Astrophotograpy telescope recommendations (new, find)

[jayrandom]

I'm not sure if this is the right forum, but I'm wondering if anyone has any thoughts on telescope/setups for astrophotography. I've been doing backyard observing/DSLR still photography, but want to move toward a more dedicated astrophotography setup.

I think I'm going to go for an Orion EQ mount, but I can't really decide on the scope. I was leaning toward one of the inexpensive 8 inch Richey-Chretien, but lots of the reviews suggest they are a pain to use in practice and not a great choice for someone just starting with astrophotography. An APO refractor seems like the easiest choice, but I'm worried that at a given price I'd get better performance out of a reflector. Are there Newtonian or SCT astrographs that might be a better choice?

Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks.

[TexasBard79]

Astrophotography is an interesting subject but I can tell you what I'm using:

I have a Celestron C6-N, which has been upgraded with an Omni CG-3 tripod (after the original busted).
I use a Pentax K-30 camera with it which is weather sealed and cold-proof.

In general nothing less than a 6" Telescope and DSLR will do, and as you get more into it you'll want GOTO, finder scope, focus motor, and a computer system to coordinate it all. Over time you'll spent almost $1500 on this kind of setup (sans the camera!) but it's WORTH IT.

[rjshae]

It depends on what you want to photograph. The mount and guide system is probably as important a decision as the telescope you use.