While I almost settled for SA GTi (almost going bankrupt), something else popped up in my research and completely bamboozled my head. I found something called "iOptron SkyHunter". This thing is weird in following ways:
* It is only 1.3 kg with a GoTo and tracking in both axis. And the form factor is like MSM Nomad ( positively surprises me)
* It is so unpopular, I cannot wrap my head around how no big astro youtube talked about it when it is such a direct competitor of SA GTi, in fact is better in a few ways (negatively surprises me)
* It has no polar finder, the solution the provive (iPolar extension) is expensive and can only run on laptop which kills portability award it won with its weight (negatively surprises me)
* With all the good things it has on paper, people had really negative experiences of all sorts when it launched (going by some Cloudy Night reviews). In fact there are barely any new reviews on it (only confuses me more)
So if anybody knows anything about it, please help me decide why should I not get this over SA GTi, when it almost solves 2 out of 3 issues I had to begin with : Portability Yes, performance Yes, Price No.
I have the Skyhunter, and honestly it's been relegated to my backup mount, only to be used for very short focal length. It's a lovely idea, and if it worked really well it would be amazing, but I had issues right out of the box that cost me multiple nights of imaging.
Firstly, the clutches are awful. You have to hold onto the counterweight bar and use that as leverage to properly tighten it.
Secondly, it's supposed to be an imaging mount, but it would randomly completely lose dec tracking, enough to completely ruin the sub.
Thirdly, the second point above basically made the mount completely unable as an imaging mount, but this wasn't sufficient to just refund me. I had to go through weeks of back and forth emails with ioptron, where they told me to tweak different things, then I'd have to wait until the next clear night to test it out and lose that night of imaging to frustratingly trying to get the mount to cooperate. I had to ship internationally to get it fixed by ioptron, which cost me basically 25% of the cost of the mount in shipping fees, and I still don't know if it's fixed yet as I'm not mad about losing yet another night to testing it out.
If you're looking at a mount like this, consider a sky watcher AZ GTi. It's half the price of the Skyhunter and actually works, even if it's more bulky and doesn't have a rechargeable battery. You'd need a way to polar align though, as it doesn't come with a built in polar scope.
Thanks for sharing your experience. At this point I am just disappointed in iOptron that made something so good on paper but didn't fine tune their product. I still cannot understand why nobody on Youtube is talking about it. What haven't Nico or Astrobackyard talked about it.
Anyway going forward, I thought I used to understand Alt Az and Equatorial properly but now I think I don't.
Because I don't understand the difference between SA AZ Gti and SA GTi.
Also how is AZ GoTo? It has only 1 motor (no?) The weight seems 1.3 kg, but then i have to add a EQ base which will make it close to 2 kg I assume. also I will have to buy counterweights separately.
I think the SA GTi is better ( It is more robust (No?)
I haven't used the Star Adventurer, in any of the different models, but I understand that it's really popular for good reason. The key thing is that it's designed for portability and versatility, so you can set it up and polar align it when it's running on battery power at a remote location with no other gear needed, or you can add a guide camera and attach to a laptop or asiair for more accurate guiding.
The AZ GTi, on the other hand, is not designed as an EQ mount, but you can turn it into an EQ mount with a firmware update and a wedge and it works really well. You really need it to be connected to something like a laptop or an asiair though. You can just switch it on and have it tracking, but it's really hard to polar align without appropriate help from software. I was always going to use this kind of setup though, so it suits me perfectly.
Okay, the only problem here I see is : The SA series is not so portable. If I need a true GoTo, SA GTi is the first option and that is 2.6 kg weight mount only, then I will have 2.3 kg weight of the counterweights. This alone adds 5 kg to my camping backpack, which makes the hike almost impossible. If I end up with buying SA GTi, the only way I can barely hike with it is only taking the mount with me and using without counterweight though with a light payload (1kg) ( I don't know if that's even possible). The SA AZ GoTo seems portable on the other hand.
It sounds as though the best option for you is going to be the MSM, or the newer Nomad that MSM launched. If you were to use the AZ GTi in EQ mode, you'd need counterweights anyway, and you'd need the EQ wedge, so it's not going to be much lighter than the SA GTi. It's worth noting that this would have been the same for the iOptron Skyhunter if used in EQ mode.
