Purchasing one of the best star trackers should be considered a wise investment if you're a keen astrophotographer. These little tools make taking long-exposure shots of the night sky easier than ever by tracking the Earth's rotation.
A star tracker works in conjunction with your camera and tripod. It tracks the rotation of the Earth and counteracts it, ensuring your camera is kept still and straight. For any exposure of the night sky longer than 10 seconds, you'll notice a significant improvement in sharpness by using a star tracker. Without one, those extra-long-exposure shots can be ruined by blurry star trails.
To help you pick the right star tracker, we've tested and reviewed a range of options on the market to suit all budgets and abilities. Before you commit to one, though, make sure to check if your gear's weight matches the tracker's capacity. All the trackers in this guide have been tested by our expert reviewers, so you can trust their quality and how well they work.
If you're new to astrophotography, check out our guide to astrophotography for beginners. And if you're looking to build or upgrade the rest of your kit, we also have guides to the best cameras for astrophotography, the best lenses for astrophotography and the best tripods.
With Amazon Prime Day upon us — it's running from 16th to 17th July — you may be able to find a great star tracker deal. Space.com will be covering the event and unearthing all the best and latest deals in real time. You can view our latest and best offers on our Prime Day best space deals landing page.
The quick list
Below we've summarized our top picks of the best star trackers for astrophotography available out there, including their main characteristics. If you want more in-depth information, click the links to read more below.
Best overall
The Benro Polaris is our top pick, but it's incredibly expensive. It's waterproof, has a huge-capacity battery and even has a built-in camera interface controller.
Best for deep sky astro
For deep sky astro, this is the one you want. It can hold high payloads so it's great for the heavier lenses needed for deep sky viewing, or even a small telescope.
Best for mid-weight setups
The SAM gives excellent tracking and has a compact and lightweight design, but it's let down by one thing — its poor app.
Best for battery life
Offers a whopping 24 hours of battery life, ideal for long nights of shooting. It's affordable, compact and lightweight, but it lacks ultimate precision.
Best for small setups
This lightweight star tracker is best suited to the lighter payloads of up to 5.5 lbs you'll often encounter with mirrorless systems, though it does also have a short battery life.
Best mechanical star tracker
No electronics or power here, just a purely mechanical star tracker that you wind up like a clock for 60 minutes of tracking.
Best star trackers for astrophotography we recommend in 2024
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Best overall
✅ You have heavy kit: It can support payloads of up to 15 lbs/7 kg, which is the most on this list — certainly more than enough for most setups.
✅ You want something lightweight: Despite its ability to support heavier payloads, it weighs only 3.3 lbs/1.5 kg, which is unusual for star trackers.
❌ You don't have a big budget: This tracker is incredibly expensive, so only really accessible to those who have big budgets.
🔎 Benro Polaris: This is the star tracker to end all star trackers. Our only criticism is the high price tag, which is to be expected with the amount of tech that this little device has in it. It's lightweight but still carries heavier payloads, and offers excellent star tracking capabilities. ★★★★★
We'd perhaps consider the Benro Polaris to be an electronic tripod head as opposed to a traditional star tracker, but it works in a similar way — along with having lots more bells and whistles that photographers will find very useful.
By connecting the Polaris to an app on your smartphone, you can remotely control it. The app allows you to set alignment, adjust compositions and operate your camera's shutter remotely. Of course, having star tracker features means it can auto track the night sky, and you can even use it to take automatic panoramas — of the Milky Way, for example.
On top of being packed full of the latest tech, the Benro Polaris has the highest payload capacity among the star trackers we've reviewed, supporting up to 15 lbs (7 kg) of camera and lens gear. Despite this high capacity, the device itself weighs only 3.3 lbs (1.5 kg), so you won’t have to worry about it weighing down your camera bag.
This star tracker boasts strong motors for a more reliable performance and a large 2500 mAh battery that can last through long shooting sessions. It's easy to charge with a USB-C cable and we love the fact it is durable in various weather conditions thanks to its impressive IPX6 waterproof rating.
