Talk to me about telescopes

[nellyleelephant]

Can you not get to a shop to try a few out? Failing that, first light optics always seem to be good with advice. They talked me out of spending a grand with them, you can be sure they won't try and sell you something you don't need.

If you're concerned about size and weight, have a look at the SCT type of scope. They fold the light to get a long focal length in a compact tube.