Wow, what a great video! I just recently heard about the Benro Polaris and came looking for info here on YT. A star tracker is something I want to get but have not been sure which one to get. I really like the ease of use you showed on this one and how it polar aligns. Subscribed and looking forward to watching your videos!
Two questions. 1) Can you shoot a stack of shots while shooting a panorama? 2) When you're shooting a panorama, are the shots aligned to the position of the tripod (azimuthal) or the stars (equatorially)? What I want to do is shoot a panorama over a long amount of time, for example doing 30 frames of 1 minute each, and I'm wondering if it will hold the composition of the stars or gradually drift.
Beautiful Dan! Would you be able to do this with only one camera setup? We arrived in Death Valley March 10 this year and had nothing but high clouds at night the 3 days we were there.
Thanks, Cindy! Yes, you can. With reflections you'd have to quickly switch from the sky to the foreground, but it's possible. I love the versatility that the Benro Polaris offers for this and other shoots with 2 cameras, but there are still situations where I take only one setup. This March was particularly cloudy in Death Valley. I got 3 days of clear skies but there was a lot of cloud coverage, which is unusual in March!
What a great overview - thanks so much for putting this together! Quick question, with the tracked panoramas - can you tell it to take multiple shots at each frame of the panorama for stacking, or can you only do single image tracked panos? Thanks in advance!
Very interesting thanks Dan. Makes me wonder if I should get the Benro Polaris. Does it still work if you're in the countryside with no network connection?
Of course! You don't need any connection to the network, just the WiFi connection from your phone to the BP. I've been shooting with the BP in very remote locations across the Pervian Andes, the Australian Outback, New Zealand, etc. ;)
@CapturetheAtlas thanks. Amazing. It's OK if it's too technical but I wonder how the Tracker can work without a network connection as I'd have thought that was necessary for the tracker to have gps so it knows your location to track properly? Or does it work it out from the compass alignment for North and then the one star alignment enables it to figure out the rest? I can see how in theory the BP would make life a lot easier for multirow tracked panos than doing it manually.
@CapturetheAtlas I asked benro and they said a network connection is required, so maybe they gave the wrong info and aren't aware that it still works even when out of cell phone coverage remote backcountry areas.
Hi Dan, thank you very much for this video. I am planning to purchase the Benro Polaris and your review is very helpful. I have a question: if I understood correctly, you said that you photographed the foreground using another camera. How can you merge the two parts (sky and foreground) if you are not exactly in the same shooting spot?
The main reason is because I use different focal lengths with different resolutions. for example, If I shoot the sky at 24 mm with the Sony A7III (24 mpx), I shoot the foreground at 14 or 20 mm with the Sony A1 (50mpx). Then it's easier to merge and match in Photoshop.
Thanks for video man !! Nice photo off course. . . Iam thinking of buying this benro device for my d750 and irix15 -this I see possible now,, -only wondering if it would also be usefull for lenses like tamron 150-600 anyway tthx for the video again !
I think that lens it's too heavy and bulky for this tracker as there's no counterweight or way to balance the tracker with big payloads. My recommendation would be for focal lengths between 12 and 135, maybe jumping up to 200-300 mm considering that there might be some challenges.
Hello. Great video and thanks for all the tips/tricks and run down on the Polaris. Quick q: Is there an existing active discount code that one can use to order? If so, please share. Thanks in advance.
Yes, you can use the code 2WGJM4TS8Q for $100 off when you purchase the Benro Polaris from their official site here: www.benro.com/en/product/benro-polaris.html
Hi Dan, Terrific video. I am going to Yosemite next week. I want to do two things: a complete MW arch and then a moving timelapse the kind of captures the landscape and movement of the MW as well. I have used Polaris for Pathlapses but this would be the first time that I would use it for astro. I know for commercial reasons you may not respond but I would still like to as your guidance for these, if you can. Thanks for sharing the experience.
Terrific video. I too am considering getting a BP but up until now have been put off by the reports of problems. It is refreshing to hear that it does work. I will probably get your course before buying the BP. One question, you shot the sky at 20mm and the foreground at 14mm. How did you match up these so they looked as if it were one photo ?
Thanks, it's a great tracker!! I shoot with cameras with different resolutions, so both can be easily matched later in Photoshop. Sky with a 24 mpx camera and foreground with a 50 mpx camera ;) I explain all this step by step in the course
Nice overview. Even as a non-beginner with the BP, I'm interested in your course. I could not agree more with your statement that 90% of issues with the BP are user errors. In so many cases they do not get their BP setup properly and almost always out of level, resulting in tracking issues. Many people purchase it and expect an easy to use device. It takes practice and a ridged setup process, but once learned it works very well. I am disappointed that Benro seems to have placed software updates on the back burner with other products they have come out with recently. I wish they would devote more time to improving what is an arguably decent all-in-one device that is relatively easy to travel with. It has been a long while since the last update.
