Since I didn't have any AA's in my car, I was out of luck. This is ultimately going to be the biggest factor in your star tracker decision, as each model can only handle a certain amount of weight. You could always just buy your own, and fasten it to any star tracker. No polar scope required! The Star Adventurer 2i is still a big, bulky, and clunky star tracker. Apparently iOptron has some Quality Assurance problems, although their customer service is usually pretty quick to respond to any emails. With that said, these are all very minor problems and each star tracker will get the job done. This will easily allow you to position Polaris precisely in the polar scope. While the SNAP cable isn't necessary, I'd highly recommend it. Some have built-in lithium ion batteries, and others require AA's. If you have too much weight on the star tracker, that motor is going be put under a lot of stress. It has a similar payload capacity of 5kg (11lb) and is a serious rival to the iOptron SkyGuider Pro. The MoveShootMove star tracker does not come with a latitude base. iOptron SkyTracker Pro - Included (Requires installation each night), Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer Mini - Included (Requires installation each night), Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer - Included (Built-in), iOptron SkyGuider Pro - Included (Built-in). There's also a chance your polar scope is not aligned properly from the factory. You've fully charged the battery. Therefore, you will want a good polar scope to help find Polaris. The same applies to the Vixen Polarie, you could attach it directly to a ballhead and adjust the ballhead to either 90 degrees, or 0 degrees to have a simple panning motion (either left/right or up/down). Then you can lock everything down, and begin shooting! SkyTracker Pro's buttons Another important consideration is the design of the star tracker. Then, you can open the SAM Console App to control the Mini. The MoveShootMove star tracker is another lightweight model, and is easily the most compact star tracker on the market. If you're looking for a high-quality camera, you don't need to spend a ton of cash, nor do you need to buy the latest and greatest new product on the market. The WO base also comes in two different options - High Latitude and Low Latitude. The Mini only has one button on it, the power button, and 2 LED lights to indicate the WiFi and Power. Adding new comments is not allowed by the photographer. Not only is it very compact and easy to carry around, you can do a polar alignment in seconds with the laser pointer. There's only been two nights where I've had a dead star tracker. The Sky-Watcher reticle will make polar alignments easier in the southern hemisphere. The altitude adjustment knob will move your star tracker up and down. For example, the “ Pro Pack ” includes a counterweight kit, wedge base, and a built-in illuminated polar scope. By continuing to use the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. However, it is by no means weather-sealed. Not good. This series shows the optional counterweight kits for each star tracker, the Sky-Watcher models use the exact same components. In the photos below, you can see the two screws on the side of the SkyTracker Pro's camera mount, and the clutch mechanism on the SkyGuider Pro. It may help to watch the video first, since this post is quite dense and wordy. As soon as that red light starts flashing rapidly, unplug the USB cable. This will create a timelapse where the foreground stays the same, and the stars move overhead. A ballhead will not be as precise as a legit latitude base, but it does the job well enough. If your camera gear exceeds the weight limit of the tracker, you will not get good results. The Andromeda Galaxy captured using the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer Pro. You will also want to get the SNAP cable for your particular camera, which will allow you to control the camera's shutter via the SAM Console App. I would only recommend swapping it out if you break your base, or have serious problems with it. Many people have a hard time doing a visual polar alignment in the Southern Hemisphere, and the iPolar software can make this process much easier! The Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer and Mini could not be any more different. It is basically a small cube that can be installed and used in a variety of different configurations. The other trackers are not designed to handle the weight of those lenses. iOptron also makes an iPolar version of the SkyGuider Pro. I like the simplicity of the iOptron models, and I haven't had any problems with them. What’s the best camera for around $2000? Third, a laser pointer is of no real use if you live in the Southern Hemisphere, since there is no "South Star". The iOptron SkyGuider Pro and the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer are the 'heavy duty' models. The other times PA was off due to my own issues. The Regular Exposure Timelapse can add a simple pan to your daytime timelapses, you can even control how far the Mini pans across the scene. Instead, you must attach it to a ballhead. However, it's poorly designed and you'd be better off investing that $80 into the SkyGuider Pro, which can easily handle more weight. I'm not quite sure what was going wrong with the original Mini I had been using. This allows you to control the star tracker from a smartphone app, just like the Star Adventurer Mini. The photos above show each star tracker with the standard ballhead camera mount, suitable for camera rigs weighing up to about 5 lbs. Once you've determined the total weight of your setup, you can look at the different star tracker weight limits. Documentation: it's there and I'm thankful for it, but it could be written better; it makes a lot of assumptions of the user, including (but not limited to) terminology that a new user may not know. (Usually 3 lbs or less). Combining a 37MP full-frame sensor, minimalist controls and Lightroom Mobile built in, it's a refreshing – if a bit quirky – take on the smartphone-meets-camera concept. The new DJI Mavic Mini 2 includes several notable improvements over the original Mavic Mini, including 4K video, Raw photo capability, and DJI's robust OcuSync 2.0 transmission system. The Sky-Watcher's base has a better design than the default iOptron base. iOptron SkyTracker Pro - 2.6 lbs  (or 6.6. lbs with optional counterweight kit), Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer Mini - 6.6 lbs. (This is something I explain the Star Tracker Tutorials). Sometimes the clutch gets stuck, or it won't ever tighten down all the way. It also started making me wonder if this is a more widespread issue than just on the iOptron product. It's unclear how common the problem is, but there appears to have been quite a number of them out of alignment for reticule and/or optics. Every other star tracker can be controlled by buttons on the device itself, no smartphone connection required! Now that I've worked with dozens of people and star trackers, it seems like every tracker has its own problems. Doesn't it? This makes it easy to charge the iOptron models while traveling, as you should have easy access to multiple USB chargers. email address visible to photographer only. The new iPolar version relies on a small camera and software to do your polar alignment. This model does not have a polar scope, and it requires you to use a laptop in the field to do the polar alignment. On one side is a battery compartment to fit the 2 AA batteries. 'What's the best mirrorless camera?' So it made me start thinking about whether similar issues have arisen with the Star Adventurer units. The photographer allowed comments from registered users only, Leave your comment below and click the Add Comment button. This can be great if you have a portable power source! The MoveShootMove has a fairly weak battery life of 5 hours and can't safely handle large telephoto lenses.