This event required a full day of travel by plane, from Ontario, Canada to Amarillo, Texas (with a layover in Dallas). I fully realized the magic of the ZWO AM5 when packing up for the Okie-Tex Star Party. With several deep-sky astrophotography kits at my disposal in the astro-garage, I find myself reaching for the AM5 most often.Īlthough the majority of my deep-sky astrophotography sessions take place at home in the backyard, I like to travel to darker skies during the new moon phase in the warmer months. The ZWO AM5 is an incredible option for small to medium-sized astrophotography setups. I have been using this astrophotography mount for 8 months now, and I am ready to share my honest opinions about it.įor a complete overview of all of the gear I use to photograph the night sky (and what everything does), be sure to check out my astrophotography equipment guide. I began testing the ZWO AM5 harmonic drive mount in July 2022, just as Ashley, Rudy and I moved into our new house. There was zero obligation to provide a positive review, nor was I compensated in any way. The team at ZWO kindly lent me a demo copy of the AM5 mount around the same time they started shipping in the USA. From hot and sticky July nights to frosty January nights with temperatures well below freezing. In this article, I’ll show you how well the ZWO AM5 harmonic drive mount has performed for me in all weather situations, from the backyard and beyond. Up to 44 lbs payload (with counterweight).No Counterweight (for loads up to 28 lbs).ZWO AM5 Harmonic Drive Mount ($1,999 at Agena Astro) Key Features The small size and overall convenience of the ZWO AM5 have changed the way I approach the art of astrophotography. It’s about how everything seems to get a little easier once you start using it. So why is everyone excited about a new technology that doesn’t improve the primary function of the device? My first question was, does it actually track better than my existing astrophotography mounts? And to my surprise, the answer was no. In fact, it is not much heavier than a portable star tracker, yet it can handle the job of a much more robust equatorial mount. The AM5 is a strain wave gear (harmonic drive) telescope mount that was specifically designed to be compact, portable, and lightweight. I thought they were a clever idea, but definitely not something I would consider to be a ‘must-have’.Īfter all, the traditional equatorial telescope mounts I use for astrophotography have been helping me collect incredible deep-sky images from my backyard for over a decade, why change now? Well, this one is a bit different. I have casually observed a number of harmonic drive telescope mounts appear in the astrophotography market over the past 5 years. Yes, it perfectly matches the color of my existing ZWO cameras (and ASIAIR Plus), but do I really need a tracking telescope mount that doesn’t require a counterweight? The ZWO AM5 is the astrophotography mount I didn’t think I needed.
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