I had the dial version. Love it. Unfortunately, it had a failure in the dial. They were great about replacing it in a timely manner. The new version with buttons rather than the dial looks like it will solve the rare failure of the dial. Great customer service and quick shipping.
I bought the button version and when you first turn it on or after you move the camera and reframe, shifting the load, the tracker seems to consistently take about 5 minutes for the gears to fully engage or re-engage and start tracking properly. Taking 1 minute shots during this time I see each shot get progressively better with less trailing until about the fifth shot. However, some of the trailing you are seeing with the 85mm is north-south in declination not east-west and that’s from inaccurate polar alignment not poor tracking. That drift will be worse with longer focal lengths. Thanks for the review!
I've discovered the fix for the gear lash after setup. Hold down the button which cycles through the movements (stars, 1/2 stars, and MSM increments). That runs the motor and takes up the slack in the gears. It's in the current (2021) manual too, though I overlooked it until I accidentally discovered it.
I've been using the Skywatcher Adventurer Pro 2i and it's OK. I always dread aligning Polaris through that Polar Scope. Allows me to shoot 30 second plus Milky Way shots. As well as using my 150-600mm for Nebulas and Galazies. Just purchased the Move Shoot Move Tracker as well and am looking forward to getting that. Fast Polar alignment and can still use up to 200mm lens as well.
@@Milkywaymike HI Mike... In a big time moon phase right now plus clouds galore. Should have this by end of the month when the moon is not a problem. Will send you details on how this worked out with the longer focal lengths. Stay safe and clear skies.....
If your star trailing issue is intermittent then keep checking your polar alignment. I need to keep on top of it with my star adventurer . Have readjust after placing camera on and targeting object . It’s more critical the higher you go in focal length . When I use my nifty fifty f1.8 I don’t have to be spit on but if I go to a 200 or up zoom I need to be as precise as possible
thos759 thanks for the advice! Unfortunately the unit legit was not moving. It doesn’t happen all the time, just intermittently. Other people ran into the same issue as well.
Thanks for the review. I own some of the bigger ones as well as ioptron and wanted something for mobility and milky way work. Might the issue you had with the 85mm simply be the problem of focal length. On the wide angle shots you are tracking 3-5 times longer than you can without a Star Tracker. But at 85 mm you’re asking it to track much much longer since noticable star trailing at 85mm begins in a few seconds. I think you were expecting it to somehow track similarly at every focal length, bypassing the rule of 500. But the realit is that tracking helps in factors. It doesn’t give every lens 2 minutes. It gives you a 3-5 times longer exposure than you would without tracking, depending on the accuracy of the polar alignment. Also the stars closest to the southern horizon experience the earth rotation more than those closer to the North Star. Since the Milky Way galactic core is in the south it’s most susceptible to trailing than the outliers.
You should read my post above. I have been able to track WAY longer than just the 500 rule times the 3-5 times you implied. It all comes down to having a SOLID tripod that is way more than you need and is weighted plus getting your alignment tits on. I have shot 3 minute plus exposures with a 55mm and other lens much longer at over a minute where the 500 rule said I only had 2 seconds before trailing. (like 200-300mm). But you have to do everything exactly right and be balanced very much like using a EQ mount for DSO and planetary shots.
Thanks for the info, I just ordered my MSM, and can't wait to go out to the desert east of San Diego, CA where there is hardly any light pollution at all. I'll be using a Nikon DF with some AF-D primes. Cheers!
Great, I’ve just ordered the v2 one, that should arrive to Italy hopefully before I leave for... Ireland vacations, on the 1st of August. Crossing finger to receive it in time and find some clear skies... I’ll spend a couple of weeks around all Ireland... Any Milky places to advise in Ireland... very welcome!! I’ll use an A7r3 with 16-35GM, and will try tele with 70-300G (plus RA filter). Thanks!
@@ThePleoni well, i found a toutorial on youtube on how to do this for a diffrent scope. But it basically works the same for our scope. Its a bit time consuming but well worth it. Best of luck
Even with the few issues I had with this tracker... nothing beats its size and weight at the moment! To find out more info about this tracker, click the link below: www.moveshootmove.com?aff=26 Also, give it a little bit of time for HD / 4k options to become available. Thanks!
Same here. It also sometime does not track properly. It has nothing to do with temp or humidity in my opinion, I've seen it at 20°C and low humidity. I think it has to do with balancing. A Canon 6D with a Sigma Art 50mm has around 1.7kg and if it is a bit out of center in balance I have the problems. Don't know if this is normal, but for me it is not really usable. I will check with their customer service, maybe my device has a problem.
Hi Mike, I wonder is your problem having it mounted to the bottom of the unit. The weight of your camera and lens is not even when tracking? I use the same tracker but mount it directly underneath and no issues. Plus my gear is lighter, as I use the Sony A73 with Zeiss 18mm, Sony 24mm, Zeiss 40mm and Sony 85mm 1.8 For the price and size, it's a handy little tracker but there does seem to be some build problems.
Yeah I might have to retry that instead... Although I think one comment said they ran into the same issue as me and that it most likely is a product defect. :(
Mine produces a clearly audible and not regular tic-tic sound. I opened the unit and found out the motor was not rotating at a regular rate. I contacted Sifo and sent a video of it, they said "it's normal" ??
Yeah that's not good...I think there is a QC problem that needs to be looked into. I'll be doing a review of the iOptron Pro (newer version) which is a good alternative for a compact tracker. It is double the thickness of MSM Sifo but the weight and quality control is better.
I'm interested in the newer button version since the dial has been a source of problems. The size and weight is offset somewhat since you need a head for alt-az adjustment. I'd go for a Star Watcher wedge base to gain its gear-driven adjustment. If you carry both the scope and the laser, that's yet another expansion of mass and bulk. The move-shoot-move operation option should be a big selling point for this tracker, but that feature doesn't work with Panasonic cameras, and the app that's supposed to be in development is still vapor. I have the same older iOptron as yours and it has an incredibly badly designed battery compartment. SIFO MSM is on Facebook, FYI.
Hi Mike, have you heard from anyone if the new one solves the tracking issue? I saw Alan Dyer's review and even with the newer one (Sept 2019?) he said it had tracking issues. Thanks!
I talked to a few other photographers on clubhouse and many of them said that they ran into similar issues with the MSM tracker (even the newer versions). A few have said they don’t have any issues... personally I think I would avoid the risk since it is coming drone China and getting a replacement could take months if you get a bad unit. The iOptron I use is almost as light and very comp especially if you don’t use the wedge to save space / weight. This is my go to travel star tracker that use amzn.to/3fxKt7r
Ajay Vangapaty thanks! The head I’m using is by hoage which I don’t believe you can get that exact one anymore. If you go on amazon search for monopod tilt head. Then I put a 360 degree plate underneath. Works well for Milky Way Panos!
I haven't used a star tracker yet so this is more a question than a comment. Looking at their website, they now offer the older knob version and a newer non-knob version. They say that the movement takes places between shots, not during. To me, that suggests that long shots will not have the benefit of the camera moving while the shutter is open, which would seem to make this device useful only for shorter shots. As far as having it move while the shutter is open, is it 1) necessary, 2) preferred, or 3) not suggested?
