The SkyWatcher Star Adventurer Mini (SAM) is a high precision, portable and stable tracking platform for sidereal, solar and lunar tracking with automatic DSLR shutter release control. It is small and light enough to easily fit into a camera bag or backpack, making it an ideal mount for the photographer on the move.
It offers a high precision, portable celestial tracking platform that can transform almost any tripod into an equatorial mount, assisting photographers with long exposures of the night sky. offers an abundance of add on accessories to complement wide-field astrophotography, nightscape images or time-lapse photography.
With the free SAM console app (for iOS and Android) you can customize your tracking speeds, choosing between sidereal, solar and lunar, or other custom presets, useful for time-lapse videos. Even for users with no polar alignment experience, the Star Adventurer Mini is easy to setup using the included illuminated polar finderscope. Once aligned, users can attach their camera and activate sidereal tracking to start photographing the Milky way.
The declination assembly uses a specialized Vixen-style saddle plate for attaching cameras, tripod heads, or optical tubes. Attaching a ball head to this Vixen style plate provides most users with enough flexibility to slew around the sky freely while maintaining tracking. The Star Adventurer tracking platform can attach to a tripod using a 3.8”-16 thread and includes an adapter for ¼”-20 thread sizes.
There is no need for an intervelometer timer with the Star Adventurer Mini. With a completely programable shutter exposure settings, the Star Adventurer Mini can trigger a DSLR using the auxiliary shutter release cable. Once the camera is plugged into the mount and a shot is fired, it will continually shoot for the programed exposures until the cable is removed.
With a payload capacity of 3 kg (6.6 lbs), the Star Adventurer Mini is exceptional for nightscape photographers, traveling astronomers and anyone in need of a small tracking mount.
In addition to the Star Adventurer Mini mount, several add-on accessories are available. The Equatorial base allows the platform to polar align and track in the RA axis, turning a conventional photo tripod into an important astrophotography tool. Both axis also feature clutches, allowing users to aim the Star Adventurer without losing polar alignment. For users photographing nightscapes, the optional ball-head adapter provides more freedom to frame image, while delivering consistent tracking.
More information is available on the SkyWatcher USA website.
###
And to make it easier for you to get the most extensive telescope and amateur astronomy related news, articles and reviews that are only available in the magazine pages of Astronomy Technology Today, we are offering a 1 year subscription for only $6! Or, for an even better deal, we are offering 2 years for only $9. Click here to get these deals which only will be available for a very limited time. You can also check out a free sample issue here.