The iOptron SkyTracker has become a very popular way to do long exposures of the night sky for people on a budget who want to use their own camera and lenses. If you have an iOptron Polar Scope and you want to align it with Polaris without using a smart phone app, Michael Covington has created two charts that will make that simple.
You can use whichever chart best fits your way of working. They are both shown here in small sizes. You can download both of them as printable PDF files at his daily notebook.
Michael Covington wrote two of my favorite astrophotography books: Astrophotography for the Amateur and Digital SLR Astrophotography. I have the original version. It is an excellent guide, the exposure recommendations are still good, and I still use it as a reference. I do not have newer digital version, so I can’t speak about it from personal experience but the reviews at Amazon are very good.
Series Links
“How To†Series: Astrophotography with the iOptron SkyTracker – series overview
iOptron Sky Tracker and Ball Head
First Night: Testing an iOptron Sky Tracker, Part One
First Night: Testing an iOptron Sky Tracker, Part Two
iOptron Polar Scope Alignment with a Simple Chart
Related Links
The Best Night, Astronomy, and Astrophotography Books
How To Get Critical Focus in “Live View†Mode with a Magnified Image
Tripod Recommendations: The Best of the Best
Tripod Head Recommendations: Some of the Best of the Best
Purchase Links
The iOptron Astrophotography Gear section of my photography store has iOptron equipment and planispheres. The books section of my photography store has a selection of The Best Night, Astronomy, and Astrophotography Books. My photography store has direct links to Amazon.com so you get Amazon’s great prices, fast delivery, and excellent guarantee.
Buyer’s Guide Series Link
This is one in a series of articles that will guide you to the best of all things photographic. The rest of the series is here: Buyer’s Guide: Recommendations For The Best Photography Equipment, Software, Books, Magazines, DVDs, Online Photo Labs and More.
More Links
iOptron – all products
Astronomy and Astrophotography – Michael Covington’s Site
Michael Covington’s New DSLR Notes – lots of great information