When it comes to iOptron accessories and optical instruments, the iOptron 3302B SkyTracker Camera Mount deserves our undivided attention. This is the second generation of iOptron SkyTracker astro-photography camera mount and trackers and if it’s as good as its predecessor, then you are in for a real treat. The iOptron 3302B SkyTracker Camera Mount is said to be better, lighter, easier to use, incredibly performing and very affordable, so let’s test it and see what we can conclude. If you are into astrophotography and you really want to capture the beauty of deep skies above, a detailed look into this product may be of use to you.
What is the iOptron 3302B SkyTracker Camera Mount?
This iOptron 3302B SkyTracker Camera Mount review will first look into the tech details of this product, emphasizing on its portability, usability and price/quality balance. Let’s start thus with what this product really is: the iOptron 3302B SkyTracker Camera Mount accessory is an equatorial camera mount which can be attached to virtually any camera mount tripod to create a portable DC drive equatorial mount for wide-field astrophotography and viewing.
iOptron telescopes and accessories are known for their constant upgrades and enhancements, and this one in particular benefited from a true lift-up, so to speak. The company has increased the payload capacity of the iOptron SkyTracker Camera Mount with polar scope (as it indeed sports an AccuAligning dark-field illuminated polar scope) so it can hold camera/lens combinations weighing up to 7.7 lbs (3.5 kg). In other words, there is no reason anymore why you shouldn’t take wide field astrophotography seriously from now on and capture the Milky Way’s spectacular images.
Some of the best iOptron camera mounts and some of the best iOptron scopes and accessories come in full metal and this is no exception. The mount is a bit heavy (2.6 lbs), but it is sturdy, compact and almost indestructible, provided some aliens from outer space don’t blast it with some laser tech. We think it is light enough however to be highly portable and quite beautiful to look at, as the iOptron 3302B SkyTracker Camera Mount – black version comes in an elegant black-finished cast aluminum body. It comes with an adjustable azimuth base to adjust the SkyTracker during polar alignment without moving the tripod, which, you have to agree, is a great feature when it comes to usability.
(Click image to see more pictures on Amazon)
We mentioned polar alignment earlier and we have to detail that indeed polar alignment is incredibly accurate and easy, as the SkyTracker mount also sports a built-in compass and precision worm-drive latitude adjustment for perfect alignment.
How is this one of the best astrophotography tools, you wonder? Let’s imagine for a second that we turn on the SkyTracker DC drive and let the camera move following the motion of the stars at the same speed the Earth rotates. Now imagine that after you achieved a perfect alignment the DC servo motor drive system employs its built-in 80 mm 156-tooth worm wheel, the 11 mm brass worm gear, the four ball bearings and its speed-regulating optical encoder in order to smoothly and perfectly track celestial objects and capture long-exposure wide field iOptron 3302B SkyTracker Camera Mount images with no star trails and no motion aberrations.
Want more? The SkyTracker uses 4 user-supplied AA batteries to be used in any outdoor landscape and is able to achieve autonomy for up to 20 hours on one set of batteries (provided the weather is mild).
Pros and Cons to Using the iOptron 3302B SkyTracker Camera Mount
There are many iOptron company reviews and we recommend you to look for other iOptron 3302B SkyTracker Camera Mount reviews if you’d like an even more advanced picture (the professional ones in the Sky & Telescope Magazine are usually a good read). For our part, we will continue with our own iOptron SkyTracker camera mount review by emphasizing the pros and the cons to using the device.
PROS:
- Upgraded iOptron SkyTracker camera mount with enhanced payload capacity;
- Easy to mount on virtually any camera tripod;
- Sturdy, solid black – finished aluminum built for higher levels of usability in outdoor environments;
- Incredible wide field of view, auto tracking and perfect long – exposure astrophotography;
- Adjustable azimuth base for Polar alignment;
- Comes together with an AccuAligning dark-field illuminated polar scope, an integrated compass, and also geared latitude adjustment wedge also for perfect Polar alignment;
- The company also sports an iOptron app available for the iPhone and iPad for Polar alignment as well;
- The DC servo motor drive system allows smooth and impeccable tracking;
- It comes together with long-lasting high quality batteries;
- The iOptron 3302B SkyTracker Camera Mount price is more than affordable, considering the upgrades and the joy it brings to astrophotography aficionados;
- There is also an iOptron 3302B SkyTracker Camera Mount manual available online, clearly and comprehensively detailing the product’s tech specs and also the full assemble and usage instructions for iOptron 3302B SkyTracker Camera Mount.
CONS:
- You need to be careful with installing the mount on the tripod as it may get harder than initially perceived;
- You may need to ask for help to iOptron tech support specialists with the alignment, as it tends to get ruined once you mount the camera.
Where to Find the iOptron 3302B SkyTracker Camera Mount?
You can find the iOptron 3302B SkyTracker Camera Mount for sale on Amazon and several other retailers. However, the best price for iOptron 3302B SkyTracker Camera Mount is on Amazon (only $299.00). For this price, it’s hard to believe you’ll get a better piece of equipment if you are interested in deep and wide astrophotography. As professional reviewers said about the first-gen SkyTracker, that was “the hands-down best value I know of in a camera-tracking platform.” We stand behind this opinion when it comes to this second-gen iOptron 3302B SkyTracker Camera Mount as well.
Extra Info:
Maintenance Advice
This full metal, sturdy and solid piece of equipment needs no special maintenance, but keep it safe however from physical shock, dust, humidity and field trips accidents, it would be a shame to break it. Clean the iOptron 3302B SkyTracker Camera Mount with a soft cloth, gently.
Telescope Accessories
Usually, this product goes very well together with an additional iOptron 3305A SkyTracker Ball Head or 1/4″ to 3/8″ Tripod Screw Converters, just to make sure you have everything you need at your fingertips.
Warranty and Guarantee Information
The company offers a 1 year warranty covering repairs and replacements due to normal wear and tear.
Our Recommendation
Before anything else, we recommend you to watch an iOptron 3302B SkyTracker Camera Mount YouTube presentation to better understand what this piece of art can do and how you can use it to its maximum potential. As for our opinion and recommendation for this product, we can only say that this is one of the best iOptron camera mounts we came across with. The usability and portability, the mind-blowing wide field of view it offers and the smooth tracking skills makes this mount to be a delight for anybody interested in astrophotography. It deserves a very good camera and some seriousness, as the iOptron 3302B SkyTracker Camera Mount can turn you into a professional astrophotographer in matter of minutes.
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