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Some astronomers look down on "go-to" scopes, but they fit my needs very well. The HEQ5 combined with the Borg is portable enough to be transported in the car, and can be carried to an observing spot of my choice without strain. Setup is quick and easy, allowing me to be observing within 15 minutes of arrival. I don't have to hunt for celestial features using star charts, since the mount electronics point on-target most of the time. The above-described setup is very good for wide-field photography, since the Borg 101EDF4.1 Astrograph delivers about a 4° field of view when the Canon T2i is used at prime focus. This lends itself very well to photographing fairly large celestial objects. For smaller objects, it is important to increase the image scale on the sensor in order to achieve acceptable results. I am a member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Victoria Centre. As a group, we operate a well-equipped Observatory which includes a Meade LX200 14" SCT mounted on a Paramount ME. I used to own a Meade LX200R 8", but sold it when Victoria Centre purchased their LX200 14". I now have access to this superior setup virtually anytime I want it. I can take advantage of the superb tracking of the Paramount ME, which gives me prime focus photography through an f/10 3,556mm focal length scope. This setup is perfect for photographing small objects such as planets, planetary nebulae, and smaller galaxies. Have a look on my Zenfolio - Joe Carr gallery for some examples of this type of work. The Meade LX200 14" can also be equipped with Hyperstar optics, which turns it into an f/2 imaging scope.
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