bought a camera adapter and hocked up my camera and BOoM! I got nothing but blur it wouldn’t focus. I kept messing with it and eventually told myself let me add a Barlow and try it then. It worked and was able to get some decent/so-so pics with a 1/2 sec exposure. After looking around I found out that my camera mount is too long. Eventually want to upgrade to a Meade lx200 with EQ mount but I am in no hurry.

[@knightclan4]

Great video 👍

[@ricksiegfried3725]

Yes, I learned a whole lot from you. Thank you very much cause I am a beginner and I just bought the Celestone next-door evolution 9.25 telescope and don't even know how to set it up but I am so excited to buy all the extra stuff to look at my Jupiter Venus MarsSaturn and the moon

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

That's a great scope. You're going to enjoy it 👍

[@Wildlifevideopicture]

Very good video and very informative. Thanks from Sweden!! //KD

[@jdjones7065]

Dude I applaud you, you just made my star gazing just that much more enjoyable. Thank you so much for you input continued happy viewing to you, 🙂 JD

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Great to hear! Clear skies 😊

[@Kelli.Hicks.5]

Hey, Mr. Wilson! 🙋‍♀️ I would agree with you, that when you're starting out, equipment doesn't *really* matter all that much. Sure, better equipment and set-ups are going to produce better products. BUT, when you're starting out, even that little, blurry, smudge of a photo is going to be ASTOUNDING to you because YOU took it. And that's the super cool part. Then, once you get the knack of it, you can start falling into that rabbit hole of specifics and extras, as with any hobby. 🌌🔭📸🐇🕳️

[@daveherron]

Tuition for the Astronomy Do It Yourselfer is high and Im still paying it 10 years later. I started with a Nexstar 4S then went to a Celestron 130 goto refractor for visual. Went the whole EAA route which plunged me down the astrophotography rabbit hole. Went for the CGEM II with EdgeHD 8 next and found all the complications with long focal length. Added a Hyperstar and guider. Recently I purchased a 72mm Askar FRA400, dedicated MeLE 3Q astro PC and plopped it on the CGEM II and am learning NINA. The CGEM II is also currently in pieces while I finish the HyperTune. Its been a fun yet expensive trip thats not over. If I had to do it all over again knowing what I know now, Id have started with the small refractor like the FRA400 on a ~ $1200 equatorial mount with a decent CMOS camera. The weight of the CGEM II / EdgeHD has kept it in the closet most of the time. Im already looking at the newer Harmonic Drive mounts as the entire setup with scope/guider weighs less than just mount head of the CGEM.

[@MountainFisher]

🤣🤣🤣 I'm not laughing at you, but with you. Fortunately my retirement income kept me from jumping off as high a cliff as you. I'm mostly visual and my primary is a reflector with refigured primary mirror and a reflectivity of 96-97%. The refigure literally has brought my mirror to near perfect focus with a Strehl ratio of .986 with 1.000 being perfect. I had to put a $400 JMI dual speed focuser on it so I could fine tune my view. I couldn't afford an electronic mount so I bought the strongest manual mount available, the Celestron CG-4 EQ. So now my $125 pawn shop C6-N Newtonian reached $1200 all for visual, not adding in ED glass eyepieces and Fujiyama Orthos. Oh, and one Zoom EP. I still had the shaky for a longer scope Explore Scientific Twilight One AZ mount I'd bought for the 6" reflector so I bought a 127mm Sky Watcher Maksutov Cassegrain for it. It isn't shaky with a short scope, but was for the much longer reflector. Hard to focus when the scope is shaking at 80x. It all started when I bought a 114mm reflector from Kohls online, but after looking through it I knew I couldn't live with the mount which was a yoke with that bar on the side. I returned it and was looking for another when I walked into a pawn shop.... Was it worth it? Yes, I live near Bortle 4 to Bortle 2 with only a 10 minute to 30 minute drive. Also my back porch is pretty dark as a 3 story building blocks most all the city lights so I spend a lot of time looking Northeast to Northwest to West. Man I know my way around the Big Dipper.

[@medicgrrl123]

Dude, you rock. Idk how you dont have more subscribers. Your zest is awesome!

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Thank you for your kind words and support ☺️

[@medicgrrl123]

@@MrWilsonsChannel anytime!

[@thomasweickgenant4823]

I’m new to telescopes and got one because not only do I want to see what’s out there, but I also want to get into astrophotography. A guy at a local hobby shop got me into the NexStar 8SE. So far I’ve purchased the adapters needed to connect my Olympus E-M5MarkII camera. I’m looking forward to watching and learning from your videos!

