Ranking The Best from 50+ Telescope Mounts

Alt-Azimuth (Alt-Az) Mounts

An alt-az mount allows for movement in two axes: altitude (up and down) and azimuth (left and right). Altaz mounts can be simple, all-manual designs or have motorized GoTo and tracking capabilities. Most cheaper alt-azimuth mounts are designed for holding smaller catadioptric and refractor telescopes. Newtonian reflectors usually go on a Dobsonian mount unless you are doing imaging, in which case you’d use an equatorial mount.

Alt-az mounts under $500 or so are usually limited to holding a 5-6” Cassegrain/Newtonian or a 4” refractor. More expensive alt-az mounts ranging from $500 to $1500 or so can usually hold something like a 7-11” Cassegrain or a 6” refractor. Larger refractors and Cassegrains are usually used atop German equatorial mounts or custom-designed fork mounts made specifically for the telescope.

Manual alt-az mounts can have digital setting circles added to aid in pointing (as with Dobsonians), while tracking requires that the mount also have GoTo, which will also aid in automatically pointing at targets.

Under $500 AltAz Mounts

Sky-Watcher AZ-GTi

Buy from Amazon

List Price: $475

The Sky-Watcher AZ-GTi is a sturdy, lightweight alt-azimuth mount with GoTo, able to hold up to a 6” Cassegrain or a fairly short/lightweight 3-4” refractor. You can control the GoTo with the SynScan app or SkySafari Pro on your phone or tablet, unless you plug in a third-party SynScan hand controller that costs more than the GTi itself. The AZ-GTi features Sky-Watcher’s FreedomFind technology to allow you to aim the mount manually even while the GoTo system is activated.

Twilight I Adjustable Angle Alt-Azimuth Mount

Explore Scientific Twilight I

Buy from Amazon

List Price: $349

The Explore Scientific Twilight I is a heavy-duty manual mount that can hold a 4-5” refractor (longer or heavier scopes will be less steady), a 6” reflector, or a 6-8” Cassegrain, though an 8” is pushing the mount’s limits. The Twilight I has a heavy-duty steel tripod and a fine adjustment cable for pointing. The sidearm holding the Twilight I’s altitude axis can be adjusted in angle to allow the bottom of your tube assembly to clear the mount depending on its length.

Sky-Watcher AZ5

Rank 3

4.3^_/5

The Sky-Watcher AZ5 features many of the same features as the Explore Scientific Twilight I but adds an optional pier extension to make it more suitable for long refractors. However, the motions are not quite as smooth as the Twilight I, and the price is quite a bit steeper for essentially the same features otherwise.

Sky-Watcher AZ-GTe

Rank 4

4.1_^/5

The Sky-Watcher AZ-GTe is identical to the AZ-GTi, with the same capacity and smartphone-controlled GoTo. However, it lacks the FreedomFind technology that allows the GTi to be aimed manually, which makes for a less convenient user experience and a minimal decrease in price.

Explore Scientific Twilight Nano

Rank 5

3.8_^/5

The simple and cheap Twilight Nano is made to hold 90 mm or smaller refractors, along with Newtonians and Cassegrains no larger than 4.5” in aperture. This mount lacks fine adjustments or clutches of any kind, though it’s smooth to aim and fairly steady with a smaller telescope. It works fine for its intended task and is ideal for replacing a broken mount on a cheaper instrument.

Celestron Heavy-Duty Altazimuth Tripod

Rank 6

3.2_^/5

The Celestron Heavy-Duty Altazimuth Tripod isn’t the worst mount ever, but it is far from ideal for astronomical use. It has a sturdy tripod and fine adjustments on both the altitude and azimuth axes but lacks a dovetail saddle and places the telescope directly above the altitude axis, leading to inherently unbalanced altitude movements and often causing the telescope to suddenly tip over when aimed high in the sky.

Above $500 AltAz Mounts

Sky-Watcher AZ-EQ6

$2850 at HighPoint

A convertible alt-azimuth and equatorial mount, the AZ-EQ6 features easy-to-use GoTo controlled via your smartphone or tablet with the SynScan or SkySafari Pro apps and can be freely aimed manually with its FreedomFind technology, just like the AZ-GTi. It’ll hold an 11” SCT, a 6” refractor, or anything else weighing up to 44 lbs on both sides.

