Pictures taken by McGill customer Mr.Low in Singapore with his S50, who is new to stargazing:

Optional items are available as below:

1)  2″ Threaded Lens Hood+Dust Covers+Mask : The Lens Hood offers protection from street lights in your area and can improve the contrast to give better quality images. It also prevents or slows down dew formation on the lens surface of the S50. This excellent quality hood allows a 2″ filter to be screwed near the bottom and is compatible with the supplied McGill S50 Bahtinov Mask for fast and precise focusing of stars! The S50 Dust Cover is made from high quality Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) in white and prevents unwanted dust and small insects from entering the lens surface when the S50 is not in use. It is resistant to abrasion and temperature changes. The S50 does NOT come with any dust cap or cover. THREE USB port dust covers are included! Prevents the USB Type-C connection on the S50 and USB cable from oxidizing and ensures a clean, dust-free connection when required.

2)  Dry Box : This is a high quality and affordable air-tight storage box which protects the S50 from high humidity levels, especially in Singapore and the tropics. Failure to control humidity and moisture over time will cause fungus/mould to develop on glass surfaces and sensor inside the S50, thereby damaging the product and shortening its lifespan. Our dry box comes with an useful rechargeable dehumidifier and have ample space to store other sensitive equipment such as a small camera or some lenses. The colour is either blue or grey, to be sent by random. 24-litre capacity. Always store the S50 in this dry box when not in use. The original case is not air-tight! Bonus: FREE electronic hygrometer to confirm humidity levels for peace of mind!

3)  Tripod Level Mk II : The S50 may prompt the user to perform levelling to ensure the telescope is able to function properly. With the help of this item which is to be connected to the base of S50, proper levelling can be done quickly and easily. The Mk II version is compatible with both 1/4″- and 3/8″-threaded tripods.

4)  Bahtinov Mask : High accuracy, high quality focusing mask which ensures that the S50 is always at correct focus! 3D-printed from premium grade resin. Attaches to the Lens Hood only, cannot fit directly to S50. Makes focusing of stars fast and easy when used in conjunction with the manual focus function in the Seestar mobile app. After finding out the optimal focusing position for your shooting, you can set that position as the default position on the app. Note: Do not store inside a car or hot area as it may deform at more than 65°C.

5)  Quick Release Kit : Consists of a quick release plate mated to a companion base. Allows the Seestar S50 to be deployed rapidly on site. You no longer need to screw the tripod to the S50 slowly and carefully in the dark! The quick release plate is installed to the underside of the S50 while the base can be permanently installed on the tripod or tripod level. NOTE: Normal Arca Swiss quick release plates are not compatible with the S50 as these only have 1/4″ screws, NOT the 3/8″ bigger screw required for S50. It is also not ideal to get a 3/8″-1/4″ thread reducer as it will not flush properly with the underside of the S50. Our system seems to be the best design so far!

You will hear a click sound when the plate is properly connected to the mount. It is safe and fast! Detaches easily by pressing the button and pushing the plate out. The trade-off is the original hard case needs to be modified to fit the extra plate. Or you may get our compact and lightweight camera backpack for S50/tripod instead, which also offers hands-free transportation and allows storage of the lens hood, dust cover and other accessories. Click on image below to see this in action:

6)  Mini Camera Backpack : Ultra compact camera bagpack for the S50 at an affordable price! Hands-free carry. For the minimalist who wants to carry as little as possible. Though tiny, this cute bag stores the S50, optional lens hood and filters as well as the tripod at the external side sleeve with no issues! Comes with unbranded YKK zippers for the main compartment for safe and secure carry.

7)  Padded Pouch : This well-padded pouch with 12mm thickness (fully compressed) allows you to carry the S50 in place of the supplied hard carrying case which can be pretty heavy. Popular for users who prefer to travel light and with comfort. Just insert the pouch into any medium size and well-padded backpack, which should preferably have a side pocket sleeve to store the small S50 tripod.  

8)  EQ Mode Kit : This kit allows you to use the Seestar S50 in any part of the world, from the Equator to the North Pole! It is compact and does not occupy too much space and weight in your luggage! Built from premium quality parts, it has tight tolerances and great workmanship, with no backlash or wriggles as evident in cheap wedges. The S50 EQ Mode Kit consists of 3 parts: 1) EQ Wedge with Clamp, 2) L-Bracket and 3) Quick Release Kit.

Competitive advantages of our S50 EQ Mode Kit:

• Can be used at any latitude
• Perfectly stable even at Equator setting in which the Seestar is positioned parallel to ground level (as seen above without any tripod attached)
• Low centre of gravity (c.g.)
• Very low chance of unit tilting, though it is always a good practice to have one of the tripod legs aligned to the North
• Super fast & safe installation with the Quick Release Kit

Please note there should be a clear distance or clearance of 25mm between the Seestar S50 and the base of the L-Bracket.