Benro Polaris Online Course: Star Tracker Setup, Stacking & Panoramas

The Benro Polaris is a powerful star tracker. It can handle stacking, tracking and full panoramas for you, which saves a lot of work in the field.

Getting it to work, though, is often harder than it looks. Many owners run into connection problems, camera issues, tracking errors and odd behavior. That’s where most of the negative reviews and complaints on YouTube, forums and chats come from.

Most problems come from how it’s used.

Dan Zafra has worked with the Polaris since its launch. He has also worked with more than 100 units and every camera model on workshops around the world. In his experience, more than 90% of Benro Polaris problems are user errors. They can be avoided once you know how to spot them and how to work around them.

The Polaris has been Dan’s main star tracker for two years, and he has taken some of the best images of his astrophotography career with it.

The course is for you whether you’ve just unboxed a new Polaris or have been using one for a while. It covers gear, connections and a step-by-step setup, then moves on to advanced techniques like multi-row panoramas and lesser-known settings.

15 lessons · 4 hrs 30 min

Course content

Introduction: what the course covers and the best way to start.
Included gear & recommendations: what comes in the box, plus a few accessories that make fieldwork easier.
App & phone connection: how to connect your phone to the Polaris without the most common connection problems.
Camera connection: the right cables, settings and other things to check when connecting your camera.
Camera configuration & settings: in-camera settings that prevent many problems with the Polaris.
Polaris settings & interface: the main interface, plus hidden settings few people know about.
Complete step-by-step workflow: from taking the tracker out of the box to the end of your astro session.
Stacking: how to stack multiple images with the Polaris.
Standard panorama mode: how to use it, and one issue that can stop it from working.
Pro panorama mode: a step-by-step guide to automatic panoramas from start to finish.
Multi-row tracked panoramas: how the Polaris calculates auto panoramas, and little-known tricks for multi-row panoramas with long focal lengths.
Capturing foregrounds: using the Polaris for foregrounds as well as the sky, and how to avoid the main problems.
Tips & best practices: ways to work faster and more efficiently with your tracker.
Problems & workarounds: the most common Benro Polaris problems and how to fix them.
Conclusion: key reminders for using your Polaris.

Your instructor: Dan Zafra

Dan Zafra created the course and teaches it. He is a professional landscape astrophotographer and educator and the co-founder of Capture the Atlas. What drives him most is helping other people find their creative side and photograph the night sky.