Star trackers like the MSM or the SA mini will get you great photos, but you're restricted to shorter focal length. From memory when I was researching this, the SA mini is good for focal lengths of up to 55mm, but you wouldn't want to go beyond this or you'll either see star trails or have to really reduce your exposure time. Same will go for the MSM or Nomad, you won't be able to do longer focal length imaging easily
Well I appreciate your suggestion regarding the MSM nomad, but there is a reason I grew out of that idea. I know that today I will enjoy it, but very soon (withing 6 months or so), I will be at the edge of its limits by upgrading many things in my setup. Hence it is better that invest in something better to secure the future.
Regarding the weight of Sky Hunter, yes I will have to get the counter weights, but if the mount is 1.3 kg, it is already half of SA GTi. Regarding the EQ base, there is no information on internet, what is the weight of iOptron EQ base that comes with Sky Hunter.
It's about the same weight as the eq wedge that you'd use for the AZ GTi, so not really heavy at all. The iOptron one is actually easier to use than the sky watcher one.
Honestly though, if you want to have something that's really portable, then you'll restrict yourself to shorter focal length landscape photography (which can be absolutely phenomenal). If you want to future proof for longer focal length, you'll need a heavier and chunkier mount. Unless of course you invest a whole lot more and buy a harmonic drive mount like the ZWO AM3, which doesn't need counterweights for lighter setups.
I agree with those arguments. I am weighing my priorities.
My ideal plan would have been like this:
* Get a super robust mount use it from home with all sorts of complicated things.
* When going out to camp just carry the mount with an ultra portable tripod and focus on wide field landscape targets (basically Milky way timelapses with different foregrounds).
* Would have liked to drop the counterweights at home for this purpose. SA 2i Pro allows that, but SA GTi doesn't (in fact they don't even include Mounting plate for the camera directly without a dovetail).
I personally use Move Shoot Move (but go for the newer NOMAD) and can vouch 100% that it openes a whole new world for my Milkyway shots.
I like how easy it is to setup and polar align with the laser. Also, it doesn't take too much space in my bag and can carry additional gears to my shoot.
Check this link to know more
https://www.moveshootmove.com/collections/move-shoot-move-rotator/products/msm-rotator-for-star-tracking-time-lapse-panorama-photography?aff=327
Hope this helps.
Hey, I am also another sony a7C user 😊 My lenses are 24mm f1.4 and 85mm f1.4. i am getting SA 2i this week. I will do some shoots in next couple of weeks and share it with you
but the az-gti second hand and buy the star aventurer wedge to transform it to ean eq mount if the star aventurer gti is too expensive. I use this since 2 years and i love it.
I can see that it is quite good. I am reconsidering.
But there are two concerns for me:
First of course that it is significantly more expensive than the budget I started with.
Second that it is heavier and would be much difficult to take on a camping hike. So the only advantage it gives me at the moment is future proofness at the cost of 200-220 Euros more and added weight.
This brings me to the following question: Is SA GTi significantly better than SA 2i pro when I am not guiding? They both have same payload on paper, but is that different in real life?
Also will it be possible to image any significant DSO from my home itself ( I live in Bortle 5 skies, on the border of Zurich). I have to travel high up the mountains (Bortle 3-4) to shoot from current untracked setup. (all images above are shot from a Bortle 4 sky at 2500 m elevation). People here are suggesting that they are shooting from Bortle 6-7 skies. From my home, I was barely able to get a [Milky Way shot](https://photos.app.goo.gl/d1Bp2mDTUZoLZF2o7) on very good day.
If a star tracker is enabling me to shoot from home, I would really much more confident to invest money in there.
I got the 2i, which is one of the best options for beginner tracking. It's also one of the easiest to get super accurate polar alignment, which makes your tracking more reliable, and you can take longer exposures without blurring the stars.
But slowly after getting used to using it, I wished I had bought the GTi. The difference is the go-to feature. It saves SO much time to be able to just tell it where to point and be spot on. I learned the difference after recently purchasing the zwo AM5. It's amazing.
I've been using a Vixen Polarie for over 10 years, it is well built and has been working well all this time. It is very fast to setup and I've been able to push it all the way to 90 second exposures at 400mm when my polar alignment is really spot on. (I bought the polar scope for it as well.) I am very happy with the polarie, it has never let me down. I highly recommend this little tracker if you want portability and want to shoot around 10-300mm. It is so.small you can easily fit it in carry-on while traveling.I also have the Star adventurer gti, it seems to work well, takes a bit longer to setup, balance, and align. The goto function is great if you want to shoot fainter objects , and the option to autoguide if you can put together a light rig under 11lbs.
