etx vs nexstar

starryNY · Guest

Hi, I am trying to choose between two similarly priced telescopes: the etx-125 pe and the nexstar 6se. Portability is important, but so is light gathering and image quality. I would like to use the scope for terrestrial photography as well as astronomical observations of the moon, planets and deep space (M13, M31, M42), as well as afocal photography with a digital point and shoot camera. Do the etx's good optics make up for the nexstar's additional inch of aperture or should I go with the nexstar? I understand that I will always need to use a power supply to use the nexstar... if I chose that, would you recommend some kind of power taknk and ac adapter as well? I was wondering if that would be inconvenient for daytime work, as well as not having the ability to manually move the tube; however, does the hand controller allow precise movement for daytime targets as well?

Jne_K · Site Admin Joined: 24 Sep 2003 Posts: 5022

Hi

I'd rate the ETX-125 a sharper scope and give it the edge for planetary and lunar observing, double stars or any other observing where resolution and image quality are important. I'd give a slight edge to the 6SE for deep-sky by virtue of its larger aperture, though 1 inch of scope is not going to be hugely significant. The ETX also gets the nod for astrophotography by virtue of its fork mount - more stable than the 6SEs single arm. In truth, both are great buys in a mid-sized scope.
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