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Two widths, no compromise, and one saddle to satisfy

The best dovetail bars for 2026

A dovetail bar is the standard joint between a telescope and a mount, and although it looks like a simple strip of metal, it is where two incompatible standards meet. The narrow Vixen-style profile is what almost every small and medium telescope uses; the wider Losmandy-style profile carries heavier tubes with far less flex. A saddle made for one will not hold the other, and the dual saddles that accept both are the reason many buyers never notice the distinction until they change mounts. Deciding which is on the mount comes before deciding anything else on this shelf. After the profile, length and hole spacing govern the purchase. A longer bar allows the tube to be slid further for balance, which matters when a camera is added and the centre of gravity moves back, and the holes have to line up with the threaded points on the tube rings or the tube itself — spacings differ between makers and a bar with a long slot is more adaptable than one with two fixed holes. Stiffness is the specification nobody prints: a thin bar under a long tube flexes enough to show up as differential movement during a guided exposure, and thickness is the cure. Read whether safety stops are fitted at the ends, because a tube that slides out of a saddle when the clamp is loosened falls onto the tripod. Threaded accessory holes on the upper face are useful for a guide scope. We compare profile, length, hole spacing and slots, material and thickness, safety stops and accessory holes.

The parts here, column by column

  1. NEEWER 230 mm Vixen style dovetail plate

    NEEWER QR003 230 mm Vixen dovetail plate

    A 230 mm Vixen-profile dovetail plate with two long slots, twenty 1/4 in holes, scale markings on both sides and non-slip rubber pads.

    Profile
    Vixen-style dovetail, compatible with any standard Vixen saddle
    Length
    230 mm, from the product name
    Hole spacing
    Three 3/8 in holes per slot, at 35 mm spacing · Twenty 1/4 in holes at 20 mm spacing, either side of the slots
    Slots
    Two countersunk slots of 87.6 mm, 6.4 mm wide, taking M6 and 1/4 in screws
    Material
    Not published by the maker.
    Thickness
    Not published by the maker.
    Safety stops
    Four safety screws underneath; the maker states two must be removed to use a Vixen saddle
    Accessory holes
    Not published by the maker.
    Amazon reference
    B0BR57MDC6 (same reference on 6 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    0191073120853
    • The most thoroughly dimensioned dovetail on this shelf, down to hole spacings
    • Scale markings mean a balance position can be written down and repeated
    • Two of the four safety screws have to be removed for a Vixen saddle, which is easy to forget

    Best for: Mounting a camera, a guide scope or a second instrument with repeatable positioning

    ≈ $36 / £22 / €30
    Check price on Amazon
  2. Omegon 120 mm dovetail bar

    Omegon Dovetail bar 120 mm (56471)

    A short 120 mm dovetail bar with a flat top and a long slot, supplied with a 1/4 in hex-head screw.

    Profile
    Not stated as Vixen or otherwise
    Length
    120 mm, from the product name
    Hole spacing
    Not published by the maker.
    Slots
    Flat, with a long slot
    Material
    Neither is published
    Thickness
    Not published by the maker.
    Safety stops
    Not published by the maker.
    Accessory holes
    Not published by the maker.
    Amazon reference
    B07B3N5NLJ (same reference on 6 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    4049467564713
    • A long slot is more adaptable than fixed holes
    • The mounting screw is supplied, which is one less thing to source
    • The dovetail profile is not named, and profiles are not interchangeable

    Best for: A small tube or a guide scope that needs a short, simple bar

    ≈ €29
    Check price on Amazon
  3. SG Store 90 mm finder dovetail base in black aluminium

    SG Store 90 mm finder guide base

    A 90 mm black anodised aluminium dovetail base for finders and guide scopes, published with all five of its mounting holes.