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Thanks for the support! I did a video called "I'm new to astrophotography and don't know what to do" which you may want to check out. I'll walk you through the entire process in that video. I have lots of other videos about different Astro photography related topics as well. Taking the actual pictures is just half the task. You'll also need to stack and edit them. When I first got into astrophotography I thought it was like regular photography in the sense that once I took the shot at an amazing picture. That's not how it works with this. When you take the shot, you usually have what looks like nothing at all. Just black. Once you process it, that's when all of the amazing stuff appears. I have videos on stacking and processing as well if you want to check those out

[@Astronurd]

Reflectors are generally longer than imaging refractors. The telescope choice is crucial for astrophotography.

[@johndaley9188]

I'm retired and started thinking about a telescope. I stumbled on to a few videos for education, and this evening, I found yours. I recently discovered the advantages to equatorial mounts, and as you said, this hobby/adventure can be expensive. I don't even have a camera. That's another rabit hole. The 8se has impressed me so far. There's plenty more work to do before I take the leap. Maybe Santa can help.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Santa is the best! He's left me more then a few astro goodies 🎅

[@kevincherry2215]

Thank you for a well thought out video. I am looking to purchase a telescope for my daughter and me to use and I didn’t fully understand the importance of the mount…until now.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Glad to help. Ive got lots of other astronomy videos, including one called "how to see the constellations" which is a great skill to have when getting started with all things space. Clear skies 😊

[@TexasEngineerScotty]

Nice video Mr. Wilson! My trajectory was similar to yours. I started with a C9.25 that I bought as an OTA and put on an evolution mount. As the AP bug bit as it so often does I ended up with a Esprit 120 ED refractor and shoot mono now with a ZWO ASI2600mm. One thing i'd like to add to your commentary about alt-az vs. equatorial is that not only do two motors have to synchronize to track the target, depending on how many degrees of arc you track for, that's how many degrees your field will rotate. And I might also add that that can usually be remedied with most Alt-Az mounts by adding their corresponding wedge if the company makes one.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Excellent point. And with everything in AP, those wedges can be a little pricey. I did a video on how to make your own wedge and it worked surprisingly well... But it's still a world apart from a quality eq mount

[@anata5127]

Middle-to-high end equipment. What about mount plans?

[@Fari_Far]

Subscribed >>> Notifications full on >>> Like. Keep up the great work ✌️👍👏

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Thanks for the support 😊

[@IceIceBurg]

Excellent video - I'm a beginner trying to decide on 8SE or the Evoluton 8.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

They appear to be essentially the same telescope. The main difference is in the mount. The evolution has a built in battery, which is nice, but for the $400 price difference, you could get a jackery portable power station 300 and save $100. That's nice because you could power other things in addition to the scope, but it's also another thing to lug around. The evolution has some other nice features to make setup and travel a little easier, which is nice. Either way, you'll be happy and get the same image quality.

[@ericrudy2504]

Good advice! I'm in too many hobbies at one time as it is and I just bought a telescope....I'm stupid. Looking forward to this though lol.

[@optiplexpavel]

Today I started the quest for my first telescope. I started 2 hours ago watching video after video about best beginer telescope. the thing is that I was starting to get more confuzed about this thing and started to lose my patience :)) But I watched your video and I felt like I was at school and before me I had the best teacher that you cand have about astrology. I loved your video and you now have a constant viewer and subscriber. looking forward to buy my new telescope and learn more things from you about this hobby that I had since I was young. I hope by watching your videos I can make up my mind about what telescope will be the best for me as a noobye. Thank you agin! Regards from Romania :)

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Thank you so much for your kind words and support! It really means a lot. I hope you find the scope you're looking for and have lots of clear skies to use it under.

[@alexrichardson9125]

Nothing like the bigger picture (pun unintended)

[@ddbhemzelf3427]

complete true

[@woodswalker88]

Thanks! We can't see many stars where I live (southeast PA). Last month I visited Cherry Springs Dark Sky Park and I haven't been the same since. I'm captivated by the night sky! I've thought about getting a telescope or maybe just some powerful binocs. Not sure which would be better...I don't want to find specific 'targets", so much as just gaze at all the stars in their glory. Afraid of spending a lot of $$ because I tend to get into hobbies and get bored later. Thanks for your video!

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

If you know specifically that you want to admire without looking at specific targets and dont desire to get into astrophotography, then binoculars may be best. Why pay for features you won't use? Plus, you will be able to use them in the day time for terrestrial observation as well, so you get a 2 for 1.

