With milky-way, astro and night photography in general becoming more and more popular there is a lot of people looking at how to up their game, produce cleaner images, expand their opportunities with their current DSLR or Mirrorless cameras and capture some of the more accessible “deep space” objects, this is often when people start exploring star tracking mounts like the iOptron SkyGuider Pro I’ll be reviewing here.
A while back I reviewed the Skywatcher Star Adventurer (review here) and was using this as my main star tracking mount, it’s a great mount that has served me well and helped me to capture some fantastic images including an image that was part of a series that helped me win the Bikepacking.com photographer of the year “best themed series” a few years ago, a global award with some incredible contributors.
Recently I had the opportunity to loan an iOptron SkyGuider Pro (and it’s baby brother the Skytracker Pro, review also coming) and have found some advantages to this mount that really suits my personal needs and have swapped completely over to this mount, I will be using this not only for my personal photography but I will be also using these for upcoming tracked astro photography workshops here in Gippsland, as I feel the features make this a great option for those new to this kind of photography.
The following “review” is not an in depth technical review, more my thoughts on the iOptron SkyGuider Pro from my level of experience. I am not a highly experienced astrophotographer, although I have been using mounts like this for a number of years, but I think this is what will make this review useful to those looking to add a star tracking mount to their kits to expand their capabilities. I think it will also remove some of the fear some have with how difficult it is to use a tracking mount.
BEFORE WE GET INTO THE REVIEW HERE IS SOME INFO AND TECH SPECS FOR THE SKY GUIDER PRO DIRECTLY FROM THE IOPTRON WEBSITE
Head over to IOptron to see more, find instructions, user guides and YouTube assembly instructions
Introducing The SkyGuiderTM Pro — iOptron’s next generation camera tracking device! Leading the camera tracker market for nearly four years, iOptron’s SkyGuider Pro pushes closer to perfection.
The redesigned SkyGuiderTM Pro mount head is more compact, small enough to fit on your palm, better precision, silent tracking, built-in rechargeable power source, ST-4 guiding port and camera trigger port. The improved precision polar scope maintains a fine engraved reticule, now features adjustable illumination with different brightness levels. Using with our iOS app, quick and accurate polar alignment is just a joy. The DEC mounting bracket allows you to balance a heavy camera and/or lens better, or even mount a light telescope. The optional 8408 hand controller allows you to check the Pole Star position for the polar alignment, slew the mount, adjust the guiding rate, change the mount settings and control the camera trigger.
The SkyGuiderTM Pro features four tracking rates, 1X or sidereal, 1/2X for sky and landscape combined, solar and lunar. All 4 tracking rates work in both northern and southern hemispheres. We have also added a quick slew mode with both forward and reverse to help quickly reframing your image without disrupting the cameras position.
We have made big improvements on the SkyGuiderTM Pro’s removable alt-azimuth base, which features a precision bubble level, degree markings for the altitude and a built in post for the azimuth control. You can also mount the SkyGuiderTM Pro head (without the base) directly to any standard photographic tripod with 1/4” or 3/8” threads.
The DEC mounting bracket package, which includes DEC mounting bracket, counterweight shaft, counterweight and Vixen-type dovetail saddle, makes the SkyGuiderTM Pro mount suitable for a heavier camera/lens system, even a lightweight telescope.
The SkyGuiderTM Pro is certainly a must have tool for any photographer interested in astroscape or wide field astrophotography.
