Thank you for sharing, How is the experience on using the Panasonic Camera on the Benro polaris unit. Any function using experience? focusing stars on your screen clearly feed with liveview? could you share some insight use please. Thank you.
Thank you for your feedback. So far I have used the Benro with the S5 Mk II and everything works very well. We have had very few clear skies but I have had no issues focusing on the stars and seeing clearly on the screen. Also tracking works well. I will be doing a future video on the performance and also on tracking including tracked panoramas. Is there something specific you would like me to create?
Benro says that auto-leveling does not work with Astro tracking. I can see why. However, in order to use the auto-leveling function, we need the Astro module! Really?!
Since the base unit is used to do two-axis leveling we need the ability to orient the camera direction and that needs the rotation capacity of the astro module. It does make it more expensive but if you have a leveling base or a leveling bowl you can do your leveling mechanically and quite well.
Really struggling with this feature. It seems to be solving a none problem. If the mount is not perfectly level can't you simply use software in post processing.. Lightroom, PS and most other photo app packages can do alignment and merging of images as a standard feature.
Yes leveling is not a big problem as it can be achieved with any ball or geared head. Where it is critical is in astro photography where you need to track accurately and for creating great panoramas and motion lapses. The Polaris gives you none of these. However, your comment about post processing is accurate but you end up cropping valuable data if your image is badly off level.
@@ShivVermaphotography I have used dedicated Astro GoTo mounts in the past and as you say they all need polar alignment for accurate tracking. Plus, for really long exposures then guiding becomes essential. The attraction of the Polaris mount to me was the speed and simplicity of set-up. No polar alignment is needed. I simply use a my iPhone as a bubble level and manually adjust the tripod legs until I achieve "good enough" accuracy. i.e. Within 1º. If Benro release two star alignment then that really would help.
I’m confused. The auto leveling feature is then for any mode EXCEPT Astro, is that correct? So if I download the upgraded firmware, and shoot Astro, viz Milky Way pano, deep sky etc, the auto leveling will be automatically disabled? Because once you’ve started tracking you don’t want to disrupt the alignment of it kicks in on its own.
Any mode that is not static/stationary can not be used with auto leveling. NO Astro no PANO, motion Timelapse etc. Only single photos, stacked photos, hdr, and video.
I was inspired to test auto leveling to see if now that the astro accessory axis of rotation is vertical one could shoot a panorama through rotation of the astro head. Nope. This capability would be useful for landscape panoramas. Without this capability why bother with auto leveling a Polaris? In fact why bother burdening your tripod with the Polaris at all if all you are doing is single shots? Executing a pro mode landscape panorama with auto leveling could actually be useful, and convenient: rotate to the start and end points, enter the lens focal length, sensor size, orientation, and desired overlap, and press start. Include executing an HDR exposure bracket at each position as an option to take even greater advantage of automation.
Hi, I am not quite sure of your comment. Yes, auto leveling is only possible with the astro module, but you do not need the Polaris to do panoramas except if you want it automated. Thanks for watching. Appreciated.
@@ShivVermaphotography Indeed, manually shooting panoramas is a straightforward process, and the Benro Polaris offers two modes for automating the process. What puzzles me is of what use is auto-leveling? Once leveled the remaining functionality is so limited as to be trivial. One possibility that could be useful is a third automated panorama mode that pans the now leveled astro head. I’ve suggested this in an email to Benro (taking advantage of an established dialogue).
Since the documentation is absolutely awful, could you kindly produce videos that shows step-by-step guys for each of the shooting modes?
Hi - I have just returned from Africa after a month of safaris. Yes, I will do my best to get some of your requests satisfied. Regards.
@@ShivVermaphotography Thank you, looking forward to it.
Thank you for sharing,
How is the experience on using the Panasonic Camera on the Benro polaris unit. Any function using experience? focusing stars on your screen clearly feed with liveview? could you share some insight use please. Thank you.
Thank you for your feedback. So far I have used the Benro with the S5 Mk II and everything works very well. We have had very few clear skies but I have had no issues focusing on the stars and seeing clearly on the screen. Also tracking works well. I will be doing a future video on the performance and also on tracking including tracked panoramas. Is there something specific you would like me to create?
Benro says that auto-leveling does not work with Astro tracking. I can see why. However, in order to use the auto-leveling function, we need the Astro module! Really?!
I have the Benro Polaris with the Astro kit. Trust me, that's how it works. Yet another BP contradiction.
Since the base unit is used to do two-axis leveling we need the ability to orient the camera direction and that needs the rotation capacity of the astro module. It does make it more expensive but if you have a leveling base or a leveling bowl you can do your leveling mechanically and quite well.
Really struggling with this feature. It seems to be solving a none problem. If the mount is not perfectly level can't you simply use software in post processing.. Lightroom, PS and most other photo app packages can do alignment and merging of images as a standard feature.
Yes leveling is not a big problem as it can be achieved with any ball or geared head. Where it is critical is in astro photography where you need to track accurately and for creating great panoramas and motion lapses. The Polaris gives you none of these. However, your comment about post processing is accurate but you end up cropping valuable data if your image is badly off level.
@@ShivVermaphotography I have used dedicated Astro GoTo mounts in the past and as you say they all need polar alignment for accurate tracking. Plus, for really long exposures then guiding becomes essential. The attraction of the Polaris mount to me was the speed and simplicity of set-up. No polar alignment is needed. I simply use a my iPhone as a bubble level and manually adjust the tripod legs until I achieve "good enough" accuracy. i.e. Within 1º. If Benro release two star alignment then that really would help.
@@davidthompson3876 So true. I have been given to understand that 2 star alignment is going to be released very soon.
Would help to show cable connections which the instructions on the Benro Polaris do a poor job of showing.
Thank you. I will cover this at the earliest.
I’m confused. The auto leveling feature is then for any mode EXCEPT Astro, is that correct? So if I download the upgraded firmware, and shoot Astro, viz Milky Way pano, deep sky etc, the auto leveling will be automatically disabled? Because once you’ve started tracking you don’t want to disrupt the alignment of it kicks in on its own.
Any mode that is not static/stationary can not be used with auto leveling. NO Astro no PANO, motion Timelapse etc. Only single photos, stacked photos, hdr, and video.
Auto leveling requires the Astro Module but does no leveling for Astro at all. For base leveling Benro would like you to use the Theta tripod system.
could you use the playbal elitel to level the polaris
Yes you could for sure. Thank you for watching.
I was inspired to test auto leveling to see if now that the astro accessory axis of rotation is vertical one could shoot a panorama through rotation of the astro head. Nope. This capability would be useful for landscape panoramas. Without this capability why bother with auto leveling a Polaris? In fact why bother burdening your tripod with the Polaris at all if all you are doing is single shots? Executing a pro mode landscape panorama with auto leveling could actually be useful, and convenient: rotate to the start and end points, enter the lens focal length, sensor size, orientation, and desired overlap, and press start. Include executing an HDR exposure bracket at each position as an option to take even greater advantage of automation.
Hi, I am not quite sure of your comment. Yes, auto leveling is only possible with the astro module, but you do not need the Polaris to do panoramas except if you want it automated. Thanks for watching. Appreciated.
@@ShivVermaphotography Indeed, manually shooting panoramas is a straightforward process, and the Benro Polaris offers two modes for automating the process. What puzzles me is of what use is auto-leveling? Once leveled the remaining functionality is so limited as to be trivial. One possibility that could be useful is a third automated panorama mode that pans the now leveled astro head. I’ve suggested this in an email to Benro (taking advantage of an established dialogue).