Sky-Watcher AZ-EQ5

$2095 at HighPoint

For those looking for a more portable and cheaper option than the AZ-EQ6i, the smaller AZ-EQ5i can hold up to around 25 lbs on each side of its saddle (the 33 lbs specified is a little too generous), enough for a 10” SCT or most 6” refractors. A pier extension for longer refractors is also provided by default.

iOptron AZ Mount Pro GoTo Alt-Az Mount with LiteRoc Tripod

iOptron AZ Pro with LiteRoc

$1799 at AgenaAstro

The iOptron AZ Mount Pro features full motorized tracking and GoTo capabilities, along with the ability to hold up to a 6” refractor or an 11” Schmidt-Cassegrain—or two scopes at the same time, one weighing up to 33 lbs and the other up to 13 lbs. You can control it via your PC or a WiFi adapter as well as with the provided hand controller, and versions with both a tripod and a steadier portable pier are available.

Losmandy AZ8

Rank 4

4.4^_/5

A simpler but elegant all-manual mount based on the equatorial GM8, the Losmandy AZ8 features extremely high-quality machining with slow-motion adjustments, a heavy-duty tripod, and can hold telescopes weighing up to around 25 lbs on each side.

Celestron NexStar Evolution

Rank 5

4.2_^/5

The Celestron NexStar Evolution mount can be used with SCT and Maksutov telescopes up to 8” in aperture, along with smaller and shorter refractor or reflector optical tubes, provided that they clear the mount. It has a built-in battery and WiFi adapter to power its motorized GoTo and tracking. However, the lack of versatility or manual aiming capabilities means it’s not ideal for telescopes beyond the 6” and 8” SCTs it is usually sold packaged with.

Vixen APZ

Rank 6

4.1_^/5

Similar to the Losmandy AZ8, the Vixen APZ is adapted from the Advanced Polaris equatorial mount. It can hold a single telescope, such as an 8” SCT or a 5” refractor, weighing up to around 15 lbs, but isn’t particularly well equipped or capable for the price.

Tele Vue Gibraltar

Rank 7

4.1_^/5

The Tele-Vue Gibraltar is a beautiful and well-made mount for 5-6” refractors and catadioptrics. However, it lacks fine adjustments for aiming and costs more than a comparably hefty GoTo mount.

Tele Vue Panoramic

Rank 8

4_^/5

The Tele-Vue Panoramic Mount is designed to hold small refractor and catadioptric telescopes and works well but lacks fine adjustments.

Tele Vue Tele-Pod

Rank 9

3.5_^/5

The Tele-Vue Tele-Pod is designed for small refractors or Maksutov-Cassegrains and is marginally more hefty than a photo tripod. It is sturdy with smaller scopes but is extremely expensive despite its minimal capabilities.

Orion StarSeeker IV GoTo Altazimuth Mount and Tripod

4.4^_/5

The StarSeeker IV GoTo mount had a lot in common with the Sky-Watcher AZ-GTi, sharing its phone-controlled GoTo system and dual encoders that allow for manual aiming. It was a little heavier duty than the AZ-GTi thanks to its beefy included tripod. However, it lacked the AZ-GTi’s astrophotography capabilities, and the fixed angle of the head wasn't allowing some telescopes to clear the base of the mount.

Orion VersaGo II Altazimuth Telescope Mount

3.9_^/5

The VersaGo II mount was nice for holding smaller telescopes up to 5” or so in aperture but lacked fine adjustments for manual aiming, and the angle of its head was fixed. However, the tripod was fairly sturdy, and the large accessory tray came in handy.

Orion StarBlast AutoTracker Altazimuth Mount

3.8_^/5

It was not a GoTo mount, but it could track the sky automatically for you and worked either on a tabletop or attached to a suitable tripod.

Orion VersaGo E-Series

3.1_^/5

Similar in duties and price to the Explore Scientific Twilight Nano mount, at first glance, the Versa Go E-Series could seem superior with its slow-motion adjustment cables. However, the tripod provided with the VersaGo E-Series was low-quality, which meant it was rather shaky even with a very small payload.

Tele Vue Panoramic

Rank 8

4_^/5

The Tele-Vue Panoramic Mount is designed to hold small refractor and catadioptric telescopes and works well but lacks fine adjustments.

Tele Vue Tele-Pod

Rank 9

3.5_^/5

German Equatorial (EQ) Mounts

If you want to do deep-sky astrophotography or carry larger refractor and catadioptric telescopes that may be too heavy for a portable alt-az mount, you should use an equatorial mount.

