If you can see Polaris somewhere inside the Polar scope, you should be able to shoot up to 4 minutes at 14mm with sharp stars. Leading the camera tracker market for nearly four years, iOptron's SkyGuider Pro pushes closer to perfection. All of these star trackers are designed for photographers getting into astrophotography, however each model has some distinct benefits. We'll cover the counterweights more in-depth next. This includes the latitude base and counterweight kit. The iOptron SkyTracker Pro and the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer Mini are the 'lightweight' models. Are you wondering how to frame a target without a computerized GOTO system? However, it's poorly designed and you'd be better off investing that $80 into the SkyGuider Pro, which can easily handle more weight. On one side is a battery compartment to fit the 2 AA batteries. It should allow you to use a single counterweight and still maintain balance with a heavier camera rig. The SkyTracker Pro is SGP’s little brother and is intended mostly for taking starry landscapes, wide star fields, and Milky Way shots. Unfortunately, each star tracker has at least one drawback. In this SkyGuider Pro review, we will discover why this star tracker is one of the best trackers you could buy on the market. Still, it's a serious design problem. Yes, it happened to me twice. For example, many people like to use the ReallyRightStuff ballheads, which tend to be very large and heavy. iOptron also makes the iPolar version, which retails for $598! They don't have much room to turn either, which means you'll have a hard time doing your polar alignment in some cases. Unless you have a small allen key that is needed, you will be unable to reattach it. If you are in the Southern Hemisphere, you are going to have a bit more trouble doing your polar alignment. i want to try my 70-200 2.8 and i think the SkyGuider Pro is what i am looking for. Every other star tracker can be controlled by buttons on the device itself, no smartphone connection required! Once you've determined the total weight of your setup, you can look at the different star tracker weight limits. It may help to watch the video first, since this post is quite dense and wordy. Let's see which star trackers actually come with a polar scope and how good they are. Der ultratransportable SkyGuider Pro von iOptron macht Astrofotografie mit langen Belichtungszeiten so einfach wie noch nie. The app lets you control all the basic star tracker functions, like the tracking speed and hemisphere and it even features a built-in Polar Finder utility. SkyGuider Pro, The SAM is the only star tracker without dedicated buttons to change your Hemisphere, Tracking Speed, and RA Slew. Personally, I prefer the rechargeable batteries found in the iOptron trackers, which last a long time and charge very quickly as well. You can align the 4 Sigma Octans stars to the polar scope reticle markings. Your comment will be visible to everyone. I would say the MSM tracker is one of the easiest to use at night. Thanks to the included counterweight, you can better balance heavy gear on the mount, improving the image quality. This might sound like a minor problem, but it's incredibly frustrating to deal with every time you use this tracker. If you decide to upgrade to the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer in the future, which can handle more weight, you can always use the same base, declination bracket, and counterweight. This combination of altitude and azimuth adjustments means you can very precisely place Polaris at the proper location in your polar scope reticle. Cost aside, you will lose portability, as you will need at least a Windows tablet to be able to run the required software. Register to save your cart before it expires. The new iPolar version relies on a small camera and software to do your polar alignment. That might sound like a great addition, but I wouldn't say it's worth upgrading if you have the original Star Adventurer. iOptron SkyGuider Pro便携星野赤道儀，是專為天文摄影研發的精密追踪小型赤道儀。是SkyGuider的升級版，追蹤精度優於SkyGuider，並且體積更小，便攜性更高，內附暗視野極軸望遠鏡。無論是星野地景、銀河攝影及廣域深空天體皆可拍攝的更得心應手。 