The main drawback is of course its price tag, as all these features don't come cheap. The Benro Polaris will set you back around $1000, which might be too much for many photographers.
It's worth noting that the Benro Polaris isn't widely available in the US, as it seems many retailers are discontinuing it. There's a small amount of stock in the UK, but it's dwindling.
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| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Excellent build quality. |
| Performance | Can adjust photo compositions remotely. |
| Functionality | Cutting-edge tech with auto-tracking functions. |
Best for deep sky astro
✅ You do a lot of deep sky astrophotography: This star tracker is specifically designed for bigger payloads and longer exposures that come with photographing far-away objects.
❌ You want something lightweight: It weighs 3.2 lbs/1.45 kg by itself, and as it requires a counterweight, that adds an additional 3 lbs/1.35 kg to your camera bag.
🔎 iOptron SkyGuider Pro: The perfect star tracker for shooting deep sky objects, this option is specifically designed for heavy payloads — you could even use a small telescope with it. However, it's expensive and not particularly lightweight. ★★★★½
If you're aiming to capture deep-sky objects using large telephoto lenses, the iOptron SkyGuider Pro is a great pick. It's designed to handle heavier gear as it can support up to 11 lbs (5kg) of equipment. It has such a strong load capacity that you could even attach a small telescope to it.
Considering its reasonable price, the iOptron SkyGuider Pro offers excellent value, and there are some great features packed into this little gadget. It has an detachable alt-azimuth base with a built-in spirit level and helpful degree markings. There's also a quick slew mode (144x) that can move backwards and forwards: It makes adjusting your shots quick and easy.
By using the iOptron Polar Scope app on your smartphone, you can operate the electronic polar finderscope. It features four tracking speeds (full, half, and Moon and Sun tracking) and works for both the northern and southern hemispheres.
It's simple to use the electronic polar finderscope with the iOptron Polar Scope app on your . We love the fact it provides four tracking speeds (full-speed, half-speed, Moon and Sun tracking) for both the northern and southern hemispheres.
Our only minor concerns were that the wedge occasionally lacks precision, and you'll need to utilize the Declination mount to attach a counterweight to achieve the highest payload levels. However, considering the price, this is still a solid option for anyone requiring a mount for heavier equipment.
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| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Designed for bigger payloads. |
| Performance | Best for deep sky objects. |
| Functionality | Requires counterweight. |
Best for mid-weight setups
✅ You want exposures up to 4 minutes: For those nights of shooting long exposures, the SAM is a great choice.
✅ You don't have a super heavy setup: The SAM can support up to 3kg, which is more than enough for most mirrorless setups.
❌ You want a reliable app: We noted in our review that the app often crashes and was overall quite bad.
🔎 Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer Mini It's easy to use and one of the most accurate, most versatile and best value star trackers on the market. However, it's got one major weakness — its app. ★★★★
The Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer Mini — otherwise known as the Sky-Watcher SAM — is a fantastic value star tracker. It's highly portable thanks to its small size, and is still capable of carrying a moderate payload (up to 6.6lbs/3.3kg of equipment). If you frequently travel around to catch the best night sky spots, the SAM could be a good choice for you.
In our Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer Mini review, we found this star tracker fairly easy to set up. We were also very impressed with the results once it was up and running, as it gave us pin-sharp stars during tracks of up to four minutes.
The 'Pro Pack' we tried out includes additional accessories like an equatorial wedge, a ball-head adapter and a polar scope for alignment — you'll need your own camera ball-head, though. The SAM operates on two AA batteries, but we found they only lasted about three nights of continuous shooting. For longer sessions, it's best to connect it to a portable battery using the micro-USB port.
The biggest downside of this star tracker is the accompanying SA Console app. We found it tended to disconnect frequently and sometimes stopped working completely, which was frustrating considering how much it costs. Despite its lacklustre app, we think the SAM is still one of the top star trackers you can get.
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Compact and lightweight. |
| Performance | Reliable tracking, but app is very bad. |
| Functionality | 3kg payload. |
Best for battery life
✅ You're on a budget: While it isn't cheap by any stretch, for what it is, we think it's a very reasonable and affordable price.