Equatorial mounts are designed to allow your telescope to move in a way that follows the Earth's rotation along a single axis, known as right ascension. An equatorial mount can be easily tracked by using a simple, motorized "clock drive" that rotates the entire right ascension axis over a 24-hour period, or by simply turning a fine-adjustment knob to move the telescope westward across the sky. The other axis, declination, adjusts pointing in the north-south direction.

Deep-sky astrophotography will require you to use a driven equatorial mount, and most equatorial mounts for astrophotography feature GoTo to simplify pointing as well as features like PC control and autoguiding.

Under $1000 EQ Mounts

Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTi

$720 at HighPoint

The Star Adventurer GTi is a GoTo equatorial mount that works well for imaging with smaller instruments (up to around 500 mm focal length or 5 lbs) and is also great for visual use with 6” and smaller catadioptric/reflector instruments or 4” and smaller refractors. It has a notable advantage of being able to be pushed around the sky manually while the GoTo system is working, thanks to the inclusion of Sky-Watcher’s FreedomFind encoders. It also has an internal battery pack and comes with a pier extension by default, with the ability to buy the mount head alone to use on a heavy-duty tripod should you already have one.

Celestron Omni CG-4 German Equatorial Mount

Celestron CG-4

$419 at HighPoint

The Celestron CG-4 is a fully manual EQ mount that's great for 6” and smaller telescopes. It features high-quality metal parts with fine adjustment cables and worm gears, a hole for a polar alignment scope, and a solid steel tripod with no plastic parts.

iOptron SkyGuider Pro

Rank 3

4.4^_/5

The iOptron SkyGuider Pro is a great motorized star tracker for the smallest astrophotography rigs and can hold a 4” Cassegrain or 3” refractor for light visual use, though aiming is complicated by the lack of fine adjustments or drives on the mount’s declination axis.

Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer 2i Pro

Rank 4

4.2^_/5

The Star Adventurer 2i Pro makes for a great astrophotography star tracker and can also be used for holding a small Cassegrain or refractor telescope, though the declination axis of the mount has no adjustments besides a coarse manual pivot. You’ll also need to find yourself a suitable tripod for the Star Adventurer or purchase the separately sold unit from Sky-Watcher.

Explore Scientific EXOS-2GT with PMC-8

Rank 5

4.1_^/5

The EXOS-2GT uses quality stepper motors and is easy to interface with over WiFi or with a PC cable. The EXOS-2GT can just barely hold a 15 lb telescope for visual use, such as an 8” Schmidt-Cassegrain, and for imaging you’re limited to smaller instruments of 800 mm or so focal length and no more than 10 lbs, a far cry from the 40 lb claimed visual and 20 lb photographic payload advertised.

Explore FirstLight EXOS-2

Rank 6

4.1_^/5

The regular EXOS-2 GoTo mount is similar to the Celestron CG-4 but has full GoTo and tracking, steered by stepper motors. At first glance, this would seem like a huge boon; however, the clunky firmware, hand controller, and low-quality motors mean that the mount is poor for imaging and rather time-consuming, if not outright frustrating, to use for visual observation. You would probably be better served by a manual or more expensive GoTo mount.

Explore Scientific FirstLight Exos Nano

Rank 7

3.9_^/5

The FirstLight Exos Nano is a lightweight equatorial mount that can hold telescopes no bigger than a 3” refractor or 5” Cassegrain, though Explore Scientific does sell it bundled with an unfortunately undermounted 4” f/10 refractor. The Exos Nano, like its alt-azimuth counterpart, the Twilight Nano, is really best as a replacement mount for an existing low-cost telescope. It is decently constructed and easy to add a motor drive to but lacks the ability to be precisely aligned with a polar scope or carry heavy loads.

Sky-Watcher EQM-35i

4.4^_/5

The Sky-Watcher EQM-35i was a hefty equatorial mount that worked well for imaging with smaller instruments (up to around 800 mm focal length or 10 lbs) and was also great for visual use with 6” and smaller catadioptric/reflector instruments or 4-5” and smaller refractors. It was mechanically very similar to the Celestron CG-4, apart from its addition of GoTo and precise stepper motor drives, and a polar scope was included by default. The EQM-35i was controlled via a WiFi dongle that connected to your smartphone or tablet, or you could plug the mount directly into a PC with suitable cables.