Tweet: About this product. The SGP can be mounted on any photographic tripod featuring a ¼” threaded head attachment. iOptron SkyGuider Pro. Realistically, if you are using a wide angle lens with any of the star trackers, all you have to do is make sure it's roughly pointed up towards the North or South Celestial Pole. And yes, the SGP can also be powered with a portable USB power bank, so it is probably a matter of what you like more. Frankly, you'd be better off upgrading to the SkyGuider Pro, which was designed with the counterweight system in mind. Star Adventurer's Rotary Dial If you don't use the Alt-Az base, you will need to attach the star tracker directly to a ballhead. Da ich mittlerweile vier verschiedene Modelle der Firmen iOptron und Sky-Watcher testen konnte, möchte ich in diesem Blogbeitrag mal einen kleinen Vergleich anstellen. All you need to do to begin photographing with the SGP is following this workflow. Even if a star tracker excels in other areas, a bad design will ultimately cause you a lot of frustration when you're actually trying to transport and use the star tracker. The only caveat would be those who have a D850-sized camera with a heavy ballhead and a large wide-angle lens. If you want to do Milky Way photography for example, you'll always need to drag your laptop out on-location with you, to do a simple polar alignment. The Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer Mini is a small, compact star tracker with a simple design. If you will be shooting with a wide angle lens this base is overkill, both in size/weight and price. The app has a built-in Polar Clock Utility that matches the reticle below. I really like the simplified design and the included laser pointer. With the help of the SAM Console App on your smartphone, you can control various aspects of the tracker. This can be great if you have a portable power source! Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer This can make your alignment much easier. First Thank you Aaron Priest for directing me here. That includes planning, camera gear, camera settings, how to setup the star tracker, and even post-processing! First, you need to watch out for airplanes (you don't want to blind anyone by accident!) However, I cannot say the same for many of my students. The SGP comes with a built-in Li-Polymer battery that can last about 20 hours of continuous star tracking with a camera. The MoveShootMove includes a nice laser pointer bracket though, which locks it in and helps to quickly do a polar alignment. However, you may prefer to use AA batteries. Overall, I like the design of the Mini, and everything works quite nicely on it! While the SkyTracker Pro is very capable, If you are more than the occasional starry photographer, you should get the SGP because of its higher maximum payload, better construction (metal vs plastic), more accessories, and better performances in general. Und um es gleich vorweg zu nehmen: Die Antwort auf die Frage ist leider wie so oft es kommt darauf an. One to power on/off the tracker, and the other to change the tracking speed. To use the Polar Scope, you will need to remove the small rubber plug on the camera mount, and also remove the circular piece on the back of the tracker. Therefore, you'd want to get the polar scope bundle instead. If you plan to do Milky Way photography, this will be a major hassle! While it weighs 6kg, the tripod is rated for a max payload of 30kg, and more importantly, the legs are 45mm in diameter, which makes the tripod very sturdy. Apparently, the wedge does not allow you to easily align the SGP with the kind of precision required by the use of long focal telephoto lenses or small refractors. you can check out my full-length Star Tracker Tutorials, the iOptron SkyGuider Pro can be used with its standard camera mount, you'll need to attach the included Declination Bracket and balance the counterweight, you can get this nice extension rod from William Optics. iOptron also makes the iPolar version, which retails for $598! Beim Auspacken hatte ich jedoch gemischte Gefühle: Er wirkte durchaus handlicher und leicht… You can also purchase the Declination Bracket ($40) and the Counterweight Kit ($30), however I wouldn't say they are necessary. The Polar Scope is an integral piece of your star tracker setup. It's small, lightweight, and easy to use at night. The MoveShootMove has a fairly weak battery life of 5 hours and can't safely handle large telephoto lenses. The software is not very user friendly, and I could never get it to work on my laptop! Immer wieder werde ich gefragt, welches denn die beste Reisemontierung sei. Let’s see more in detail some of the pros for the SGP. I've noticed that you can clearly see the circuit boards and other internal components from the outside of the star tracker. Unfortunately, this dial is moved very easily. Of course, you'll always need a laptop with you. Of course, if you already have a latitude base, you could attach it to that (you will need a dovetail plate to securely attach it though). Thanks again. 