To capture long exposures of the milky way galaxy with out star trailing the device would have to rotate during your exposure. Which it does as I was taking 1 minute, 2 minute and even 3 minute exposures with this device. My issue was it wouldn't work sometimes when I went to take another photo. I'm not sure about the knob versions though, that would be a question for the manufacturer.
@@Milkywaymike Thanks for the quick reply! (Good video, BTW!) I may not have been clear in my question or may not understand fully how the device works. Their website says the following: "The mechanism for Time-lapse: It works by adjusting the angle of rotation, not the speed of rotation, with seven options: Star Tracking Mode; Time-lapse mode of 0.05, 0.075, 0.1 and 0.125 degrees per picture. Therefore, you control the camera's rotating based upon the angle selected, and the interval set on your timer (you need a separate timer/intervalometer, which is inexpensive). The longer the interval you set, the slower of the rotation. Once you are done taking a picture (which the rotator ‘knows’ through the hot-shoe cable), the rotator will turn the defined angle, which means that the camera is not turning while the picture is being taken." Are there a mode where the device is rotating the camera while the shutter is open, and another where the device is at rest while the shutter is open?
Nice catch, that it doesn't track during shots. If not, we've wasted a bunch of $$. But I am not clear as to how the unit could know when you're exposing and when you're not. Back to square one.
I use it in Denmark. Only once stopped tracking, and made long beep signal, maybe battery was dying or of humidity high level... secondly, i guess didn't tight up quick release plate on the button, so when it was tracking suddenly spined quickly to the side. It scared s#!t out of me :( so, only those 2 weird accidents happened, but nothing the less it works well so far. I am still learning to use it ;)
@@Milkywaymike G'day Mike, GyDRyUs ... Eric Benedetti mentioned in a seminar that the rule of thumb for star trackers is the camera and lens should be around 50% of the payload of the unit. I ordered my button version recently and in reading the 'instructions..' they mention that if you put too much load on the unit it will stop tracking. It could just be the unit struggling with the off-centre weight of the 85mm? I'll be using a Pentax K1 w DFA15-30/f2.8 on mine which isn't light so I'll probably try it with a nodal rail to help balance the load on the motor. Cheers .. Steev S
I have one of these for sale if you're in the UK. Used once. It's a great piece of kit.. I just don't have the patience to properly use it. Have decided to use stacking instead...
MIke oh a question I had for you, have you been able to successfully take a multirow pano with some stacked frames from each of the panels of each row? Maybe I am wording this wrong but just trying to envision how one would be able to take a pano of the night sky with this, multi row or single and I guess as far as that goes single frame or multi frame. Thanks alot for the video! Cheers
Yes, I've done panoramas while using the tracker but they are kinda tricky and don't always stitch together easily. You really need to give yourself a bunch of overlap when attempting to do them.
I think my next review will be of the new version iOptron Pro. It turns out you don't need to use the wedge base that comes with it but instead just attach it to your ball head or pan & tilt head just like you would with the Move Shoot Move Tracker. It is about he same height and width as MSM Tracker but it is about double the thickness with a plastic body so it cuts down weight. The other options are Star Adventurer Mini which I think is still pretty heavy compared to the competition. Vixen Polarie which is compact and light but $400 bucks so its 100 - 150 dollars more expensive. SLIK Star Tracker which looks pretty compact but I don't see many reviews out there for it and I think you just look through a hole for alignment. I don't think their is a polar scope option...
Milky Way Mike I had good luck mounting a finder scope on my camera hot shoe. If you level everything before you align you can achieve a good alignment. There are hot shoe finder scope adapters available. I first played with that on a barn door tracker. The Genie is awesome but yeah it lacks on alignment tools.
Hi mike. How do you like this ? Would you prefer this or one of the more well known ones like star adventurer? Also how would I mount this on my manfrotto tripod - Befree GT Carbon fibre Tripod twist lock, ball head - MKBFRTC4GT-BH | Manfrotto AU
Depends on what you plan on using it for. A tracker like Move Shoot Move is good for 85mm and wider star tracking. You can't load it up with a ton of weight so deep space star tracking with heavy telephoto lenses runs the risk of breaking the motor. If you want to do deep space and wide angle milky way galaxy tracking then you would want a Sky Watcher Star Adventurer or an iOptron SkyGuider Pro. If you just want to do wide angle up to around 85mm then Move Shoot Move or iOptron Sky Tracker. They are both similar in size and weight if you remove the wedge from the iOptron. I personally use the iOptron since I had issues with the Move Shoot Move unit. I was told that they fixed the issues with a newer version of the Move Shoot Move tracker. You can throw a counter weight on the iOptron but technically you still shouldn't overload it with a telephoto lens for deep space but I seen it done before.
I still waiting my tracker and hopefully I won’t have that tracking issue, but I think there is might be an issue with the tracking speed. The idea is the earth might be rotating faster than the tracker or opposite creating start railing. The tracker doesn’t keep up or the earth:) your thoughts?
I'm not entirely sure because others have left comments saying their tracker works fine without issues. I might have just gotten a defective unit. I plan on testing some other trackers as well soon. Let me know if you have any issues with your when you go to use it. I might see if they exchange a new one for me... it just sucks with the overseas shipping times.
@@Milkywaymike If you take time to watch how our delicate instruments are handled by the postal services... It's from China too. Buy three and one works.
You think this would work with my sony a7r3, metabones and 16-35 2.8 v3? Also if you were to do it again would you buy this one again? I have held off on buying a tracker because of the size. This looks pretty cool
Yeah, that lens and camera shouldn't be a problem for this tracker. From what others have told me, my unit may be defective or I may have to try and mount it from the back of the tracker instead of the bottom which might be causing the problem. Most people in the comments are saying they don't have that problem at all (except 1 other person who had the same issue as me and 1 person who said their unit was dead on arrival). So I think I will run some tests mounting it from the back before contacting customer service. As far as me buying it again, it's a toss up... I really want to test out iOptron Pro which I found out you don't need to use the wedge base. You can use it just like MoveShootMove and mount it to your tripod ball head or pan/tilt head which helps save weight and reduce it's size. The iOptron Pro is the same height x width but it is double the thickness compared to the MSM. However it is around the same weight and has better quality control. Another tracker I might buy for reviewing is the SLIK tracker. Again this looks to be about the same H x W but double the thickness as well. I've only seen one video review and it doesn't look like they have a scope attachment. I think if they make a clip on scope attachment like MSM then it would be better. So the next review will be for iOptron Pro and then maybe SLIK. Sorry for the long answer and if I made it more confusing for you. I do plan on testing the iOptron Pro this weekend on a california trip and re-testing the MSM with a different mounting placement. The review probably won't be out until June 9th or June 15th though.
Milky Way Mike I appreciate the long answer! I really like the size of these. I might actually use it if I can carry it in my bag. My buddy bought one and it’s huge. So unless we can drive right up to where we are shooting it’s a pain to lug around. Does the ioptron Pro have a scope? It looks like that’s important to get the very best results.
