There are only a very few telescopes worth considering at the bottom end of the price range — most of the others are toys.

Orion FunScope 76mm reflector @ $50:

Orion GoScope 80mm refractor @ $100:

Orion SkyScanner 100mm reflector @ $100:

Orion StarBlast 4.5-inch reflector @ $200:

What makes all of these scopes stand out is their smooth solid Dobsonian-style mounts, as distinct from the wobbly tripod mounts on the competition. In this price range, slight differences in price make for major differences in quality, so concentrate on items towards the bottom of the list.

For just slightly more money you can get a 6-inch reflector on a true Dobsonian mount.

Here are a few web pages with good information on beginner’s telescopes:

For more advanced information, read Phil Harrington’s Star Ware, 4th edition (Wiley).

You’ll get the greatest value for your money with a Newtonian reflector on a Dobsonian mount, such as these:

Buy from a store which specializes in telescopes and astronomy, either locally or online; don’t buy from department stores, discount stores or eBay as mostly what they sell is junk. Find your local astronomy club and try out different telescopes at one of their star parties:

I strongly recommend that beginners steer clear of astrophotography until they have learned their way around the sky. Astrophotography is by far the most expensive and difficult area of amateur astronomy.

Many people who buy telescopes have no idea how to find interesting things to observe. A good introduction to finding things is NightWatch by Terence Dickinson (Firefly). A more advanced book is Star Watch by Phil Harrington (Wiley). GeoffG