I couldn't agree more with all this and that's one of the reasons why I have created the course. I have seen so many frustrations and people complaining, first because we don't have patience anymore and want things right away, and secondly, because of the lack of official instruction provided. I felt that I needed to create this after all the experience, personal frustrations, and success in the field. I hope BP hears the community and focuses on the improvements they have to make as it's an incredible tracker.
For some reason I always end up with close to 180 degrees out of sync when doing the calibration process. Is there a logical explanation, why does this keep happening? I did calibrate my Iphone compass. It happened once or twice that it worked first time to get the proper alignment. The reality is that I need like 3 tot 5 tries to get it close to my second alignment target. Found the solution apparantly for some reason it didn't notice the astro module being on there. Now it works.
Benro seems to be a good tracker. I don't think it's for me, because I shoot in wintertime and when the skies are clear there is almost always - 20 ˚C or more and my fingers would be frozen before the tracker is aligned. MSM tracker is still my choice.
Actually it's a good idea for cold conditions as you can set it up and keep your fingers or yourself warm while the tracker works automatically. It saved me so many cold nights in the Peruvian Andes and New Zealand ;)
@@CapturetheAtlas what about the phone? Mine shuts off around -15 ˚C even it's in my pocket and you have to take the gloves off when doing the settings
🚀50% OFF LAUNCH OFFER! on my NEW BENRO POLARIS COURSE! 🔭: academy.capturetheatlas.com/benro-polaris-masterclass-en/
You got some really stunning and magnificent images, very impressed!
Thanks, Josh! Appreciate that!
Wow, what a great video! I just recently heard about the Benro Polaris and came looking for info here on YT. A star tracker is something I want to get but have not been sure which one to get. I really like the ease of use you showed on this one and how it polar aligns. Subscribed and looking forward to watching your videos!
Thanks! Happy to see you liked it! ;)
Great video Dan - thanks so much for sharing your knowledge
Thanks, Marcy! It was great to be with you in the workshop and I hope we can work together again! ;)
Two questions. 1) Can you shoot a stack of shots while shooting a panorama? 2) When you're shooting a panorama, are the shots aligned to the position of the tripod (azimuthal) or the stars (equatorially)?
What I want to do is shoot a panorama over a long amount of time, for example doing 30 frames of 1 minute each, and I'm wondering if it will hold the composition of the stars or gradually drift.
Yes and equatorial. I use the Benro Polaris for that purpose and it's an amazing tracker!
¡Excellent video Dan! A perfect complement to the initial course (Benro Polaris Course). Congrats.
Thanks, Alejandro! I'm glad you enjoyed the course!
Beautiful Dan! Would you be able to do this with only one camera setup? We arrived in Death Valley March 10 this year and had nothing but high clouds at night the 3 days we were there.
Thanks, Cindy! Yes, you can. With reflections you'd have to quickly switch from the sky to the foreground, but it's possible. I love the versatility that the Benro Polaris offers for this and other shoots with 2 cameras, but there are still situations where I take only one setup. This March was particularly cloudy in Death Valley. I got 3 days of clear skies but there was a lot of cloud coverage, which is unusual in March!
Great presentation Dan. Having just completed your Benro Polaris Course, this is a great complement to it. Cheers.
Thanks, Tony! I'm glad you found the course helpful and you can capture great images with the Benro Polaris this season!
What a great overview - thanks so much for putting this together! Quick question, with the tracked panoramas - can you tell it to take multiple shots at each frame of the panorama for stacking, or can you only do single image tracked panos? Thanks in advance!
Thank you for the best introducing Benro Polaris. I use it for my work under stars.
Very interesting thanks Dan. Makes me wonder if I should get the Benro Polaris. Does it still work if you're in the countryside with no network connection?
Of course! You don't need any connection to the network, just the WiFi connection from your phone to the BP. I've been shooting with the BP in very remote locations across the Pervian Andes, the Australian Outback, New Zealand, etc. ;)
@CapturetheAtlas thanks. Amazing. It's OK if it's too technical but I wonder how the Tracker can work without a network connection as I'd have thought that was necessary for the tracker to have gps so it knows your location to track properly? Or does it work it out from the compass alignment for North and then the one star alignment enables it to figure out the rest? I can see how in theory the BP would make life a lot easier for multirow tracked panos than doing it manually.
@CapturetheAtlas I asked benro and they said a network connection is required, so maybe they gave the wrong info and aren't aware that it still works even when out of cell phone coverage remote backcountry areas.
Hi Dan, thank you very much for this video. I am planning to purchase the Benro Polaris and your review is very helpful.
I have a question: if I understood correctly, you said that you photographed the foreground using another camera. How can you merge the two parts (sky and foreground) if you are not exactly in the same shooting spot?
As long as you're roughly in the same spot it's easy enough to merge using photoshop layer mask.
The main reason is because I use different focal lengths with different resolutions. for example, If I shoot the sky at 24 mm with the Sony A7III (24 mpx), I shoot the foreground at 14 or 20 mm with the Sony A1 (50mpx). Then it's easier to merge and match in Photoshop.