[@DaveAndrus]

Great video, and excellent advice! My first telescope was a $200 3" refractor that I bought because I was taking an astronomy class in college decades ago. I really enjoyed both the scope and the class. Getting back into astronomy in the recent past, I bought the Nexstar 8se with the included Az-El GoTo mount like you recommended, and have enjoyed visual astronomy for a year. Then I went down the "better and better eyepiece" rabbit hole, which is parallel to the astrophotography rabbit hole, but completely separate and just about as expensive. Now I'm about a year down the astrophotography rabbit hole and enjoying it. Thankfully thus far, I haven't had to make the decision between buying a new piece of gear or eating! If I had to do it over again, I would definitely have started with the 8se OTA (the actual telescope "tube") with the Celestron AVX GoTo equatorial mount, which I now have. It's a little more expensive combo, but I wouldn't have ended up with the extra mount and tripod that are now sitting in a closet. To be fair, I was limited in my choices at the time because of COVID, and as many of us know, lots of telescopes, mounts, eyepieces, cameras, and such things were very hard to get from 2020-2022. Supplies have definitely come up recently, but there are still lots of things that are out of stock or hard to find at a decent price. The less risk-averse among us have maybe bought used items from several of the online watering holes such as Cloudy Nights or Astromart. I've had good luck with a few used items so far. Maybe I'll sell my Az-El mount on one of them! One last bit of advice I'm sure you can agree with: Consider buying a pair of binoculars. I keep mine in a drawer near the door to the back yard. Enjoyng the moon or the Pleiades with them is a great experience. Binoculars are almost a "must" for becoming familiar with the constellations, since a telescope will tend to overshoot them visually.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

That's a great point you make about binoculars. I have a relatively inexpensive pair of Celestron binoculars that I use for all manner of things. It's great for both the sky, but also looking at terrestrial objects. That's hard to do with a telescope if you just want to look at something real quick. I have just the stock eyepieces that came with my 8se and I've often wondered if getting a higher-quality eyepiece would be worth it. But you're right, those things can be expensive! I do a lot of astronomy nights with my students and thought something like that might make the experience better for them. But I wasn't really sure about it?

[@DaveAndrus]

@@MrWilsonsChannel Somewhat counter-intuitively, I've found my greatest enjoyment with lower-power eyepieces like a 34 mm to 46 mm lens on the 8se is quite nice to have. You can always add a decent 2X Barlow lens to make it a 2-fer. I'll confess that I'm also somewhat addicted now to 2" eyepieces and diagonal. The field of view is just so nice, but of course there is the added cost and the reduced set of choices with 2" stuff. I never use the stock (was it 24mm?) eyepiece that came with the 8se after my first 2" 26mm 70 degree FOV eyepiece in about the same power. Svbony makes a very nice 2" 26mm starter for under $60. A 2" diagonal, though, is 3x more cost. I'm by no means an expert, but I really like the wider field of view and the extra light I get. The first time I used the 2" eyepiece and diagonal together was another "oh wow" moment!

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

That's great to know. I'm going to look into that. I mainly use the telescope for optical use during star parties with my students. Anything to make the experience more spectacular as what I'm looking for 🤩 thanks for the tip

[@mike3271]

I'm looking to get into this and was eyeing the 8se but my only concern was the mount. Going to look into your recommendation

[@PafMedic]

Great Video,Thoroughly Enjoyed It,I Own Quiet A Few With My 6se and AR 102/1000 The Biggest,I Watched A Video On A Guy Saying A Newbie Shouldnt Get The 6se🤦🏼‍♀️Its Best To Learn The Sky,I Still Do A Lot Of Star Hopping,The Way I Grew Up,lol..God Bless and Clear Skies🙏🏻❤️🔭🌏✨

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

I agree... Learning the sky is a reward in itself. But I've found a lot of newcomers lack that discipline and just want instant gratification. So Ive found the goto option a good fit for most people. My favorite part of a star party, however, is walking people through the sky and showing off the constellations with my laser pointer. Clear skies ☺️

[@angeltensey]

Strongly agree with the point that for beginner, mount is more important. When i've got my first scope back then, it was equipped with fork mount (az2 type) and it was atrocious. The only thing that kept me from abandoning astronomy because of bad first impression is that i was a cosmos crackhead for my entire life and also purposely lowered my expectations to the bottom. I quickly got an EQ mount and oh boy that was something. Also, in my opinion, go-to mounts are not for beginners. They allow you to just speedrun through the experience of discovery and will left you with nothing else to do. Discovery is joy of visual astronomy.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Same. My first mount was a completely manual eq. It had two knobs and no polar alignment reticle. No motors. No computer. Totally manual. Took hours for me as a kid to read a star chart and find even one of the brightest targets. But I was an astro crackhead like you, so I kept at it.

