The Sky-Watcher AZ4 (the Rock) mount is a true rock-star. It performs like a champ dampening vibrations so they don't compromise your viewing. It will hold steady in a modest breeze and won't "shake, rattle and roll" at the slightest touch like less capable mounts. The AZ4 manual mount is servable for small aperture telescopes up to 6", spotting scopes, cameras, video cameras. 

The AZ4-LJ1 Mount is perfect for serious and casual observing. While the observing experience starts with consideration of an appropriate optical system, the telescope's optical mounting platform comes in a close second in importance. The telescope's mount can make, or break the perceived quality of the viewing experience, regardless of the optical system chosen for use. The superbly designed Sky-Watcher AZ4 mount is remarkably portable with heavy-duty, yet relatively lightweight construction - a veritable paragon of stability - perfect for demanding terrestrial and astronomical applications. 

A mount's stability and ease-of-operation during the process of viewing stationary terrestrial or moving sky objects can make the experience a consistently enjoyable pastime, or render it perhaps momentarily brilliant, but generally frustrating as images appear to dance around uncontrollably in the eyepiece in a breeze, or at the slightest touch. Mechanical stability and fluid tracking are the keys to mount quality. The high-performance Sky-Watcher AZ4 mount excels admirably in both these important attributes. 

The Sky-Watcher AZ4 pan-handle mechanical tracking motions about both axes glide on large thrust-bearing surfaces lubricated by industrial-standard Teflon bearings producing smooth, fluid motion. Control knobs adjust the mount of drag (stricture) to ensure ease of movement without loss of precision. The mount and tripod head are constructed of rigid, cast aluminum. The AZ4's altazimuth design also adds to the mount's stability as the center of gravity is directly over the tripod.