Appreciate the review, Mike. Do you think the tamron 15-30 or 24-70 would be appropriate? I know the focal lengths are wide enough as you mentioned, but they're fairly heavy.
I used the 15-30 on it and it works. Some people told me it was my tracker that was defective and not a weight or weather issue. I plan on reaching out to them tomorrow and seeing if they can exchange the tracker for me.
There was someone who did a video using the MSM tracker with a 300 or 400mm and shot the Andromeda Galaxy. Type in the following for the video "Tracking ANDROMEDA Galaxy With The MOVE-SHOOT-MOVE Star tracker". I plan on using it with my 70-200 f/2.8 or 24-120mm lenses.
I don't see a moon setting so I would not recommend it for that. You might want to check out iOptron Pro which does have a moon setting and I just found out you don't need to use the every wedge base if you don't want to. This cuts the weight down.
@@Milkywaymike I just got excited with solar eclipse concept (coming in 2024) just not sure about sky referral point. Probably would be good idea to check with MSM. Moon surely not since it has its own orbital movement. Unless I'm totally wrong on that again. Yet - watching this:- th-cam.com/video/buXTecdfqxo/w-d-xo.html - really inspires.THX! :)
I haven't use the Vixen tracker, although it looks very similar to my older iOptron as far as the design goes. While I love the weight and size of the MSM SIFO tracker I would have to recommend the Vixen over it because of quality control. Myself and a few other photographers I talked to said they had similar issues in which the tracker worked intermittently (sometimes it tracked and sometimes it didn't move at all). Since it is shipped from china it took about 4 weeks to get to the USA and if you have issues you have to ship it all the way back to china so it could take another couple months to get a replacement. At least Vixen Polarie or iOptron are sold by big named camera stores like B&H Photo/video so it's easier to return if you have any problems. I'd rather have a little extra weight and lose a little bit of space for a star tracker that is more reliable. Hope that helps your decision!
Yeah Pan and Tilt is the way to go I agree!! Bummer to hear not always tracking. I was stoked on the MSM, ordered up (for the same light, small portable reasons), unfortunately mine arrived DOA...customer service not only being in CHINA, was/is challenged at best....msm wanted to replaced with new button version, I opted out for refund- which I still haven't received yet 25 days later:( as they won't refund until receiving DOA unit)...so who knows...So I went with the SAM, and it actually works!
Yeah I might have to reach out to them and see what they can do for me. I really want to see how well the SLIK star tracker works but their are not many reviews for it. I also think the new version iOptron can work well / be a lot lighter then the older version if you take away the base wedge.... I might test that next.
ive had my bt version for almost two months but only got to test it last night. i need more tests, but with my olympus micro four thirds camera and lenses, noticed significant trailing at 160 secs on my 12mm zoom (24 mm ff equiv). however, it was barely noticable at 122 secs. this was with a very rough polar align. is this normal? or is this a sign of what you described in the video? ill try to do more tests tonight if weather cooperates.
It may be a similar issue as mine... I recommend doing another test after getting a goo polar alignment. And contacting the company if it turns out to be an issue.
Yeah it was a recurring issue but I talked to some people who said that I have an older version. Apparently the newer version doesn’t have that problem.
Hello Mike sorry if I bug you so much. But did you ever find out why your move shoot move. Tracked sometimes and not others. I’m having the same issue getting about 40% tracked.
Unfortunately I did not... some users say their MSM trackers work fine so I have to assume it is a factory defect. If you are having that issue I recommend reaching out to MSM and asking for a replacement unit.
No, I want to try it though! I am going to review the newer iOptron soon and hopefully I can get my hands on the SLIK in the near future. From what I can tell, the SLIK looks like it doesn't come with a scope or laser mount which would make it harder to use with mid telephoto focal lengths. But I need to find out if that is the case.
Milky Way Mike yeah, doesn't seem to have a fine alignment way, only peep hole Polaris. I've been looking for something portable that can hold a small 100-400 (newer sigma/Tamron). Alternatively, had seen an interesting mount, not meant for photography but might work. Skywatchers AZ-GTi with a wedge can be an equitorial go-to. I wonder how that would compare. It can multi-star align (I'm assuming that would be even more accurate). Any thoughts?
Hello Mike, Thanks for the review. I have received my dial version of the rotator and still trying to wrap my head around using it. I have an issue with this device which I am hoping you may have a solution. I want to take tracked and stacked images of the milkyway. After I take a first tracked image, how would you come back to the home position to take the second image. The rotation base is powered (that is it moves only under power and in one direction only). In my view doing this alignment by moving the ballhead by guesswork would lead to huge alignment issues when stacking your tracked images. Any thoughts ?
Hey sandeep, to track and then stack the images you don't readjust your cameras position. You just take the photo consecutively (1 right after the other). So for example, if I take a 2 minute tracked exposure using a release trigger, I take another exposure right after the first exposure and keep going until I reached the number of photos that I desired. Typically I take 4 - 8 tracked shots at different exposure times 30secs up to 2 or 3 minutes). Then I bring them into stacking and tracking software like Starry Landscape Stacker... or if you have a PC their are a few options you can use to stack. You do not need to reposition your camera after ever exposure and it would be very hard to get the position perfectly to stack that way.
Thank you for your video! Appreciate your thoughts about using device in the field. May I ask why you do not consider the Vixen Polarie Star Tracker as an option of light weight device for you? It is almost the same weight and size and japanese QC. And thank you all of community here for sharing your experience!
I've checked out the Vixen in the past and I have nothing against it. The only downside with Vixen is they haven't lowered their prices to compete. A lot of star trackers in that similar size range are around $200-$300. Vixen polarie is still priced at $399 while star adventurer min is $225, ioptron $299, MSM SIFO - $199. And the competitors started doing rechargeable batteries in the units which is a nice feature which I don't think Vixen has updated theirs to do that yet.
@@Milkywaymike You can always use rechargeable batteries and just recently the price on the Vixen has dropped to $299. I have a friend who has one, the feel of it is like a brick shit house. Solid as a rock build and it also has an optional counter weight assembly to boost the overall weight capacity to 14 pounds instead of 7. I actually dont think at that level it is a fair comparison as the capacity is more than double and yea the price, well yea its gonna be about that as well. There is alot of other options they sell for it and they are all pricey but you get what you pay for usually eh? I did use his one night for a test and I let it roll with the moon for over an hour, not one exposure of course but I couldn't believe that it tracked with the moon so so so close to where I started it that I couldn't actually remember the tiny amount of difference that it had moved off the crosshairs. Oh another penalty you pay for with the Vixen is the weight. It comes in around 800 grams if I remember correctly, so your looking at pushing close to double the weight. My guess it that part of that is just the heavy duty build quality they put into it. I am on the fence on this one as I do want to be able to put my 70-200mm on it as I did have a Sky Guider for a little while and it handled that and even my 100-400mm just fine. I was able to get 15--30" exposures at 400mm! But I certainly would not count on being able to do that routinely though. I achieved this only by screwing around over and over trying to get the damn ALT/AZ base just right in order to get lucky. Trying to get the damn thing polar aligned is a pain, especially with a camera+tele lens mounted on the tracker and if you take it off then you will most likely move the tracker out of alignment whilst getting your camera and ballhead back on. The head itself seems well built enough for Chinese work.......,(but not Japanese Quality) but the Dec bracket/counter balance weight assembly and the Alt/Az base mount was a complete joke. If you get that tracker, go ahead and figure replacing the head with something real like a nice pan/tilt head and then figuring out something else for the dec/counter weight bracket. If those two things were fixed, then that would be the choice for me for a Alt/Az tracker that can handle at least a small tele lens. It is a shame that they couldn't see fit to build a decent base and CW bracket to fit with it. Oh well, just my two cents worth.
