Benro Polaris Astro Star Tracker review for Milky Way photography.
- David Jensen
- Jul 10
- 7 min read
Updated: Oct 9
"2-Year Evaluation of the Benro Polaris Astro 3-Axis Head: Is It Worth It?"
Is the Benro Polaris just an expensive paperweight or a star tracker worth getting? Let's find out!
Why I Chose the Benro Polaris
In this review, I will focus on the Benro Polaris 3-Axis Head, particularly for astrophotography, specifically for capturing the Milky Way. I will discuss using the Benro Polaris for both single and panoramic images and why I chose this unit over others available on the market.
My Journey into Astrophotography
Like most beginners in Milky Way photography, I started with a simple camera and tripod. I would venture out under the night sky, pushing the limits of the 25-second exposure time that most photographers face. This limitation is due to Earth's rotation; exposures longer than 25 seconds result in blurred stars as they begin to trail. My favorite astro lens at the time was the Tokina 16-28mm f/2.8, paired with an APS-C Nikon camera.
For several years, I was content with this approach. However, I admired the breathtaking images of other astro photographers and wondered how they managed to create such clean, noise-free photos with vibrant detail and color. I also wanted to use longer focal lengths, like 35mm and 50mm, to make the Milky Way more prominent in my images.
The Catalyst for Change
One day, I went on an adventure with friends, and one of them had the MSM (Move Shoot Move) tracker. He spent the night taking two-minute exposures at ISO 800. His images were incredibly clean because he used a fast lens and a lower ISO. I have to admit, I was envious. After seeing his photos, I decided I needed a tracker to advance my Milky Way photography, and I also upgraded to the Nikon Full Frame Z7.
Choosing the Right Tracker
Which tracker should I choose? Would it be mainly for the Milky Way, or would I explore deep sky object tracking? After some consideration and reflecting on my past preferences, I decided that a Milky Way tracker would be sufficient for my needs. But which one? There was the Sky Watcher, IOptron, Move Shoot Move, and a few less prominent brands.
After discussing with family astro photographers, it boiled down to the Sky Watcher 2i or the IOptron. The fact that the IOptron works best when used with a laptop made the decision easy for me. I often travel on foot to locations and personally do not use a laptop.
I went with the Sky Watcher 2i. However, I soon discovered that it was extremely challenging to use in the Southern Hemisphere due to its inadequate polar scope. I could hardly see through it, and the alignment process was frustratingly slow. Even when I thought I had it aligned correctly, achieving proper alignment was difficult, and I found myself reverting back to simple 25-second tripod exposures.
Once I got the Sky Labs phone mount to utilize Photopils for aligning the tracker, I began experiencing much better success, though it was somewhat inconsistent. For panoramas, I had to manually move my camera and hope I got enough overlap.
The Search for Automation
"Surely, in today's modern world, someone has developed a more automated tracker using GPS?"
During my search, I came across the Benro Polaris. It looked pretty awesome—until I saw the price! In New Zealand, it was priced at $2299 with the Astro Kit—ouch! That's quite a hefty sum for something that is essentially a side hobby for most photographers. The majority of photographers don't make a living from astrophotography, so spending $2300 on a star tracker felt like a luxury.
There was also a lot of negative feedback about its complicated usage; some even referred to it as an expensive paperweight. I definitely had second thoughts. Many people mentioned that it didn't perform as expected and was full of bugs. However, I discovered online images captured by other astro photographers who loved their Benro Polaris and highlighted their breathtaking panoramic Milky Way shots. Confusion and decisions... I was uncertain about whether to purchase it or not.
Taking the Plunge
So, I ventured out a few more times with my Sky Watcher 2i, trying to capture a panoramic image of the night sky. It was not very user-friendly and felt cumbersome when attempting the panorama. The whole process was very manual. Frustrated, I went home and decided to take the plunge, spending $2299 NZD on the Benro Polaris. I sold the Sky Watcher.
Initial Impressions: A Complete Disaster!
My first trip out with the Benro Polaris was a complete disaster in every respect. However, this was all user error and not the fault of the Polaris. I did very little research on how to operate the unit and ended up never being able to successfully polar align it to a star. Lesson learned: do more research! I kept calibrating with my phone in the wrong orientation.
Hope on the Horizon
A few weeks later, after some YouTube research and test runs at home learning how to calibrate and celestial align, I headed out on my second adventure. Although I managed the alignment at home, out in the field, I could not get the unit to celestial align properly. The unit kept searching for objects in the opposite area of the sky. What was going on?