[@MichaelEdelman1954]

Refractors cost more because the glass is more expensive, and four surfaces need to be ground, while a reflector requires only one surface. Beginners are probably best off with a 4-1/2”, 6”, or 8” Dobsonian type reflector, depending on their budget.

[@technocore1591]

Great video, but I'd like to add a couple of points.. Without disagreeing at all with your recommendations, I'd also suggest reaching out to a local astronomy club and hang out with them and see what scopes they're using so you can actually see what's what. It's a great way to get started. They LOVE to show off their gear! Secondly with regards to people who get frustrated, if you're dipping your toe into the water, give craigslist or the used market a try and maybe get something someone else gave up on. You can get something probably not awesome but at a price point where you can justify "I just wanted to see." before your standing in front of 5000 dollars of astrophotography gear at 2am freezing your patooties off! 🤣

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

All excellent suggestions! Thanks 😊👍

[@victorl.mercado5838]

Great suggestions. Thanks.

[@BruceWayne-us3kw]

I'm glad I watched this. I really want to buy a telescope but they can be really expensive. I want to make sure I'm getting my money's worth.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

I'm so glad this was helpful! I love astronomy and it pains me when I hear of people buying a "bad" scope they end up hating and then it just sits in a closet someplace. They think the hobby stinks based off that one bad experience. But if we can get them something easy to use that also lets them see some decent things... That's a scope you'll use ☺️

[@tuunaes]

If you think visual astronomy is expensive, you better not check price of equipment, especially mounts, astrophotographers often have. Most of them usually have separate telescopes for photography and visual observing with photography telescope being rather small in aperture to get away with cheaper mount. Smaller light collecting power is simple to counter with longer/more exposures in photography. While in visual observing aperture is what decides how good everything looks: Light collecting power decides how many faint fuzzies you can see and how well you can see details in them. Same for number of stars in clusters. Aperture diameter also decides how small details telescope can distinguish and how high magnifications you can use for the Moon/planets. Big aperture also turns globular clusters from faint round fuzzy blobs to lots of individual stars. And actually good looking deep sky objects are mostly quite easy to find with some basic skills. In reasonably dark sky best of them are naked eye visible. Objects beyond that are always basically just small faint fuzzies. (free AstroHopper can help to find more of those) Images you see in printed media and online are simply extremely misleading for what you can see visually. Our Moon is really the only exception to that giving whole field of view full of details. Which can also change lot in couple hours with change in illumination angle requiring frequent observing to catch everything. If there's local/nearby astronomy club, that could give chance to see what different targets look and to "calibrate expectations".

[@tuunaes]

@@MrWilsonsChannel Unfortunately Celestron is selling sh*tload of those bad telescopes in Astromaster and PowerSeeker lines. More than couple are such scams they should get Celestron into court.

[@dustindebaie-hq4gm]

Cassegrain telescopes are worth the investment for beginners and give excellent images/viewing.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

I agree. I love mine. I use it for optical viewing and outreach as well as astrophotography. It's super flexible.

[@1delta_10tangos]

Just want to get a closer look at the firmament 👀

[@hobbeeswe7472]

Looking at MANY videos about astro photography and equipment for the last week and I must say that from an ease-of-understanding perspective, this video is superior (no other word big enough). Thanks! Contemplating an HEQ5 Pro + 200-250 mm reflector telescope, selecting the rest of the gear is a puzzle. I will look through your videos for info about photoequipment, powerbanks, lenses, etc etc etc.... :)

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

I'm so glad this helped. Good luck piecing it all together. I have a video called "I'm new to astrophotography and don't know what to do" that walks you through the whole process including the parts you need. It might be a good place to start.

[@hobbeeswe7472]

@@MrWilsonsChannel I thought you were being ironic with that title, sorry :D .... I will watch it immediately, getting more and more emersed in astronomy as I read and watch films about it, but I am starting to dread I might have to chose between visual astronomy and astro photography... Bummer :)

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

The ultimate answer is you can do both visual and photo, unless you get a RASA telescope which can only do photos. But pretty much all other telescopes are going to let you do both. If you don't have any telescope at all yet, you can start with visual by getting a non rasa scope with some cheap eye pieces just to wet your appetite. The biggest obstacle to photography is all of the little doodads you need to make it work get pretty expensive. But you can start on the cheap by getting a little adapter to hold your phone up to the eyepiece of your telescope. Your pictures won't come out great, but it's a good way to start down the rabbit hole. I've slowly assembled my rig little by little over time as money permitted, as I think most of us do. You can see some good stuff with just your eyes. But the camera can see so much more! I had fun with my eyepieces, but it wasn't until I started doing photography that I truly realized the immensity of what is up there. The fact is our eyes just aren't sensitive enough to see but 5% of what's really in the sky, even through a telescope. The camera sees all.