Hey Mike. love your videos . I have a questions. I love take Vertical Images at the night sky. But with the Sifo tracker i get star trails if the camera is Vertical , when i use the tracker. Do you have a solution for that. ? I have done the setup like you in the video
When shooting horizontal the stars are sharp but when you put in in portrait orientation they star trail? Thats really odd, because once you are polar aligned you should be able to angle your lens and camera in any direction and get sharp stars. The things that cause star trails when using a tracker are: 1) The tripod is not level correctly 2) The ballheads are not tight enough so the weight of the camera and / or star tracker are slowly moving out of place 3) Star tracker is having issue with the weight of the camera and lens so the motor is not turning properly. 4) Polar alignment is slightly out of alignment or was knocked out of alignment when you put the camera on.
Blood is thicker than water th-cam.com/video/FZwoD6xk6L0/w-d-xo.html tge tracker is pretty good but I do get concerns with quality control since my device had some issues. I’d recommend an iOptron which is much more reputable th-cam.com/video/FZwoD6xk6L0/w-d-xo.html The weight of the P1000 should be fine for the iOptron
shaun stapleton The tracked image produces better results compared to stacking. Sharper, cleaner and longer exposures which help with post processing. Also you can stack your tracked Milky Way shots which makes them even better
Great timing 🙄 I bought a Star Adventurer Mini, a month ago. This thing, with the wedge, weighs a "ton". That's fine for "drive up" MW shots. But I'm not hiking with it. 😒
Hey Scott, I just found out you can put a mounting plate on the new iOptron Pro so you don't have to use their heavy base / wedge if you don't want to which cuts the weight and size. It is double the thickness of the Move Shoot Move but it might be a good alternative to look at.
Honestly, your video was a BIG help. The MSM laser and mounting attachment got me thinking about how to get rid of the base/wedge. I went to the MSM website and found they sell the laser and mount separately ($29). It appears that I'll be able to attach their laser to the Star Adventurer Mini. With this set-up, I think I can lose a pound or two of ugly fat 😀. I bought their laser. In a few weeks we'll see how well this works
This actually is not the most portable tracker to date. The Nano Tracker is lighter and smaller. But it is not the most portable either. The most portable tracker is the Astrotracer feature built in to Pentax K-3II and K-1 DSLRs. It's just software. The next most portable would be the Pentax O-GPS1 accessory that gives Astrotracer to any Pentax DSLR since 2011. That accessory is much smaller and lighter than any external tracker. Okay, Astrotracer only works with certain cameras but it really does track and it even works with telephoto lenses.
How do you use a laser pointer to aim at the North Star? A laser beam isn't even visible, unless it's foggy, and it's not like the green dot will show up on the sky....
Yes, the laser beams are visible. This isn't those cheap red laser pens you played around with as a kid or a teacher used in a classroom .. The visibility (and in some cases invisibility) of a laser is dependent on it's power rating and wave length. www.lasersafetyfacts.com/laserclasses.html If you don't know about a topic I suggest using google first before make ignorant statements. Cheers
Considering the fact you need a pan and tilt wedge/ ball head to point it at polaris you technically have to add that in to the kit size as you can't use it properly without so at that then its not alot smaller than the skytracker. Definitely wouldn't trust it holding a full frame camera and prime lens.
Ian Carr While a pan and tilt help with accuracy they are not a necessity when using star trackers at wider focal lengths. Myself and other night photographers have used the MSM tracker with just a ball head for the base. I’ve also pulled this off with the updated iOptron which allows you to take off the wedge. I typically do this when traveling to save space and weight. My shots come out fine and I’m tracking for 2-3 minutes using a D800 with a 14-24 lens. I’ll track at both focal lengths with no issues...as you get more telephoto then you start to run into problems if the tracker is not super accurate. Cheers 🍻
@@Milkywaymike yeah like you need something whether it be a ball head or any sort or declination mount to point at polaris. So bascially one would need at least two ball heads then to operate. And when it comes to ball heads then it would be alot safer to use a decent quality one if you are using it as a wedge for the rest to go on top. Its definitely great to see a new type out but I still think a mount with dedicated declination bracket is the better choice if one is putting expensive equipment onto. Think it as a house and its foundations. You wouldn't spend 300k on a house and put a randomly mixed foundation with no supports under it, you'd opt for the proper built foundation that can hold it . Probably gone on a bit of a tangent lol but just my two cents, cheers .
If you read through the comment section, it seems that some units are good and work fine while a couple people had issues. Sounds like a quality control issue which sucks. It's not totally useless as it still works, just not 100% of the time which can get annoying.
I had the dial version. Love it. Unfortunately, it had a failure in the dial. They were great about replacing it in a timely manner. The new version with buttons rather than the dial looks like it will solve the rare failure of the dial.
Great customer service and quick shipping.
Woody Woodman good to hear that! Thanks for sharing
I bought the button version and when you first turn it on or after you move the camera and reframe, shifting the load, the tracker seems to consistently take about 5 minutes for the gears to fully engage or re-engage and start tracking properly. Taking 1 minute shots during this time I see each shot get progressively better with less trailing until about the fifth shot. However, some of the trailing you are seeing with the 85mm is north-south in declination not east-west and that’s from inaccurate polar alignment not poor tracking. That drift will be worse with longer focal lengths. Thanks for the review!
Thanks for sharing!
I've discovered the fix for the gear lash after setup. Hold down the button which cycles through the movements (stars, 1/2 stars, and MSM increments). That runs the motor and takes up the slack in the gears. It's in the current (2021) manual too, though I overlooked it until I accidentally discovered it.
Just ordered the updated version (with buttons instead of knob). Fingers crossed they have fixed any QC issues with this one.
Me too..
Thanks for the review looks like a good option if you are going hiking into the mountains where weight is important
I've been using the Skywatcher Adventurer Pro 2i and it's OK. I always dread aligning Polaris through that Polar Scope. Allows me to shoot 30 second plus Milky Way shots. As well as using my 150-600mm for Nebulas and Galazies. Just purchased the Move Shoot Move Tracker as well and am looking forward to getting that. Fast Polar alignment and can still use up to 200mm lens as well.
Awesome!! Good luck with everything and happy shooting 📸
@@Milkywaymike HI Mike... In a big time moon phase right now plus clouds galore. Should have this by end of the month when the moon is not a problem. Will send you details on how this worked out with the longer focal lengths. Stay safe and clear skies.....