I soon discovered that I was calibrating with my phone in the wrong orientation! This part was crucial, but because of my inexperience with the unit, I did not know the phone had to be pointed in a specific direction.
So, back on YouTube, I did some more research...
I found Dan Zafra's YouTube series on the Polaris. Dan Zafra YouTube Series
I noticed that Dan had a specific course on the Benro Polaris. However, it was going to cost some money. It was called the Benro Polaris Masterclass. Benro Polaris Masterclass
I thought to myself, if I have spent nearly $2300 NZD on the Benro Polaris and the course was on sale for $200 NZD at the time, I had nothing to lose. Maybe the Polaris was just an expensive paperweight, as others had said. Maybe they were right... damn it! I was soon going to find out.
The Dan Zafra Benro Polaris Course was truly a masterclass. The course mostly focused on the Astro Module of the Benro Polaris. However, it included many great tips and tricks for using the Benro Polaris to navigate its bugs. I watched the course many times and felt super confident to go out and risk it all on one of my bucket list shots at Burnside Church. If I screwed this up, there was probably going to be a slim chance I would get the opportunity again until next year.
The skies were super clear, the Milky Way was perfectly aligned, and there was zero wind. I headed out, knowing it was going to be the night I would decide if I would succeed or end up selling the Benro Polaris to the next victim.
Success!
Here I was at my bucket list location. The skies were clear, no wind, no traffic passing by, and the Milky Way exactly where I wanted it to be.
I breathed deeply and followed the masterclass instructions, slowly and surely double-checking my settings, focus, and settings in the Polaris, making sure my calibration was spot on. It was now or never; time to take those shots. I set up my shooting parameters and waited 25 minutes for the shooting sequence to finish, nervous and apprehensive...
To my absolute joy and pleasure, I looked at the sequence on the back of my Nikon Z7 and was very happy!
The Benro Polaris: Pros and Cons
Now, I only have one star tracker, completely dependent on the Benro Polaris for all my Milky Way single and panoramic shots, with absolutely no regrets. Sure, the Benro Polaris is not perfect, but after a few firmware updates over the last two years, the Polaris has improved its reliability and accuracy. It's a much better unit once I got to know its quirks, and Benro made some firmware and software updates.
There are moments where it does random things, like lose alignment and start skewing in a weird direction. I have also experienced it losing tracking during a shoot and ruining the panorama, but these issues are very rare now. I still wonder whether it’s my fault. It's easy to get excited when out in the night sky with the Milky Way shining bright, and you forget to keep your cool and set up correctly.
I have created a small series of videos on the Benro Polaris basic functions on YouTube for further instruction on how to use the tracker.
In Summary
Do I recommend the Benro Polaris for Milky Way photography?
My answer is yes, although be prepared for a learning curve that is different from other types of trackers on the market. It's a pity Benro doesn't provide decent instruction on how to use the Polaris, and you essentially have to pay for Dan's course to understand how to use the unit correctly. In Benro's defense, it's probably difficult to cover everything in a user manual.
Pros
Makes Milky Way panoramic images an absolute breeze. You can practically set it and forget it, enjoying some relaxation time while the unit goes and does its thing.
Lightweight and very portable. It fits easily in your camera bag.
Takes a variety of lenses and can be used for deep sky in conjunction with a laptop and Alpaca if deep sky is your thing.
Shows you a preview after it takes a shot of each frame.
Battery lasts more than long enough for a good night's shooting.
Automated tracking and celestial alignment.
Plenty of automations such as Timelapse, Pathlapse, Pano, HDR, etc.
Frequent firmware updates.
You can power it from a suitable USB power bank.
Cons
Expensive. The Sky Watcher, MSM, and IOptron are half the price.
Rarely, but occasionally loses alignment during the middle of a shoot for no apparent reason and starts skewing in a weird direction.
Software bugs in some advanced functions.
Can only be controlled via smartphone or tablet that is GPS enabled, which drains your smartphone battery very quickly! (A power bank is a must.)
Would I Buy the Benro Polaris Again?
Yes, of course, but on one condition: you must do Dan Zafra's Benro Polaris Masterclass to get the best out of the unit; otherwise, you will struggle. Could you achieve the same result with other trackers? Yes, however, none of these automate tracked panoramas, something which the Benro excels at.
If you want portability, lightweight design, and the ability to do tracked automated panoramas, the Benro Polaris is the best tool for the job.
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