Orion SkyView Pro

4.2^_/5

The Orion SkyView Pro was more or less identical to the Celestron CG-4 in design but was often sold at a high price. The mount could be upgraded to GoTo, but it was hardly cost-effective to do so, and while the SkyView Pro was decent, a CG-4 could often be found for a lower price.

Orion AstroView Mount

4^_/5

Similar to the Celestron CG-4, the Orion AstroView mount was a lightweight equatorial mount designed for small scopes for visual use up to around a 12 lb weight capacity. The design differed little from the CG-4 apart from its slightly less beefy exterior and aluminum instead of steel tripod. A motor drive could be added, though it was expensive to do so.

Orion EQ-26

3.3^_/5

The Orion EQ-26 was realistically limited to just over half its advertised payload capacity for visual use and featured no GoTo or even the ability to easily control its motors from a PC, making it a poor choice for astrophotography. It was seemingly a filler product while Orion attempted to develop a full-fledged GoTo mount, or perhaps representative of the death throes of a failing company.

Orion EQ-13

3.3^_/5

Despite Orion’s bold claims that the EQ-13 could hold a 13-pound telescope (which would be something like a 4” refractor or 6” SCT), the EQ-13 was little more than a rebadged Exos Nano with a marked-up price and embellished advertising. Like the Exos Nano, you were limited to a shorter 4-5” telescope or a long 3” refractor at best with this mount.

$1,000-$2,000 EQ Mounts

Equatorial mounts in this price range are usually of the EQ5 weight class, ideal for beginners to deep-sky astrophotography, even if you’re starting out with a small telescope or lens, offering high-quality features and room to grow up to a 15 lb or so payload, such as a 6” Newtonian, SCT, or Ritchey-Chretien—or a 3.5” refractor - without getting too heavy or expensive. For visual use, mounts in this category offer payload capacities of 20-30 lbs, allowing you to use such scopes as an 8–10” catadioptric, an 8” Newtonian, or a 4” refractor.

Sky-Watcher HEQ5

$1625 at AgenaAstro

The Sky-Watcher HEQ5 can hold imaging setups up to 15 lbs. and features precise stepper motors, easy control via its hand controller or by plugging into a PC, and a built-in illuminated polar scope. The mount’s counterweight shaft retracts inside its body for minimal disassembly but maximum compactness for transport and storage. The HEQ5 is one of the best mounts for astrophotographers, period, and is an incredible deal for the price.

iOptron GEM28

Rank 2

4.3^_/5

A well-designed mount that’s on the light side as far as capacity goes, the iOptron GEM28 requires some getting used to in its operation and is not exactly a beginner-friendly mount, though it’s sturdy, tracks accurately, and is jam-packed with features.

iOptron CEM26

Rank 3

4.3_^/5

The iOptron CEM26 is essentially identical to the GEM28 in specs, features, performance, and flaws, though its center-balanced design makes it theoretically more stable at the cost of being slightly more confusing to set up and balance.

Celestron Advanced VX

Rank 4

4.1_^/5

A low-priced and beefy mount with a simple GoTo interface, the Advanced VX is able to hold even such instruments as a 10–11” Schmidt–Cassegrain or Newtonian reflector for visual use but struggles to deliver precise tracking and guiding for astrophotography, as well as requiring a more complicated cable interface compared to most other mounts on account of its somewhat antiquated design features.

Vixen Optics Advanced Polaris-M Motorized EQ Mount with Star Book One

Rank 5

3.9_^/5

The Advanced Polaris-M is a lovely mount, but it occupies a similar niche to lower-tier mounts at half its price. The mount does use stepper motors, but it is not nearly as supported by software such as ASCOM, while the StarBook controller is extremely antiquated and hard to use.

Orion Sirius EQ-G

4.9^_/5

The Sirius EQ-G was essentially identical to the Sky-Watcher HEQ5 Pro, using the old-fashioned standard SynScan controller but being able to be controlled via a PC or with an aftermarket WiFi adapter as well. It also had a dual-dovetail saddle capable of accepting both Vixen-style and larger Losmandy/CGE-style dovetail plates, which was the only other difference from the HEQ5.

Meade LX85

4^_/5

The Meade LX85’s oddly cubic aesthetic was already a turn-off to some, and it had similar hardware and software drawbacks to the Advanced VX but without nearly as user-friendly a hand controller and with arguably worse tracking and guiding results, along with a much smaller community of users or reliable customer support from the manufacturer to help you out.

