I have been bitten by the apature bug

[Johnny9s]

I am contemplating getting a new scope to view the night sky with. I currently have an 80ED but I want more reach. I will be keeping the 80 as I love the scope for astrophotography. I just want something that I can see more detail in. I am thinking of getting an 8" reflector. I was looking at the Vixen R200SS as my stretch the budget to the limit scope. I would like a scope that I can eventually image through so a Dob is not really an option. I also need to think about a scope that my HEQ-5 Pro mount can handle.

Any suggestions?

[Nighthound]

If you go with a Newtonian, keep in mind you'll likely be upgrading the focuser. In most cases a low profile focuser(i.e. Moonlight) is required to come to focus with a DSLR.

The Vixen definitely fits the bill for astrophotography. Very light weight(12 or 13 lbs, can't remember) and very fast at f/4. The optics are also extremely nice. This will also mean that you'll need to learn how to collimate which isn't terrible difficult and once you've learned the process and have the right tools can be done very quickly. I have the Cat's Eye collimating tools, work great. You'll also need to but a coma corrector that will attach to your camera and slide into the focuser. Newts have coma(mirror curvature) and the corrector flattens the field much like a FR/FF does. I use the MPCC from Alpine Astro.

An 8" SCT or Schmidt-Newtonian would work well also but will be heavier and require dew control for the corrector plate up front. These need collimating as well but it's less involved since you'll be adjusting only the secondary mirror. These designs are also not as fast optically as the Vixen. Maybe you could find a used R200SS and have enough of your budget remaining to get all the accessories and focuser you'll need. You might even find one with a nice focuser all ready to go.