The move shoot move is a one of a kind star tracker from China that offers unique features such as portability and ease of use.
While the small design may not work with a heavy camera body and lens, this star tracker is great for anyone who shoots mostly starscapes with a wide angle lens.
A great budget option for any camera
Star trackers can be expensive and complicated and the move shoot move makes star tracking more affordable. Let’s say you don’t have the money to buy an expensive camera.
The move shoot move will work with just about any camera. Mount a smartphone on it with an app to control the shutter speed and you can start tracking the stars.
A star tracker for professional photographers
The move shoot move isn’t just for entry level photographers, it’s also for professional photographers who primarily shoot landscapes. Its lightweight design makes it easier to backpack to those hard to reach destinations, and the setup time is less than most star trackers.
Today most professionals doing astrophotography shoot blue hour blends, and the move shoot move is a great companion device for this type of photography.
Comparison with other star trackers
Here are a few comparisons. Note the weight and price does not include the optional counter weight. The counter weight allows you to use larger lenses for deep sky photography. If deep sky photography is more your style, I recommend the sky watcher adventure pro.
| Star Tracker | Weight | Payload | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Move-shoot-move | 1.1 lbs | 6.6 lbs | $299 |
| iOptron Skyguider | 6.2 lbs | 11 lbs | $488 |
| Sky watcher Adventurer Pro | 7.8 lbs | 11 lbs | $624 |
| Star Adventurer mini | 3.94 lbs | 6.6 lbs | $326 |
Travel friendly and easy to set up
Most star trackers are heavy and big, making it difficult to pack them in a backpack with other photography gear. They can also be difficult to set up and may require a separate telescope for polar alignment.
If you’ve done polar alignment on a star tracker, you know how cumbersome this can be. The MSM is much lighter, smaller, and comes with a laser pointer for polar alignment.
All you have to do is connect the laser pointer to the north star and you’re aligned. This can save you so much time, especially when you’re trying to set everything up in the dark.
You can buy the MSM with or without a laser pointer, and I highly recommend getting it.
MSM Pros and Cons
The move shoot move is for beginners and professionals doing astrophotography, but it’s not great for deep star tracking, because of the lens weight limitations (6.6 lbs). Here is my list of pros and cons.
Pros
- Small and lightweight
- Easy to set up
- Easy to polar align
- inexpensive
- Great for starscapes
Cons
- Won’t work with heavy camera gear
- Not particularly good at deep star photography (Max load 6.6 lbs)
Recommended accessories
I use a peak design tripod head for my move shoot move and attach it to my tripod. I then use a ball mount on top to attach my camera.
The best way to mount a camera is by using a “Z” mount. I also recommend getting a red light to increase your night vision.
Recommended camera and lens
I wrote an entire article about why I prefer the older Tamron 17-35 f2.8-4 with the move shoot move. I actually use it on my Sony A7c with a MC adapter. You can read the article here.
I also recommend the Tamron 15-30 2.8 (Canon/Nikon) or Sigma 14-24 2. 8 (Sony). Both have incredible coma performance and minimal vignette.
Conclusion
If you mostly shoot landscape astrophotography, the move shoot move is the star tracker to buy. It’s lightweight, simple to use, and will work for any beginner or pro photographer.
With a Max weight of 6.6 lbs, it will work with almost any camera and lens, but for telephoto lenses, you may need to go with a tracker than can handle the weight.
I hope you enjoyed this article. If you want to learn how to blend your images with a star tracker be sure to check out my other article on blue hour blends.