$2,000-$3,000 EQ Mounts

Mounts in this price range are of the EQ-5 to EQ-6 class, with the heaviest duty mounts able to carry 12” telescopes for visual use and setups weighing up to around 20-25 lbs for imaging. Sky-Watcher’s portfolio of mid-range equatorial mounts at this price range especially shines in performance and value for the money.

Sky-Watcher AZ-EQ6

$2850 at HighPoint

The Sky-Watcher AZ-EQ6 holds heavy imaging payloads such as 8” Newtonian and Cassegrain designs with ease and features belt-driven stepper motors, a dual dovetail saddle, and conveniences like a carry handle and retracting counterweight shaft for portability. It can be aimed manually with its FreedomFind encoders and has a USB port for simple connection to a PC for control in lieu of using your smartphone/tablet. You can also convert the AZ-EQ6 to an alt-azimuth mount capable of holding two telescopes at once.

Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro

$2250 at HighPoint

The EQ6R Pro has the same payload capacity and the same fantastic features as the AZ-EQ6 but lacks the ability to be aimed manually or used in alt-azimuth mode, neither of which are concerns for many imagers who might appreciate the significant cost reduction compared to the AZ-EQ6.

Sky-Watcher AZ-EQ5

$2095 at HighPoint

The AZ-EQ5 offers many of the features of the AZ-EQ6 but in a slimmed-down package similar in size and capacity to the HEQ5 Pro, though slightly more capable of holding heavier instruments for visual use and with the added bonus of a belt drive for even smoother tracking/guiding. You also get a pier extension provided by default, which serves to raise the height of long refractors.

ZWO AM5

Rank 4

4.8^_/5

Losmandy GM-8 Gemini II

Rank 5

4.7_^/5

The venerable GM-8 is a high-quality mount with a weight capacity of around 30 lbs for visual use and 15-20 lbs for imaging. Its GoTo system is hardly the most sophisticated or easiest to operate, but the mount offers superb mechanics and accurate tracking. You can also upgrade it to a GM811G or convert it to an AZ8 fairly easily, thanks to the unique interchangeable parts of the Losmandy equatorial mounts.

iOptron CEM40

Rank 6

4.6_^/5

Like the CEM26, the CEM40 is a sister mount to the GEM45, with no appreciable differences apart from a theoretical stability advantage thanks to its unique center-balanced design.

Celestron CGEM II

Rank 7

3.8_^/5

Essentially a slightly scaled-up Advanced VX, the CGEM II has many of the VX’s disadvantages, like the use of cheap servo motors, more complexity in connecting to and controlling it via a PC, and a dovetail saddle that doesn’t quite fit Losmandy plates by only a few millimeters. However, it doesn’t even undercut its competitors in price, like the Advanced VX, so there’s little point in buying one even if you don’t plan on doing astrophotography.

Vixen SX2

Rank 8

3.7_^/5

The Vixen SX2 is similar in design and payload capacity to the Sky-Watcher HEQ5 Pro but without the latter’s simple interface, instead coupled to the calculator-like StarBook controller, and offered at a price that competes with heavier-duty mounts with superior harmonic or belt drive systems.

Orion Atlas Pro AZ-EQ-G

5^_/5

The Atlas Pro was completely identical to the AZ-EQ6i in every way. As with the AZ-EQ6, it had the same features, such as belt-driven stepper motors, multi-telescope capability, and dual alt-az/equatorial configurations.

Orion Sirius Pro AZ-EQ G

5^_/5

As with the AZ-EQ6 and Atlas Pro, Orion’s version of the AZ-EQ5i was identical to the Sky-Watcher version and was usually being sold at a higher price tag.

Orion Atlas EQ-G

4.9^_/5

The Orion Atlas EQ-G was a venerable mount based on the EQ6R’s predecessor, the NEQ6. It lacked the EQ6R’s belt drives and thus wasn’t quite as good in tracking/guiding accuracy, and it was not as easy to carry around given its greater heft and lack of a handle. The interface and performance were still very good, however, and the only reason not to buy one was that the EQ6R is available for around the same price most of the time.

$3,000-$4,000 EQ Mounts

Offering a steadier platform for the largest visual and planetary imaging telescopes, and with the beefiest mounts accommodating up to 30 lb or so payloads for imaging, a good equatorial mount costing over $3000 or so may be the only one you ever need.