If your star trailing issue is intermittent then keep checking your polar alignment. I need to keep on top of it with my star adventurer . Have readjust after placing camera on and targeting object . It’s more critical the higher you go in focal length . When I use my nifty fifty f1.8 I don’t have to be spit on but if I go to a 200 or up zoom I need to be as precise as possible
thos759 thanks for the advice! Unfortunately the unit legit was not moving. It doesn’t happen all the time, just intermittently. Other people ran into the same issue as well.
Thanks for the review. I own some of the bigger ones as well as ioptron and wanted something for mobility and milky way work. Might the issue you had with the 85mm simply be the problem of focal length. On the wide angle shots you are tracking 3-5 times longer than you can without a Star Tracker. But at 85 mm you’re asking it to track much much longer since noticable star trailing at 85mm begins in a few seconds. I think you were expecting it to somehow track similarly at every focal length, bypassing the rule of 500. But the realit is that tracking helps in factors. It doesn’t give every lens 2 minutes. It gives you a 3-5 times longer exposure than you would without tracking, depending on the accuracy of the polar alignment. Also the stars closest to the southern horizon experience the earth rotation more than those closer to the North Star. Since the Milky Way galactic core is in the south it’s most susceptible to trailing than the outliers.
You should read my post above. I have been able to track WAY longer than just the 500 rule times the 3-5 times you implied. It all comes down to having a SOLID tripod that is way more than you need and is weighted plus getting your alignment tits on. I have shot 3 minute plus exposures with a 55mm and other lens much longer at over a minute where the 500 rule said I only had 2 seconds before trailing. (like 200-300mm). But you have to do everything exactly right and be balanced very much like using a EQ mount for DSO and planetary shots.
Thanks for the info, I just ordered my MSM, and can't wait to go out to
the desert east of San Diego, CA where there is hardly any light
pollution at all. I'll be using a Nikon DF with some AF-D primes.
Cheers!
Oh nice you have DF!! Great low light camera. Have fun and good luck with clear skies!
Mine arrived in two weeks to Ireland. I have not tried it yet. I will let you know.
Maura Seabrooke awesome, I’ll appreciate the feedback!
What part of Ireland are you in Maura? I'm in a Waterford and use the same tracker. Wish you the best of luck and clear skies.
Great, I’ve just ordered the v2 one, that should arrive to Italy hopefully before I leave for... Ireland vacations, on the 1st of August. Crossing finger to receive it in time and find some clear skies... I’ll spend a couple of weeks around all Ireland... Any Milky places to advise in Ireland... very welcome!! I’ll use an A7r3 with 16-35GM, and will try tele with 70-300G (plus RA filter). Thanks!
And, by the way... did you try it, Maura?
@@TrevorMcGrathPhotography Hi Trevor sorry I only seen your post now. I am from Dublin but live in Meath.
I received it in Switzerland after about a week. Works perfectly (used it on high altitude below 0° centigrade).
Dr. med. Schlomo V. Aschkenasy awesome, I’m happy to hear that. I’m hoping my issue doesn’t happen in a better climate.
@@Milkywaymike i also received mine after about two weeks (switzerland) don't forget to adjust your polar scope because mine was highly inaccurate
@@SwisssblisS what do you mean by "adjust your polar scope" ? how do i do this?
@@ThePleoni well, i found a toutorial on youtube on how to do this for a diffrent scope. But it basically works the same for our scope. Its a bit time consuming but well worth it. Best of luck
@@SwisssblisS can you share that with us? Not sure i understand what it does.
Even with the few issues I had with this tracker... nothing beats its size and weight at the moment! To find out more info about this tracker, click the link below:
www.moveshootmove.com?aff=26
Also, give it a little bit of time for HD / 4k options to become available. Thanks!
Same here. It also sometime does not track properly. It has nothing to do with temp or humidity in my opinion, I've seen it at 20°C and low humidity. I think it has to do with balancing. A Canon 6D with a Sigma Art 50mm has around 1.7kg and if it is a bit out of center in balance I have the problems. Don't know if this is normal, but for me it is not really usable. I will check with their customer service, maybe my device has a problem.
Adversor Vape that sucks.. I will look into it. Thanks for letting me know!
Those issues are periodic error cause of the gears engaging and disengaging..
Hi Mike, I wonder is your problem having it mounted to the bottom of the unit. The weight of your camera and lens is not even when tracking? I use the same tracker but mount it directly underneath and no issues. Plus my gear is lighter, as I use the Sony A73 with Zeiss 18mm, Sony 24mm, Zeiss 40mm and Sony 85mm 1.8
For the price and size, it's a handy little tracker but there does seem to be some build problems.
Yeah I might have to retry that instead... Although I think one comment said they ran into the same issue as me and that it most likely is a product defect. :(
Mine produces a clearly audible and not regular tic-tic sound. I opened the unit and found out the motor was not rotating at a regular rate. I contacted Sifo and sent a video of it, they said "it's normal" ??
Yeah that's not good...I think there is a QC problem that needs to be looked into. I'll be doing a review of the iOptron Pro (newer version) which is a good alternative for a compact tracker. It is double the thickness of MSM Sifo but the weight and quality control is better.
Have you tested Vixen Optics Polarie Star tracker? It seems like the natural competition for this MSM.
I'm interested in the newer button version since the dial has been a source of problems. The size and weight is offset somewhat since you need a head for alt-az adjustment. I'd go for a Star Watcher wedge base to gain its gear-driven adjustment. If you carry both the scope and the laser, that's yet another expansion of mass and bulk. The move-shoot-move operation option should be a big selling point for this tracker, but that feature doesn't work with Panasonic cameras, and the app that's supposed to be in development is still vapor. I have the same older iOptron as yours and it has an incredibly badly designed battery compartment. SIFO MSM is on Facebook, FYI.
Hi Mike, have you heard from anyone if the new one solves the tracking issue? I saw Alan Dyer's review and even with the newer one (Sept 2019?) he said it had tracking issues. Thanks!
I talked to a few other photographers on clubhouse and many of them said that they ran into similar issues with the MSM tracker (even the newer versions). A few have said they don’t have any issues... personally I think I would avoid the risk since it is coming drone China and getting a replacement could take months if you get a bad unit. The iOptron I use is almost as light and very comp especially if you don’t use the wedge to save space / weight. This is my go to travel star tracker that use amzn.to/3fxKt7r
@@Milkywaymike thanks for the reply!
Hey Mike thanks for finally doing this video. I was looking forward to knowing your experience. One qq: what pan & tilt head do you use?
Ajay Vangapaty thanks! The head I’m using is by hoage which I don’t believe you can get that exact one anymore. If you go on amazon search for monopod tilt head. Then I put a 360 degree plate underneath. Works well for Milky Way Panos!
Would the moveshootmove be a good candidate for a Canon Powershot sx50 hs?
If the canon powershot is capable of doing long exposures then it should be fine on the MSM tracker.
I haven't used a star tracker yet so this is more a question than a comment.
Looking at their website, they now offer the older knob version and a newer non-knob version.
They say that the movement takes places between shots, not during. To me, that suggests that long shots will not have the benefit of the camera moving while the shutter is open, which would seem to make this device useful only for shorter shots. As far as having it move while the shutter is open, is it 1) necessary, 2) preferred, or 3) not suggested?
