I used to think star tracker mounts were just for rich hobbyists

For like three years I was totally against them. I figured my DSLR on a tripod with short exposures was good enough for Milky Way shots. Last month I was up at Cherry Springs State Park in Pennsylvania and this guy next to me let me look through his setup. He had a Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer running with a 50mm lens. The difference between my 15 second subs and his 90 second tracked exposures was night and day. He pulled up a stacked image on his laptop and I could see dust lanes and nebula detail I didn't even know my camera could capture. I went home and bought a used iOptron SkyGuider Pro off Cloudy Nights for $250. Now I'm kicking myself for waiting so long. Anyone else resist buying a tracker and then wish they had done it sooner?

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torres.drew1mo ago

Oh man, that Cherry Springs dark sky is something else. I was the same way, thought trackers were overkill until I borrowed a friend's and saw what it could do with just a kit lens. Totally changed my mind on the spot.

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troy9961mo ago

Yeah the tracker thing is real. Borrowed one for a trip to Big Bend last winter. Kit lens plus tracker got me better Milky Way shots than my friend's expensive wide angle without one. Made me feel kinda dumb for waiting so long. Now I bring it every time I'm somewhere with actual dark skies.

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