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Polar scopes

iOptron SkyGuider Pro

A tracking mount for cameras and small telescopes, published at five kilograms of capacity, with a thicker RA axis and a counterweight that can be swapped for a second camera.

iOptron SkyGuider Pro tracking mount with counterweight

iOptron SkyGuider Pro

A tracking mount for cameras and small telescopes, published at five kilograms of capacity, with a thicker RA axis and a counterweight that can be swapped for a second camera.

Reticle pattern
Not published by the maker.
Illumination
Not published by the maker.
Dimming
Not published by the maker.
Mount compatibility
Not published by the maker.
Fit
Not published by the maker.
Retention
Not published by the maker.
Focus adjustment
Not published by the maker.
Hemisphere support
Not published by the maker.
Amazon reference
B07199QMR6 (same reference on 5 Amazon marketplaces)
EAN
6943831501855
  • A published payload of five kilograms, which is the figure that sizes a tracker
  • The counterweight can carry a second camera, so two focal lengths run at once
  • It is a mount, and the family heading says polar scopes

Best for: Tracked wide-field photography with a substantial lens, or a small telescope

≈ $359 / €496
Check price on Amazon

Specifications

Reticle pattern
Not published by the maker.
Illumination
Not published by the maker.
Dimming
Not published by the maker.
Mount compatibility
Not published by the maker.
Fit
Not published by the maker.
Retention
Not published by the maker.
Focus adjustment
Not published by the maker.
Hemisphere support
Not published by the maker.
Amazon reference
B07199QMR6 (same reference on 5 Amazon marketplaces)
EAN
6943831501855

A mount, filed among polar scopes

The SkyGuider Pro is a tracking mount. It appears here because of where the listing sits, and the first thing to say is what it is — because ordering it expecting a polar finder would be an expensive mistake.

The five-kilogram figure

Published, and it is the number that sizes a tracker. Everything else follows from it: whether a given lens can be carried, whether a small telescope is possible, and how much margin remains.

What was made bigger

A thicker right ascension axis and larger worm gears than the smaller model in the range. Those are specific mechanical claims rather than adjectives, and they explain where the capacity comes from.

The counterweight trick

Replace it with a second camera. The mass has to be there to balance the load; making it do useful work is a neat piece of design, and it means one clear night can produce two fields at two focal lengths.

Availability

German, French and Spanish Amazon stores ran from 496 € to 500 € on the day of the survey.

American and British Amazon stores list it in local currency, which the euro range above sets aside.

Italian Amazon store gave no result whatever, so the buy button there opens a search rather than an empty page.

Figures as Keepa reported them on the day this page was last updated. Stock and pricing shift without warning.

Prices quoted in this text were read on 17 September 2026. The live price is at the top of the page.

What this fits

More polar scopes

  • Omegon MiniTrack LX3 Essentials mechanical tracking mount

    Omegon MiniTrack LX3 Essentials

    The entry version of a purely mechanical tracking mount, which replaces the optical polar scope with a simple sighting tube.

    Reticle pattern
    Not published by the maker.
    Illumination
    Not published by the maker.
    Dimming
    Not published by the maker.
    Mount compatibility
    Not published by the maker.
    Fit
    Not published by the maker.
    Retention
    Not published by the maker.
    Focus adjustment
    Not published by the maker.
    Hemisphere support
    Not published by the maker.
    Amazon reference
    B096ZB2FGB (same reference on 5 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    4049467708254
    • The maker states exactly what has been removed to reach the price
    • Mechanical drive, so nothing to charge and nothing to fail in the cold
    • A sighting tube is far coarser than an optical polar scope, which limits exposure length

    Best for: Wide-angle tracked photography where a coarse polar alignment is enough

    ≈ $222 / €150
    Check price on Amazon
  • Sky-Watcher HM5 polar scope

    Sky-Watcher HM5 polar scope for EQ5, NEQ-5 and EQ-6

    A polar scope screwing directly into the polar axis of named Sky-Watcher mounts, with a reticle usable in both hemispheres.

    Reticle pattern
    The listing gives none
    Illumination
    Not mentioned
    Dimming
    Not published by the maker.
    Mount compatibility
    EQ5, NEQ-5 and EQ-6, named by the maker
    Fit
    Screws into the polar axis of the mount
    Retention
    Not published by the maker.
    Focus adjustment
    Neither is published
    Hemisphere support
    Northern and southern, per the maker
    Amazon reference
    B017NH3NYC (same reference on 3 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    6930096630154
    • Names the three mounts it fits rather than claiming universality
    • Works in both hemispheres, which not every reticle does
    • No accuracy, magnification or field figure

    Best for: An EQ5, NEQ-5 or EQ-6 mount bought without its polar scope

    ≈ £49
    Check price on Amazon
  • Vixen Polarie PF-L II polar scope

    Vixen Polarie PF-L II polar scope

    A compact polar scope with a published alignment accuracy of 3 arcminutes or better, 5x magnification and a dimmable, self-extinguishing red reticle.

