The Vixen Polarie About US$400 + Shipping has a weight limit of what it can take.
The Losmandy Star Lapse system US$695 + Shipping more professional looking and robust.
The Sywatcher multi tracker $559 its Alt Az, comes with 2 hand controllers and a tripod.
Of these the Skywatcher one comes with a tripod and 2 hand controllers. Its a bit unclear in the marketing if it does panning for time lapses. It implies it will but its unclear. Alt Az mounts typically are not great for tracking but the use of this for me would be up to 5 minute exposures with a DSLR using widefield DSLR lenses like 14-24mm range.
Also to do panning effects whilst doing a time lapse.
Has anyone used the above and can comment about best performance?
My main concern about the Skywatcher is that it will not track well enough for round stars 5 minutes at 50mm.
It sounds good for astrophotography but its US$1315 + shipping + GST= close to AUD$1900 and it does not do panning for time lapse which is another thing I would like the mount to do.
So its really the Losmandy versus the Skywatcher.
From what I have read the Polarie is good but very light weight. I am using a Nikon D800E and 14-24 lens (quite heavy, camera is about same or slightly less than 5D3).
Skywaycher used to be called Merlin pano head from what I gather.
I read some complaints about it slipping. But if it has a pole aligning routine in the latest Skyscan that could make it very good.
Those prices are getting pretty close to the SkyWatcher EQ3Pro goto mount, $900 from Andrews incl tripod and SynScan controller. Only pans in RA or Dec, though…
Like the Tak Sky patrol as well, handles some reasonable weight and I'm sure you can configure to pan, expensive yes but I'm sure you could pick up a used one on AM for a good price.
Takahashi has the new PM-1 coming out that looks good and has a multi-functional role costly though.
It looks a bit heavy though. I already have high end mounts and looking for something very airline portable that could be taken overseas or interstate.
Those prices are getting pretty close to the SkyWatcher EQ3Pro goto mount, $900 from Andrews incl tripod and SynScan controller. Only pans in RA or Dec, though…
[QUOTE=gregbradley;877250]
From what I have read the Polarie is good but very light weight. I am using a Nikon D800E and 14-24 lens (quite heavy, camera is about same or slightly less than 5D3).
[QUOTE]
The D800 is about 2.3 lbs loaded with battery?
Unless your 14-24 lens is really heavy your well in the clear with the Polarie.
It will take the PST no worries and most lens combinations unless you want to go overboard in which case you'd likely be better off with a EQ mount anyway with proper lens support.
It is extremely airline portable too. It really takes up next to no space.
I saw a Polarie on the weekend. My gut instinct was that it would be OK for a small DSLR, but would struggle with a bigger DSLR. Don't really think it's what you're after Greg
Alex Cherney was using a Polarie the night of the Malin Awards at the Dish and he had a Nikon D3s + 14-24 sitting on it, albeit only using it for Az panning that night so therefore not straining it at all. I think it might struggle with that weight though doing polar tracking because of the angles involved. So it depends what you want to use it for. After seeing it in action I think I'll get a Polarie for panning then maybe another EQ mount system to take the heavy equipment for polar tracking. The Polarie is so small it will be great for travelling. I'll get one for my possible round the world trip next year!
If Alex doesn't reply to this send him a message and ask him for his thoughts. I'd be interested to know more from him about it too!
What do other award winning animators use, such as Phil Hart and Colin Legg?
Happy to stand corrected from someone who has used one, but I agree with your thoughts that the "RA bearing" might struggle under load. There's nothing to counterbalance the camera's weight.
I would disagree with that slightly. Sure it has it's limits but as a purely widefield accessory it will take any modern dslr and shorter length lens.
I can't test it's max load out myself or at least haven't thought of a way of testing it's capacity but I'm willing to bet it's a bit over the weight listed.
There is even this guy in Japan who is making up various systems and even with counter balances, with varying success.
So I guess depending on what you exactly want it could be perfect for it. If you want to loads lots of things on it then probably not.
It's a solid little unit. It will make light work of any dslr and 18-24mm lens.
I'm not saying that is what Greg should purchase as it may not be for him just I wouldn't write the polarie off because of minor weight concerns.
[QUOTE=JB80;877461][QUOTE=gregbradley;877250]
From what I have read the Polarie is good but very light weight. I am using a Nikon D800E and 14-24 lens (quite heavy, camera is about same or slightly less than 5D3).
Quote:
The D800 is about 2.3 lbs loaded with battery?
Unless your 14-24 lens is really heavy your well in the clear with the Polarie.