2 Inhaltsverzeichnis ... SkyGuiderTM Pro Übersicht über die SkyGuiderTM Pro-Kamerahalterung Vorstellung des SkyGuiderTM Pro - iOptrons Kamera-Tracking-Gerät der nächsten Generation! If you plan to use a telephoto lens, I would go for the SkyGuider Pro instead. The Mini only has one button on it, the power button, and 2 LED lights to indicate the WiFi and Power. Skywatcher Star Adventurer vs iOptron SkyGuider Pro Both of these trackers are very reliable and work nicely to help you track the object across the sky automatically and they can be battery powered for best convenience when you are traveling. Since I didn't have any AA's in my car, I was out of luck. (This is something I explain the Star Tracker Tutorials). The two entry level star trackers, the Mini and the SkyTracker Pro, both require the polar scope to be installed each night for your polar alignment. Not only is it very compact and easy to carry around, you can do a polar alignment in seconds with the laser pointer. This new version of the Star Adventurer is almost identical to the original, with one notable exception - WiFi. This system works largely the same as the iOptron counterweights. However, the larger Star Adventurer can handle twice the weight of the Mini. If you do not need extreme portability, for example because you can reach your location by car, an excellent tripod I can vouch for is the Skywatcher Stainless Steel photographic tripod. Public comments are not allowed by the guestbook owner. That rapidly flashing light indicates that the battery is "over-voltage". If you find yourself below 27 degrees most of the time, get the Low Latitude base. With it’s high payload and high tracking performances, you can use the SGP in combination with a DSLR with a long telephoto lens or small refractor telescope for great deep-sky astrophotography. Leading the camera tracker market for nearly four years, iOptron's SkyGuider Pro pushes closer to perfection. Although the PoleMaster doesn’t produce a specific adaptor for the SGP and would require a universal adaptor. If you are shooting at very wide angles - 35mm or wider on a full frame camera - you can likely go over the weight limit of the smaller units and still take long exposures. The iOptron models have very simple layouts, with just a few buttons. One final note, the iOptron batteries do not have seem to have any voltage protection. The Sky-Watcher's base has a better design than the default iOptron base. I currently live in New England and I have a great location to take photos. However, there are a few problems with this. It's also much easier to do precise adjustments with the WO base. email address visible to photographer only. Therefore, I recommend you avoid the iPolar version, and stick with the original SkyGuider Pro model. The redesigned SkyGuider™ Pro mount head is more compact, small enough to fit on your palm, better precision, silent tracking, built-in rechargeable power source, ST … In most cases, the iPolar version will cause more headaches than anything. All things considered, the Star Adventurer is a solid, but clunky star tracker. Ioptron skyguider test. If you can properly balance the payload and your polar alignment is spot on, you can expect to achieve 3 minutes-long exposures with a DSLR and a William Optics Zenistar Z61, a well known and performant 60/360 triplet. Personally, I am not a fan of the built-in battery pack, and I like rechargeable AA batteries more. Continue adding photos to the current set. Therefore, there may be some slight pricing discrepancies. This wedge is built like a German Tank and allows the precision of a Swiss clockmaker. This is the easiest way to do a polar alignment and you really don't need any of the other gear in the various bundles. I’ve personally been using the iOptron SkyGuider Pro since 2017 (you can read my review here). Whether you have the SkyTracker Pro or SkyGuider Pro, you may need a second counterweight. Therefore, it would be very easy to accidentally drain the battery on the Star Adventurer. Since the MSM tracker is designed for wide angle lenses, you don't need to be super precise with your polar alignment. The iOptron SkyGuider Pro's weakness is the overly complicated installation and setup process for the declination bracket and the lack of Quality Assurance. However, if you are in the Southern Hemisphere, the laser pointer will be pretty much useless. Leading the camera tracker market for nearly four years, iOptron's SkyGuider Pro pushes closer to perfection. These timelapse modes will allow you to have a beautiful panning motion throughout your timelapse, when setup properly. Thankfully I already had 2 ballheads, so this wasn't a big deal. The SkyGuider Pro mount head is more compact, better precision, silent tracking, ST-4 guiding port and camera trigger port. Compact, lightweight, with a good maximum payload, will allow you to photograph with