    Reticle pattern
    3 arcminutes or better, as the maker publishes it · Red, dimmable, with automatic shut-off
    Illumination
    Not published by the maker.
    Dimming
    Not published by the maker.
    Mount compatibility
    Not published by the maker.
    Fit
    Not published by the maker.
    Retention
    Not published by the maker.
    Focus adjustment
    5x · 10 degrees
    Hemisphere support
    Not published by the maker.
    Amazon reference
    B07RZ7WMVH (same reference on 6 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    4955295355334
    • The only alignment accuracy figure published anywhere in this family
    • Automatic shut-off on the reticle saves a battery left on after packing up
    • Made for the Polarie system; fitting it to another mount is not addressed

    Best for: A tracker owner who needs alignment good enough for long exposures

    ≈ £231 / €238
    Check price on Amazon

The rest of this rack

  • Omegon Deluxe red dot finder in metal housing

    Omegon Deluxe red dot finder (32974)

    A metal red dot finder offering a dot, a circle with dot, a crosshair and a cross with circle, adjusted on both axes with a hex key.

    Reticle type
    Four — dot, circle with dot, crosshair, cross with circle
    Brightness adjustment
    Not described in the extract
    Bracket fitting
    Not specified beyond fitting parallel on the tube
    Battery type
    Not published by the maker.
    Life
    Not published by the maker.
    Window size
    The listing gives none
    Alignment adjustment
    Height and azimuth, with a hex key
    Amazon reference
    B00E5UYQ88 (same reference on 6 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    4049467329749
    • A metal body, where the finders supplied with telescopes are usually thin plastic
    • Four reticle patterns rather than a single dot
    • No clear aperture figure, which is the defining specification of this type

    Best for: Replacing the flimsy red dot finder supplied with a telescope

    ≈ £74 / €83
    Check price on Amazon
  • DaskFire 4-in-1 LED torch with red, green and blue light

    DaskFire 4-in-1 LED torch

    A four-colour LED torch with a zoom head and a stated 900 lumens, whose red mode is one of four rather than its purpose.

    Red output type
    White, blue, green and red · 900 lumens, as the maker states it — for the white mode · The listing gives none · The listing gives none for any colour
    Dimming range
    Not described
    Minimum
    Not published by the maker.
    Mode memory
    Not published by the maker.
    Battery type
    Not published by the maker.
    Cold behaviour
    Not published by the maker.
    Weight
    Not published by the maker.
    Attachment
    Not published by the maker.
    Amazon reference
    B0822G4LZG (same reference on 5 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    0746362765729
    • Four colours in one torch, which covers several uses in a bag
    • Zoom focus, so the beam spreads for a chart or narrows for a distance
    • No dimming is described, and a fixed red level is the wrong tool for a chart

    Best for: A general outdoor torch whose red mode will do at a pinch

    ≈ £17 / €20
    Check price on Amazon
  • Explore Scientific Astro R-Lite red torch with belt clip

    Explore Scientific Astro R-Lite (0340100)

    A black anodised red torch with an adjustable dimmer, bright and dim continuous modes, a flashing mode and a 360-degree side signal, published at 105 g.

    Red output type
    Not published by the maker.
    Dimming range
    Continuously adjustable by a dial, per the maker
    Minimum
    Not published by the maker.
    Mode memory
    Continuous bright, continuous dim, and flashing · 360 degrees, through side cutouts
    Battery type
    One AA (LR6), supplied
    Cold behaviour
    Up to 100 hours, as the maker publishes it
    Weight
    92 × 25 × 25 mm, as the maker publishes them · 105 g, as the maker publishes it
    Attachment
    Torch, wrist strap, belt clip, battery
    Amazon reference
    B07CZ2TP7X (same reference on 6 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    4007922039534
    • A continuous dimmer, which is the specification that matters most for astronomy
    • Runtime, dimensions, weight and battery type all published
    • No wavelength figure for the red LED

    Best for: Reading a chart at the eyepiece without losing dark adaptation

    ≈ £23 / €23
    Check price on Amazon

All polar scopes