Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer REVIEW 

This channel is realllly underrated, he's really good at what he does and the amount of infomration he presents is reducilis Keep Going !

the SA has been my only mount for 18months since I started this hobby. I've managed 2min and sometimes 3min guided exposures using a Sharpstar 72ED with a cooled ZWO camera and OAG. Though i've just now moved onto a proper goto mount I'd have to say the SA is incredibly good value for money and so versatile. Great video Trevor. Thanks

I literally googled this tracker for the first time yesterday and today there is the review!

Found this really helpful and i have found myself watching quite a few of your videos, for someone just setting foot into the field of astrophotography your channel is fantastic.

This is the best review i have seen on this amazing product. time to order my own ! Cheers Trevor. A really gr8 review.

Your channel is a "mine of knowledge". From equipment to the entire process. Thank you very much. Greetings from Poland

As always, very informative. Your videos keep getting better as time goes by. Love the out takes.

I really enjoyed the shootout you had with Nico. It's nice to seeing both of you comparing photo's. Keep working with each other, GREAT JOB!

Watched your video on this about 3 months ago. Bought the Pro package 2 months ago. Its been great. If you get your polar alignment set just right you can get some pretty long exposures with no trailing. Did a 90 second shot of the galaxies in Virgo with no trailing at all. Nice product and thanks for a great review of this product. Now if I can get my post processing down I'll be good.

I recently discovered your channel and you have completely inspired me to get into astrophotography. It's daunting, but your enthusiasm and education has gotten me comfortable with that fact. I'm now in search for the right equipment to start this outer space journey! Thank you!

One of the things that I learned back in the film photography days was that you should avoid extending the center column of a photography tripod if at all possible. It just adds to the instability of the whole system, because you're adding a lever with a weight on it to the top of the tripod. Also, use as heavy a tripod as you feel you can, given how much you want to haul around. All of this will add stability to the system. Thanks for all the effort and enthusiasm you put into these videos, Trevor!

I can't wait to pick up one for myself. I've gotten tired of just getting stars in my backyard and want to try to get Andromeda next.

Another great video from Astrobackyard. I am so glad that you have such a good experience with the Star Adventurer. I hope the good folks at Sky Watcher let you keep it.

Another great video! I especially like your professional, clear, succinct style that respects the viewer’s time.

Great review and answered all of my questions regarding the setup of this tracker with a camera/lens and camera/telescope. Thanks

Really good channel!!! I'm new in astrophotography and I've got very much useful info from your channel. Thank you and keep going!

Great video. I have been looking at this tracker for little while. I am just getting started in astrophotography and haven’t done any deep sky work yet. Thanks for the great review.

A comprehensive and well structured review by a very experienced user. Very helpful - thank you!

Good review! I’ll be buying that in March ... ssssoooooo impatient to use it! Thank you for the great information!

You got me hooked, really like this setup. More please

Love watching your videos, they're very informative. I've ordered the Star Adventurer Pro, it's taking ages to arrive though. Can't wait to start using it with my Nikon D5600 !

Okay. I watched this twice yesterday and I'm convinced this will work for me. In fact, I ordered this tracker yesterday afternoon. When another newbie asked me about it, I sent him a link to you vid.

Nice review as usual Trevor! I love your very professional intros. Looks like both the SkyGuider Pro and Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer are winners. - Cheers Kurt

Good review, thanks for doing what you do! You, through your channel, have inspired me to venture into this area of photography...thanks (I think)!

Best astrophotography channel!

Hi Trevor! Thanks for the very detailed review covering practical issues from the perspective of somebody with lots of experience. Very helpful. I ended up ordering one, and I’m waiting for it to arrive :) I also wanted to say that, in my opinion, having AA batteries is definitely a plus, specially if you use good quality rechargeable ones. You get the advantages of both worlds, lithium battery pack and AA batteries. Cheers!