[@hobbeeswe7472]

@@MrWilsonsChannel Fabulous reply, thanks! If you don't mind a question, do you consider a goto/tracking Dobsonian "heading down the wrong path", i.e. is it better to start with a good EQ mount and either a DSLR or a simple but good telescope that can be expanded later on?

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

In the interest of transparency I must admit I've never used a dob firsthand myself. The ones I've seen however have been quite large. Storage and portability are issues to consider. If the telescope is too big, heavy, or difficult to set up, it will impact how often you use it. The telescope I have is relatively small in the mount doesn't take up too much space. So I'm able to keep everything in a closet which makes it convenient to store and set up

[@tomkirby3281]

I have a Meade 8" SCT, but it's so bulky I rarely do anything with it. I'm buying a 4" refractor, which is far more portable. My SolarMax 40 is also reasonably portable.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Portability is an excellent point. I find as I'm getting older that my heavy equipment is getting heavier. 😉

[@sylviegenest1888]

Great video. I’m interested in a Nexstar SE telescope. Though I would love the 6 or 8 inch, finances dictate I will probably only be able to afford a 4 inch. You make it sound very simple to set one up. I’m reading conflicting accounts on setup. Some say the finder is junk and makes it next to impossible to do the three star setup. Many people say they have had to buy a better finder scope. Thoughts on this? I want to make sure I will be able to use this scope easily.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Great question! The finder scope mine came with was a Red Dot. Similar to what you would put on a gun. The red dot itself is ok, but the way it mounts to the scope isn't great. As a result, it has to be recalibrated each time you use the scope. It's actually really easy to calibrate however. Just point the telescope at something really bright like the moon or a street light. Really bright objects like that are easy to find in the telescopes without the finder scope. Once you have it centered in the eyepiece, adjust the little knobs on the Red Dot until the DOT is on the bright object. Then you're ready to go! I did eventually upgrade mine to a telrad finder. It's amazing, but unnecessarily huge! The telrad doesn't ever seem to come out of alignment. But it's so big and bulky. I wouldn't let this issue dissuade you one way or the other. The finder is definitely necessary, but easy enough to work with despite its limitations.

[@niri2375]

Hi, I am new to astrophotography and astronomy in general but want to learn and make it a hobby. I am looking for a good telescope to buy and came across your video. Very informative, thank you.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

I'm glad you found it useful. This is a really fun and rewarding hobby. I think you'll have fun with it

[@Honest_Folk_Lottery_Club]

Glad I found you. My 10 year old wants scope for Christmas. I've watched a lot of videos, but your the first who reminded me of color. I set a list of objects I wanted to see before I set budget. I am a guy who loves to buy value. I have bought the most expensive items before when I was showed value. I know we will take photos, I can see myself using an SLR camera to do so.(honestly don't know if it's the best type for this. But I am sure for same price of an SLR the right Camera could be Bought) so I want to see planets and their rings, and Moons. I have found good quality scopes for us to start with between 300-500.00 I want buy 300 to basic. So I'm thinking 400-500. But if you say 700 gets me so much more then let me know. What recommendations do you have or stay with the one from video.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

If you know right now that you're going to want to do astrophotography, then I encourage you to watch some of my other videos on that topic, especially the one called "I'm new to astrophotography and don't know what to do". There's a lot to that to consider. if you want to photograph planets, then an sct like one I recommend here is the way to go. Scopes with a wider field of view will make the planets look too small. If you want to photograph larger targets, than a "cheaper" telescope may work. The scope recommend here is great for your eyes and ease of use. For photography, an equatorial mount is a better choice. But those can be very expensive. The video I'm linking to below can give you some options for that, including using your slr without a telescope at all. Astrophotography is a whole rabbit hole in its own right. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iX-YnXmqZ6pgfqM

[@conchobar]

Great video. I base my recommendations primarily on the dark skies of the one asking. I'd recommend a Celestron 6se to someone in a city or suburb of a major city For someone living in a more rural area, I'm more likely to recommend an 8" dobsonian. For a large portion of the US population live in areas where star hopping isn't probable.