FEATURES
- All metal mechanical structure
- Attaches to a camera tripod with 3/8” or 1/4” threads
- Payload 11 lbs (5kg) (balanced, with DEC mounting bracket, exclude CW)
- Silent tracking for smooth camera motion, perfect for long-term exposures
- Detachable alt-azi base with fine latitude and azimuth adjusters for easy polar alignment
- Includes iOptron AccuAlignTM dark-field illuminated polar scope
- Adjustable polar scope illumination
- 4 tracking speed (1X, 1/2X, solar and lunar). 1X celestial tracking for imaging the sky and stars; 1/2X tracking speed for imaging both the starry night and the landscapes at the same time
- Operation in both northern and southern hemisphere
- Quick slew (144X) for camera framing adjustment
- Built-in rechargeable battery for up to 20 hours of operation (20°C)
- Built-in ST-4 autoguiding port
- HBX port for external hand controller
- Micro USB port for power, charging and firmware upgrade
- Built-in shutter triggering port
- Padded carry bag included
- DEC mounting bracket
- Counterweight and CW shaft
- Vixen dovetail saddle for scope mounting
- Optional ball heads available separately (#3305A)
- Optional tripod (#3221)
- Optional Go2Nova® 8408 hand controller (#8408)
- Optional DSLR camera shutter trigger cable
TECH SPECS
| Mount | Compact single axis tracking EQ |
| Payload (Max.) | 11 lbs (5kg), balanced |
| Mount weight | 2.2 lbs (1kg) with battery |
| Mount weight with base | 3.2 lbs (1.45kg) with battery |
| Body material | All metal |
| RA shaft | Φ35mm, steel |
| Worm wheel | Φ88mm, 144 teeth aluminum alloy |
| R.A. worm | Φ15.2mm, brass |
| Bearing | 4 pieces |
| Motor drive | DC servo motor with optical encoder |
| Tracking | R.A. automatic |
| Tracking speed | Solar, Lunar, Cel, 1/2 Cel, and N/S |
| Fast slew speed | 144X, forward and reverse |
| Guiding port | ST-4 compatible |
| Polar scope | AccuAlign TM dark field illuminated (~6º FOV) |
| Camera trigger | Yes |
| Hand controller | Yes (with optional 8408 HC) |
| Power Requirement | Internal rechargeable battery |
| Battery type | Li-Poly, 3.7V, 2000mAh |
| Duration of operation | Up to 20 hours at 20ºC |
| Power charge port | Micro USB (5V), 80% charge in 5 hours |
| Camera mounting block | Φ62mm, 3/8″ post thread |
| Body base connection | Vixen dovetail, 3/8” socket (1/4” converter) |
| Alt-Azi adjustable base | Vixen style saddle, 3/8” socket |
| Alt-Azi adjustable base diameter | Φ80 mm |
| Latitude adjustment range | -30º ~ 65º (with alt-azi base) |
| Azimuth adjustment range | ±5º |
| Level indicator | Level bubble |
| Body dimension | 133x115x95 mm (w/o alt-azi base) |
| Counterweight shaft | Φ20×200 mm w/ 3/8”-16 threads |
| Counterweight | 1.35kg |
| Firmware upgrade | Yes (via USB port) |
| Operation Temperature | -10ºC ~40ºC |
| Warranty | One year limited (90 day on battery) |
Let’s get back to the review……
Above – The full iOptron SkyGuider Pro kit
Firstly what does a star tracker or equatorial mount do? It compensates for earths rotation by rotating on the same axis as the earth just in the opposite direction, giving the ability to photograph night sky objects without star trailing, breaking rules such as the 600/500 rule mentioned in my Basic Nightsky Photography tutorial and allowing much longer shutter speeds.
What’s in the kit?
The iOptron SkyGuider Pro is available in two kits, the kit I own and am reviewing here comprising of the set above. Camera mount, Altitude-azimuth base), AccuAlignTM dark field illuminated polar scope (installed), micro usb charging cable, padded carry bag, Declination mounting bracket w/ camera mounting disk, 1.35kg counter weight and counter weight shaft that sells for approximately $840AUD I have these for sale here at Photo Gear Pro.
And a kit that includes iOptrons iPolar a smart electronic polar scope that connects to a laptop and helps with polar alignment that sells for $1159AUD, I can order these in through Photo Gear Pro for anyone interested.
Above – The iOptron SkyGuider Pro
The SkyGuider Pro’s main body
iOptron SkyGuider Pro with it’s small padded carry bag
iOptron SkyGuider Pro with optional iOptron ball head
Build Quality
The SkyGuider Pro is a well built tracker, the body itself is made of metal and feels really solid, the top plate where the controls and I assume the built in battery are located is a hard plastic, the control buttons are soft rubber with a plastic power “on/off” switch, the cover over the polar scope is metal. The adjustable base is also metal with hard plastic adjustment knobs, the adjustment gears I believe are brass. The declination bracket is metal along with the counter weight and camera brackets. On a whole the SkyGuider Pro is built very solid and is a quality item.
Because a lot will be interested in how the SkyGuider Pro compares to the Skywatcher Star Adventurer I will add a few quick comparisons throughout this review and a quick comparison between the two. From a build quality point of view both are very solid units both bodies made of metal but there are a couple of things I do not like on the Skywatcher Star Adventurer. The cover over the battery has a locking tab at one end that with long term use is likely to be a weak point and break, the polar scope has a plastic cover that also has a couple of small tabs that could wear out, the polar scope illuminator is a seperate plastic part that clips in that could easily be lost.
