Choosing a STAR TRACKER for Astrophotography 

If I ever become rich, this is the hobby I 'm picking up xD

Great job as usual. I love the detailed descriptions you provide and your empirical reviews. Keep up the great videos. Thank you!!!

Just bought the SkyGuider Pro after watching this review. I was looking for a portable setup as well as a gap filler while my iOptron Gem 28 is getting repaired. Gotta say I am impressed! Took 60x3 min subs at ISO 800 on my modified Canon T5i w/flats, darks, and bias frames added, unguided. The result was way better than I expected! As always, great content and perfect for decision making. Keep up the great work and content. Hope all is well in the new place! Jeff

Just joined your page and I have to say thank you so much for everything that you've taught me in this deeply satisfying hobby. Maybe about a year ago on Instagram you liked two of my photos of the Orion Nebula on which is my favorite deep sky object and that really meant alot. Always looking forward to your new content! Hope you and yours have a great day! Clear Skies

Awesome video as usual! Thanks for helping me decide on my next purchase Trevor!

Great combination of information and visual production quality! Every video is better than the last. I was hoping a video would come out like this too.

Thx for review, You make awesome videos with usefull info. Keep going)

Thank you for this video! I got a Fronax Lightrack II last year as my first tracker. I use a rechargeable 12v portable battery pack, not much bigger than a deck of cards, with velcro attached to the tripod leg. It's light and very portable, easy to recharge between shoots. The tracker also works well with the battery I use for my lens heater. The tracker is made in Hungry (I got mine from them) - now distributed by Fervent Astronomy in Edmonton. The folks at Fervent are knowledgable and very helpful. I've upgraded to the Pole Master for alignment and am very happy with the images I'm getting. Thanks again for the outstanding videos and blog posts!

I’m not one for subscribing generally but this guy has impressed me in all of his videos. Frank, honest advice and some great photos to evidence his credibility. He’s nailed it.

Thanks Trevor, great reviews.

Amazing video as always! I’m enjoying my Skyguider Pro w/ RedCat51!

it would be great to see the iOptron Prom compared to the Sky watcher Star adventurer. great vid as always. very clear and informative. Thanks

Great video! SkyTracker Pro was my first dedicated AP purchase and it's still really fun to use now even when I'm imaging on my Advanced VX.

I am tossing my hat into the ring in favour of the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer, Pro Pack edition. Had mine for a month now and absolutely love it. Shooting with Canon 7D Mkii, and 300mm f4 lens for deep sky, and 18-135mm for wide. So far I have decent shots of M31, M45 and some Milky Way. Took it with me on a motorcycle trip to Ontario let month, but didn't use it until I went to a true dark site (Grasslands national park) on the way back. It is small, portable, very capable and affordable. $545 shipped right to my door. $389US at B&H Runs forever on a USB portable battery, but can run off of 4 AA batteries. Also does allow auto-guiding Now I just got to get image processing down. My results are not as good as Trevor's, with the same amount of light data.

Great stuff! Thanks for the info! Very cool products

Great video and great information! Thanks!

Thank you for this awesome video. Hope I can start my journey in Astrophtography.

Awesome video as usual! 👍🏻👍🏻

Thank you. Very informative! Beautiful images too👍

Great video. I researched a bunch of different mounts at the beginning of summer and ultimately I went with the Skywatcher Star Tracker pro as it seemed to handle one of the heavier payloads (11 pounds), and haven't been disappointed at all.

SAI· DEE·REE·UHL. Got it. Which star tracker do you use? Please let me know if you agree with my choices! If you want to dig deeper into the specs of these mounts, I wrote a massive post on the subject: astrobackyard.com/star-tracker-astrophotography/

Thanks for your test, really great, I now know what one to get !

Very clear presentation. Cheers Trevor from the UK. Clear skies.

Need one of these! Thanks Trevor.