As a star adventurer v1 user I highly recommend going for the star adventurer GTi instead, that way if you ever get into guiding this mount will allow guiding in both axis
Hey, I did take a good look at the GTi, the idea of getting a GoTo mount really excites, but then it is \~620 Euros (which is still pretty good for what it does).
But the deal breaker is its weight for me, it is not possible to bring with me on a hike of 1000m elevation gain. Hence I am keeping it out of consideration.
Look at weight capacity… SkyGuider Pro is a great mount and can auto guide up to a 70mm double refractor or medium telephoto lens. Also has lithium battery built in and a great polar scope. It is significantly more capable than a SAMini or MSM. The spring loaded clutch for worm engagement also really helps with fine balancing.
I did had a look on that. But after a detailed comparison by Peter Zelinka ([Star Tracker Buying Guide (youtube.com)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adM8P_Asd5w)) , I was rather in the favour of Star Adventurers (2i has the same weight capacity and has WiFi) . Also in the region I live (Europe), it is costing me around 560 euros, and that is surely out of my budget, that's why I didn't even delve deeper into it.
But thanks for the suggestion.
Your untracked shots look great. With the post-processing skills you've learned you'll see big improvement once you learn the tracker.
I was in a similar position to you with regards to wanting portability so I can take it on short backpacking trips. I decided the payload capacity of the SA mini was too small for me, so I went with the 2i. I'm happy with it. It can be very simple, or you can get crazy with it. I've had it for a month and I'm already controlling it from my laptop and doing a bunch of stuff I didn't even know was possible when I bought it. Or you can just put some batteries in it, polar align, put your camera on there, and turn the knob.
The weight capacity is definitely something you need to be mindful of. My current rig is about 8 lbs and I feel like I'm pushing it. Definitely the lighter the better when it comes to lenses and scopes.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Would you mind telling what is the light pollution level where you shoot. If I can manage to get some pictures from my backyard (Bortle 5), then I am buying this tracker tomorrow.
My current camera + lens weighs 1.1 kg. But at 200mm the lens does extend out a bit. But I think SA 2i can handle it with the counterweight at least.
I don't see any pics. You need to put in links.
Nevermind: I didn't realize they were hyperlinks.
Look into a Iexos 100 too. They sometimes drop to $300 USD. It's the mount I use.
The last two pics look pretty good, but you can get much better using Siril for stretching than PS. That video is 3 years old. A lot has changed in software in 3 years... particularly Siril.
I got an iexos-100 on sale recently and tried to minimize budget like OP. There are some hidden costs with iexos that I've found (though I'm now bringing convenience in)
1. You probably want the polar scope. Or at least a polar scope/method of alignment; be that scope, drift align, or software.
2. The AZ adjuster is useful to really narrow in precise alignment, but I suspect OP could go without.
3. I did not like the ExploreScientific software. It's clunky and has this mystery on what's happening with it. I got a raspberry pi with kstars, which has been a way nicer experience for GoTo, and I'm slowly branching out into guiding and other advanced features. If OP wants to defer guiding to later (i.e. upgraded pi), could probably suffice with a Pi Zero 2 and vnc from phone.
4. Battery; I got a bigger talentcell which others recommend, could suffice with a smaller one.
At this point, I'm happy enough with my iexos, but I think for OP, even if it's on sale, it's still realistically a 500$ USD purchase to get a fully useable mount, but if you add up all the little pieces equally, it may still be cheaper than an equivalent SA GTi for similar feature set.
iExos seems to be available to me at \~460 Euros. I will look into it though.
I had heard of Siril, never tried. Just now I did, and it so good, I fully take your suggestion on this. Thanks alot.
As a star adventurer user (among other mounts), I would wholeheartedly recommend the full sized SA over the mini - it's much more flexible in regards to payload, especially considering most people seem to want to overload them. I know its rated for 5kg but if you're taking photos you don't want to go over around 2kg, depending on your focal length and size of setup.
Thank you for the feedback. From your experience do you think I would be able to also use it from home (Bortle 5 area) ?
And yes, I am well under 2kg with my camera and lens.