I do feel the iOptron SkyGuider Pro is a more solid unit when it comes to overall build quality.
Functions/Abilities/Features
The SkyGuider Pro is a no nonsense mount, it does what it is intended to do, it does not have time-lapse functions like Skywatcher it simply has the following modes, Solar, Lunar, Celestial, 1/2 Celestial, Northern hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere, these modes are all easily selected by the buttons on the top plate, the arrow buttons allow you to slew the mount using it’s motor drive to fine tune camera position, on the top plate there is also a power on/off switch. While on the topic of the power on/off switch I much rather this than the on off dial on the Skywatcher Star Adventurer, I started taking a battery out of the StarAdventurer as I kept accidentally turning it on in my bag, not a major issue, well it could damage the mount if left on in your bag. I’ve heard others say the same thing so the simple on off switch on the SkyGuider Pro is a better solution.
The mount has a built in battery that takes approximately 5 hours to charge via the micro USB port on it’s side, it’s recommended that you charge it before each use but I have personally used this for multiple nights with no problem, it definitely will get you through a full night of shooting.
The mount also has a camera shutter triggering port, a GUIDE port for ST-4 autoguiding and a HBX port for an optional hand controller.
Above the SkyGuider set up for light pay loads up to 1.5kg
The mount can be set up in a number on ways, for a light payload under 1.5kg. A DSLR or Mirrorless camera can be mounted directly to the SkyGuider using the included camera mounting block and optional (sold separately) ball head.
Above The SkyGuider set up for loads up to 5kg
For larger loads up to 5kg the included declination bracket and counter weight are needed for better performance and balancing the set up, this set up is used for heavier cameras, longer lenses and small scopes. This is my preferred way of using the Skyguider Pro, I have used this set up with my Canon EOS R and Canon 6d with 70-200 f2.8 L lens with no problems with tracking, it easily and accurately tracks with these attached. I have not used longer lenses but I’d imagine as long as the load is balanced properly you would have success. After market counter weight shaft extensions can be purchased from William Optics to help balance larger lenses and small telescopes if needed but you could also add a little bit more weight.
It is also possible to set the SkyGuider up with two cameras, one on each end of the declination bracket, I haven’t tried this myself but it also requires two ball heads. You can also remove the Altitude/Azimuth base and use a ball head in it’s place, I wouldn’t recommend this set up though as the small weight advantage (I’m assuming this is why you would set up this way) just doesn’t really make up for the extra complexity while setting up your latitude and levelness of the mount, but I guess it is an option if going super light weight or worrying about space when hiking.
You would of noticed that the mount does not come with a tripod. It is designed to be mounted on top of any tripod. I use a Benro Travel Angel, a Benro Mach 3 and also the metal tripod from iOptron designed for the mount, this tripod from iOptron is actually a great cheap option at just under $200AUD, but any solid tripod that can handle the mount, camera and lenses weight will be fine to use.
A quick mention about iOptron’s optional iPolar, what is it? An electronic polar scope for computer aided alignment. You can buy the SkyGuider with the iPolar installed or buy it later and install it, the iPolar with the aid of a laptop computer will help you polar align accurately, sounds great right? Yes and No, once installed you can not use the standard polar scope without removing the iPolar, not something you want to or possibly can do regularly. It also means that you need to carry a laptop with you to polar align. My personal thoughts on this is it kind of defeats the purpose of buying a small portable mount like the sky guider pro if you need to take extra gear. Well at least it does not suit my style of use, I’m sure there’s others that won’t mind the extra gear and set up time using this as a cheap main astro photography mount but it’s not for me, I like the iOptron SkyGuider because it’s light portable and quick to set up.
Lets talk Comparisons
Right – Skywatchers StarAdventurer Left – iOptrons SkyGuider Pro
Every time I’ve mentioned the iOptron SkyGuider someone mentions the Skywatcher Star Adventurer or asks how they compare so here is my thoughts from using both, a lot. But first lets get this out of the way, both are great small portable mounts they just have different pros and cons, for me though the pros of the SkyGuider outweigh the pros of the StarAdventurer and the cons of the Star Adventurer just add to that, hence why I have swapped and will run workshops with the SkyGuiders, read on……….
So I’ve already mentioned the plastic parts on the Star adventurer and the on/off dial which in my opinion was a bad decision by SkyWatcher, a simple on off switch is much better and has less chance of accidentally being turned on draining your batteries and possibly putting strain on your mount while it tries to turn in your bag, won’t lie I hate that dial! It has actually caused me to miss a night of shooting as I lost the battery I pulled out to ensure it was turned off, very frustrating to drive out to a location with nice clear skies and not able to take the images you planned to.
