(November 20, 2020 at 1:50 pm)popeyespappy Wrote: We are thinking about getting a telescope again. I've pretty much got it narrowed down to either a Meade lx65 8 ACF or a Celestron 8se. Anyone with experience with both have a preference one way or the other? I'm leaning towards the Meade because of the Advanced Coma-Free (ACF) catadioptric-variant optical path.
First, I don't think you would go wrong with either. Both are reputable brands that give good quality. The Coma-free aspect of the Meade is very similar to the optical coatings of the Celestron, so again, that isn't as big of a deal as you might think.
So, the optics are almost identical. That means we turn to the mount. Too many people forget this as a critical part of a telescope.
Again, both seem to be essentially the same. The Celestron has holes for eyepieces, which is a nice thing. The mount on the Celestron does look somewhat flimsier. Again, i am sure it is sufficient, but that is a consideration.
Another question is what you intend to use your scope to do. The focal length on these points to looking at small objects like planets or planetary nebula as opposed to galaxies or the broader nebula like Orion or Eagle. Make sure this is what you want from your scope.