Thank you, Sir. Your videos help a lot.

clear skies and a blackout these days. I remember in the 70's sleeping in my backyard and seeing a massive number of stars... these days .. I'm lucky if I see 3 with the naked eye.. I am thankful for the video because I would love to get into this hobby. Everything I can learn is helpful.

Useful information thanks for the review! Still thinking of the skyguider pro, hope it's a good choice!

I've been a sky watcher for over 10 years now using a 10" and a 12" dobsonian telescopes. Now I want to photograph some deep space nebula and galaxy. Thanks for the video and the advice......it helps a lot.

I have an older iOptron SkyTracker. I can't wait for some clear skies!

Having a "baked in" battery is nifty at first, but if you can't install new batteries- you are stuck with servicing or breaking the warranty. Lithium Ion batteries are great, but they do wear out after enough charging/discharging cycles. Just a thought. Just as they are temperature sensitive, freezing temperatures kills them quick... Adding a battery pack (LiIon/ LiPo) with a stable 12v output is an option if you want mobility, but you have to be strict with maintenance on those. 12V Lead gel batteries work well too, but are heavy/ bulky and deliver 14.4V when fully charged. Study up on those points if you want to have a stable mobile power source.

I am a new subsciber Trevor. You do a geat job. Many thanks from down in New Zealand.

Thanks for a nice video. I just ordered a Skyguider Pro full kit a couple of days ago. The first thing I plan to try is a Milky Way shot with my Sony a6000 and a wide angle lens (16mm). I'll probably try about 50 or 60 2-minute exposures. Can't wait!

Well explained! Thank you!

Great vid as usual Trevor. 🤙 Uk. Fan 🇬🇧

Just perfect! Thank-you.

Great comparison between those three portables, Trevor. As fantastic as those deep objects at end are, the scene that takes 1st place is the line up of the scopes with your portable laptop case and Rudy!

Thank you for this video. Very helpful.

Excellent and very usefull presentation! Thank you! Greeting form Hungary!

Good info, thank you.

Great video, thanks for sharing.

Very informative and chill video. I am most likely buy iOptron SkyGuider this winter. Or, at least, i hope so.

At 10:09 your chart shows the "max useful focal length" - 400mm for the SkyGuider Pro, and 500mm for the LighTrack II. Is that affected at all by the camera's sensor size (full-frame vs. crop)? I currently have a 600mm lens on a crop-sensor body. At full zoom, would that produce noticeable drift/inaccuracy with all of these tracking mounts?

Love your videos. I bought the Ioptron Skyguider pro after your first review of it shooting Andromeda a while ago! I some times have trouble with exact Polar Alignment. Would LOVE to see you do a paid tutorial including polar alignment tips :0)

a few years ago I bought the iOptron SkyTracker pro with the counterweight system. It supposedly allows for heavier weights, although the heaviest I have tried is a 70-200 on a 6D. Now that I have 2 cameras, I think I will pick up the SkyGuider Pro for this summer.

Great vid as always! Although, one thing I would love to see is a side by side comparison between the Ioptron Sky guider pro and the Skywatcher Star adventurer :) clear skies!

I am the very happy owner of a Skyguider Pro. It carries my WO Z73 and DSLR easily- With an intervalometer there's no external battery or computer required. VERY portable and very capable. Thanks, Trevor for the great videos!

Thank you Trevor, for comparing the trackers. However, it would have been desirable if the Vixen Polarie Star Tracker and the Skay Watcher Star Adventurer had been included in the comparison. The Polarie is very compact and very high quality. In my opinion it is unbeatable for wide angle photography of the Milky Way. The Star Adventurer is very robust and very precise in tracking and can carry up to 5 kg. In my opinion, there are only three small improvement suggestions for the polar viewfinder cover, the lighting unit of the polar viewfinder and the plastic cover of the battery compartment. But also the iOptron Skyguider Pro is not completely made of metal and especially the panhead is not ok. The Star Adventurer -complete equipment - costs about € 380,00 in Germany, the Skyguider Pro -complete equipment - about € 460,00 and the Polarie - only the device - about € 325,00. What is also missing is an absolute beginner's device like the Omegon mount Mini Track LX3, which costs about € 190,00. This tracker works without electricity and is a wonderful alternative for beginners! The Fornax LighTrack II is the most precise mobile tracker and is the optimum. The advantage of this much more expensive exceptional tracker is that, compared to the other trackers, it has hardly any restrictions in the choice of used lenses. Everything from 12mm to 600mm can be handeld! You only buy this one tracker and can develop without restrictions. Many greetings from Germany