[@tuunaes]

In cities and heavy light pollution there's hardly anything else than Moon and planets visible. Neither of those are hard to to find. Also GoTo telescope needs good alignment for electronics to accurately find and track targets.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

An equatorial goto mount does require polar alignment which would be difficult in an area where you can't see Polaris. But an alt az goto mount like the one included with the Celestron SE line only needs to be pointed at 3 bright things. You can even use planets for alignment, although it won't be as accurate as compared to if you used stars. Once you dial in the three things, it will know where everything else is making it a great choice for bright locations. Most people buying their first scope are going to start with their eyes as opposed to a camera. One thing I like to do at star parties under our light polluted skies is to point at a random place in the sky, especially the Milky way which is not visible. I point my laser where we're looking so people can see nothing there. Then they look in the scope and are amazed to see lots of stars. So you can still see things through the scope that you won't be able to see with your eyes alone. When you make the jump to photography, using narrow band filters will let you completely cut through the light pollution. I've seen amazing narrow band images from people in white zones. 🤩

[@fredmercury1314]

My first scope as a Celstron 80AZ, for £250. I shot close-up photos and videos of the moon, using my Samsung phone. No filters, no fancy cameras. They're still some of the best lunar images I have. Then I made the mistake of buying a cheap Canon and a used C8, which wasn't as good as I expected for lunar or planetary stuff, and later I decided I wanted to shoot galaxies, which was never going to work with that camera. The images were junk. I have since bought a WO GT81 and a Risingcam IMX571, iOptron HEM27 mount, which is a truly magnificent setup. But that 80AZ was a great first scope. Probably could've bought a better mount for it and saved myself ££££'s. lol

[@radwest86406]

Mount is my opinion also.

[@mikebennett1301]

If you already have a DSLR or mirrorless camera a star tracker is a good way to star astrophotography

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Absolutely! I addressed this in my "I'm new to astrophotography and don't know what" video. I started with a small star tracker and it's a much more affordable way to get sharp stars and experiment with astrophotography. Plus, I like using it with really wide lenses to get composite shots with landscape elements. In my opinion, those sorts of shots can be even more beautiful than the deep space stuff because it orients the viewer in such a way so they can relate to their position in the greater galaxy.

[@robOzwrld]

Nice vid and yes' you earned a subscription;)

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Thank you for the support 😊

[@SparksandBubbles]

Talking about mounts.... What about the one who wants to do Astro (so I guess it takes a motorized equatorial go to ?) but also wants the freedom to unlock and go alt-z manual for vision only.... Is there such a unicorn mount out there ? Bonus if doesn't weight a ton ! I saw the Hybrid Sky-Watcher AZ-EQ5 w/ Wifi Adapter but not sure it does it all.... What would you recommend in this case ?

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

To be honest with you, I can't even wrap my head around how amount could be both EQ and equatorial at the same time. But the one you mentioned sounds awfully intriguing. I definitely want to look into that. If I were going to buy a new Mount today, I would go for the zwo AM3. It has the same payload capacity as the skywatcher EQ R6 I have now, but somehow manages to avoid needing counterweights. It's also much smaller. Anything to decrease the weight and footprint of your gear it's beneficial for set up and storage purposes

[@AmatureAstronomer]

I am elderly and frail. About 4 months ago, I decided to look at the sky and take pictures. My first telescope was a First Light 10" Newtonian reflector on a Dobsonian mount. It was too heavy and not well suited to taking pictures. I gave it to a friend. I then bought a Celestron Omni 150mm XLT Newtonian reflector on a CG-4 German equatorial mount. Really nice, but too heavy. So, I then bought a Orion Observer 134mm Newtonian reflector on an EQ-3 German equatorial mount. Nice. Not too heavy, but cannot see anything in neighborhood. So, I bought a Sky Watcher AZ GTi go to mount. Must align on stars between 30 and 60 degrees off the horizon. I have bad sky. I can only see 3 or 4 stars and night and they are all near their zenith. So, I can't align the sucker. Sad.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

I feel for you. I fear my neighborhood is headed that way too. When I first moved here, I could see the Milky Way. But no longer. They keep building houses in the stars keep fading into the milky twilight of "progress"... It's sad

[@AmatureAstronomer]

@@MrWilsonsChannel I recently bought a Bresser 102/460, which came with a Sun filter. It just dawned on me that I could read up on how and try to do a bit of solar photography, since I can see the sun and don't have to stay up late so to do.

[@jtepsr]

Mr Wilson, great tips for beginners, so maybe you can give me an opinion. I have owned go to mounts, sold them many years ago and I own a televue 85 and I want a mount for Astro and visual. I have been an advanced photographer for many years and I want to try astrophotography. What mount would you recommend. I have been very interested in the AM5 setup. Thank you.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

When it comes to astrophotography you need to look at the payload capacity of the mount. The am5 has a payload capacity of I think 44 lb. The maximum amount you would want to load any astrophotography rig would be about half of the mounts rated capacity to ensure that it can keep up and won't start lagging. I have the eqr6 pro and it has the same rated capacity as the am5. It can handle the weight of a rig far heavier than the one you'll be using with the televue 85 telescope. The am 5 is a little more expensive than the eqr6 pro, but the am5 is also lighter as well, which is a huge difference. The eq6r is so heavy that it can be discouraging to use. I haven't used the am 5 myself, but on paper it looks like an excellent choice.