It will take the PST no worries and most lens combinations unless you want to go overboard in which case you'd likely be better off with a EQ mount anyway with proper lens support.
It is extremely airline portable too. It really takes up next to no space.
I just weighed my D800E, 14-24 lens, grip with 2 batteries total = 5.2lbs.
Camera with body is about 2.25lbs, lens is about 2lbs, grip is about 1lb.
I suppose I could take the grip off and run off a power supply or only use freshly charged batteries. That would take it down to about 4.2lbs which is under the Polarie's limit of 4.4 lbs.
[QUOTE=JB80;877461][QUOTE=gregbradley;877250]
From what I have read the Polarie is good but very light weight. I am using a Nikon D800E and 14-24 lens (quite heavy, camera is about same or slightly less than 5D3).
Quote:
The D800 is about 2.3 lbs loaded with battery?
Unless your 14-24 lens is really heavy your well in the clear with the Polarie.
It will take the PST no worries and most lens combinations unless you want to go overboard in which case you'd likely be better off with a EQ mount anyway with proper lens support.
It is extremely airline portable too. It really takes up next to no space.
Yes that is a huge plus, the fact it is so small. I really am only after the ability to do 5 minute subs with round stars at 50mm. Anything more than that and I put the camera on my PMX mount.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Adelastro1
Alex Cherney was using a Polarie the night of the Malin Awards at the Dish and he had a Nikon D3s + 14-24 sitting on it, albeit only using it for Az panning that night so therefore not straining it at all. I think it might struggle with that weight though doing polar tracking because of the angles involved. So it depends what you want to use it for. After seeing it in action I think I'll get a Polarie for panning then maybe another EQ mount system to take the heavy equipment for polar tracking. The Polarie is so small it will be great for travelling. I'll get one for my possible round the world trip next year!
If Alex doesn't reply to this send him a message and ask him for his thoughts. I'd be interested to know more from him about it too!
What do other award winning animators use, such as Phil Hart and Colin Legg?
That's good to know. I'll send him a PM.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DavidTrap
Happy to stand corrected from someone who has used one, but I agree with your thoughts that the "RA bearing" might struggle under load. There's nothing to counterbalance the camera's weight.
DT
Or the Losmandy system which can handle more weight, has less PE (Polarie is about 15arc sec and Losamandy 8). Its a bit more expensive but looks like it can handle the load.
Sywatcher multi function tracker sounds on paper to be good but what little reviews I could find made it sound like it can slip under load.
I just weighed my D800E, 14-24 lens, grip with 2 batteries total = 5.2lbs.
Camera with body is about 2.25lbs, lens is about 2lbs, grip is about 1lb.
I suppose I could take the grip off and run off a power supply or only use freshly charged batteries. That would take it down to about 4.2lbs which is under the Polarie's limit of 4.4 lbs.
Greg.
Minus the grip you would be laughing, but taking a power supply increases what you need to carry so I guess the is always a trade off.
I feel it has more in it than the 4.4 lb limit though but cannot be certain until I find something to load it up with.
Quote:
Yes that is a huge plus, the fact it is so small. I really am only after the ability to do 5 minute subs with round stars at 50mm. Anything more than that and I put the camera on my PMX mount.
Given that if I'm taking my camera with me I'm generally taking a tripod too it can fit real easy in any gap the tripod creates in the luggage, it really is like carrying a vhs around, two if you leave it in the box.
5 min subs may be stretching it though at 50mm. It depends on your latitude though, the higher you go the longer the subs you can take. I'm not sure if that's reversed in the south though.
That said this was a 1 minute sub I took tonight at 300mm and I know that alignment was not perfect and zoomed in there is slight trailing but for 300mm and out of whack it's pretty good.
Mind you the pic itself isn't great due to the LP here and I have only shrunk it's size nothing else.
FWIW, Oceanside Phot. & Telescope (OPT) in San Diego seems to have four or five Astro-Trac TT320Xs (used) at aroud the US $500 mark.
I would think shipping would be around US $100.
I've not used the Astro-Trac myself, but a local pro-tographer I know loves his.
I was looking at this too a while ago but after 2 hours you have to stop it and wind the worm gear back and start it again! No good for long timelapses of several hours! It's fine for single shots though. But it can carry up to 15kg supposedly and is accurate to 5 arcseconds over 5 mins.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Waxing_Gibbous
FWIW, Oceanside Phot. & Telescope (OPT) in San Diego seems to have four or five Astro-Trac TT320Xs (used) at aroud the US $500 mark.
I would think shipping would be around US $100.
I've not used the Astro-Trac myself, but a local pro-tographer I know loves his.