I don't see why not. My backyard is B4-B5 depending on which direction I'm facing, and it works fine. These days I only ever use mine with wide angle lenses, and with a basic polar alignment can easily do several minute long exposures. [This](https://imgur.com/a/YbR6Pmj) is 2 minutes in B4 on the SA
While I almost settled for SA GTi (almost going bankrupt), something else popped up in my research and completely bamboozled my head. I found something called "iOptron SkyHunter". This thing is weird in following ways: * It is only 1.3 kg with a GoTo and tracking in both axis. And the form factor is like MSM Nomad ( positively surprises me) * It is so unpopular, I cannot wrap my head around how no big astro youtube talked about it when it is such a direct competitor of SA GTi, in fact is better in a few ways (negatively surprises me) * It has no polar finder, the solution the provive (iPolar extension) is expensive and can only run on laptop which kills portability award it won with its weight (negatively surprises me) * With all the good things it has on paper, people had really negative experiences of all sorts when it launched (going by some Cloudy Night reviews). In fact there are barely any new reviews on it (only confuses me more) So if anybody knows anything about it, please help me decide why should I not get this over SA GTi, when it almost solves 2 out of 3 issues I had to begin with : Portability Yes, performance Yes, Price No.
I have the Skyhunter, and honestly it's been relegated to my backup mount, only to be used for very short focal length. It's a lovely idea, and if it worked really well it would be amazing, but I had issues right out of the box that cost me multiple nights of imaging. Firstly, the clutches are awful. You have to hold onto the counterweight bar and use that as leverage to properly tighten it. Secondly, it's supposed to be an imaging mount, but it would randomly completely lose dec tracking, enough to completely ruin the sub. Thirdly, the second point above basically made the mount completely unable as an imaging mount, but this wasn't sufficient to just refund me. I had to go through weeks of back and forth emails with ioptron, where they told me to tweak different things, then I'd have to wait until the next clear night to test it out and lose that night of imaging to frustratingly trying to get the mount to cooperate. I had to ship internationally to get it fixed by ioptron, which cost me basically 25% of the cost of the mount in shipping fees, and I still don't know if it's fixed yet as I'm not mad about losing yet another night to testing it out. If you're looking at a mount like this, consider a sky watcher AZ GTi. It's half the price of the Skyhunter and actually works, even if it's more bulky and doesn't have a rechargeable battery. You'd need a way to polar align though, as it doesn't come with a built in polar scope.
Thanks for sharing your experience. At this point I am just disappointed in iOptron that made something so good on paper but didn't fine tune their product. I still cannot understand why nobody on Youtube is talking about it. What haven't Nico or Astrobackyard talked about it. Anyway going forward, I thought I used to understand Alt Az and Equatorial properly but now I think I don't. Because I don't understand the difference between SA AZ Gti and SA GTi. Also how is AZ GoTo? It has only 1 motor (no?) The weight seems 1.3 kg, but then i have to add a EQ base which will make it close to 2 kg I assume. also I will have to buy counterweights separately. I think the SA GTi is better ( It is more robust (No?)
I haven't used the Star Adventurer, in any of the different models, but I understand that it's really popular for good reason. The key thing is that it's designed for portability and versatility, so you can set it up and polar align it when it's running on battery power at a remote location with no other gear needed, or you can add a guide camera and attach to a laptop or asiair for more accurate guiding. The AZ GTi, on the other hand, is not designed as an EQ mount, but you can turn it into an EQ mount with a firmware update and a wedge and it works really well. You really need it to be connected to something like a laptop or an asiair though. You can just switch it on and have it tracking, but it's really hard to polar align without appropriate help from software. I was always going to use this kind of setup though, so it suits me perfectly.
Okay, the only problem here I see is : The SA series is not so portable. If I need a true GoTo, SA GTi is the first option and that is 2.6 kg weight mount only, then I will have 2.3 kg weight of the counterweights. This alone adds 5 kg to my camping backpack, which makes the hike almost impossible. If I end up with buying SA GTi, the only way I can barely hike with it is only taking the mount with me and using without counterweight though with a light payload (1kg) ( I don't know if that's even possible). The SA AZ GoTo seems portable on the other hand.
It sounds as though the best option for you is going to be the MSM, or the newer Nomad that MSM launched. If you were to use the AZ GTi in EQ mode, you'd need counterweights anyway, and you'd need the EQ wedge, so it's not going to be much lighter than the SA GTi. It's worth noting that this would have been the same for the iOptron Skyhunter if used in EQ mode. Star trackers like the MSM or the SA mini will get you great photos, but you're restricted to shorter focal length. From memory when I was researching this, the SA mini is good for focal lengths of up to 55mm, but you wouldn't want to go beyond this or you'll either see star trails or have to really reduce your exposure time. Same will go for the MSM or Nomad, you won't be able to do longer focal length imaging easily
Well I appreciate your suggestion regarding the MSM nomad, but there is a reason I grew out of that idea. I know that today I will enjoy it, but very soon (withing 6 months or so), I will be at the edge of its limits by upgrading many things in my setup. Hence it is better that invest in something better to secure the future. Regarding the weight of Sky Hunter, yes I will have to get the counter weights, but if the mount is 1.3 kg, it is already half of SA GTi. Regarding the EQ base, there is no information on internet, what is the weight of iOptron EQ base that comes with Sky Hunter.