I'm using the Sky Guider Pro and just picked up a new Ioptron CEM25P so I could control Dec. that one is probably more of a EQ Mount to most but to me it's tiny and provides a great travel rig. The Ipolar is cool for each of them. I'm using GT71 and Zenith Star for scopes and Nikon D750 and D850 for DSLR and ASI294 MC for ccd. Another fun tool is my Rhino Slider with Motion. It's great for timelapse of the Milky Way and provides complete control of all of your exposures

Great video!

Terrific video. Concise and to the point without rushing. I have the Sky tracker Pro but found looking up Polaris to be a pain. Any tips on how to do that quickly and accurately?

Thank you! I appreciate it.

I'd like to hear your view on the SkyWatcher AZ-GTI compared to those in the video - I got it a few years ago when I wanted to start with astrophotography. I really like it because: - it can be used very simple as a AZ mount, but put it on a wedge it can work as an EQ mount as well (requires beta firmware, but it works). - has battery for the ultimative portability, but still has the option to get external power (don't wanna waste batteries when at home). - wifi (can be controlled from a smart phone). - GoTo. - guiding. My primary setup is in EQ mode with a SkyWatcher 72ED with a Canon DSLR (unmodified) and a 50mm guide scope with a china T7 astro camera, a Raspberry Pi with Stellarmate and a counterweight - it's maxed out, but it works and now I'm preparing to buy a larger mount to prepare for a larger telescope as well - the AZ-GTI gave me the oppertunity to grow from nothing to where I'm sure of where I'd like to go from here :)

Thanks very much for your effort 😊

Yep, the Star Adventurer is what I use and it is great!

Great video. I got the skyguider pro and recently replaced the polar scope with Ipolar. Now waiting for clear sky's to give it try.

Very well done 👍

Love the video man.. I am a beginner and have sky tracker Pro, would you recommend counter weight balance on this tracker? I was hoping to mount bit heavy gear. Or would you recommend to upgrade to Sky guider?

Awesome video bruh

thanks man, you made me decide which to have. thanks alot. is there any vid you made while using them or any of them with software? and suggestion the best software to use? thanks in advance.

I had some doubts initially with the LighTrack, since they claim an incredible periodic error (2 arcsecs), which is even better than most "big" mounts (and obviously better than any other star tracker, the second best I know is the AstroTrac with 5 arcsecs). However, after I fixed my flexure and polar alignment problems (with an equatorial head and SharpCap + small guidescope), I realized the mount is really so precise. You can easily use it even with small telescopes. I get tack sharp pictures with my 400mm lens and 4 minute exposures - unguided (btw, it also has an autoguide port). And even though it doesn't have an internal battery, it will work for multiple nights with the smallest power bank. Such a brilliant piece of engineering.

I have the Lightrack II and it's by far one of the best and most accurate mounts I've owned. I power mine with 8AA's in a small battery holder velcro on to one the tripod legs and it lasts for days.

Autoguiding the Skyguider pro is also an option, while using a 300mm lens and a ZWO ASI1600 i was able to get 3 minute subs easy. I saw that my DEC was running off too fast to due polar alignment not being accurate enough (probably because of the flimsy stock base), but if the polar alignment is accurate enough, i can see 10 minute subs being produced easy with that thing. Great video, would have loved to see more image examples from each mount and some EXIF data of sub lengths.