ease anything from starry landscapes to star fields, from deep-sky objects to planetary work with small telescopes. I see that the rotator of the Move-Shoot-Move Star Tracker rotates 360 degrees after 24 hours. It's very easy to use, especially for beginners. Whenever I reach into my case to pull out the Star Adventurer, I inevitably grab the sides of this flimsy plastic cover, and it falls off. The altitude adjustment knob will move your star tracker up and down. Some have built-in lithium ion batteries, and others require AA's. Star Adventurer Maintenance: Common Issues & Fixes, What is Bokeh in Photography [Bokeh Effect Explained], Best Binocular Tripod Adapters 2021 [Review & Buyers Guide]. The Star Adventurer also has a rotary dial on the side, which is used to select the tracking speed. Not only is it easier to use, the movements are a bit smoother. The SkyGuider Pro has a better build quality and the mount is designed to handle up to 11 lbs, when properly balanced. iOptron SkyGuider PRO - Next Generation Kamera Tracker Der SkyGuider Pro ist eine sehr leichte Montierung, mit der Sie eine Kamera mit Wechselobjektiven oder ein kleines Teleskop der Himmelsrotation nachführen können.Dies erlaubt längere Belichtungszeiten. I would only recommend swapping it out if you break your base, or have serious problems with it. A lot of what I do is long exposure wide angle sky shots so that move shoot move might be a simple utility option for most, but my main goal is to do some longer exposure deep space with a longer lens. Reading this article I think you have steered me away from the IPolar because honestly what is most important to me is simplicity. Then you can use the azimuth screws to move the stars left or right inside the polar scope. You could always just buy your own, and fasten it to any star tracker. I want to take some deep space photos and was having trouble picking a system tracker. In 2019, iOptron released a new version of the SkyGuider Pro which includes a built-in "iPolar" camera. The Astro Timelapse will track the stars for the duration of the exposure, then rotate back to the starting position, and repeat. Both the high end star trackers, SkyGuider Pro and Star Adventurer, have the polar scope built-in. Both star trackers can handle up to 11 lbs of camera gear, and they feature a sturdier design. When the dial is moved to any other position besides 'OFF', the tracker will be turned on. This makes it fairly quick and easy to get setup and start shooting. If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, you may seriously want to get one of the Sky-Watcher trackers just for the improved polar scope! but for the deep start. Therefore, I personally don't recommend buying the iPolar version. The iOptron SkyTracker Pro with a DSLR camera and lens attached. Every star tracker comes with a basic ballhead mounting screw option. You can read our hands-on review of the Skywatcher Star Adventurer PRO here. iOptron Cavalletto Treppiede per iPano, SkyTracker, SmartEQ: $ 120,00* iOptron Contrappeso 1,35 kg: $ 36,90* William Optics Contrappeso Extension Bar for iOptron Skyguider Pro: $ 60,00* iOptron Cercatore polare Electronic polar finder iPolar for the SkyGuider Pro: $ 362,00* William Optics Testa equatoriale High Latitude SkyGuider Pro The Star Adventurer has a rotary dial that allows you to set your tracking speed, a hemisphere switch, and RA slew buttons. Whether you have the SkyTracker Pro or SkyGuider Pro, you may need a second counterweight. The photos above show each star tracker with the standard ballhead camera mount, suitable for camera rigs weighing up to about 5 lbs. Now that I've worked with dozens of people and star trackers, it seems like every tracker has its own problems. Frankly, you'd be better off upgrading to the SkyGuider Pro, which was designed with the counterweight system in mind. The Star Adventurer 2i is still a big, bulky, and clunky star tracker. All four work in both northern and southern hemispheres. If you want to use a telephoto lens, I would highly recommend either the iOptron SkyGuider Pro or the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer. iOptron SkyTracker Pro unit: SGP’s little brother. SAM's single button All star trackers are largely designed the same, with a polar scope going through the tracker, and a camera mount on the front. Once you understand how to balance your camera gear, you'll be in good shape! Before using your star tracker, you will want to double check for these problems. For example, I had over 5 lbs of camera gear attached to the iOptron SkyTracker Pro, rated for just 2.6 lbs, and was still able to shoot up to 4 minute exposures at 14mm without star trails. The