Orion Min-EQ Tabletop Equatorial Telescope Mount
by Orion
Our Price: $69.99
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Category: Digital Camera
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Digital Photo Product Details
Manufacturer: OrionProduct features:
- Small but sturdy equatorial telescope mount that's perfect for traveling or campouts and capable of supporting small telescopes up to 7 lbs.
- Features a rugged metal EQ-1 equatorial mount head perched on a petite tabletop tripod with three thread-on legs
- Makes a terrific portable tracking platform for wide-field astrophotography with a 35mm DSLR or SLR camera
- Includes 4.8 lb. counterweight, dual slow-motion control cables for manual tracking, latitude adjustment, and threaded 1/4"-20 adapter
- Height approximately 14", weighs 10 lbs., 5 oz.
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Orion Min-EQ Tabletop Equatorial Telescope Mount
Customer Review: An Inexpensive Entry into Astrophotography
Summary: 4 Stars
The MIN-EQ is an inexpensive "tabletop" German Equatorial Mount which allows you, wih the addition of the Orion EQ-1M Electronic Drive System, to take long exposure photographs of the stars without showing "trailing" (an effect of the Earth's rotation which becomes apparent during long photographic exposures causing stars to appear, not as pinpoints of light, but as circular lines). The mount is particularly well suited for beginning wide-field astrophotography. For more information on astrophotography, please see Astrophotography for the Amateur by Michael A. Covington.
The MIN-EQ is constructed of all metal (except for the knobs) and is quite sturdy. The base has three stuby screw-in metal legs although the unit can be mounted to any sturdy photographic tripod/head that uses a 3/8 screw (e.g., Bogen). While quite small, the unit is also fairly heavy, especially with the included counter weight, but is still fairly portable. It also includes a 1/4-20 adapter so you can directly mount your camera to the MIN-EQ.
The major disadvatage of the MIN-EQ is the difficultly of polar aligning the mount (i.e., pointing the mount in the proper direction so that it can properly cancel out the effect of the Earth's rotation). By following the directions and setting the correct latitude adjustment and pointing the mount in the direction of Polaris, you can achieve maybe 5 minute long wide angle (28mm camera lens) exposures before the stars begin trailing. I ended up mounting a finder scope to the MIN-EQ unit in order to improve polar alignment and was able to achieve a maximum of 15 minute long wide-angle exposures. If you have a telescope, you should be able to do as well or better by "drift aligning" the mount.
Another disadvantage to the unit is that the counter weight can restrict the movement of the mount by bumping into the motor housing. This is easily worked around by using a ballhead camera mount rather than directly mounting a camera to the MIN-EQ itself.
All in all, I would indeed recommend the MIN-EQ for anyone interested in trying out astrophotography on the cheap but with the caveat that it will take great amounts of patience to setup and use. I would highly recommend reading some of the good references on amateur astrophotography such as Covington's, however, BEFORE making any purchases.
Description of Orion Min-EQ Tabletop Equatorial Telescope Mount
Here's a nifty little equatorial mount for small telescopes that makes a perfect stargazing companion for campouts and trips. It's our all-metal EQ-1 equatorial head perched on three thread-on legs, complete with counterweight, dual slow-motion cables, latitude adjustment, and 1/4"-20 adapter. Set it on a park bench or large rock, or even on your car's hood for an impromptu scan of the heavens. Also makes a terrific tracking platform for wide-field astrophotography with a 35mm camera! Height approx.14", weighs 10 lbs., 5 oz.Telescopes
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