Star tracker for photography

[steveilad]

Hi all

Can anyone recommend a star tracker for astrophotography ?

I would need it to be able to take the weight of a DSLR and lens which weighs about 3 - 4 kg

I have been looking at the Skywatcher Star Adventurer, is anyone using one of these ?

Thank you

[Tinker1947]

Loads of Star Adventurer users here, if its balanced and the PA is good 5 minute subs can be done....well worth the money....

[Scott]

depending on budget, the astrotrac is my choice but I'v heard many good things about the adventurer

[ollypenrice]

There's also the Vixen Polarie.

Olly

[Owmuchonomy]

Due to continuous cloud I haven't been able to play with my Adventurer since I purchased it. However, I would suggest that 3 to 4 kg would be a tad heavy for it.  In the shop we played around with my Lunt 50 solar scope because I will use the SA for that too when we go away to France in the caravan during the summers. That weighs in at 2.5 kg and we needed two counterweights to balance it well and that  set up uses the majority of the shaft length.  With my Canon DSLR and my 300mm focal length f4 lens or less then it will be fine.

[steveilad]

Thank you all for your replies and advice 

I think for the price and from what i have seen on youtube and read the Star Adventurer is looking like a safe bet, i just need to find a shop which isn't mail order in the Manchester area so i can see what options i have

Thank you

Loads of Star Adventurer users here, if its balanced and the PA is good 5 minute subs can be done....well worth the money....

depending on budget, the astrotrac is my choice but I'v heard many good things about the adventurer

There's also the Vixen Polarie.

Olly

Due to continuous cloud I haven't been able to play with my Adventurer since I purchased it. However, I would suggest that 3 to 4 kg would be a tad heavy for it.  In the shop we played around with my Lunt 50 solar scope because I will use the SA for that too when we go away to France in the caravan during the summers. That weighs in at 2.5 kg and we needed two counterweights to balance it well and that  set up uses the majority of the shaft length.  With my Canon DSLR and my 300mm focal length f4 lens or less then it will be fine.

Thank you all for your replies and advice 

I think for the price and from what i have seen on youtube and read the Star Adventurer is looking like a safe bet, i just need to find a shop which isn't mail order in the Manchester area so i can see what options i have

Thank you

[Owmuchonomy]

Thank you all for your replies and advice 

I think for the price and from what i have seen on youtube and read the Star Adventurer is looking like a safe bet, i just need to find a shop which isn't mail order in the Manchester area so i can see what options i have

Thank you

Thank you all for your replies and advice 

I think for the price and from what i have seen on youtube and read the Star Adventurer is looking like a safe bet, i just need to find a shop which isn't mail order in the Manchester area so i can see what options i have

Thank you

That is precisely why I went to Green Witch; to play around with the SA.

[BritAngler]

+1 for the SA. Very solid bit of kit, but for any astro-photography you will also need a good solid tripod.