To capture long exposures of the milky way galaxy with out star trailing the device would have to rotate during your exposure. Which it does as I was taking 1 minute, 2 minute and even 3 minute exposures with this device. My issue was it wouldn't work sometimes when I went to take another photo. I'm not sure about the knob versions though, that would be a question for the manufacturer.
@@Milkywaymike Thanks for the quick reply! (Good video, BTW!) I may not have been clear in my question or may not understand fully how the device works. Their website says the following:
"The mechanism for Time-lapse:
It works by adjusting the angle of rotation, not the speed of rotation, with seven options: Star Tracking Mode; Time-lapse mode of 0.05, 0.075, 0.1 and 0.125 degrees per picture. Therefore, you control the camera's rotating based upon the angle selected, and the interval set on your timer (you need a separate timer/intervalometer, which is inexpensive). The longer the interval you set, the slower of the rotation. Once you are done taking a picture (which the rotator ‘knows’ through the hot-shoe cable), the rotator will turn the defined angle, which means that the camera is not turning while the picture is being taken."
Are there a mode where the device is rotating the camera while the shutter is open, and another where the device is at rest while the shutter is open?
Nice catch, that it doesn't track during shots. If not, we've wasted a bunch of $$. But I am not clear as to how the unit could know when you're exposing and when you're not. Back to square one.
I use it in Denmark. Only once stopped tracking, and made long beep signal, maybe battery was dying or of humidity high level... secondly, i guess didn't tight up quick release plate on the button, so when it was tracking suddenly spined quickly to the side. It scared s#!t out of me :( so, only those 2 weird accidents happened, but nothing the less it works well so far. I am still learning to use it ;)
GyDRyUs awesome, I’m hoping mine was just a wet environment issue and it doesn’t happen in a dry climate. Thanks for letting me know!
@@Milkywaymike G'day Mike, GyDRyUs ... Eric Benedetti mentioned in a seminar that the rule of thumb for star trackers is the camera and lens should be around 50% of the payload of the unit. I ordered my button version recently and in reading the 'instructions..' they mention that if you put too much load on the unit it will stop tracking. It could just be the unit struggling with the off-centre weight of the 85mm? I'll be using a Pentax K1 w DFA15-30/f2.8 on mine which isn't light so I'll probably try it with a nodal rail to help balance the load on the motor. Cheers .. Steev S
I have one of these for sale if you're in the UK. Used once. It's a great piece of kit.. I just don't have the patience to properly use it. Have decided to use stacking instead...
Is the stacking method giving the same results as the tracker?
Thanks for the review--very helpful!
MIke oh a question I had for you, have you been able to successfully take a multirow pano with some stacked frames from each of the panels of each row? Maybe I am wording this wrong but just trying to envision how one would be able to take a pano of the night sky with this, multi row or single and I guess as far as that goes single frame or multi frame. Thanks alot for the video! Cheers
Yes, I've done panoramas while using the tracker but they are kinda tricky and don't always stitch together easily. You really need to give yourself a bunch of overlap when attempting to do them.
Nice video. Good timing. I’m shopping new gear myself. Thanks for your opinion.
I think my next review will be of the new version iOptron Pro. It turns out you don't need to use the wedge base that comes with it but instead just attach it to your ball head or pan & tilt head just like you would with the Move Shoot Move Tracker. It is about he same height and width as MSM Tracker but it is about double the thickness with a plastic body so it cuts down weight.
The other options are Star Adventurer Mini which I think is still pretty heavy compared to the competition.
Vixen Polarie which is compact and light but $400 bucks so its 100 - 150 dollars more expensive.
SLIK Star Tracker which looks pretty compact but I don't see many reviews out there for it and I think you just look through a hole for alignment. I don't think their is a polar scope option...
Milky Way Mike I had good luck mounting a finder scope on my camera hot shoe. If you level everything before you align you can achieve a good alignment. There are hot shoe finder scope adapters available. I first played with that on a barn door tracker. The Genie is awesome but yeah it lacks on alignment tools.
Hi mike. How do you like this ? Would you prefer this or one of the more well known ones like star adventurer? Also how would I mount this on my manfrotto tripod - Befree GT Carbon fibre Tripod twist lock, ball head - MKBFRTC4GT-BH | Manfrotto AU
Depends on what you plan on using it for. A tracker like Move Shoot Move is good for 85mm and wider star tracking. You can't load it up with a ton of weight so deep space star tracking with heavy telephoto lenses runs the risk of breaking the motor. If you want to do deep space and wide angle milky way galaxy tracking then you would want a Sky Watcher Star Adventurer or an iOptron SkyGuider Pro. If you just want to do wide angle up to around 85mm then Move Shoot Move or iOptron Sky Tracker. They are both similar in size and weight if you remove the wedge from the iOptron. I personally use the iOptron since I had issues with the Move Shoot Move unit. I was told that they fixed the issues with a newer version of the Move Shoot Move tracker. You can throw a counter weight on the iOptron but technically you still shouldn't overload it with a telephoto lens for deep space but I seen it done before.
@@Milkywaymike I might get it for my Sony a7iii + Sony 16-35 F4 and Samyang 14mm f2.8
I still waiting my tracker and hopefully I won’t have that tracking issue, but I think there is might be an issue with the tracking speed. The idea is the earth might be rotating faster than the tracker or opposite creating start railing. The tracker doesn’t keep up or the earth:) your thoughts?
I'm not entirely sure because others have left comments saying their tracker works fine without issues. I might have just gotten a defective unit. I plan on testing some other trackers as well soon. Let me know if you have any issues with your when you go to use it. I might see if they exchange a new one for me... it just sucks with the overseas shipping times.
@@Milkywaymike If you take time to watch how our delicate instruments are handled by the postal services... It's from China too. Buy three and one works.
You think this would work with my sony a7r3, metabones and 16-35 2.8 v3? Also if you were to do it again would you buy this one again? I have held off on buying a tracker because of the size. This looks pretty cool
Yeah, that lens and camera shouldn't be a problem for this tracker. From what others have told me, my unit may be defective or I may have to try and mount it from the back of the tracker instead of the bottom which might be causing the problem. Most people in the comments are saying they don't have that problem at all (except 1 other person who had the same issue as me and 1 person who said their unit was dead on arrival). So I think I will run some tests mounting it from the back before contacting customer service.
As far as me buying it again, it's a toss up... I really want to test out iOptron Pro which I found out you don't need to use the wedge base. You can use it just like MoveShootMove and mount it to your tripod ball head or pan/tilt head which helps save weight and reduce it's size. The iOptron Pro is the same height x width but it is double the thickness compared to the MSM. However it is around the same weight and has better quality control.
Another tracker I might buy for reviewing is the SLIK tracker. Again this looks to be about the same H x W but double the thickness as well. I've only seen one video review and it doesn't look like they have a scope attachment. I think if they make a clip on scope attachment like MSM then it would be better.
So the next review will be for iOptron Pro and then maybe SLIK.
Sorry for the long answer and if I made it more confusing for you. I do plan on testing the iOptron Pro this weekend on a california trip and re-testing the MSM with a different mounting placement. The review probably won't be out until June 9th or June 15th though.