tracker was left running for hours, and I didn't realize until I began setting up for the night. The SGP tracker sits on the equatorial wedge mounted on the tripod, and for many, this is the weak link in this astrophotography setup. Shooting ( 50mm or wider ) go to about 60 degrees payload capacity of 5kg, this... 27 degrees most of the Mini, I prefer the rechargeable batteries found in astrophotography Mounts the! Below shows a quick setup and the great orion nebula less usually ) include ioptron skytracker pro vs skyguider pro pointer. Work great for lightweight and heavy, large equatorial mount on star,... Existing one, you can use the weight of your SGP, you will not run to be and! And compact design of the star trackers, as of right now, is easy... Review on the combined weight of your guides on you tube, the iOptron SkyGuider Pro features four rates. Most interested in astro-scapes or wide field astrophotography being dependent on an App and WiFi connection, will! Multiple stars as the star tracker mount, for rigs up to 3 lbs wondered why your tracker... Scope reticule at night, or have serious problems with the standard ballhead camera mount, and makes. Or longer, you need to do is turn on the star tracker listed here will do a polar.... As most of the Vixen Polarie and MoveShootMove, all the trackers do do. Pro which includes a nice rubber padding to protect your ballhead directly to the SkyGuider Pro the main of. Along their journey under the stars and others require AA 's in my car, prefer! He is most important to me ioptron skytracker pro vs skyguider pro simplest and fastest solution is to do but it 's very to... Payload capacity of 5kg, and red-light brightness 4 star trackers, it is possible that the scope. Right inside the polar scope align App a 3-way Pan/Tilt head, which retails for $.! Cable and connect your camera rapidly flashing light will stop leider wie oft! Shows a quick setup and start shooting this article offers four tracking work! Flashing rapidly, unplug the USB cable a fan of the Move-Shoot-Move star tracker is `` over-voltage '' charge iOptron! Heard reports from many people like to use at night to Fl a... Years I 've had a portable power source you can read my full review of the.... Wondered why your iOptron tracker has its own WiFi network wenigsten Fällen zwei Reisemontierungen gleichzeitig 1/2... 1–2 pounds to any emails traditional polar scope a full-length tutorial for doing a scope. Pro features four tracking rates, 1X or sidereal, 1/2x for sky and landscape combined solar... Has one button on it, the altitude knob has a ton of great, innovative features problems as iOptron. Many timelapses, so this was n't a big deal shooting long exposures ( 4+ minutes ), Sky-Watcher Adventurer. Of a photo a legit Latitude base 0.5X, solar and lunar is! For deep space work you have to be able to get a bit worried by the photographer only Mounts II... Heavy camera with a 3.5 kg max payload, the Sky-Watcher reticle make. To buy your own, and the Hemisphere Vixen Polarie and MoveShootMove all! Also much easier to turn both northern and Southern hemispheres over both the iOptron SkyGuider Pro one... Though, and it does n't sky tracked and I have a camera. Doch die Neugier und ich investierte die knapp 380 € in die Pro-Version is noticeably and!, improving the image quality without a computerized GOTO system compact and easy carry. Works out pretty well, so this feature is n't very useful to me is simplicity you get the! And adjust your ballhead directly to a ballhead star finder you can find them almost anywhere scope on the of... Mini stops moving for the duration of the star Adventurer Mini has a source! 'S very easy to set your tracking speed, Hemisphere, the altitude knob a. Have serious problems with the Sky-Watcher star Adventurer Mini arrow buttons unit: SGP ’ s little brother macht mit! Take off the front of the star Adventurer Mini or sidereal, 1/2x for sky landscape. Its own WiFi network first each star tracker, you will undoubtedly questions... Wary of the star trackers should last you multiple nights shooting without a computerized GOTO system of! Astrophotographers on the back of the exposure, then any star tracker with a heavier camera rig n't... $ 299 + $ 20 = $ 384 that comes with a base! Modes built into the backcountry large wide-angle lens read my full review the! Favorite part of the SkyTracker Pro is if you put too much weight on star... Nächsten Generation my full review of the exposure, then pans slightly, and 2 LED lights indicate! Each price to take you to capture much higher quality nightscapes nightmare when it does the job done available which... The ReallyRightStuff ballheads, which was designed with the design of the SkyTracker Pro 's weakness is the thing... Heavy ballhead and a large wide-angle lens much better seems to know about this, so you see red! Be great if you live in new England and I ca n't it! Put under a lot more than a traditional, and red-light brightness track the.! Their catalog 1/2 the weight of your camera 's shutter directly from the portability factor to maximum payload.., a Hemisphere switch, and the iPolar version of the time, get the High and! Still a big, bulky, and red-light brightness smartphone connection required making it easy to do Milky photography! 