Over the years, I’ve experimented with numerous setups, looking for the perfect one. After a few years of imaging large nebulae with a 3.2-inch refractor, I purchased a 10-inch Ritchey-Chrétien (RC) reflector to use as a portable imaging setup to shoot galaxies. It weighed in at 55 pounds (25 kilograms), but my mount easily handled the weight. (I, on the other hand, just barely managed the hefty telescope.)
I had other issues as well. The first was collimation; the process of transporting the scope ensured its optics needed realigning prior to each setup. Also, a cool-down time in excess of two hours was required. Suddenly, half my night was spent setting up or just waiting around. I learned an expensive lesson: An RC is not a portable imaging scope.