What about the Skywatcher AZ-GTi, it's cheaper, 2 axis, EQ (with updated firmware) or AZ, is WiFi has go to functions and uses multiple star alignment ?

Great video dude! I'm just wondering if there's another shop that you recommend to buy the Apertura AD8, the last website doesn't ship to Australia i think.

I’m picking up the iOptron Pro as soon as Congress gets off it’s butt. I just got a saweeet deal on a 5Dsr. Not sure about S-N ratio, but at 50 megs in RAW, should be interesting. I used to guide a Meade 10” 2120, back during the last century, using gas hypered film. I’d sit hunched over a guide star for 20 minutes or so, making fine corrections, until my back gave out. This should be fun looking at the dark dry skies 20 miles north of Tucson. Can’t wait for winter!!

Thanks for all of your videos. Do you have one in combination with the guide camera? Besides: I am totally new to this, do camera and lens always have to point into same direction as the polar star finder thing?

Great info! Sky Guider is my choice....👍

Thank you very much Trevor for this review. ! Question: Why do you have a Wiiliam optics Skyguider Pro wedge on your Skyguider Pro ? Jeff

That Fornax is much like my AstroTrac. Thanks Trev.

I just purchased a SkyGuider Pro with iPolar following this video. Well done I'm now hooked:) Just need to save some pennies to buy a Samyung 135mm f2 lens for my Canon 600D.

I have the Sky Watcher Star Adventurer with the Redcat 51 on an iOptron tripod. I use my Canon 60Da up on Mt Rainier Sunrise Washington state. I also have a Pentax K70 DSLR that has a built in Astro tracking function. It all keeps me going.

well said! Rotation of the SKY!

Great job, thx pro.

Hey! Love your videos so Much!! I can’t wait to get my telescope and can’t wait to take deep sky pictures! Quick question; I’m mostly likely gonna get the WILLIAM OPTICS ZENITHSTAR 73 - F/5.9 DOUBLET APO REFRACTOR, what is a GOOD but affordable mount? Nothing crazy expensive but something for beginners???

Hello! I hope you are well. I have been loving your videos and beginning to get a bit more serious about my rig and upgrading it. Right now I have a Sony a7c and I am looking to buy a Redcat 51 ii. I also currently have the SkyTracker Pro. My question is - Can I use the Sony and Redcat on the SkyTracker Pro for now? I am looking to upgrade to a larger mount later (I am leaning to the CEM26) but buying both the redcat and the mount is a bit too expensive at the moment. Will I get good results with the Sony/Redcat51/SkyTracker setup? Thanks so much and thank you for all your videos!

Brother You are amazing

Love my skyguider pro. Trev, were you ever able to get the asiair to work with it?

dude, you are awesome

Your videos are 🔥!!!!!! Rudy is the best!

Thanks for your guidance. No pun intended. Lol I went with the skyguider pro and a redcat51. I already own a canon rebel t6. Waiting for clouds to go away so I can give it a try!

I think the skyguider pro and the sky watcher adventurer are the two best portable tracking mounts out there, both accept a guider, they're compact, both track really well when aligned properly, neither of these need 12v power, i love the fact that i can power my adventurer with my usb power bank or 4x AA batteries, and i can keep it running forever like that. Personally i don't like the Fornax mount you showed here, while it tracks more stable, it has some serious drawbacks with it's need for 12v power and the need to reset the arm too often, it will simply be impossible to keep your target framed exactly how it was before the arm reset, this can cause some headaches, and lastly it's price tag, this tracking mount defeats the purpose of buying a compact tracking mount.

I power my LighTrack II with a small USB Powerbank and a cheap (8€) USB 5V to 12V step up cable. I went with it because it so compact and easy to carry because it is not such a box shape and has nice accuracy

Great videos. I'm just getting into the idea of Astrophotography. Been binge watching your videos and just purchased the WO ZenithStar 73 based on your recommendation and blog post, as well as the HEQ-5 mount. The biggest hurdle I foresee for myself is learning the workflow and software of setting up all this equipment, linking everything together and everything that leads up to actually acquiring images.