Polar scope and illuminator the polar scope illuminator on the star adventurer feels like an after thought it’s clunky and just another thing to worry about losing in the dark, it also takes a small CR32 battery so something else to go flat or lose. Imagine this on five mounts during photography workshops, I think it would just cause me headaches. The polar scopes themselves are different too, I believe the StarAdventurer polar scope may be slightly frosted? the SkyGuiders polar scope just seems to have a clearer view of the stars that really helps with finding Octans.
Size this is a big deal for me the SkyGuider Pro fits in my camera bag with the rest of my gear meaning just one bag to carry where as I have a seperate bag to carry the Star Adventurer, the Star Adventurer is quite a bit bigger as you can see in the comparison image above. This also means for workshops I can carry four or five SkyGuiders in the one bag! The interesting thing here is that although the SkyGuider is smaller than the Star Adventurer they both have the same pay load rating so you are not giving up ability by going with the smaller mount.
Power The StarAdventurer takes AA batteries and a small CR32 for it’s polar scope illuminator, the SkyGuider Pro has a built in rechargeable battery. I guess this has pros and cons but for me I don’t want to worry about buying batteries, having spare CR32’s or AA in case I lose the ones I pull out to stop the mount turning on accidentally, I prefer the built in battery of the SkyGuider Pro.
What else? So although I think the SkyGuider is a more solid unit it is not as “refined” as the Star Adventurer the StarAdventurers declination bracket is more user friendly as far as how you mount the camera, this is superior to iOptrons method, no chance of loosening the knobs and having your camera pop off but at the same time you can not use the Polar scope illuminator when the declination bracket is attached……scratches head as surely it’s an easy design fix on the bracket…..this means if you bump the Star Adventurer you need to take the bracket and camera off to re polar align, you don’t have to do that with the SkyGuider.
The StarAdventurer looks nicer, like I said it’s a little more refined, the base feels a little more solid and has larger adjustment knobs than the SkyGuider, the SkyGuider base is actually shared with it’s smaller brother the SkyTracker Pro and I have heard of this being not as solid, but I have not experienced any issues and I’ve been using the SkyGuider for six months now, sometimes I think things like this are just user error.
Clutches, when I first purchased my StarAdventurer I managed to somehow lock the clutch in place and was unable to free it without pulling it apart and have been super cautious since, I’m not alone as I googled how to fix this and found others having the same problem. I’ve actually tried to replicate this issue on the SkyGuider, I haven’t been able to do it.
As you can see there are a few pros and cons, this is in no way a complete list and it might seem a bit biased but I am looking at this from the way I use and will use these mounts in the future and as mentioned the SkyGuider just ticks more box’s for what I need in small portable mount.
For size comparison
Left iOptron SkyTracker Pro Right iOptron SkyGuiuder Pro
I have not compared the SkyGuider to it’s little brother the SkyTracker Pro above as I will write a seperate review for that but a quick comment, although the SkyGuider is better overall I have managed to get up to 4minute exposures with the Canon EOS R and Samayng 24mm f1.4 on the SkyTracker pro, that’s great performance on a budget.
Let’s see some more pics of the SkyGuider Pro
Polar Scope, guide and HBX ports, charging micro usb, camera connector.
Polarscope cap
Polarscope
With counter weight and declination bracket attached
With optional ball head attached for lighter cameras.
The sky guider pro in my bag. I keep the declination bracket and counter weight in the pocket on the top of my bag.
Although not part of the kit lets have a quick look at the iOptron ball head as I think it’s great value and worth buying as part of your kit. Two reviews in one, kind of.
The iOptron ball head is around $99AUD it is solid metal construction, has friction control, a spirit level on the top and in the top plate locking knob and also has a grippy rubber top to it’s arca style plate. It allows for panning and has increments around it’s base to help you with creating panoramics, the arca style plate can be tightened without the use of a screwdriver or allen key.
The iOptron ball head is tough as nails handles a payload of 20lbs (9kg) is no nonsense and great value, it’s better built than some of my more expensive tripod heads but it also doesn’t have the bells as whistles, for instance it does not have a feature to stop you undoing the clamp on the top plate, a bit of a safety feature on other more expensive ball heads. At $99 it’s a bargain for anyone looking for a ball head for their tracker or tripod. You can get one here.
