I initially ordered this scope for visual only - after considering other high-quality larger refractors that are available on the market to purchase new. I had very little to no intentions of imaging with it when I placed the order. But in the last few months I've had this scope (correlation, not causation), I've gradually developed an interest in the imaging side of our hobby so I am certain that in a few months I would have converted this scope into an imaging setup.
Over all, I am not disagreeing with what you are saying -- they're built with enough precision & consistency to take great pictures. Unlike an Epsilon-160 f/3.3, or the DeltaRho 350 f/3 which are built primarily for taking images, scopes like the TOA also make good visual scopes given their f ratio and are not LIMITED to imaging.
The fact that the TOA takes great images was not my criteria when I purchased it, but is something I would leverage now that I am moving into imaging. f-ratio is not the main criteria for image performance, ofcourse, but is the fundamental variable that controls how much time you want to spend in acquisition; beyond a certain f-ratio it becomes pointless no matter how good the scope is. but, like I said, the toa-150 f-ratio makes it usable for both visual & imaging.
I bought my TOA-130 only for visual. It is the NS model. What D bar are you using for the Tak tube rings please?