Thank you!

If You're beginner and You don't have to transport Your equipment in a backpack (can transport it mostly with a car) I'd rather suggest a real equatorial mount (EQ-3 class, maybe even EQ-5) because it can handle longer focal lengths and heavier loads. Some mounts can even be bought / upgraded with GoTo and/or Autoguiding. The number of big deepsky objects or regions to capture with 200mm focal length (or not much above) is not that big. Of course you can play with them your full lifetime, but (mostly) sooner or later more focal length is wanted. That will probably be an ED lens around 80-100mm or maybe a 6" f/5 or 8" f/4 newton - and that definitely requires a proper mount, maybe even (auto)guiding. Remember: no telescope mount or tripod have ever been too strong or too precise! They can be too expensive or too heavy or too bulky, but no mount or tracker have ever been too accurate. Btw: don't get me wrong. Those trackers can make a lot of fun and can deliver data for brilliant astrophotos, but I see them more as a 2nd system (for travel) it can not really replace a real EQ-mount with ability for guiding. A friend's Celestron Mount (I don't know the model, it's not so heavy duty) can stand-alone autogiuding and it has also a nice polar alignment routine programmed, that works surprisingly fast and precise. Exposures of a few minutes per frame taken with focal length below about 500mm does not require Autogiuding.

Do you think it would be possible to get a motorized EQ mount for a telescope and a dovetail mounting plate as a cheaper star tracker alternative?

Excellent

Ahahaha "adorably simple", you crack me up!

I was disappointed the skywatcher star adventurer was not mentioned in this video. It’s one of the most popular star tracker.

Super useful 👍👍👍

Can you test out the move shoot move and tell us your thoughts about if it’s good or not

Just wanted to add I got the sky tracker and I do find my self wanting the sky guider. I kinda wish I had invested in that first. But regardless it’s still a fantastic tracker.

Imho the next step above the Sky Guider is a serious telescope mount with Goto like the Skywatcher EQ-35.

Hmm that Fornax doesn't push my buttons. I have a diddy little Omegon Mini track that has a similar swinging arm system and I'm not the biggest fan of having to go and recharge it. Just got myself a Star Adventurer which I'm eager to try out though. Excited about the new possibilities that a star tracker will afford!

I'm a little confused & overwhelmed by the iOptron kits - I'm comparing: - SkyTracker "Camera Mount with Polar Scope (Mount Only)", $299 - SkyGuider "Pro EQ Camera Mount", $428 - SkyGuider "Pro Camera Mount with iPolar (Head & Mount Only)", $598 I'm new to astrophotography. I shoot with a Nikon Z6 and I have a Z 20mm f/1.8 S lens on the way. My other lenses are the Z 24-70 f/4 S, and the F 70-300 f/4.5-5.6 AFP. I have a tripod with a removable ball head (Oben). I feel like the SkyTracker is a solid option to start, but I don't mind paying a little more for the SkyGuider since it seems to be a complete kit (counterweight, etc.). But I'm confused by the "iPolar (Head & Mount Only)" option. Any newbie advice & guidance is appreciated. Re-watching video now too. 🙂

when I had the skywatcher star adventurer, with a very good polar alignement, I could take pictures with a 10 minutes exposure time, with a 200mm lens and without any waste. Just plug it with an AC adapter (like smartphone charger -2A-) and not with an external battery or batteries.

Any chance you get get a hold of a iexos-100 and do a review? Seems like a nice next-step upgrade from these smaller trackers to get go-to functionality.

Love watching your videos I Learn a lot keep it up Lol 🐶 At the end when you Show the Three tripods your dog looks mad facing the other direction Or is looking at the moon 🌙 👀😀

Nice video, i see you use some mount too, 2 of them i was watching maybe for myself maybe you can talk about how they are. (Celestron and iOptron Mount)

One of these days I'll pick one of these up.