Astrophotography is very fascinating and much more fun to do. But if you do not have the right equipment, then your photos may not look great. Clicking the night sky object with your phone is the very first step of astrophotography. Maybe you captured the moon with your DSLR camera, but if you want to evolve as a good astrophotographer and capture different celestial objects, then you will need a star tracker in your kit to capture the deep space objects.
What is a star tracker?
A star tracker is a device that compensates for the earth’s rotation. In simple terms, it will rotate your camera along with the earth’s rotation. Because of the star tracker, you can do long-exposure astrophotography. Now, which star tracker is best, and which one should you buy?
This article will guide you through some good star trackers available on the market. It will help you make a better buying decision.
Kenko Astro Tracker SKYMEMO
This is the cheapest automatic star tracker you can currently find on the market.
You will need to buy the alt-az base separately to attach it to the tripod. It doesn’t have any built-in batteries. You will need to add two AA batteries to run this tracker. You can use this tracker with the help of an app.
It is very compact and weighs 650gm& perfect for carrying while backpacking. It also includes a polar align scope. Its weight-carrying capacity is 5 kg or around 11 lbs. It comes in 3 colors with different prices for each color. If you are on a tight budget, then getting started with this tracker is a really good idea.
iOptron SkyTracker Pro
When it comes to astronomical instruments, iOptron is a well-known and trusted brand. This is the most inexpensive star tracker you can get from iOptron. This is extremely compact and just big enough to easily fit in your palms. At this price range, it comes with a removable and adjustable Alt-Az base.
It also has a polar scope for the polar alignment of the tracker. The weight-carrying capacity of this tracker is 6.6 lbs or around 3kg. It has a built-in rechargeable battery and a USB port to charge it. Once charged, the battery will last around 24 hours.
The tracking is very smooth and can track for a longer duration with accuracy. If you have a light camera kit, then this star tracker will not disappoint you.
Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer Mini Pro Pack
Sky-Watcher Star Adventure is one of the most compact star trackers you can find on the market. The tracker is very similar to the iOptron Sky Tracker Pro. It is wifi enabled, and you can easily control it with your smartphone with the help of an app.
It also has a polar scope with an illuminator & comes with an EQ base. The tracker uses two AA batteries to run and also has a USB plug to power it with external power. On batteries, it will run for more than 24 hours. The weight-carrying capacity of this tracker is 6.6 lbs or around 3kg.
It is very easy to set up this star tracker. You can also attach a vixen-style dovetail to this star tracker. You can easily do 15-second to several-minute exposures with this star tracker. If you have a reasonable budget and want a good product with many features, then this star tracker is for you.
iOptron SkyGuider Pro Camera Mount
This star tracker is the bigger version of the iOptron’s Sky Tracker Pro, with many advanced features. It has a higher load capacity of around 11 lbs. or 5kg. This star tracker has four tracking speeds: one is for sun tracking, the second is lunar tracking, the third is ½ star tracking or sidereal tracking, and the fourth is star tracking.
It has a built-in port shutter triggering port, so you do not need an intervalometer. It also has a built-in battery and runs for around 24 hours. The tracking with this star tracker is very smooth.
You can also fix a small dovetail on the top of this tracker, which means you can also fit a small telescope on the tracker. This is one of the top star trackers available on the market.
Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer 2i Pro Pack
This is also the bigger version of the Sky-watcher’s Star Adventure mini. It has double the payload capacity of the Star Adventure Mini. This star tracker runs on 4 batteries, which last for about 72 hours. Even if you are going to some remote location where you will run out of power supply. This tracker will still work for days because of its high battery life.
This tracker also offers tracking speeds for the sun, moon, sidereal star, and normal star. It comes with an L-shaped dovetail and an equatorial wedge. You need a very sturdy mount if you are using this star tracker. This tracker is very smooth and can track accurately for longer durations.
You can also fix a small telescope on this tracker. You can easily control this tracker with your Android or iOS phone. If you have a high budget, this is the best tracker on the market that you can buy.
If you are looking for a telescope specifically for astrophotography then you need to check this article. You can also find the best suitable telescope for you with our telescope search tool.
