Dobsonians
No telescope type has changed the hobby quite as much as the Dobsonian. Before the introduction of the Dobsonian by John Dobson, the vast majority of amateur telescopes consisted of small telescopes with primitive mechanics - barely enough to see the polar caps of Mars or the rings of Saturn. Larger telescopes, such as the Schmidt-Cassegrain were reserved for the wealthy. The ingenious combination of simple yet effective mechanisms with the greatest possible opening gives the Dobsonian telescope a unique triumphant march around the world. Nowhere do you get as much light for your money like a good Dobson.