I think that the problem of locating and accurately targeting deep sky objects in the night sky can be a real pain -in-the-neck for many beginner astrophotographers, especially at longer focal lengths. The Go-To capability of the GTi will certainly make life much easier for the beginner, in this regard. Perhaps this could have been emphasized in your otherwise excellent and informative review. Regards, Mupanga Mwanakatwe
Great video! The 2i Pro seems like it’ll continue to be a proven contender for many years. I ordered the GTi since it’ll be my first mount ever and I wanted a GoTo feature without completely breaking the bank. Now I just have to order that Redcat 51 to make my DSLR happy :)
Very nice comparison video, thank you! I believe you forgot to mention the GoTo capability of the new tracker which may be a big deal for some beginners. Admittedly it still has to prove how accurate it really is, since GoTo can also be a source of frustration as I learned the hard way with my AZ-GTI. And learning to navigate the sky is certainly a nice part of the hobby anyway. Actually the new GTI currently only has lunar, solar and sideral tracking modes while the 2i Pro comes with some additional creative modes which may be welcome for timelapse photography. I got this info from Skywatcher during their introduction session of the GTI. In my understanding the new GTI - even by its name - addresses more those photographers who desperately tried to turn the AZ-GTI into an equatorial mount for photography, which depending on sample quality worked well for some but not for others. It would be very interesting to actually watch a video on how much drift you really get over an imaging session without guiding and without a DEC axis with the average effort you would invest in setting up a tracker. Looking forward to further interesting videos on this channel.
Thanks for this useful info Wolfgang! Yes, the GTI indeed has GoTo, I think it's in the name (GoTo and the I for Wi-fi I think). As an AP-er I'd probably use the GTI with platesolving software (or hardware like the Asiair). It's indeed a nice addition to be able to automatically slew to a target, and with a modest focal it'll probably be in the field of view. Clear skies 😉!
The star tracker pro is still primarily for a light camera lens setup, it’s an introductory unit, it’s good, just don’t expect to much from it. The GTi will just be more of the same, very limited payload just with a goto feature. Know your limits.
Looking for a small mount I considered the GTI but the 11lbs (half of that for optimal performance) payload is just not enough if you want to use guiding, asiair etc. So I am ending up with a cem26 I think because I don't need the ultra portability of the GTI but just a lighter setup than the eq6r-pro.
Yes, exactly. I think that's a good choice. I've made this overview of EQ mounts a while back, perhaps useful: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-rsy47AVfzTw.html I always take 22 pounds (about 10 kg) as a minimum when recommending EQ mounts for astrophotography. Good luck!
The 2i Pro paired with an ASIAir Pro/+ and giving real time plate solving, is an amazing combo. Of course the GTi paired with one will just as impressive Im sure.
Great Video and as always very informative. I've had the 2i for about a year and a half now and have overcome the lack of goto by using it in conjunction with my ASIAIR pro. Works pretty good once you get the hang of it.
Nice video! I was initially very pumped about the GTI, however that fell off a lot when I saw pricing here in Australia. I got my Star Adventurer 2i in the photo kit and then purchased the counter weight and Dec bracket seperately to bring it up to the Pro kit equivalent. It was on sale, but all of that cost me $495 AUD brand new. The cheapest I can see the GTI being advertised here is $1049 AUD which is a massive jump in cost to get features that (coming only from a star tracker) are going to require additional expensive of guide scope, control computer and potentially battery power supply. Also, the price difference between the GTI (without tripod) is very close to the EQM35 and even the iOptron CEM26 (once you take into account the included tripod) which are far more capable payload wise. I think the GTI might make sense for someone with a large EQ mount (and associated gear) already who wants a capable, super portable 2 axis guiding mount. Those just starting out are going to hit payload limits pretty quick I think and might be left a little disappointed they didn't spend that extra bit to move into the 10kg+ capable mounts.
Thanks Dominic, I feel the same. In my opinion a good EQ mount for starters should be able to carry at least 10kgs. The GTI is limited to 5 kgs, so that's great for a DSLR with a zoom lens or a small telescope up to 300mm focal length. Anything bigger than that would push the GTI to its limit. Consequently, you could use it for widefield AP and some of the bigger targets (Andromeda, Orion, North America nebula and the like). if money is not an issue and you want the highest quality lightweight tracker with goto and autoguiding, the GTI might by great. But you'll need to upgrade as soon as you run out of these wider field objects. I like the 2i pro for its simplicity and ease of use so far. Clear skies!
I orderd the GTI begin november and hope to arrive in March/April this year. I want to used it with my Sharpstar 61 and Askar FRA 400 telescopes with a ZWO 533 MC camera from locations in the Netherlands and from La Palma.