A little off topic but here is a quick guide to setting up your polar alignment
This is something that comes up every time star trackers are mentioned so thought I would include it in the review, one day I will do a tutorial but there really isn’t much to it.
First I will run through a quick rough alignment method that can get you into the ballpark, although not ideal, a lot shooting wide lenses will be quite happy quickly aligning like this.
Firstly I mount my SkyGuider, minus the declination bracket and counter weight to my tripod and face it all in the rough direction of celestial south, there’s lots of methods for roughly identifying this area, using the Southern cross, Rigel Kent and Hadar as a guide or finding the middle point between Hadar and Achernar (lots of tutorials on the web and You Tube). If you are unsure where these objects are in the night sky, the app stellarium is fantastic, and a tool every night sky photographer should have.
I then level the whole set up using the spirit level on the base of the SkyGuider and set the latitude on the base. To find your latitude you can use an app like Polar Finder or the iOptron Polar Scope app for apple. I then use a free inclinometer app on my phone to adjust my latitude using the latitude knob on the wedge by placing the edge of my phone on the battery compartment of the SkyGuider and adjust the wedge to my appropriate latitude, 38. I would also adjust the azimuth knobs to get the SkyGuider to more accurately point to that middle point between Hadar and Achernar. I then add my declination bracket and counter weight, this is your rough alignment done, note I say rough. This is the point where I would use the built in polar scope to precisely polar align my mount.
The quick start guide that comes with the SkyGuider Pro has pretty good instructions on how to precisely polar align your mount for both Northern and Southern hemispheres, but you can read that info here if you like iOptron Quick start guide.
After polar alignment attach your camera, and lens to the declination bracket using the camera mounting disk and balance it all by shifting the counter weight. NOTE Make sure you tighten the knobs on the camera mounting disk.
This whole process takes just a few minutes, a lot seem to have problems with polar alignment but it really is quite a simple process on these small mounts.
I’d then test my alignment by turning the mount on, pointing the camera to the sky, lock the clutch etc, manual focus on a star, change settings to suit, then take a 30sec exposure reviewing the image on the cameras lcd screen, if the stars are sharp and round I would try a longer shutter speed. If not sharp and round I would re-align and try again until I am getting sharp stars at long exposures. This might sound like a bit of mucking around but really once you learn it you will rarely have to re-align after the first set up unless of course you move the mount.
Here’s a few tips for accurate alignment using the polar scope for those in the southern hemisphere,
- Find dark skies, you need dark skies to see Octans, they are feint stars that you will struggle to see if there is light pollution.
- Octans will be flipped and opposite in the polar scope in comparison to what you see in the sky or in stellarium.
- You need to place Octans in the right position in the polar scope for long exposures with long lenses, close enough is not good enough with longer lenses, rough alignment will be very hit and miss with longer lenses, more likely a miss.
- Turn the polar scope illuminator off by either rotating the polar scope or turning the mount off, this can help you see just the stars so you can get your bearings. Turn it back on to place Octans in the right position.
- Make sure the set up is level.
- Shoot when there is no moon.
- Rotate the end of the polar scope to focus.
- Turn external light sources off so it’s truely dark.
- Find dark skies, yeah I know I’ve already said that.
Some quick tips on composing your shots
So now our set up is aligned and ready to go we need to compose our shots. First we need to turn the mount on if it is off, loosen the clutch on the front of the sky guider so the mount rotates freely and loosen of the knobs on the camera mounting base slightly so you can rotate the camera, NOTE- HOLD ONTO THE CAMERA AT ALL TIMES IN CASE YOU LOOSEN THESE KNOBS TOO MUCH, you don’t want your camera and lens to fall off.
For composition I use my cameras live view, using it and rough judgement to aim at my target, I will then re-tighten the camera plate knobs, the SkyGuiders clutch and shoot a 30sec exposure at high iso to gauge my composition and re-compose until I have the composition I want to shoot. After I have composed perfectly I will then change my settings lowering iso and extending the shutter speed until I reach the settings I’m happy with for my exposures. It’s then just a matter of taking the shot or shots I want.
Tips
- A ball head attached to the top of the declination bracket is really useful for helping compose as it allows you to move the camera on more angles and is easier than using the camera mounting disk on it’s own.
- If your lens has a collar attach it to the mount using this, it gives you another method of adjustment and fine tuning.
- Use the motorised drive to slew the mount if you just want to make a small adjustment to your composition.
- HOLD ONTO THE CAMERA IF YOU LOOSEN OFF THE KNOBS ON THE CAMERA MOUNTING DISK.
