Telescope Reviews: beginner looking for a scope

First of all, unless you're looking at the Moon and planets, you are not going to see vivid colors like the ones in pictures or nebulae and galaxies we see in print, on television and on the internet. Even there, they'll often differ from the view you see in a telescope because the colors are computer enhanced. Those are long exposure photographs mostly taken with ultra-sensitive CCD cameras and special filters. Even in my 10-inch, most deep sky objects appear in shades of gray. However, you can see many star clusters, nebulae and galaxies are more than featureless blobs of light, just don't expect eye popping color from them. Seeing a galaxy that is over 400 million light years away in a 10-inch even if it's a faint fuzzy smudge is however something you'll never forget.

The telescopes you are considering are among the best choices for beginners. I can tell you from first hand experience that a German equatorial mount isn't easy to learn how to use correctly, especially when said user was a 12-year boy who could hardly lift the mount as I was as a 6th grader. An 8 or 10-inch Dob is a powerful telescope for all but the very faintest objects. No, it not what you'd use for hunting remote quasars and galaxy clusters, but it will get you through most of the NGC, a good many IC and many of the other objects listed in other catalogs from a good site. They will also show a lot on the planets, Jupiter, Saturn and when it's near opposition, Mars. Both will fit easily in many cars, and unless you have a real problem with lifting things, even the 10-inch can be handled by one person. You can also use a modified hand dolly to roll it right out the door and be observing in minutes. Be aware the object locators are only that, these telescope do not track. You'll find tracking manually is not difficult and you can put the telescope on a tracking platform as well.

I would ordinarily recommend an 8-inch to beginners, but if you plan to look at mainly galaxies and nebulae, the 10-inch will have a substantial advantage over an 8-inch, especially from a dark site. You will want to take either one to a dark site, because the objects they work best on either are invisible from cities are a pale shadow of what they look like from a dark site.

Whichever one you choose to buy, you will need a few other things too. A chair or stool to sit on is a necessity, along with a red filtered flashlight or a red LED light, a star atlas and a case to keep your accessories in. I usually recommend an 8-inch because you can also get these items and have funds left over to purchase a Barlow, narrow band nebula filter or additional eyepiece later. I would wait until you get familiar with your telescope and get some observing under your belt before buying accessories. Also, join a local club if one is near you. You can try all sorts of eyepieces, filters, even telescopes before buying one. A test drive can help you figure out what you're looking for and how much you are willing to spend. In fact, I would join a club before buying a telescope, but these Dobs are one of many good choices for beginners.

--------------------
10-inch F/4.5 Discovery Dob
6-inch F/8 Homebuilt Dob
4 1/4-inch F/4 Homebuilt reflector