Thanks for the excellent video. For me, the goto function, better polar scope set up and guiding refinements are well worth the extra money and weight. But the 2i is a very handy and capable unit for quick astro image sessions.
I think the GTI does not replace the 2i Pro, but fills in a gap. Your review is the first I've seen that really addressed the questions and thoughts I had about the GTI. It's great, but sometimes simple is what you want.
Thanks Richard! I'm new to startrackers but I already went down the rabbit hole with platesolving and finding/capturing objects at high focal length. I bought that 2i pro with simplicity in mind. A simple DSLR camera and tracker to take with me on family holidays and do some widefield astro. But other folks are looking for a lightweight EQ goto mount and the GTI probably fills that gap. Clear skies 😉
Perhaps the GTI... they are rated for 5kg but the 2i Pro only has one axis tracking, gti has ra and dec gears. the SW HEQ5 Pro and celestron avx are more stable alternatives but also more expensive.
Thanks for the review.I also own a SA 2i Pro and an HEQ5 mount.But for a beginner,from my experience I think the new Star Adventurer GTI is better than 2iPro.Why? Because is fully automated and if you want to find a DSO to photograph ,you just select it from the app or AA+ atlas if you have one and you're good to go.But with the 2iPro it's way more difficult to manually find a DSO as a beginner if you don't know star hopping or have a good knowledge of the night sky.And you'll end up getting frustrated and possibly give up this beautiful hobby.In my opinion,SA2i pro is very good if you want to take photos of Milky Way or landscapes timelapses or if you're an experienced astroguy :).Other than that,if you're not familiar with the night sky you will lose precious time finding DSObjects.So if I were a beginner I would buy the new GTI.Yeah, it's a bit expensive than SA2i pro but I think it's perfect for a beginner.I for one regret that it wasn't on the market when I started this hobby.It would have been a game changer.Keep up the good work.
Hey Wido. I just got my 2i Pro yesterday, I and I have been working on setup with my current tripod. I will work on polar alignment over the weekend, assuming I have clear skies. I do have a quick question. So, my current tripod had a ball head on it, so I took that off and then was able to attach the wedge. After putting everything on, except for my Canon T3i, the tripod seems a little weak. What tripod would you recommend?
Hi Kevin, i bought an Ioptron tripod as the original skywatcher tripods were out of stock. It's still lightweight but sturdy enough for my dslr and zoom lens.
I have the original SA and should get the GTI soon. Will be using it with the Asiair with just a 135mm lens as a portable setup. Should get it in a couple weeks. Can't wait !
Really appreciated that review as I've been using an old SA pro for some years now with some cheap stick on gravity sensors and custom software to locate stars for photometry. The second axis in the SA GTI might be a very helpful alternative for star location. But everything you said about the greater convenience, lighter weight and lower power consumption of the SA Pro would make the choice between the two systems quite hard for me. Nevertheless, great to see a light-weight 2 axis equatorial mount and your very useful review many thanks. PeterO
For visual, maybe. For astrophotography I'd really recommend an eq mount with a higher payload capacity, like these: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-rsy47AVfzTw.html. clear skies.
Great video, Wido, thank you! I was in the same position of having bought the 2i one week before the GTI was announced. However I returned mine to get the GTI because I think that you will gain the time you lose with the missing dial back with the Go-to functionality. Greetings!
The 5kg payload is a limit. With counterweight, you are limited to a 3.5kg optical system. Camera plus refractor plus guidescope means you are pushing the payload limit. Why not spend a bit more on an EQ5 Pro mount then? For me the SA 2i Pro is a great portable option. The GTi's limited payload is a turn-off.
Thank you for doing the comparison between SA2iPro and GTi. It is a great comparison. I was considering purchasing a HEQ5Pro mount to start my astrophotography hobby mainly to get GoTo functionality and payload capacity. Then I came to know about soon to be released GTi . In Australia the HEQ5Pro will cost me A$500 more than GTi plus tripod. I live in Bortle 7 area and therefore, I need to drive away from home to get to darker sky area. Now I am having trouble understanding whether spending extra money for HEQ5Pro would give me any benefit other than higher payload? I am not sure about portability of HEQ5Pro. I would appreciate your advice.
Thanks! Here are my thoughts.I would go for a heq5 pro if your plan is to also mount a telescope with a focal length of about 400mm or higher. If your plan is to do some casual imaging with a DSLR and perhaps a small sized telescope or zoom lens with a focal length up to 300mm you could consider a star tracker like the 2i pro or GTI. The heq5 pro is a lot sturdier, and the tripod is heavier which gives you more stability. This is important to achieve multi minute tracking accuracy at higher focal lengths. Hope this helps!