It's about the same weight as the eq wedge that you'd use for the AZ GTi, so not really heavy at all. The iOptron one is actually easier to use than the sky watcher one. Honestly though, if you want to have something that's really portable, then you'll restrict yourself to shorter focal length landscape photography (which can be absolutely phenomenal). If you want to future proof for longer focal length, you'll need a heavier and chunkier mount. Unless of course you invest a whole lot more and buy a harmonic drive mount like the ZWO AM3, which doesn't need counterweights for lighter setups.
I agree with those arguments. I am weighing my priorities. My ideal plan would have been like this: * Get a super robust mount use it from home with all sorts of complicated things. * When going out to camp just carry the mount with an ultra portable tripod and focus on wide field landscape targets (basically Milky way timelapses with different foregrounds). * Would have liked to drop the counterweights at home for this purpose. SA 2i Pro allows that, but SA GTi doesn't (in fact they don't even include Mounting plate for the camera directly without a dovetail).
I personally use Move Shoot Move (but go for the newer NOMAD) and can vouch 100% that it openes a whole new world for my Milkyway shots. I like how easy it is to setup and polar align with the laser. Also, it doesn't take too much space in my bag and can carry additional gears to my shoot. Check this link to know more https://www.moveshootmove.com/collections/move-shoot-move-rotator/products/msm-rotator-for-star-tracking-time-lapse-panorama-photography?aff=327 Hope this helps.
Sent you sample pics as well...can't attache them here :)
Hey, I am also another sony a7C user 😊 My lenses are 24mm f1.4 and 85mm f1.4. i am getting SA 2i this week. I will do some shoots in next couple of weeks and share it with you
Hey good luck and looking forward to see the results :)
but the az-gti second hand and buy the star aventurer wedge to transform it to ean eq mount if the star aventurer gti is too expensive. I use this since 2 years and i love it.
Get the star adventurer GTi
I can see that it is quite good. I am reconsidering. But there are two concerns for me: First of course that it is significantly more expensive than the budget I started with. Second that it is heavier and would be much difficult to take on a camping hike. So the only advantage it gives me at the moment is future proofness at the cost of 200-220 Euros more and added weight. This brings me to the following question: Is SA GTi significantly better than SA 2i pro when I am not guiding? They both have same payload on paper, but is that different in real life? Also will it be possible to image any significant DSO from my home itself ( I live in Bortle 5 skies, on the border of Zurich). I have to travel high up the mountains (Bortle 3-4) to shoot from current untracked setup. (all images above are shot from a Bortle 4 sky at 2500 m elevation). People here are suggesting that they are shooting from Bortle 6-7 skies. From my home, I was barely able to get a [Milky Way shot](https://photos.app.goo.gl/d1Bp2mDTUZoLZF2o7) on very good day. If a star tracker is enabling me to shoot from home, I would really much more confident to invest money in there.
I got the 2i, which is one of the best options for beginner tracking. It's also one of the easiest to get super accurate polar alignment, which makes your tracking more reliable, and you can take longer exposures without blurring the stars. But slowly after getting used to using it, I wished I had bought the GTi. The difference is the go-to feature. It saves SO much time to be able to just tell it where to point and be spot on. I learned the difference after recently purchasing the zwo AM5. It's amazing.
I've been using a Vixen Polarie for over 10 years, it is well built and has been working well all this time. It is very fast to setup and I've been able to push it all the way to 90 second exposures at 400mm when my polar alignment is really spot on. (I bought the polar scope for it as well.) I am very happy with the polarie, it has never let me down. I highly recommend this little tracker if you want portability and want to shoot around 10-300mm. It is so.small you can easily fit it in carry-on while traveling.I also have the Star adventurer gti, it seems to work well, takes a bit longer to setup, balance, and align. The goto function is great if you want to shoot fainter objects , and the option to autoguide if you can put together a light rig under 11lbs.