[@joeputz4559]

For a first time photo is a Dobsonian with an equatorial mount going to work well? How can I get the most light for the least cost?

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

I've never actually used a dob before. But either way, an equatorial Mount is definitely the mount of choice for astrophotography. You want to be able to hold the telescope as still as possible and track as accurately as possible. For this, computerized mounts are usually the ones you want. I like the telescope in this video because it is relatively affordable and has a wide aperture. It also comes in a variety of sizes to accommodate different budgets. Generally speaking, the larger the objective, the more light gathering power you will have.

[@seniorcordcutter]

I appreciate you explaining in layman's terms and the honesty of what to expect. Im almost 74 and have always been curious about deep space. Is there a way to cast from a telescope to my tv using an app of some sort? I have health issues that won't allow me to stand or bend over for longer than a few minutes.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

I have an android phone and tablet and they can mirror their screen to TV. So anything that has an app can be displayed on your tv. So the next question is, can any telescopes stream what they're looking at to your phone or tablet. ZWO has a new device called the seestar50 which is the easiest way to do what you need. If you want to get into full scale astrophotography, I did a video called "I'm new to astrophotography and don't know what to do". In it I show a device called the ASI pro which will let you "see" through any telescope with your phone (and therefore tv). As you'll see in the video, it's quite a bit more complicated and a more expensive route to go down compared to the seestar50, but also produces superior results.

[@seniorcordcutter]

@@MrWilsonsChannel You are amazing!!.. Looking at the Seestar, because of our budget, I thought my search was over. Seestar prompted me to view the Dwarf & Vespera. More confusion. Seestar is within the cost range but I'll sacrifice looking at planets. I'm glad I found your YT channel and greatly appreciate your quick response and alternate suggestions. Now to find something reasonable with these options and to include a better view of the planets. Thanks again!

[@alexandre96916]

Hello. I just bought a celestron nextar 90 slt. The price was ok and it seems a good gear. Did I do a good choice? I didn’t received it yet and I am a little anxious 😂. I love your video. Thank you. Alex.

[@alexandre96916]

I’m an absolute beginner and I live in France. So the difference of price is more expensive between two different models

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

I haven't used that exact model myself, but a quick Google search shows it has a go-to mount, which is probably the most important thing for someone just getting started in this hobby. I think you'll have a lot of fun with it. Clear skies!

[@alexandre96916]

Thank you for having searching on google for the answer. That is very nice from you. I love my telescope. I use it in my backyard and it’s a lot of fun. I bought the wifi module to use it with the Celestron app on my phone. It makes the use really easy. That’s what I was looking for: fun and pleasure! Sorry for the late answer. I just saw yours. I am still on your channel now. Your accent is very clear to me for understanding and it is very important because I’m French lol 😅. Take a lot of pleasure with your gears. It really like your videos. Alex.

[@joey1317]

What about the Seestar S50 smart telescope? Any thoughts on that?

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Great question! This telescope came out after this video was which explains why it wasn't included in the video. I haven't had the opportunity to use that telescope directly, but based on the specifications listed on their website and some reviews I've seen online, it looks like a robust, inexpensive, and lightweight introduction to astro photography. However, it might not be for everyone. It has an ALT az Mount which limits exposure length to only a few seconds. For Astrophotography , this usually translates to grainier images. It has a short vocal length which means it has a wide field of view. This is great for large targets such as the Moon and many deep space objects, but you won't really be able to observe the planets all that well with it. I have brought my astrophotography rig to start parties in the past, and it seems like people enjoy looking through the traditional telescope more than looking at the images on a screen from the astrophotography rig. I'm not sure why that is, considering the photography rig can show you so much more detail, color, and Targets you can't even see it all through a normal telescope. Perhaps there is just something about seeing space with your own eyes that can't be replicated on a screen? In summary, this looks like an excellent option for a tech savvy person, but may not be for everyone. I would definitely consider it as a first telescope option as it will likely make space more accessible and wet your appetite for future telescope expansion options.

[@TheRailwayTracker]

Which telescopes are better made from the following ? Is it KSon or Celestron ? Which telescope you will actually recommend from KSON for a beginner ? Can you make video on how to use barlow and eyepieces. The expectations is to see how to fit them over telescope and use it. What about finder scopes ?is it worth for beginners to invest in any red dot path finder. Which one you will recommend ?