@@AstroForumSpace Thank you so much Wido. I can now make an informed decision. I liked the videos on your channel and I have subscribed it. Looking forward for more videos.
Believe it or not I own both..... yes the 2i pro is good and probably the best bang for your buck..... but that gti does hold its own as well....... I use both equally..... but I have been favoring the gti a bit more with the plate solving using the asiair plus and I can center the objects from the get go.... all while using my iPad..... rather then being off center (at times) with the 2i pro...... either way the real way to learn is the 2i pro.... before going to the gti..... that way you can appreciate the simplicity of it all..... I was lucky that I had a credit with a company for $450 after buying a bunch of gear so out of pocket for the gti was a little over $200..... thats how I ended up getting this all in all I love the gti as much as I love my 2i pro
I own the first generation Star Adventurer for about 5 years. Did some mods to make it easier to use. At the time I got it with counter weight kit for $230. Live in bortle 9 city. Star hopping is very difficult, because you can't see many stars to use as guides to get to the "invi"
Hi there, thanks for the sub. Depends on what you're looking for. For widefield milkyway shots a DSLR camera is enough. For super high quality shots of Andromeda and the bigger nebulae like Orion you probably want to mount a apo telescope and a dedicated cooled astrocamera on these trackers. Cheers.
damn! and i just bought an ioptron skyguider pro 2 months ago. the goto functionality on the GTI really changes things on the portable astrophotography field. for me at least. Has anyone heard of a competitor alternative to the GTI?
Not for this price i think. Interesting to read many of you value that GoTo functionality. I couldn't live without it on my EQ6R pro, but I figured that at modest focal length it would not be so difficult to find objects. I don't think there are many alternatives to the GTI if goto and autoguiding is what you want. Cheers.
@@AstroForumSpace There is one Wido, and also by SkyWatcher: the AZGTi, used in equatorial mode. Add an equatorial base, counterweights and a way to polar align (some options, both commercial and DIY exist) and you get exactly the same functionalities as the Star Adventurer GTi. Indeed, as its name implies, the Star Adventurer GTI is the fusion between the Star Adventurer and the AZGTI. By the way, you forgot one big advantage of the GTI over the SA: 12V motors instead of 6V. When your payload nears the limit of the tracker, you really feel the difference. I know what I am talking about, since I own both mounts ! Best. Damien
I tried to buy the Star Adventurer 2i Pro, but they had a huge back order, so I went for the very similar iOptron Skyguider. I have sometimes felt the lack of GoTo capability, but I honestly think that manually finding targets will just come with practice. I would say that I am willing to sacrifice GoTo for any extra portability. I do not have a car, so that might be why.
It's definitely doable and you learn to navigate the night sky yourself, which is pretty awesome. I'm in Italy on a holiday right now and I was able to bring the 2i pro with me together with the stuff of my wife and kids, so that's great. The iOptron is a very nice startracker, lightweight tracker. I'm sure you'll have lots of fun. Clear skies 😉.
@@AstroForumSpace Nice! I hope you've had clear skies in Italy. I just got back from Hungary and I did take the iOptron. I got a very nice shot of the Leo Triplet. Edit: I do want to add something for the people that are considering both options. At least with the iOptron getting good framing can be a challenge due to the lack of declination motor. I don't know if it is the same with the Star Adventurer, but I refrain from shooting a target over multiple nights just because of how difficult it can be to get similar framing to the previous session. Maybe it just takes practice as well.
Yeah you're right. Lacking the GOTO feature will just come with practice. I'm an aspiring astrophotographer with an enough money to buy the 2i pro pack as it is portable. My place is extremely light polluted so it will be a matter of travelling to places with low light pollution for deep sky imaging, a reason why 2i pro pack is the best for me.
Is it not possible to mount a phone into the camera hot shoe and use on of the astronomy apps to assist pointing the camera at targets? That would pretty much make a go to set up.
Does the weight capacity of 11lbs include the counterweight rod, or not ??? Nobody explains that in the reviews I've seen ... I have an 8 lbs camera / lens setup, will it support it (using the counter-weight) ??
I made the dumbest mistake of buying 2i pro pack in August 2022. Now I have the GTi in stock in a nearby store. But the original store asking for 30% restocking fee. For others in my situation one suggestions: Just wait...
Great video. Was considering a goto small setup so was interested in the comparison. The manual dial was probably taken off the gti because it can accidentally be turned on in your bag for example.