I just bought the Star Adventurer and i was happy to notice that they added a small additional part to the illuminator that clips on the l-bracket so you can do the polar alignment having your telescope mounted on!!!

Thanks for the thoughtful and thorough review! It’s cool to see the Redcat in action :)

That was a nice overview of the mount and I loved your images, nice job. One other thing about the polar light is that once you do polar align and then put on the dec bracket, you can throw your polar alignment off, and even if a arc min or arc sec off of polar alignment, you can't get those long exposures.

Solid review. Thanks for covering the panorama modes. I suspected it would do that but I was not sure. I am going to need this for a nice panning milky way time lapse.

Hi! For the polar scope illuminator you have an small plastic adaptor that fits on the declination bracket, so you do not have to remove declination bracket.

As a photographer primarily, I've dabbled in night photography a little. But ive decided to get one of these. I have a little knowledge of such type of photography etc. But ive learned so much after finding this channel. Cant wait for mine to arrive and I can attempt some serious imaging with my Canon 6D.. Excellent videos and so easy to follow your work flow..

Trevor, your reviews are ALWAYS first class, you take time to fully understand the product you are going to review ahead of time and I have learned lots from your reviews on mounts and cameras and more recently, the Canon RA. I just told my friend you had done a review on this tracker and she tells me you have also done one on the Ioptron and now we are stuck which one to go for. If you were to choose between the two, which one would you pick and why ? Use will be for possibly 2x light DSLR cameras

Great vid it was very useful, I have ordered the pro pack version and so excited to use it.

thanks for all your videos . Just got this tracker and I am looking forward to using it.

Thanks Trevor this is going to help me make my decision on what tracker iam going to buy Hope companies give you more stuff to check out so you can show us what's available and how to use it properly And love the rudy bits

Trevor, having recently purchased a Star Adventurer and using it twice to date, I’d say your review is spot on. One of the first things I realized is that my old body no longer allows me to bend and twist to look through and use a polar scope properly. So I purchased the iOptron iPolar scope and printed an adapter that can be used with the fine tuning bracket. Only had a chance to use it once in less than ideal conditions, but seems to work well. Also added an autoguider to the rig. Again no real data on how well it works but the first run was promising. Lastly I am presently printing an adapter that will go between the tripod and tracker to make it much easier to do the final leveling- working much like a transit head. Will let you know how that works out. I fall into the category you mentioned as a long time photographer but new to Astrophotography and this tracker is my first piece dedicated to this hobby. Thanks for the great video and all the information you expounded through the years. It’s your work I credit for guiding me in the right direction. Clear Skies!!

Great video. Very informative, concise and straight to the point without a lot of extra chit chat and nonsense. You should do videos of more mounts, trackers, scopes and lenses

I'm learning so much from your videos, that's outrageous ! Thanks for your hard work.

Great review, I'm quite new to astrophotography and realise I need a tracker, this video has helped me decide that the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer Pro Pack is one to certainly consider. the one I purchase will need to be able to handle my full frame DSLR and telephoto lens, it looks like this tracker can do that. Thank you for taking the time to put this review together. Great channel by the way, subscribed and notifications activated. Regards Gray

That was a fair review, Depending on where you live, On this Blue marble the iOptron versions are twice the price if not more eg: iOptron SkyGuider Pro $$$$. The Star Adventurer Pro money saved for better tripod or lens and or telescope. But thanks Trev, clear skies.

Totally helpful for a beginning astrophotographer like me. The video determined my decision to purchase. When buying on line it’s so difficult to see the product and understand how it will work when you get it. Thanks man Peace ☮️

As well as the fine tune adjustment knob for Dec, you can use the left/right arrow keys on the same side of the mount as the hemisphere slider to move at 12x speed in RA. And as others have said, you should have recieved a small plastic adaptor to attach to the polar illuminator to allow you to attach it to the dovetail part of the L bracket.

Great video, Trevor! Covered everything one must know

Can't wait to get started with this tracker!