- Cameras with articulating screens are an amazing luxury when using star trackers and makes the whole composition side of things so easy, Canon EOS R just saying! But seriously next camera, get one with an articulating screen if you don’t already have that feature, thank me later.
Whoops almost forgot about the pics I’ve taken with the SkyGuider, wanna see some pics?
No didn’t really forget, it’s nice to see gear pics and talk about gear but really proof is in the pudding so lets look at some pics, some highly edited tracked, stacked pics and some straight out of camera tracked shots with minimal editing just conversions to JPEG, lets start with the SOOC shots.
Above SOOC shot taken with the Laowa 100mm f2.8 Macro 2x – settings 100mm, f2.8, 30sec iso 3200
This lens was a surprise, not only a unique absolutely killer 2x macro lens but also a brilliant option for astro, really impressive. You can see how sharp and round the stars are at 100mm for a 30second exposure, no coma and the SkyGuider doing it’s thing very well. We have a promo going for Laowa lenses right now, I wonder if the code will also work on this lens, try it you might be pleasantly suprised. If reading this after June? Use this code instead NSCAPEOZ it’s the general discount code for readers of the content here on Nightscape Photographer..
Above 70mm f2.8, 30sec iso 6400
Above SOOC 14mm, f2.4, 120sec, iso800 these are the types of shot you might blend or composite with a foreground image.
Above – the same shot as the previous image this time though I stacked 8 identical frames that were shot consecutively on the SkyGuider Pro in Starry Sky Stacker and post processed quickly in LR and PS. Composite this with a killer foreground and you have an epic Milky Way shot just like you see all over social media.
SOOC 200mm, f2.8, 120sec, iso1000 Camera Canon 6d, lens 70-200 f2.8
Same composition as above, same gear, same settings but this time a stack of 12 consecutive shots, if I remember correctly. This and the previous shot really show what you can do with a small mount like the SkyGuider Pro, this is a 2 minute long exposure using a focal length of 200mm and those stars are perfectly sharp and round. Remember that 500 rule? forget it when you use a star tracking mount like the SkyGuider Pro.
Rho Ophiuchi taken with the Laowa 100mm f2.8 2x macro lens. 15 tracked and stacked images, each frames settings 100mm, f2.8 30sec, iso 3200. Don’t forget that Laowa Australia promo if you like the look of this lens.
Southern cross, Coal Sack and Carina nebula – This time using a pre production copy of Samyang’s ( at the time of writing just announced) 85mm f1.4 AF RF lens. Multiple images stacked each frame 85mm, f2.8, 60sec, iso1600
Another shot from the Samayng 85mm f1.4 AF RF lens. Same as the previous shot, multiple images tracked and stacked, each frames settings 85mm, f2.8, 60sec, iso1600.
As you can see in the above shots the iOptron SkyGuider pro has no problem tracking the stars in a variety of situations from 2minute long exposures with a 200mm lens to capture nebula, to 2 minute exposures using a 14mm lens to capture wide views of the milky way core for composites and blending, it really has no problem with any of these subjects.
Conclusion
The iOptron SkyGuider pro is a great quality, highly capable, small star tracking mount that will open up new photography opportunities for those wanting to step up from shooting just your standard milky-way core astro images from a tripod.
It opens up the possibility to shoot with longer lenses and explore more of the the night sky, capturing subjects like Rho Ophiuchi, the Carina nebula and so much more, along with allowing photographers to capture cleaner more detailed images of the milky-core to create those composites and blends that are so popular right now. In short the iOtron SkyGuider Pro will help you explore more when it comes to nightsky photography and help increase the quality of your images.
The iOptron SkyGuider pro is a no nonsense easy to use and set up star tracking mount. It is a robust, small star tracker that is easy to store and easy to carry in the field, the fact that you can just carry it in your bag is fantastic for those that like to get away from the car or hike into interesting location, this is a big deal for me personally.
Would I recommend the iOptron SkyGuider Pro? Yes definately! I’m using the mount myself, it has so many great features as mentioned in the review and is easy enough to use that I will be using SkyGuider Pro’s to teach others. But even though it is a simple to use mount it is also capable of being set up with a guider and computer aided polar alignment for using longer lenses and small telescopes for the more experienced users or as your skills grow and you wish to explore even more objects in our night sky.
If you are looking at exploring the night sky a little more, extending your capabilities and picking up a star tracking mount I would definitely consider the iOptron SkyGuider Pro.