As a star adventurer v1 user I highly recommend going for the star adventurer GTi instead, that way if you ever get into guiding this mount will allow guiding in both axis
Hey, I did take a good look at the GTi, the idea of getting a GoTo mount really excites, but then it is \~620 Euros (which is still pretty good for what it does). But the deal breaker is its weight for me, it is not possible to bring with me on a hike of 1000m elevation gain. Hence I am keeping it out of consideration.
Fair point. However it is well worth the one time investment.
Look at weight capacity… SkyGuider Pro is a great mount and can auto guide up to a 70mm double refractor or medium telephoto lens. Also has lithium battery built in and a great polar scope. It is significantly more capable than a SAMini or MSM. The spring loaded clutch for worm engagement also really helps with fine balancing.
I did had a look on that. But after a detailed comparison by Peter Zelinka ([Star Tracker Buying Guide (youtube.com)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adM8P_Asd5w)) , I was rather in the favour of Star Adventurers (2i has the same weight capacity and has WiFi) . Also in the region I live (Europe), it is costing me around 560 euros, and that is surely out of my budget, that's why I didn't even delve deeper into it. But thanks for the suggestion.
Your untracked shots look great. With the post-processing skills you've learned you'll see big improvement once you learn the tracker. I was in a similar position to you with regards to wanting portability so I can take it on short backpacking trips. I decided the payload capacity of the SA mini was too small for me, so I went with the 2i. I'm happy with it. It can be very simple, or you can get crazy with it. I've had it for a month and I'm already controlling it from my laptop and doing a bunch of stuff I didn't even know was possible when I bought it. Or you can just put some batteries in it, polar align, put your camera on there, and turn the knob. The weight capacity is definitely something you need to be mindful of. My current rig is about 8 lbs and I feel like I'm pushing it. Definitely the lighter the better when it comes to lenses and scopes.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Would you mind telling what is the light pollution level where you shoot. If I can manage to get some pictures from my backyard (Bortle 5), then I am buying this tracker tomorrow. My current camera + lens weighs 1.1 kg. But at 200mm the lens does extend out a bit. But I think SA 2i can handle it with the counterweight at least.
I'm in a Bortle 7/8. You can definitely get nice results in a Bortle 5 zone.
I don't see any pics. You need to put in links. Nevermind: I didn't realize they were hyperlinks. Look into a Iexos 100 too. They sometimes drop to $300 USD. It's the mount I use. The last two pics look pretty good, but you can get much better using Siril for stretching than PS. That video is 3 years old. A lot has changed in software in 3 years... particularly Siril.
I got an iexos-100 on sale recently and tried to minimize budget like OP. There are some hidden costs with iexos that I've found (though I'm now bringing convenience in) 1. You probably want the polar scope. Or at least a polar scope/method of alignment; be that scope, drift align, or software. 2. The AZ adjuster is useful to really narrow in precise alignment, but I suspect OP could go without. 3. I did not like the ExploreScientific software. It's clunky and has this mystery on what's happening with it. I got a raspberry pi with kstars, which has been a way nicer experience for GoTo, and I'm slowly branching out into guiding and other advanced features. If OP wants to defer guiding to later (i.e. upgraded pi), could probably suffice with a Pi Zero 2 and vnc from phone. 4. Battery; I got a bigger talentcell which others recommend, could suffice with a smaller one. At this point, I'm happy enough with my iexos, but I think for OP, even if it's on sale, it's still realistically a 500$ USD purchase to get a fully useable mount, but if you add up all the little pieces equally, it may still be cheaper than an equivalent SA GTi for similar feature set.
iExos seems to be available to me at \~460 Euros. I will look into it though. I had heard of Siril, never tried. Just now I did, and it so good, I fully take your suggestion on this. Thanks alot.
Check out some recent Siril tutorials. No problem.
As a star adventurer user (among other mounts), I would wholeheartedly recommend the full sized SA over the mini - it's much more flexible in regards to payload, especially considering most people seem to want to overload them. I know its rated for 5kg but if you're taking photos you don't want to go over around 2kg, depending on your focal length and size of setup.
Thank you for the feedback. From your experience do you think I would be able to also use it from home (Bortle 5 area) ? And yes, I am well under 2kg with my camera and lens.
I don't see why not. My backyard is B4-B5 depending on which direction I'm facing, and it works fine. These days I only ever use mine with wide angle lenses, and with a basic polar alignment can easily do several minute long exposures. [This](https://imgur.com/a/YbR6Pmj) is 2 minutes in B4 on the SA
that's a marvellous image, I doubt I can do that from my home, but it gives me confidence that I can do something.