Great video. Very informative and in depth review. Great RU-vid channel. Love your work and enthusiasm

Just looking at buying one of these - thank you for the review, most informative.

Thanks for video! I just bought new one Star adventurer and you helped me alot with new toy, setup etc. As always Trevor thanks!

I'm sure Sky-Watcher will be proud of that full review. As demonstrated in your photo with the weight attached to the tripod, it us always more stable with the extension pillar fully down & locked. That's why cameras with moveable screens are easier in this field if your tripod isn't tall.

Excellent Review Trevor! Never used this small size trackers before, but seems a good travel size mount!

Great video. I finally understand how it works now. Awesome photography.

Great video, keep 'em coming'. A few tips: 1)There is an extension available online (it can be 3d printed) for the polar illuminater if you want to use it while the "fine-tuning mount assembly" is in place: 2) if you want to use a small guide scope (an option for the mount which wasn't mentioned in the video) it has to be mounted somewhere. I initially tried to do it with a ball head but because it ends up on one side of the mount or the other, it throws off the balance. I saw an idea online where the person mounted the guidescope on the end of the weight rod so it then helps to offset the weight of the camera and balance the mount instead of throwing the balance off. I will be using this method in the near future. 3) If you want to use a Polemaster to polar align the mount, you can also purchase (or 3d print) an adapter to hold the Polemaster in place as well.

Excellent presentation. You and Peter Zelinka have definitely educated me on the various Star Trackers so it has made it possible for me to continue with my astronomy hobby. I have been at it a long time and belonged to the Von Braun Astronomical Society in the 1970's in Huntsville, AL but now live in the desert of West Texas (El Paso) and I have found a nice dark place on the way to WSMR where I worked for 26 years that has about one car per hour - about 21 miles north of El Paso. I have a 10" Meade that I love but it is a bit too heavy for me to carry around and set up without some help. I am amazed at the accuracy of the star trackers and have the iOptron mounted on a spare Meade tripod. Solid as a rock and still portable. I use a Sony mirrorless A7RIII camera at 42 megapixel and love it. You guys have helped me realize that ISO of 1600 is good, maybe a little more sometimes, but the super high ISO is not the best. I use Lightroom as a editor and am having a heck of a lot of fun again. Lastly, back to the camera, I have coming in Tuesday the Sony 200-600mm lens that, from the fantastic job you guys have done with camera lens, I am very encouraged and can go out alone and expect to get beautiful pictures without the big scope. I won't get rid of my big scope but I am no longer stuck waiting for someone to travel with me, which happens to be my grandson most of the time but he is a college fellow now and has other things to do. Thanks again and keep up the good work.

Great vid. I got one of these about 2 months ago after looking into reviews and different options. The absolute annoyance with that little illuminating reticule thing!!! other than that, it is a great addition to my kit. Brilliant review here.

I like mine, good review and helpful! I'll use the illuminator with the adapter on the declination bracket as well. However, I found it's easiest just to align the scope at dusk as soon as Polaris begins to become visible...

Trevor, awesome video! Your already well made videos have gotten even better! Great job on the editing. Are you doing this full time now? Say hello to Rudy!

Thanks Trevor for this great demonstration. Practising "Pyjama astronomy" on my balcony (in light polluted area), I shall get this tiny equatorial to drive my little refractor Baader planetarium.

Great presentation skills and info. Thank you.

Hello from Greece. Very nice and honest presentation. I use the original version of the tracker and it is really excellent. The only downside is that to put new batteries into operation on a tripod will destabilize me because it definitely needs a lot of power to remove the old batteries and the red light needs a patent to hold on to the Lbracket.

