Cheap tracker vs star adventurer for wide field shots?

Tbh I had to choose between a $150 barn door tracker I built myself and dropping $500 on a used Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer. I went with the DIY barn door for my first 3 months of shooting the Milky Way with a 50mm lens on my Canon. Honestly it worked okay for 30 second exposures but anything longer than 45 seconds and stars were trailing bad. After saving up I grabbed the Star Adventurer last month and the difference is night and day. I'm getting clean 2 minute exposures now with no trails. Has anyone else seen big jumps jumping from a cheap tracker to a proper one? I'm wondering if I should've just waited and bought the good one first.

2 comments

2 Comments

evannelson29d ago

Jumping straight from a barn door tracker to a Star Adventurer is like going from riding a bike on gravel to driving a car on a highway. I made the same mistake buying a cheap $80 Sky Adventurer clone off Amazon that barely tracked for 30 seconds before wobbling. Once I got a real Star Adventurer, the 2 minute exposures were just rock solid sharp. It honestly made me realize I wasted months fighting with gear instead of just saving up for the real deal. If you can swing it, skipping the cheap trackers entirely and going straight to a proper mount like the SA or iOptron SkyGuider Pro saves so much headache.

eric_murphy3628d ago

The cheap clones are a total gamble. I know someone who got lucky with one but mine was basically just a paperweight after the first clear night. You hit the nail on the head about that 30 second wobble limit, it really does make you question why you even bothered. The real Star Adventurer just works without all the tweaking and frustration. I'd rather spend three months saving extra money than three months fighting with junk gear every single clear night. People always want the cheapest way in but this is one hobby where you really do get what you pay for with tracking.