Meade LX85

Meade's mid-range German equatorial mount paired with a choice of refractor or reflector OTAs. The LX85 mount is the real story — it's one of the most affordable GoTo equatorial mounts capable of basic astrophotography. The AudioStar controller has a 30,000-object database and guided tours of the best objects for your location and time. The 8-inch Schmidt-Newtonian version offers excellent planetary views. It's heavier and more complex to set up than alt-az scopes, but the tracking capability is worth the effort.