    Profile
    Not named as Vixen or otherwise
    Length
    90 mm, from the product name
    Hole spacing
    Two M8 and one 1/4 in, as the maker publishes them · Two of 7 mm
    Slots
    Not published by the maker.
    Material
    Black anodised aluminium alloy
    Thickness
    Not published by the maker.
    Safety stops
    Not published by the maker.
    Accessory holes
    Not published by the maker.
    Amazon reference
    B0FD3CPRWL (same reference on 6 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    4895253946818
    • Every mounting hole is specified by thread and diameter
    • Both M8 and 1/4 in threads, which covers photographic and astronomical fittings
    • The dovetail profile is not named

    Best for: Adding a finder or a small guide scope to a tube that has the holes for it

    ≈ €14
    Check price on Amazon
  4. Wisyurt 48 mm dovetail plate for a finder base

    Wisyurt 48 mm dovetail plate

    A short 48 mm metal dovetail plate for extending a telescope finder base to carry a smartphone mount or another accessory.

    Profile
    Not named
    Length
    48 mm (1.89 in), from the product name · Two bullets
    Hole spacing
    Not specified
    Slots
    Not published by the maker.
    Material
    Metal, not further specified
    Thickness
    Not published by the maker.
    Safety stops
    Not published by the maker.
    Accessory holes
    Extends the finder base to carry another accessory
    Amazon reference
    B0G6LHJQP6 (same reference on 5 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    4894962836304
    • Very small and light, so it adds little to the top of a tube
    • Extends an existing base rather than requiring a new one
    • Neither the profile nor the hole pattern is specified

    Best for: Adding a second small accessory where a finder shoe already exists

    ≈ €9
    Check price on Amazon
  5. Kquepo black dovetail plate and spacer for a finder base

    Kquepo Dovetail plate and spacer

    A metal dovetail plate and spacer for a telescope finder base, with no dimensions, profile or thread specification published.

    Profile
    Not named
    Length
    The listing gives none
    Hole spacing
    Not specified
    Slots
    Not published by the maker.
    Material
    Metal, not further specified
    Thickness
    Not published by the maker.
    Safety stops
    Not published by the maker.
    Accessory holes
    Extends a telescope finder base
    Amazon reference
    B0D1BZ1JXY (same reference on 5 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    4894950974551
    • Very inexpensive
    • The same useful function as its better-described neighbour: a second mounting position
    • Not a single dimension anywhere in the listing

    Best for: Nobody who has not first measured what they need

    ≈ €8
    Check price on Amazon
  6. Hopbucan red anodised multifunction dovetail plate

    Hopbucan Multifunction dovetail plate (B)

    A red-anodised dovetail plate for astronomical telescopes whose five bullet points are template placeholders.

    Profile
    Not named
    Length
    The listing gives none
    Hole spacing
    Not specified
    Slots
    Not published by the maker.
    Material
    Red, from the title · Not stated
    Thickness
    Not published by the maker.
    Safety stops
    Not published by the maker.
    Accessory holes
    Dovetail plate for an astronomical telescope
    Amazon reference
    B0CXXLWJRD (same reference on 6 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    4894950934371
    • The title describes a wide plate with a narrow track, which is a real configuration
    • Red anodising makes it findable on dark grass
    • The bullet list is unedited template text

    Best for: Nobody, on the information published

    ≈ £32 / €25
    Check price on Amazon
  7. Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer ball head adapter in green

    Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer ball head adapter (S20550)

    A green ball head adapter for the Star Adventurer, listed with two different post lengths both labelled 3/8 inch.

    Profile
    Not published by the maker.
    Length
    Not published by the maker.
    Hole spacing
    Not published by the maker.
    Slots
    Not published by the maker.
    Material
    Neither is published
    Thickness
    The listing gives “0.95 cm (3/8 in)” in one bullet and “1.9 cm (3/8 in)” in another; both are reproduced
    Safety stops
    Not published by the maker.
    Accessory holes
    Attaches a ball head to the Star Adventurer
    Amazon reference
    B00YWPCNJU (same reference on 6 Amazon marketplaces)
    EAN
    0050234205504
    • The part that makes a photographic ball head usable on a tracker
    • Made by the manufacturer of the mount
    • Two different post lengths are given for the same fitting

    Best for: Putting a photographic ball head on a Star Adventurer

    ≈ $18 / £22
    Check price on Amazon

Any figure written into the body of this page was true on the day it was written. The amount shown next to each instrument is requested from the retailer as the page loads, and it is that amount, not the text, that stands.