Product Description

Employing the use of both a dedicated autoguider and guide scope is arguably the best way to optimize the accuracy of any astrophotography pursuit. In the recent past however, this enhanced imaging precision came with a very hefty price tag. Just a few short years ago, a dedicated autoguider could easily cost more than many astrograph-quality telescopes. To make matters worse, most guide scopes of the recent past were prohibitively long, bulky, and difficult to align with repeatable accuracy.

Today, thanks to technological progress and the availability of the highly sensitive yet affordable Orion StarShoot AutoGuider, astrophotographers can enjoy accurate imaging results without emptying their pockets. With a sensitive autoguider like the Orion StarShoot AutoGuider, any astrophotographer can enjoy optimized imaging precision by using a small-aperture guide scope with a much shorter focal length than the unwieldy instruments of the past. Along these lines, Orion is proud to announce our latest affordable autoguiding innovation - the Magnificent Mini AutoGuider!

Our compact, all-in-one autoguiding solution includes everything you need to enjoy enhanced accuracy in all your astrophotographs. Designed for use with imaging instruments up to 1500mm in focal length, the Magnificent Mini AutoGuider package includes a 50mm mini-refractor guide scope, StarShoot AutoGuider, dovetail guide scope bracket, 1.25" parfocal ring, dovetail mounting base, and a small adapter plate. The 50mm aperture, 162mm focal length (f/3.2) mini guide scope features fully multi-coated achromatic optics. You’ll never have to search for potential guide stars thanks to the mini guide scope’s bright and wide field-of-view. An adjustable-focus objective lens lets you set the guide scope to ideal focus with a knurled locking collar.

Our popular StarShoot AutoGuider features a 1.2" format 1.3MP CMOS sensor with 5.2 x 5.2 micron sized pixels for accurate guiding performance. On the mini guide scope, a machined aluminum 1.25" adapter with three thumbscrews keeps the StarShoot AutoGuider securely in-place during long imaging sessions. Once you’ve positioned the StarShoot AutoGuider at the ideal focus point, the included aluminum parfocal ring makes it easy to quickly repeat perfect focus results from one imaging session to the next.

The dovetail guide scope bracket fits in any standard Orion dovetail finder scope base and omits the need for a piggyback oriented guide scope system which can be a hassle to install and balance. Three adjustment thumbscrews on the bracket allow easy and precise aiming of the guide scope. An included dovetail mounting base and attachment hardware lets you install the Magnificent Mini AutoGuider on any telescope optical tube, in case you want to install it on a telescope that already has a finder scope, or on a telescope without a dovetail base. The included adapter plate lets you mount the Magnificent Mini AutoGuider dovetail base to most standard dovetail plates for piggybacking on top of your imaging telescope’s tube rings, or for use in a side-by-side plate or saddle.

With a total weight of just 1.3 lbs (20.4 oz.), the Orion Magnificent Mini AutoGuider package adds minimal mass to astrophotography setups, making it easy to add autoguiding accuracy to your images without adding the bulk of older and larger guide scopes. Buy the affordable Magnificent Mini AutoGuider package today and find out just how magnificent your own astrophotographs can be!