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

I'm unfamiliar with kson, but I've had excellent experiences from all my celeatron equipment. My Celestron nexstar came with a red dot finder scope and it's crucial for the setup process. You need to align that with the actual telescope by centering something bright, like a street light or the moon in the telescope and then centering that object with the red dot as well. This will make pointing to your three objects (as mentioned in the video) much easier. I've noticed that adding Barlow lenses makes the image in an eyepiece quite blurry. If you're looking for more magnification, I would recommend choosing a telescope with a larger focal length. My 8" has a focal length of 2000mm which equates to a lot of "zoom" even without a barlow, and it's tack sharp with any eyepiece over 20mm and still produces an adequate image with an eye piece as low as 12mm. The 4" nexstar version has a focal length of 1325mm, or about 2/3 the "zoom" of the 8" version. Thus you'd need to use a 2x barlow to get close to where the 8" is starting at, and as mentioned, the barlow will increase the fuzziness of your image. Incidentally, you could use a reducer with the 8" version, which is like the opposite of a barlow, to decrease the focal length for a wider field of view which also increases the apparent sharpness of the image even further. The reducer also increases light gathering power by decreasing from f/10 to f/6 which means you'll get a brighter image with the reducer in place. In summary, is magnification is important for the viewing you want to do, then my recommendation would be to go with a scope that offers a longer focal length rather than using a barlow to get you there.

[@TheRailwayTracker]

Thanks for such detailed explaination. Here in india, there is too much hype around the addon such as 10/25 mm eye pieces or barlows. There are you tube videos uploaded about this but all are done by the people who actually own the shops which sells telescopes so for me...trust issues are there. Can you help with this even if you can share any of your youtube video links where it has been explained, that should be fine. Thanks

[@_Rodrigo_Inacio_]

How better are the pictures taken using the 8” edge hd , comparing to nexstar 8Se? May you show same exemples? Does it worth the extra bucks?

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

I only have the 8se, so I unfortunately don't have hd images to share. I use the astrobin website to look at images shot with different equipment I'm considering. You might try there for examples. However, having done this exact comparison research myself, my impression is if you are going to be doing astrophotography and don't have either scope, the edge hd is definitely worth the price difference. If you already have an 8se, then the edge may not be worth trading up for (I still plan to upgrade myself anyway, however. Just gotta save up for a while) If you won't be doing astrophotography and are only going to do visual observations through the eyepiece, then the edge hd isn't worth it. Hope that helps.

[@dumpydalekobservatory]

Ah yeah the rabbit hole that just keeps getting deeper & deeper it's never ending lol.

[@bobm9400]

If you're a casual user and live near some light pollution is there any benefit to getting a bigger telescope if you're mostly using it at home or would you still recommend one of these smaller more portable ones?

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

That's a good question. Portability is definitely a consideration. As I get older, I find it increasingly more difficult to haul out my heavy equipment. If you have mobility considerations, the weight of the system might eventually become a deterrent to using it. I don't believe a bigger or smaller scope will make that much difference under light polluted skies. In astrophotography we use special filters to cut through light pollution, but I haven't had great results with them when observing with your eyes. But with a camera, they work amazing! It's worth noting however that any telescope will allow you to see faint objects you wouldn't otherwise be able to see even under moderately light polluted skies.

[@user-tw5kw2jc4u]

Can i use an SLR with the telescooe to get better photos ?

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Yes! You'll need an adapter called a t-ring adapter. They are specific to the type of DSLR that you have. If you're going to get into astrophotography, you'll want an equatorial Mount like I mentioned in this video. Ask your photography it can be pretty tricky. In the description of this video is a link to another video I did about starting out in astrophotography. I recommend that you look at that for some tips that will point you in the right direction

[@joey1317]

I’m saving up to buy the Celstron 8” Edge HD telescope. Is this better than the Nexstar 8”?

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

Yes, it's better. If I were going to get a new telescope today, the edge hd is the one I'd get! 😁

[@curtisjohnson8030]

16:02 I personally have 2500 viewing time hrs. Accumulated and looking to share this passion of mine to my great nephew and curious of a base start for him on selecting a scope,mount for 19 yr old please.

[@MrWilsonsChannel]

This video outlines my recommendations for that scenario. The Celestron nexstar line comes in 4 in, 6 in, and 8-inch varients to suit a variety 9f bidges, any of which would be acceptable for a beginner. The go to mount makes it easy to find the things you're looking for. The mount on each version is the same. Which size you get is dependent on how deep into space you want to be able to see (the bigger the scope, the fainter objects you'll be able to see and the more zoom you'll get) This would be a great start for optical viewing (looking through the telescope with your eye rather than using a camera).