Celestron CGX

$2999 at HighPoint

The CGX doesn’t really boast significantly more capability for astrophotography than mounts like the Sky-Watcher EQ6R, but it does have superb belt-driven worm gears and stepper motors, along with a USB port to bypass the hand controller for PC control.

Losmandy G11 Gemini II

Rank 2

4.9^_/5

The Losmandy G11 was one of the first high-quality German equatorial mounts offered for astrophotographers, and its design has changed little since its debut, including the Gemini II GoTo system, which is beginning to show its age. The G11 offers both a modular design—easily upgraded to a heavier-duty G11GT or shrunken into a GM811G—and high-quality mechanics and tracking abilities. It can carry payloads of around 35 lbs for imaging or up to 60 lbs for visual use, enough to hold a 14” Schmidt-Cassegrain in the case of the latter.

Losmandy GM811G

Rank 3

4.9_^/5

The GM811G is a hybrid between the G11 and GM-8, with the G11’s right ascension axis attached to a GM8 tripod and declination shaft. You can purchase it as is or upgrade your GM8 to one. The GM811G is a lot more portable and substantially cheaper than the G11 and offers similar features to the Sky-Watcher EQ6R but with slightly better mechanics and tracking. However, the interface is a bit outdated, as with other Losmandy mounts.

Takahashi EM-11

Rank 4

4.4_^/5

An extremely expensive mount for its weight capacity, but with high-quality parts fitting the Takahashi name, the EM-11 is an old-school equatorial mount that’s excellent for visual or imaging use, though not nearly as hefty as other mounts offered at such a high price.

iOptron CEM70

Rank 5

4.3_^/5

The iOptron CEM70 has many of the same features—and confusion—as other iOptron mounts and is best for the experienced or technically inclined imagers out there. It has conveniences such as built-in USB ports, and its center-balanced design aids portability, but it’s not as capable or as consistent in quality as simpler and more robust mounts such as those from Losmandy and Sky-Watcher.

Vixen SPHINX SXD2

Rank 6

4.2_^/5

The Vixen SPHINX SXD2 offers a capacity of around 20 lbs for imaging and 35 lbs for visual use and is high-quality in construction with excellent tracking and guiding. However, it fares poorly in user interface and value for the money, as with other Vixen mounts.

$4,000-$5,000 EQ Mounts

Mounts in this price range offer high-quality parts and heavy payload capacity, though some are pushing the limits of what can be called portable. All three of our top picks in this category are amazing mounts with different specializations that some users may prefer.

Sky-Watcher CQ350 Pro

$4695 at HighPoint

The Sky-Watcher CQ350 Pro offers plenty of payload capacity but remains fairly portable, with easy operation via the provided hand controller, with an aftermarket WiFi dongle, or via software on your PC, which can easily plug into the CQ350’s USB ports.

Losmandy G11GT

Rank 2

4.9^_/5

The G11GT combines the G11’s declination axis with the heavier-duty right ascension drive and tripod of the HGM Titan mount. It is a huge mount with plenty of payload capacity, though it’s not the most portable option.

Rainbow Astro RST135

Rank 3

4.9_^/5

The Rainbow Astro RST135 is an excellent harmonic drive mount, offering high payload capacity in a lighter and more portable package than many other mounts of similar weight class.

Explore Scientific Losmandy G-11 PMC-8

Rank 4

4.8_^/5

The PMC-8 system from Explore Scientific simplifies interfacing with it using your smartphone/tablet or PC and cables, as well as offering a few other perks to improve tracking and guiding quality.

Celestron CGX-L

Rank 5

4.6_^/5

A beefed-up CGX mount with myriad mechanical improvements, the CGX-L is an excellent mount for imaging with heavy telescopes, though it’s not exactly portable.

Takahashi EM-11

Rank 6

4.4_^/5

$5,000+ EQ Mounts

Most mounts above $5000 USD or so are specialty premium products, and even if they are technically advertised as “portable” and have piers or tripods that can be broken down, you probably should be looking at a permanent observatory setup for many of the heavy-duty ones of this size.

Software Bisque Paramount MYT: 5/5
Losmandy HGM Titan w/ Gemini 2 GoTo: 4.9/5
Sky-Watcher EQ8-R Pro: 4.8/5
iOptron CEM120: 4.7/5
Takahashi EM-200: 4.7/5