Hi! Let me first congratulate you on the good job you are doing on this channel ! keep it up !!! You inspire a lot of people. Concerning the USB power connection, you do not need to lose portability powering the Star Adventurer that way. I actually power my StarAdventurer using an external battery (like those used to charge up phones). It lasts a very long time, and it has the added advantage that the voltage is very well stabilized for those external batteries. So far I did not get any star trailing with exposures up to 3 minutes and a focal length of 210mm on an APS-C sensor. No guiding, just polar-aligned as good as possible.

Great review Trevor

Thanks for all your reviews and tips. I'm going with Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer Pro Pack . This review help make the final choice. Mounting on a Manfrotto 055. Taking this up to Mauna Kea first new moon.

FYI The polar illuminator can click on to the Green Vixen Bar slot, you do not need to remove anything to use the illuminator.

Excellent video the guy is a great talker and very easy to understand and follow.

Very informative. I would definitely consider buying one

Great video! I would advise anybody when considering one of these units would be to check the polar scopes accuracy before a serious night out. When I got mine awhile ago the reticle was not centered with the RA axis and it can be a little frustrating aligning it up again. Id assume with wider angle lenses this would not be as impactful but with longer lenses or scopes you would need a more precise polar alignment and would want to make sure the polar scope is aligned accurately with the RA axis.

Great review Trevor 👍

Question. With a camera and long lens mounted on the L bracket (fine tuning mounting assembly) and no ball head, can you aim anywhere in the sky by adjusting the right ascension (clutch axis) and declination (L bracket axis)?

Very useful, thank you for making this video.

I have one of these ... Your review was everything i have expierenced with it in the last year or so... i use a polemaster to polar align it... i borrow that from my larger setup... but work BRILLIANTLY

my assessment exactly; nice work!

Merci Merci :)) I like your explanation. I had just buy the star adventurer, and there is a little plastic ring which allows you to fix the red polar scope light on the outside of the dovetail. So you can do your polar alignment with your camera or telescope already setting on it. It's good to have this option to check the polar alignment after installing all of your gear, especially if you are as clumsy as me

Excellent review. I have had one of these mounts a few weeks now. Still waiting for a clear night so I can try it out properly. Have been doing some time lapses though and regarding the 12x setting it does not actually do a full rotation as reviewed it only does the full rotation in the celestial, solar or lunar (so 1x speed). The other settings it does a pendulum effect.

Very informative video, I enjoyed it.

Another Great informative video. As a photographer I like the solid grey background. I’ll definitely put this mount on my Amazon wish list. Only one thing lacking, Rudy! For us Po boyz please give us your impression of the Omegagon ? Wind up drive. Thanks, Dave in Cloudy PA. It’s been very frustrating, blue sky days then the clouds roll in at sunset 😾

Great vid. Just what I needed.

Hey Trevor I just came back from the Google Pixel Launch event and I have to say that you really need to test the Astrophotography capabilities on Pixel 4. Please get it, you are the best guy that I know when it come to Astrophotography.

Great review.... thanks!

I use this setup with a compact Li-Ion battery pack with a powered USB hub. I power the camera and mount from the battery pack, it can go for months without recharging. The polar alignment illumination is terrible, especially for us in the Southern Hemisphere. I usually align it with a compass and a digital inclinomoeter - the advantage being that this can be done with the setup fully loaded, so the inclination doesn't shift when you put weight on the mount. I've had great success with lenses from 35 to 600mm on this mount. I've also used a guide cam, via PHD2 (for RA only) with great results but, as Trevor said, always using an intervalometer instead of the mount camera trigger.

I picked up my Star Adventurer at NEAF 2018 and have had it about about half dozen times since. I'm really liking it. I've done mostly short-medium telephoto with a Canon APC-C camera, and have used it successfully with a Canon 200mm f/2.8 L. I just picked up the RedCat 51 at our local astro convention last week and and am looking forward to trying out the combo. In one extreme use case, I even mounted my C90 on it for visual observing of the Moon and Jupiter. It handled it quite well! I had forgotten about the polar illuminator that mine came with. Like you, I realized right out of the box that it was impractical, and just use a dim red flashlight shining obliquely into the polar slot. The only two things I would complain about, one you mentioned, is that the rotary switch is a little loose. My second gripe, and this seems to be my common gripe with many of these devices, is the batter cover. It is just too lose, and because of its location, whenever loading or unloading the mount, it's always coming off. I have to put a piece of tape one one of the tabs to make a bit more fitting. Also, my Star Adventurer didn't come with Bortle 2 skies. I don't think they had that option when I bought mine.

