Serious question, is the hype around those $800 star trackers for astrophotography really worth it?

I spent $850 on a high-end tracker last year and honestly, my best shots still come from stacking hundreds of short exposures with a basic tripod and free software.

4 comments

4 Comments

lilyp371mo agoMost Upvoted

Honestly my best results came from just duct taping a heavy rock to the center column of my tripod. Cost me 12 cents and works better than anything I've used.

ruby_henderson363mo ago

Ever tried just stacking with a decent tripod?

milam483mo ago

What about a sandbag on the tripod?

knight.felix3mo ago

My last attempt at that, I used a cheap tripod from a big box store. The whole stack of books I was trying to photograph fell over after the third shot. Felt like a real pro that day.