✅ You do long shooting sessions: The internal battery boasts an impressive 24-hour runtime, perfect for long nights of shooting.
❌ You focus on deep sky nightscapes: Wide-angle nightscapes is where this star tracker excels, so if your main interest is deep sky objects, there are better star trackers suited for that.
🔎 iOptron SkyTracker Pro: An affordable star tracker with impressive battery life, a compact and lightweight design and it can track a variety of celestial objects. ★★★★
The iOptron SkyTracker Pro is a great option for beginners or those on a budget. It's cost-effective and quick to set up, while still offering everything you need from a basic star tracker.
This tracker can handle less weight compared to the iOptron SkyGuider Pro, its payload capping at 6.6 lbs (3kg) of gear. As such, it's best suited for capturing wide-angle night scenes than deep space shots which require heavier telephoto lenses. However, we appreciate the fact that the SkyGuider Pro is lightweight, coming in at just 2.5 lbs (1.1kg), making it one of the more portable options in this guide.
We particularly like that the SkyTracker Pro has a half-speed mode. If you enjoy time-lapse photographer, it's a tool that comes in incredibly handy as it can track the sun and moon individually. It's also very easy to set up, so you can be up and running in just a matter of minutes.
It's the battery life where this sky tracker really shines though. It can deliver up to 24 hours of usage on a single charge, which is ideal for those staying out in the wilderness with no means of charging. You should be able to shoot continually through the night without worrying about losing power.
The SkyGuider Pro also comes with useful accessories such as a counterweight and declination bracket, enabling you to increase its payload capacity when using heavier gear.
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| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Compact and lightweight. |
| Performance | Impressive 24 hour battery life. |
| Functionality | Offers Sun and Moon tracking. |
Best for small setups
✅ You have a lightweight setup: It can only hold loads of up to 5.5 lbs/2.5 kg.
❌ You want to do a lot of long exposures: It only has a two-hour battery life, which will be fine for many circumstances, but you'll need a separate power bank if you plan on long nights of shooting.
🔎 Vixen Polarie Star Tracker For astrophotographers who only have a lightweight setup and don't need to use it for hours at a time, it's a decent option. ★★★
If portability and lightness is key for you, then the Vixen Polarie is well worth considering. It's one of the most lightweight star trackers on the market, and being able to support a payload of up to 5.5lbs/2.5kg means it's capable of holding most mirrorless or DSLR cameras with moderately sized lenses. If you use larger telephoto lenses, however, the Polarie probably isn't suitable for you.
That said, it is worth noting that you can purchase an upgrade kit for the Vixen Polarie which increases its capacity to a very impressive 14.3lbs/6.5kg. It also includes various helpful tools like a counterweight, mounting block and improved polarscope.
The Vixen Polarie has a half-speed option for capturing night-time timelapses, and it can track the Sun and the Moon. One of its major drawback is the relatively short battery life, which only lasts two hours, so we'd recommend connecting it to a portable power bank via the micro-USB if you're planning a longer shooting session.
One thing to note is that you'll need to align this start tracker manually using the supplied compass, built-in latitude meter and polar sight hole. This means that you'll need to be confident in locating Polaris and/or the south celestial pole, although there is a red light and a Vixen PF-L Assist app to help you with this. Check out our guide to locating the North Star if you need any further tips and pointers.
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| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Compact size. |
| Performance | Small payload and battery life. |
| Functionality | Tracks Sun and Moon. |
Best mechanical star tracker
✅ You shoot in cold temperatures: There are no electronics or batteries, so it can handle colder climates.
❌ You're a beginner: Alignment is easier on electronic star trackers.
🔎 Omegon LX3: A mechanical star tracker with a clockwork heart that tracks for 60 minutes at a time, requiring no power, batteries or electronics. It's also small, lightweight and perfect for travel to colder climates. ★★★★
If you're more of a traditionalist, you might be interested in the Omegon LX3 star tracker. This one doesn't have any electronics of power functions: It's fully mechanical, boasting a clockwork heart that ticks 130-135 times a minute for 60 minutes.