Parallax is not an issue when shooting the stars or their reflection at infinity.
Thanks for video man !! Nice photo off course. . .
Iam thinking of buying this benro device for my d750 and irix15
-this I see possible now,,
-only wondering if it would also be usefull for lenses like tamron 150-600
anyway tthx for the video again !
I think that lens it's too heavy and bulky for this tracker as there's no counterweight or way to balance the tracker with big payloads. My recommendation would be for focal lengths between 12 and 135, maybe jumping up to 200-300 mm considering that there might be some challenges.
Hello. Great video and thanks for all the tips/tricks and run down on the Polaris. Quick q: Is there an existing active discount code that one can use to order? If so, please share. Thanks in advance.
Yes, you can use the code 2WGJM4TS8Q for $100 off when you purchase the Benro Polaris from their official site here: www.benro.com/en/product/benro-polaris.html
Hi Dan, Terrific video. I am going to Yosemite next week. I want to do two things: a complete MW arch and then a moving timelapse the kind of captures the landscape and movement of the MW as well. I have used Polaris for Pathlapses but this would be the first time that I would use it for astro. I know for commercial reasons you may not respond but I would still like to as your guidance for these, if you can. Thanks for sharing the experience.
I'd like to help, but I've never used the BP for any other function other than the star-tracker
Terrific video. I too am considering getting a BP but up until now have been put off by the reports of problems. It is refreshing to hear that it does work. I will probably get your course before buying the BP. One question, you shot the sky at 20mm and the foreground at 14mm. How did you match up these so they looked as if it were one photo ?
Thanks, it's a great tracker!! I shoot with cameras with different resolutions, so both can be easily matched later in Photoshop. Sky with a 24 mpx camera and foreground with a 50 mpx camera ;) I explain all this step by step in the course
Nice overview. Even as a non-beginner with the BP, I'm interested in your course.
I could not agree more with your statement that 90% of issues with the BP are user errors. In so many cases they do not get their BP setup properly and almost always out of level, resulting in tracking issues. Many people purchase it and expect an easy to use device. It takes practice and a ridged setup process, but once learned it works very well.
I am disappointed that Benro seems to have placed software updates on the back burner with other products they have come out with recently. I wish they would devote more time to improving what is an arguably decent all-in-one device that is relatively easy to travel with. It has been a long while since the last update.
I couldn't agree more with all this and that's one of the reasons why I have created the course. I have seen so many frustrations and people complaining, first because we don't have patience anymore and want things right away, and secondly, because of the lack of official instruction provided. I felt that I needed to create this after all the experience, personal frustrations, and success in the field.
I hope BP hears the community and focuses on the improvements they have to make as it's an incredible tracker.
During this video were the foreground shots focus stacked as well? Curious how you would get a sharp foreground with depth at 1.8?
Nope as they were far enough. Sometimes I just close a little bit or just focus stack
For some reason I always end up with close to 180 degrees out of sync when doing the calibration process. Is there a logical explanation, why does this keep happening? I did calibrate my Iphone compass. It happened once or twice that it worked first time to get the proper alignment. The reality is that I need like 3 tot 5 tries to get it close to my second alignment target.
Found the solution apparantly for some reason it didn't notice the astro module being on there. Now it works.
Glad to see you figured it out, it's a common issue ;)
Hello can yu tell distance taht you can controle this head with wifi, it is to use for wildlife photogrphy! thanks!
Still no support for LUMIX s5 s5 II?
Always check yer boots fer thim thayre scorpions b’fer ya put’em on in der merning!🎉
Too chilly for scorpions now in Death Valley ;)
Benro seems to be a good tracker. I don't think it's for me, because I shoot in wintertime and when the skies are clear there is almost always - 20 ˚C or more and my fingers would be frozen before the tracker is aligned. MSM tracker is still my choice.
Actually it's a good idea for cold conditions as you can set it up and keep your fingers or yourself warm while the tracker works automatically. It saved me so many cold nights in the Peruvian Andes and New Zealand ;)
@@CapturetheAtlas what about the phone? Mine shuts off around -15 ˚C even it's in my pocket and you have to take the gloves off when doing the settings
In gum-boots, in the mud, in a lake-bed, with a Polaris.... This is me 😁
Great, clear explanations,
Right on! That’s the way to be (and shoot!) haha thank you! 🙏🏼
@@CapturetheAtlas I'll be out in the lake mud all through the night again in a week. Good times 😁
This will not connect to a Sony Camera
I recommend checking the issue as Sony cameras connect flawlessly to the BP ;)
@@CapturetheAtlas Had to return mine A7RV and A71V will not connect
This toy is nice with Sony cameras. If you use Nikon, it’s gonna be painful.
It's not paunful, just a couple of extra things to consider the same as with Canon and other brands.
Why i dont have button start tracking?! 🥲
Try using a different astro cable ;)