MoveShootMove SiFo Rotator

The MoveShootMove SiFo rotator is a tracking camera head suitable for both time lapse and astrophotography. Its key appeal is its diminutive size and weight (450g) compared to more established trackers like the Vixen Polarie (740g + batteries), iOptron Skytracker (1150g) or Skywatcher Star Adventurer 650g + wedge). It claims a max. load of 3kg. It’s compact shape is also far easier to pack in a bag or pocket than a wedge design. 

I bought mine online, shipped from Hong Kong. Note - I had to pay some import duty through DHL. The unit came with a laser pointer and bracket - my laser was faulty and they refunded it. You’ll need a ball head to connect a camera and a sturdy tripod - I already had both of these.  It also comes with a little case, a selection of threads and fixings for standard tripods. It charges via usb to an inbuilt rechargeable battery. 

Everything about MSM feels like a prototype; the website has good images but poor English, the instructions are laughable and the unit has to be used upside down (according to their own diagrams) to rotate in the right direction for northern hemisphere. However it is so simple to use that these things don’t bother me. The unit itself feels sturdy and well made. 

It works like this. Screw the rotator onto a tripod head with the bubble level on the bottom (this is counterintuitive but if you don’t it rotates the wrong way - or at least mine does!). Fix a ball head to the other thread and connect a camera, ideally a DSLR with a wide, fast lens, controllable with an intervalometer. My tripod has a unlocking handle (operable with one hand) which aids pointing, and is probably less fiddly than a lightweight tripod with a ball head screw once the weight of the camera is on. 

Start with the unit flat with the control knob facing towards you. Loosen the tripod head and use your phone compass (I use iOS) the orient the unit due North, using the flat side of the unit against the flat side of the phone. 

Then open the Measure app, flick to the Level screen. Placing the phone onto the top flat surface, adjust the tripod so the unit rotates forward to the desired angle, (controls now pointing towards you and up). The angle should be 90 minus your latitude (mine is 51N) = 39. This should have the ball head axis pointing at Polaris - or near enough. If you had a working laser you could check the exact alignment with that. The laser came with a little clip on bracket. I’ve got good results so far using my alignment method only and have not felt the need to get a replacement laser pointer. Also, I’d personally feel self conscious using a laser in a dark sky location, so I prefer this approach. 

Next adjust the camera direction on the top ball head to point at your target. Focus to infinity and take a test shot of say 10sec with a high ISO. For focusing you may want to autofocus on a distant object by day and then set to manual and leave. My lens doesn’t autofocus anyway so I use a line marked on the lens ring as my known infinity focus point. 

Having composed your shot set your proper camera settings. I am still learning the art of this. For wide shots I have used 60sec at ISO800 or 1600 and for telephoto shots 30secs at ISO800. If you have an intervalometer, set it for the designer exposure lengths. My 14mm lens will display some curvature at the edges so expect some cropping. 

Turning the knob on the MSM activates the star track function and either N or S is illuminated for your hemisphere. To select the other hemisphere just rotate the knob the other way. A faint tick-tock let’s you know the unit is rotating. You can now start your imaging run. To pick a second target leave everything alone except the camera direction. 

If you are composing a shot with foreground detail you will want to take a static image (no rotation) of the foreground. Shorter exposures will do - I suggest you experiment with ISOs or take a range to play with later. 

Finally you will want to take some calibration frames to subtract from your images in Photoshop. Take 5-10 darks; exposures of the same length and ISO with the lens cap on. If you have the capacity to take flat frames, take 10 of these too. I use a cheap A3 light box off eBay to give an evenly illuminated white surface. Method is lens cap off, mode AV, exposure time to show a histogram 2/3-3/4 exposed pointing at the light box. The flats will help remove vignetting and the darks will remove hot pixels and noise. 

Sounds like I know what I’m doing, right? In theory. Having experimented at home and now need to get out in the field, find some interesting locations and cross my fingers. One thing with location choices, the app PhotoPills has a great augmented reality function to mock up what the Moon or Milky Way will be doing from a location at a certain time. This can help you plan your shots in advance but it can’t predict the weather. 

March 2019