Milky Way Mike I appreciate the long answer! I really like the size of these. I might actually use it if I can carry it in my bag. My buddy bought one and it’s huge. So unless we can drive right up to where we are shooting it’s a pain to lug around. Does the ioptron Pro have a scope? It looks like that’s important to get the very best results.
I see it does come with a illuminated scope. Not sure what illuminated means. Curious how you attach a laser and use it to polar align
Appreciate the review, Mike. Do you think the tamron 15-30 or 24-70 would be appropriate? I know the focal lengths are wide enough as you mentioned, but they're fairly heavy.
I used the 15-30 on it and it works. Some people told me it was my tracker that was defective and not a weight or weather issue. I plan on reaching out to them tomorrow and seeing if they can exchange the tracker for me.
There was someone who did a video using the MSM tracker with a 300 or 400mm and shot the Andromeda Galaxy. Type in the following for the video "Tracking ANDROMEDA Galaxy With The MOVE-SHOOT-MOVE Star tracker". I plan on using it with my 70-200 f/2.8 or 24-120mm lenses.
How useful this tracker would be for Sun/ Moon eclipse?
I don't see a moon setting so I would not recommend it for that. You might want to check out iOptron Pro which does have a moon setting and I just found out you don't need to use the every wedge base if you don't want to. This cuts the weight down.
@@Milkywaymike I just got excited with solar eclipse concept (coming in 2024) just not sure about sky referral point. Probably would be good idea to check with MSM. Moon surely not since it has its own orbital movement. Unless I'm totally wrong on that again. Yet - watching this:- th-cam.com/video/buXTecdfqxo/w-d-xo.html - really inspires.THX! :)
hi mike! do u think the vixen is better than move SIFO? I mean the stability and accuracy.
I haven't use the Vixen tracker, although it looks very similar to my older iOptron as far as the design goes. While I love the weight and size of the MSM SIFO tracker I would have to recommend the Vixen over it because of quality control. Myself and a few other photographers I talked to said they had similar issues in which the tracker worked intermittently (sometimes it tracked and sometimes it didn't move at all). Since it is shipped from china it took about 4 weeks to get to the USA and if you have issues you have to ship it all the way back to china so it could take another couple months to get a replacement. At least Vixen Polarie or iOptron are sold by big named camera stores like B&H Photo/video so it's easier to return if you have any problems. I'd rather have a little extra weight and lose a little bit of space for a star tracker that is more reliable.
Hope that helps your decision!
Yeah Pan and Tilt is the way to go I agree!! Bummer to hear not always tracking. I was stoked on the MSM, ordered up (for the same light, small portable reasons), unfortunately mine arrived DOA...customer service not only being in CHINA, was/is challenged at best....msm wanted to replaced with new button version, I opted out for refund- which I still haven't received yet 25 days later:( as they won't refund until receiving DOA unit)...so who knows...So I went with the SAM, and it actually works!
Yeah I might have to reach out to them and see what they can do for me. I really want to see how well the SLIK star tracker works but their are not many reviews for it. I also think the new version iOptron can work well / be a lot lighter then the older version if you take away the base wedge.... I might test that next.
ive had my bt version for almost two months but only got to test it last night. i need more tests, but with my olympus micro four thirds camera and lenses, noticed significant trailing at 160 secs on my 12mm zoom (24 mm ff equiv). however, it was barely noticable at 122 secs. this was with a very rough polar align. is this normal? or is this a sign of what you described in the video?
ill try to do more tests tonight if weather cooperates.
It may be a similar issue as mine... I recommend doing another test after getting a goo polar alignment. And contacting the company if it turns out to be an issue.
Is your non tracking issue continuing? ,could this just be gear backlash?
Yeah it was a recurring issue but I talked to some people who said that I have an older version. Apparently the newer version doesn’t have that problem.
@@Milkywaymike Thanks!.I may get one at end of Jan
Hello Mike sorry if I bug you so much. But did you ever find out why your move shoot move. Tracked sometimes and not others. I’m having the same issue getting about 40% tracked.
Unfortunately I did not... some users say their MSM trackers work fine so I have to assume it is a factory defect. If you are having that issue I recommend reaching out to MSM and asking for a replacement unit.
May I ask if u use a star tracker/sequestrial mount, how do u stack the photos to fix the foreground in your pictures. Do you have a video on this?
Here you go! th-cam.com/video/mUrkYuDT6wc/w-d-xo.html
have you tried the SLIK ECH-630 Astro Tracker? How does that compare?
No, I want to try it though! I am going to review the newer iOptron soon and hopefully I can get my hands on the SLIK in the near future. From what I can tell, the SLIK looks like it doesn't come with a scope or laser mount which would make it harder to use with mid telephoto focal lengths. But I need to find out if that is the case.
Milky Way Mike yeah, doesn't seem to have a fine alignment way, only peep hole Polaris. I've been looking for something portable that can hold a small 100-400 (newer sigma/Tamron).
Alternatively, had seen an interesting mount, not meant for photography but might work.
Skywatchers AZ-GTi with a wedge can be an equitorial go-to. I wonder how that would compare. It can multi-star align (I'm assuming that would be even more accurate). Any thoughts?
Hello Mike,
Thanks for the review. I have received my dial version of the rotator and still trying to wrap my head around using it. I have an issue with this device which I am hoping you may have a solution. I want to take tracked and stacked images of the milkyway. After I take a first tracked image, how would you come back to the home position to take the second image. The rotation base is powered (that is it moves only under power and in one direction only). In my view doing this alignment by moving the ballhead by guesswork would lead to huge alignment issues when stacking your tracked images. Any thoughts ?
Hey sandeep, to track and then stack the images you don't readjust your cameras position. You just take the photo consecutively (1 right after the other). So for example, if I take a 2 minute tracked exposure using a release trigger, I take another exposure right after the first exposure and keep going until I reached the number of photos that I desired. Typically I take 4 - 8 tracked shots at different exposure times 30secs up to 2 or 3 minutes). Then I bring them into stacking and tracking software like Starry Landscape Stacker... or if you have a PC their are a few options you can use to stack.
You do not need to reposition your camera after ever exposure and it would be very hard to get the position perfectly to stack that way.
Thank you for your video! Appreciate your thoughts about using device in the field. May I ask why you do not consider the Vixen Polarie Star Tracker as an option of light weight device for you? It is almost the same weight and size and japanese QC. And thank you all of community here for sharing your experience!
I've checked out the Vixen in the past and I have nothing against it. The only downside with Vixen is they haven't lowered their prices to compete. A lot of star trackers in that similar size range are around $200-$300. Vixen polarie is still priced at $399 while star adventurer min is $225, ioptron $299, MSM SIFO - $199. And the competitors started doing rechargeable batteries in the units which is a nice feature which I don't think Vixen has updated theirs to do that yet.
