What is F value? F value = ratio of the focal length of the telescope to the aperture. Aperture is the main mirror in a reflector, main lens in a refractor. So when I divide 700mm by 60mm, it comes out to 11.6. The lower the F value number is, the wider field of view, and produces a brighter image for recording. Another very general rule of thumb is, the lower the F value, the higher the price of the telescope, and higher quality of viewing.

 

Reflector telescopes tend to have better (lower) F values than refractors.
A note on magnification claims that seem to always be overly advertised to the public. The more magnified an object is, less light is collected, which makes for poorer viewing and images if you are recording. Magnify it enough to see it clearly. The more you magnify, the harder it is to find and track an object too! So when you see claims of being able to magnify the rings of Saturn 500 times, keep in mind that they are trying to impress you with a high number, but purposely neglect to tell you the penalties of such magnification. 

 

The telescope pictured to the right is very similar to our Meade RB-60 which is no longer in production. Keep in mind that the plastic tripod to scope mount is made of plastic and can be somewhat flimsy and shaky, especially if you add the weight of a camera to the eyepiece. Add a counter weight to  the opposite end. Also tie a safety line to your camera in case it falls.

 

 

 

This video further demonstrates threeof the basic telescope types (Reflector, Refractor, and Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes) and how they function. This is useful if you are looking to learn more before making a decision to purchase a telescope. Different mount types are also addressed.