Great video. I bought one of these based on this and it's great! For the power issue, I velcro a 10,000mah USB power bank to the leg of the tripod. That way I can charge it in the car on the drive out to site :)

thanks, very good review as always

Great review!

Two years later, eventually I'll get my own Star Adv. PP. Tomorrow I should receive my parcel from FLO. Ohh man, I cannot wait :D. Thx Trevor

Just bought one, thanks for info.

I just bought this guy earlier today, haven't yet received it. Like your review, good to know the knob for moving the camera around. thanks!

Great review! I struggled with the scope illuminator that came with the mount for quite a while and finally took it out of my bag. Now I just shine my red flashlight (or use my cell phone screen) at an angle so it illuminates the scope just enough to see the reticle. Would be nice if they had the reticle illuminated internally, but not too big of a deal. Polar alignment should only take a minute or two once you get the hang of it anyway. Overall I love the Star Adventurer. If anyone is having trouble getting good tracking it is very likely your polar alignment is slightly off. It's very easy to bump it or find it moved slightly after adding a camera or other scope on to the mount. As Trevor said having a stable tripod is crucial.

"You can always find batteries in a remote location" Hey Look a battery tree! lol

I have this tracker and I LOVE it! I get easily 7 minute tracks with my Sony a7ii and a Rokinon 20mm f/1.8. I get nearly 2 minutes with a 20mm f/3.5 lens. I could probably get more out of it if I was a bit more careful with my alignment. Without critical alignment, this mount seems to still get the job done and very well. I don't agree with your assessment on the polar scope illuminator. It works just fine on the dec. bracket. It mounts and it lights the scope up nicely. In fact, it's designed to do just that.

Good to finally see a review of it :) So far, I'm loving it! :p The only thing you forgot to mention is that just like the iOptron SkyGuider, there's an ST4-port which makes it possible to do RA-guiding. :)

just got one!! can’t wait to start am nervous 😬 lol

This is a great product. I used it for the 2017 solar eclipse with 2 camera with long lens. I us3c the auto trigger and had that set for 60 seconds. As for the Illuminator, it is nice if you can find it in the dark. But my phone with a red screen works too by moving it near enough to light the graticule. My next thing I want to try is the auto glider.

GREAT VIDEO ..just getting into Astro

I was going to borrow one and check it out, but my wife told me to just buy my own and don't go through that drama. I have one on the way and I'm pleased that this review shows this to be a great purchase. Often times I don't want to piggyback my camera on my much larger telescope, and there are other times I simply want to bring my camera to a dark site and do a little imaging, not bring out the big 150lb worth of telescope to observe with. This mount looks like it'll do the job.

5:06 or a simple On/Off button - but I see that happening in the bag while traveling .. Thanks for the review!

I bought this mount this year before to go to the Sierra, a dark place. On the first travel, I used it, but I needed more practice to take good photos, experience. When I went one mount later, I got excellent images of MilkWay. I approximately got 10 photos, and then my lens fogged. Even so, with this data, I can practice processing images in photoshop and stacking too. In the first probe that I do, I can look at some details that I can't see before.

Awesome video, I have this mount

I am definitely inspired! thanks

Great job... you nailed it!

Very well produced and informative video - thanks - very helpful comments also :-) one request I have for a future video is your experiences with tripods and what you’re finally happy with. I’ve gone through a few ‘cheap’ tripods and with so many now on the market getting the feedback from someone with your experience would be much appreciated.