There are plenty of benefits to having a mechanical star tracker. Having no electronics means you can use this in extreme weather conditions, so if you're heading out to somewhere extremely cold you don't have to worry about it no longer working. You also don't need to concern yourself with charging it up and ensuring you have enough power: All you need to do is wind it up, rather like you do with an analog clock.
This star tracker is lightweight and compact, perfect for travel. Instead of a counterweight, it uses a suspension system that serves the same purpose. Impressively, it weighs just 1.43 lbs / 650g and can carry up to 6.61 lbs / 3kg — over 4.5 times its weight. Omegon says you can use longer, heavier lenses with it, but since we haven't yet tested it ourselves, we can't confirm or deny this claim. Look out for our upcoming review.
| Attributes | Notes |
|---|---|
| Design | Small and lightweight. |
| Performance | Can track for 60 minutes. |
| Functionality | No electronics — all mechanical. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a star tracker in photography?
A star tracker is a small, motorized mount that sits between a camera and a tripod. The star tracker rotates the camera at the same rate as the Earth, which prevents star trails that would otherwise be captured during long exposure shots of the night sky.
Star trackers are useful for a variety of scenario, from taking astrophotographs of the Milky Way with a wide-angle lens or using a telephoto lens to shooting deep sky objects such as nebulas, galaxies, star clusters and more.
What should I look for in a camera star tracker?
Not all star trackers are built equal. While they all sit between your tripod and camera, they vary considerably in size, weight and design.
The most important factor to consider is that different star trackers can handle different payloads (in other words, the weight of your combined kit), so you'll want to choose your tracker depending on how heavy your camera and lens are.
Additionally, some star trackers work well for telephoto lenses pointed at specific targets, while others are best suited for shorter wide-angle lenses (used for capturing the Milky Way, for example).
As well as the payload capacity, star trackers' accuracy varies between models and brands. More premium models will cost you more but will also deliver much more accurate images.
What is the best star tracker I can buy?
We think the Benro Polaris is the best star tracker overall because it's easy to align, has a camera interface controller and an excellent build quality. However, it is also the most expensive option in this guide, so it won't suit those on a budget.
For those whose budget doesn't stretch that far, we'd recommend the iOptron SkyGuider Pro. This tracker can accommodate a heavy payload of up to 5 kg, is suitable for deep sky astrophotography, and is powerful enough to cope with long, telephoto lenses.
Do I need any other camera accessories before using my star tracker?
Before taking your first astrophotograph with a star tracker you will need: A camera, lens, tripod and tripod head. A remote shutter release or intervalometer is not compulsory but recommended, as it triggers the camera without you having to touch it, preventing camera shake blur. You may also want to consider other camera accessories like a headlamp or power bank to help on your shoots.
What is a star tracker's maximum payload?
The maximum payload of a star tracker is how much weight it can reliably support. This would be the combined maximum weight of your camera, lens and any camera accessories in use like a tripod head.
As well as checking your star tracker's maximum payload, you'll also want to assess the load-bearing ability of your tripod to check it can cope with the weight of all the gear plus the star tracker. If in doubt, go for bigger capacity mounts because as a rule of thumb, it's best to have your rig's total weight be about half of the mount's capacity.
How we test the best star trackers for astrophotography
To guarantee you're getting honest, up-to-date recommendations on the best star trackers for astrophotography to buy here at Space.com we make sure to put every star tracker through a rigorous review to fully test each instrument. Each star tracker is reviewed based on a multitude of aspects, from its construction and design, to how well it functions in the field.
Each star tracker is carefully tested by expert staff or knowledgeable freelance contributors who know their subject areas in depth. This ensures fair reviewing is backed by personal, hands-on experience with each star tracker and is judged based on its price point, class and destined use.
We look at how easy it is to set up, whether the star tracker mounts are reliable and quiet, if a star tracker comes with appropriate accessories and also make suggestions if a particular star tracker would benefit from any additional kit to give you the best astrophotography experience possible.
With complete editorial independence, Space.com are here to ensure you get the best buying advice on star trackers, whether you should purchase an instrument or not, making our buying guides and reviews reliable and transparent.
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