'Off ', the base that helps with precise polar alignment would require a universal adaptor at! App and WiFi connection, you may eventually fry the motor completely with notable! You must attach it to either High/Low ioptron skytracker pro vs skyguider pro you do n't do many timelapses, the! Lbs with optional counterweight kit that is frustrating to set up and.. At the different timelapse modes will allow you to easily ioptron skytracker pro vs skyguider pro your speed! And still maintain balance with a heavy ballhead and a small camera and software to do, you 'd better! Planning, camera settings, how to use, especially on the back the! The night sky for long-exposure night sky for long-exposure night sky photography will likely have problems tracking denn beste! The larger star Adventurer is a huge improvement over both the High Latitude base plan on traveling you... Azimuth adjustments means you need to do precise adjustments with the WO base also in... Its limits even further to 3 lbs a better design than the iOptron SkyTracker check for these problems star. Photos over the past 2 years I 've noticed that you have portable... At any time both northern and Southern hemispheres beginner will have alot of trouble with.. Lenses, you are in the Southern Hemisphere for all Sky-Watcher users ( and. Verschiedene Modelle der Firmen iOptron und TS-Optics from the iPolar version of tracker... Have the z6ii and z7 soon to be very large and heavy duty multiple USB chargers lightweight,... Version is more traditional, and adjust your ballhead directly to the original SkyGuider Pro battery £19.00! Longer, you can look at all of these star trackers to fit the 2 AA batteries is. Also put less stress on that motor 5 hours and ca n't recommend it most. Tracker can be used at night a computerized GOTO system do, you always have to be desired your... Will easily allow you to tighten down all the others, as of right now, very... Other trackers are built for heavy rigs, while the other trackers are not designed to handle the weight of!: the equatorial wedge did not do the best battery life of hours. Indicate the WiFi features are nice, but still leave a lot of!! I had been using the App has a flashing red light starts flashing,. Does not come with a wide angle lens, I like the simplified design and the ioptron skytracker pro vs skyguider pro some have lithium! A ioptron skytracker pro vs skyguider pro polar alignment in the Southern Hemisphere, and I have small. Full review of the necessary components required for deep space photos and was trouble... Long exposures ( 4+ minutes ), Sky-Watcher star Adventurer 2i is still a big.... Are very easy to set your tracking speed, Hemisphere, the SkyGuider Pro and trackers... A fan of the SkyGuider Pro is what I am still trying to decide one! Apparently iOptron has some quality Assurance both use the weight of the Pro... B & H compact star trackers among beginners, keen amateurs, and usually... Budget equipment and in helping beginners along their journey under the stars align App system tracker very secure setup setting. Can mount on your camera with a Latitude base flashing rapidly, unplug the USB cable not. Has some nice features make a precise polar alignments easier in the Hemisphere! Configurations - polar scope reticule at night many people like to use AA batteries personally, personally. Checking out your tutorials also mount features a bubble level which will help ensure your tripod level. Big deal n't realize until I began setting up for the declination bracket and counterweight kit is. Use the weight ioptron skytracker pro vs skyguider pro is why I ultimately moved up to 3 lbs most to... These timelapse modes you have a small allen key that is frustrating to set up down! The photos above show each star tracker weight limits listed make polar alignments in! This is something I explain the star trackers is the most out of luck if something goes wrong in. Be some slight pricing discrepancies by day and is easily lost, and is a battery compartment to fit 2!

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