@@Milkywaymike it's true
@@Milkywaymike You can always use rechargeable batteries and just recently the price on the Vixen has dropped to $299. I have a friend who has one, the feel of it is like a brick shit house. Solid as a rock build and it also has an optional counter weight assembly to boost the overall weight capacity to 14 pounds instead of 7. I actually dont think at that level it is a fair comparison as the capacity is more than double and yea the price, well yea its gonna be about that as well. There is alot of other options they sell for it and they are all pricey but you get what you pay for usually eh? I did use his one night for a test and I let it roll with the moon for over an hour, not one exposure of course but I couldn't believe that it tracked with the moon so so so close to where I started it that I couldn't actually remember the tiny amount of difference that it had moved off the crosshairs. Oh another penalty you pay for with the Vixen is the weight. It comes in around 800 grams if I remember correctly, so your looking at pushing close to double the weight. My guess it that part of that is just the heavy duty build quality they put into it. I am on the fence on this one as I do want to be able to put my 70-200mm on it as I did have a Sky Guider for a little while and it handled that and even my 100-400mm just fine. I was able to get 15--30" exposures at 400mm! But I certainly would not count on being able to do that routinely though. I achieved this only by screwing around over and over trying to get the damn ALT/AZ base just right in order to get lucky. Trying to get the damn thing polar aligned is a pain, especially with a camera+tele lens mounted on the tracker and if you take it off then you will most likely move the tracker out of alignment whilst getting your camera and ballhead back on. The head itself seems well built enough for Chinese work.......,(but not Japanese Quality) but the Dec bracket/counter balance weight assembly and the Alt/Az base mount was a complete joke. If you get that tracker, go ahead and figure replacing the head with something real like a nice pan/tilt head and then figuring out something else for the dec/counter weight bracket. If those two things were fixed, then that would be the choice for me for a Alt/Az tracker that can handle at least a small tele lens. It is a shame that they couldn't see fit to build a decent base and CW bracket to fit with it. Oh well, just my two cents worth.
When doesn't USPS lose a package? Currently my new camera has been MIA for nearly a week.
Yup! I had DHL lose a Nikon DF from Ebay, but Ebay reimbursed me ... whew!
Do you need 2 ball heads with this setup?
@Neil Patrick Carris thanks bro
Hey Mike. love your videos . I have a questions. I love take Vertical Images
at the night sky. But with the Sifo tracker i get star trails if the camera is Vertical , when i use the tracker. Do you have a solution for that. ? I have done
the setup like you in the video
When shooting horizontal the stars are sharp but when you put in in portrait orientation they star trail? Thats really odd, because once you are polar aligned you should be able to angle your lens and camera in any direction and get sharp stars. The things that cause star trails when using a tracker are:
1) The tripod is not level correctly
2) The ballheads are not tight enough so the weight of the camera and / or star tracker are slowly moving out of place
3) Star tracker is having issue with the weight of the camera and lens so the motor is not turning properly.
4) Polar alignment is slightly out of alignment or was knocked out of alignment when you put the camera on.
Hi Mike, would this unit be good with the Nikon P1000, if not, could you recommend one please. Thankyou in advance.
Blood is thicker than water th-cam.com/video/FZwoD6xk6L0/w-d-xo.html tge tracker is pretty good but I do get concerns with quality control since my device had some issues. I’d recommend an iOptron which is much more reputable th-cam.com/video/FZwoD6xk6L0/w-d-xo.html The weight of the P1000 should be fine for the iOptron
Is there any benefit using a sky track compared to just stacking images?
shaun stapleton The tracked image produces better results compared to stacking. Sharper, cleaner and longer exposures which help with post processing. Also you can stack your tracked Milky Way shots which makes them even better
@@Milkywaymike can you get more detail and color from a tracked image vs stacked
Great timing 🙄 I bought a Star Adventurer Mini, a month ago. This thing, with the wedge, weighs a "ton". That's fine for "drive up" MW shots. But I'm not hiking with it. 😒
Hey Scott, I just found out you can put a mounting plate on the new iOptron Pro so you don't have to use their heavy base / wedge if you don't want to which cuts the weight and size. It is double the thickness of the Move Shoot Move but it might be a good alternative to look at.
Honestly, your video was a BIG help. The MSM laser and mounting attachment got me thinking about how to get rid of the base/wedge.
I went to the MSM website and found they sell the laser and mount separately ($29). It appears that I'll be able to attach their laser to the Star Adventurer Mini. With this set-up, I think I can lose a pound or two of ugly fat 😀.
I bought their laser. In a few weeks we'll see how well this works
This actually is not the most portable tracker to date. The Nano Tracker is lighter and smaller. But it is not the most portable either. The most portable tracker is the Astrotracer feature built in to Pentax K-3II and K-1 DSLRs. It's just software. The next most portable would be the Pentax O-GPS1 accessory that gives Astrotracer to any Pentax DSLR since 2011. That accessory is much smaller and lighter than any external tracker. Okay, Astrotracer only works with certain cameras but it really does track and it even works with telephoto lenses.
How do you use a laser pointer to aim at the North Star? A laser beam isn't even visible, unless it's foggy, and it's not like the green dot will show up on the sky....
Yes, the laser beams are visible. This isn't those cheap red laser pens you played around with as a kid or a teacher used in a classroom .. The visibility (and in some cases invisibility) of a laser is dependent on it's power rating and wave length. www.lasersafetyfacts.com/laserclasses.html
If you don't know about a topic I suggest using google first before make ignorant statements. Cheers
if you are fan of DIY subjects, here the way to build your own Astroduino portable motorized EQ mount: th-cam.com/video/uSWVflUNAm8/w-d-xo.html
Considering the fact you need a pan and tilt wedge/ ball head to point it at polaris you technically have to add that in to the kit size as you can't use it properly without so at that then its not alot smaller than the skytracker. Definitely wouldn't trust it holding a full frame camera and prime lens.
Ian Carr While a pan and tilt help with accuracy they are not a necessity when using star trackers at wider focal lengths. Myself and other night photographers have used the MSM tracker with just a ball head for the base. I’ve also pulled this off with the updated iOptron which allows you to take off the wedge. I typically do this when traveling to save space and weight. My shots come out fine and I’m tracking for 2-3 minutes using a D800 with a 14-24 lens. I’ll track at both focal lengths with no issues...as you get more telephoto then you start to run into problems if the tracker is not super accurate. Cheers 🍻
@@Milkywaymike yeah like you need something whether it be a ball head or any sort or declination mount to point at polaris. So bascially one would need at least two ball heads then to operate. And when it comes to ball heads then it would be alot safer to use a decent quality one if you are using it as a wedge for the rest to go on top. Its definitely great to see a new type out but I still think a mount with dedicated declination bracket is the better choice if one is putting expensive equipment onto. Think it as a house and its foundations. You wouldn't spend 300k on a house and put a randomly mixed foundation with no supports under it, you'd opt for the proper built foundation that can hold it .
Probably gone on a bit of a tangent lol but just my two cents, cheers .
If u dont use the old tracker u can send it to me 😁
hi mike i know this guy who manufacture star tracker. and i will report him your issue right now. btw it's not a "real"star tracker😛
it's product quality issue.
Alright cool, that would be great!
You're are saying when using the Full Speed Star Tracking button the unit is stepping instead of steadily tracking?
In other words, it's a piece of junk....
If you read through the comment section, it seems that some units are good and work fine while a couple people had issues. Sounds like a quality control issue which sucks. It's not totally useless as it still works, just not 100% of the time which can get annoying.