Best star trackers for nightscapes and wide-field astrophotography in 2023.

It is widely known that astrophotography is like a black hole that swallows all the economies of a wannabe astro photographer. Even the primary equipment needed remains a big cost if we consider that a midrange equatorial mount comes to around 1200 euros and a good telescope from 600-1500 euros without calculating the cost of tracking camera and finder, deep discharge battery, computer, and software although in recent years the cost is considered lower than previous decades. The list of extra accessories is endless according to the desired automation we want to achieve so the cost can reach even higher numbers. The alternative to this difficult equation that is gaining more and more ground nowadays is using a tracker combined with the camera and the lenses we already have, which can introduce us to both wide-field and nightscape photography alike.

WHAT ARE STAR TRACKERS?

Trackers are essentially platforms equipped with a motor capable of synchronizing with the motion of the Earth to counteract the apparent motion of the sky. Most trackers move on one RA axis and easily attach to camera tripods by taking the place of the ball head, which in turn sits on the support to mount the camera on. To function is necessary to align the axis of rotation with the pole star, a process known as polar alignment. You will find that the longer the focal length we use, the more accurate our alignment should be. A tripod without a tracker limits the length of the exposure we need to be able to capture the few photons emitted by the celestial objects. Limitations come from several factors, such as the size of the camera sensor and its resolution, the focal length and aperture of the lens we use, the declination of the stars we try to capture, or the special filters we use. So using a tracker allows us to have longer exposures and use longer focal lengths. There are many examples of photos taken with trackers and lenses from 50mm to 400mm that approach the ideal focal lengths of entry-level telescopes. We can find several trackers on the market nowadays as more companies have decided to enter the category of small mounts and offer models that cover different requirements. Most of the differences are in the size, the payload, the periodic error of the motor, and the extra features (guiding, time-lapse, etc.). The following list includes the most popular trackers based on performance and price.

Skywatcher Mount Star Adventurer/star adventurer GTI

 Famous for its equatorial efficiency, skywatcher's offer quickly managed to make everyone interested and ease the pocket of newcomers to astrophotography. Its equatorial wedge offers better control during polar alignment, a large payload, and is one of the few that can accept guiding. In addition, it allows timelapse with a shutter release cable, stellar, solar, and lunar tracking with a small periodic error, and the use of even small telescopes for observation or photography. Its increased weight handling led the company to bring out the sam version with built-in wifi for connecting to android and ios which facilitates those who hike and want to use it more for landscape astrophotography. Later this year skywatcher introduced the Star Adventurer GTI which is the wide-field version of Star Adventurer.

Benro Polaris (Astro edition)

Benro claims that this is the world’s first electric tripod head and we believe it. This is the future of the star-tracked world. The tracker is full of valuable features, unlike anything seen before. Benro’s Polaris weight is 1,5kg with a 7kg payload, go-to capabilities, remote control, tracking, auto polar alignment, automated panorama, focus stacking, motion time-lapses, people remover, and over 400 cameras supported. There are reports that the software is a bit buggy but users hope an update will eventually come. It is the most pricey option among trackers but is unique.

Move Shoot Move

A grab-and-go tracker with a built-in rechargeable battery, best suited for hiking & shooting nightscapes. Mixed results with long focal lenses.

vixen polarie star tracker

Vixen Mount Polarie Star Tracker Lightweight, with a simple polar alignment process, although less accurate without the polar scope, with solar and lunar tracking. Ideal for wide-angle lenses.

iOptron Mount SkyTracker Pro

Small and lightweight with a built-in polar viewfinder. On its downside, the small payload results in reports of trails with long lenses. The new pro version is better than its predecessor in every way.

Omegon Mount Mini Track LX2 NS

 One of the latest (2021) addition to the trackers goes by the name of Omegon. The design reminds me of the astrotrack, it offers comfortable tracking without the need for battery power since it has no electronic parts and can track the sky for 60 minutes in a completely mechanical way like a well-tuned watch. Although the company claims we can use lenses up to 300mm, user experience is mixed even for shorter focal lengths.

Ioptron SkyGuider Pro Camera Mount

The latest Ioptron proposal for tracking the sky comes in a small package and a payload of 5kg, adjustable illumination of the polar scope, four tracking rates, silent tracking, and ios app handling.

Bresser Camera mount 

Bresser's proposal in terms of design and performance is close to the star adventurer. It has an equatorial wedge, an integrated illuminated polar viewfinder, and a payload of 2.5 kg promising perfect stars even with telephoto lenses and 50 hours of autonomy.

AstroTrac TT320X-AG 

Although very light, it comes first by a margin in payload handling, since its design allows up to 15 kg of equipment, a figure that approaches traditional equatorial mounts. Although more expensive than the rest, it has proven its effectiveness with large lenses and telescopes up to 600mm. Solar and lunar tracking are among its capabilities.

Baader Nano Tracker Mount

 With the smallest size of them all and only 350gr, it is the tracker you throw in your bag just in case. Designed for wide-angle lenses and lightweight cameras, it's ideal for travel and hiking. It's pricey for what it offers, but it fits in the palm of your hand so the casual user will appreciate it.

Fornax LighTrack II 

Fornax's most expensive offering claims a place among the best periodic error trackers on the market that only much superior equatorial mounts achieve. Unfortunately, the complete set reaches 819 euros, a price that is not far from a classic mount that can lift several kilos of equipment.

CONCLUSION

We should carefully choose our tracker after thorough research and always according to our needs in combination with our equipment as trackers have less resale potential than other photographic accessories. It makes no sense to buy a heavy mount if you are a hiker aiming for nightscapes, or to buy a light and small tracker for large and heavier telephoto lenses aimed at wide-field astrophotography. One thing is for sure, once the necessary period of getting used to polar alignment has passed, your image quality will skyrocket as it will allow you longer recording times with better stars and a cleaner final result.