Hi everyone,
I'd like to reach out to the community for advice before finalizing my equipment choices.
My background:
I'm an amateur astrophotographer based in the French Alps (Savoie, 45°N). For the past 3 years, I've been using a Vaonis Vespera 1, which has been a fantastic tool for discovering deep sky imaging — I'm genuinely grateful for what it taught me. However, I now feel limited in my practice: no planetary imaging, no ability to swap tubes, and little flexibility overall. I'm looking to move to a more modular setup.
I'm not after the "best" setup on the market — just the right one for my actual use case: backyard sessions in the Alps + occasional car-accessible dark sites, planetary imaging of Jupiter, Saturn and the Moon, and more technical deep sky work with the flexibility to swap optical tubes. I plan to sell the Vespera to help fund the new setup.
The setup I have in mind:
ZWO base:
- ZWO AM5N mount (harmonic, 15kg payload without counterweight, EQ/AZ mode)
- ZWO TC40 carbon tripod
- ZWO ASI585MC Air (IMX585 4K + integrated ASIAir + integrated guiding + TEC cooling)
- ZWO EAF focuser
Optical tubes (used alternately):
- Askar FRA500 (90mm f/5.6, 500mm, APO quintuplet, integrated field flattener) for deep sky
- Skywatcher Maksutov 180/2700 for planetary
Total budget: ~3,600€ | Net after Vespera sale: ~3,000€
My questions:
1. Does this setup seem coherent for my use case?
2. Can the AM5N comfortably handle the Mak180 (7.8kg) without a counterweight?
3. Is the ASI585MC Air suitable for both high-frame-rate planetary imaging and deep sky with the FRA500?
4. Is the FRA500 a good choice as my only deep sky refractor, replacing the Vespera?
5. Are there any missing accessories you would recommend?
I'd really appreciate any feedback on this Vespera → modular setup transition, especially regarding the AM5N + Mak180 compatibility and the ASI585MC Air for planetary use.
Thanks in advance!
