Oprema
GEAR
On this page you can see all of the equipment i currently use for astro-landscape photography. Some of the purchase links also contain affiliate links where you can buy products at the same price, but i will get a small commission on the sale with which you will support my work. Some of the products also contain certain discounts that you get by entering the voucher code.
A big thank you to all the companies that support me with their products: Fornax Mounts, Sunwayfoto, Focus On Stars, The Heat Company, Silence Corner and TTasrtisian.
Cameras
Nikon Z6iia
My favourite photography toy! With a 24mp sensor it can capture a sufficient amount of data with low noise. It is one of the best camera for astro-landscape photography on the market today ( 2024 ). I love everything about it, and wont replace it for a long time. It is astromodified by Astrolab Service with UV/IR cut filter ( H-Alpha ).
In late 2024 i replaced Z6 with Z6II, because of few additional features.
Extended internal shutter + type C charhing via powerbank + two memmory slots for backup.
Nikon Z6iia
My second Nikon Z6IIA, identical to the first one, and it is also astromodified with UV/IR cut filter ( H-Alpha ). I bought it because it allows me to shot multiple compositions during the night. And since I have two trackers, I can make full use of them.
In late 2024 i replaced Z6 with Z6II, because of few additional features.
Extended internal shutter + type C charhing via powerbank + two memmory slots for backup.
Nikon Z fc
Nikon Z fc hides many convenient features for astrophotography. Besides that it has an apsc sensor ( 21mpx ), which adds a few millimeters to all of my full frame lenses. It also has some nice features like: integrated maximum shutter speed of 900s, direct charging via powerbank, movie timelapse, exposure smoothing, its very light and compact, sensor is also pretty good for astro …
Lenses
TTArtisian 11MM f2.8
I am very suprised by the quality of this lens. The ratio price vs. quality is excellent. Stars in the corners looks nice even with wide open aperture. Probably one of the best, if not the best fisheye lens for astrophotography on the market today.
Tamron 70-200MM G2 F2.8
In the two years, since i have owned it, i have taken a lot of “deepscape” images with it. If you ask me, there is no better zoom lenses for astrophotography on the market today, especially not in this price range. It is very handy due to the large focal length range. The lens is very sharp and at f3.5 offers very good results from corner to corner at all focal lengths.
Sigma 20MM f1.4 DG DN
A lens that i bought as soon as it came on the market. After testing 4 best wide angle lenses ( Sony 20 1.8, Sony 24 1.4GM, Sigma 20 1.4 DG DN and Sigma 24 1.4 DG DN), this one was by far the best. We have to admit that Sigma has a lot of high quality lenses for astrophotography on the market. With this lens I can shoot with the shutter fully open and get very good results. Very good feature is also focus lock which stays in place even if you turn off your camera or camera goes to sleep.
Tamron 35MM SP F1.4
I could say that this is my flagship of all the lenses. It is also one of my first purchases that i am most happy about it. I simply love this focal range, both for single frames and panoramas. With it i can easily acquire a large amount of data. Undoubtedly the most used lens in my collection. It is just perfect and i can use it at f2 with pinpoint stars and the best sharpness on the market in this focal range for shure.
Tamron 85MM SP F1.8
Like all other Tamron lenses, also this 85mm prime lens is worth every penny. The ratio between price and quality is superb. Nowadays you can get a used one at a very low price. I mostly use it for “deepscape” shots where i want to take a closer shot of object in the sky together with interesting foreground, or even to shot some bigger mosaics. I can use it at f2.5 with very good quality of the stars.
Samyang 135MM F2.0
As you have probably heard many times, the Samyang 135 f2 is the perfect and most used astro lens. You can use it for dso, “deepscape shots” or even some big mosaics where you would like to get out as many details as possible. If you get a good copy of this lens it is already perfect wide open at f2.0. from corner to corner of course with some vignetting on the edges.
Sony FE 14mm F1.8 GM
This is undoubtedly the best ultra-wide lens ever made for astro- landscape photography. With its weight, size and incredible optics, there is no better primer ultra-wide lens on the market right now than this one. I can get incredibly good results even with a fully open aperture ( f1.8 ). From one edge to the other, the lens is as sharp as a razor, without chromatic aberration, the stars look very beautiful even in the corners, especially if we consider that this is an ultra-wide lens. However, as with all other lens companies, it is also true even with Sony that every copy of the lens is not perfect. Because of that it is necessary to do a test on the stars before keeping it.
NIKKOR Z 50 F1.8 S
My latest acquisition is my first native Z lens with a fixed focal length of 50mm. I have been eyeing this lens for a long time to add to my collection. It is one of the best astro lenses at this focal length. I especially like the fact that the lens is very light ( twice as lighter then Sigma 50 1.4 ), it is a native lens for Nikon Z adnd thus I don’t need any extra adapter for it. Its optical performance compared to the price is incredible. My intention with this lens is to shoot mosaics and single frames. It is very good also at the corners.
STAR TRACKERS
Fornax lightrack 2 ( ambassador )
I am proud that with my work i can contribute one tiny part to such a successful company. Fornax Lightrack 2 is currently the most accurate portable star tracker on the market. The peak-to-peak unguided tracking error of the LighTrack is less than 2 arcseconds. At the heart of the LighTrack is the precision motor and the friction drive. The fine friction strip makes the movement of the mount very balanced. Its compact size, lightweight but robust body paired with outstanding tracking accuracy makes the LighTrack II an ideal choice in the market of portable trackers.
Benro polaris
As soon as the Benro company announced this fully automatic head on the Kickstarter project, i decided to pledge it. To date, i have made many automatic panoramas, mosaics and various compositions with it. It nice because you actually have free hands and do not need to touch a device at all when shooting big panoramas. The accuracy of the tracking depends mainly on the accuracy of leveling under the head. It is good for focal range till 200mm, but i have already seen pretty good results made with longer lenses than 200mm. You can also create some motion time lapses, however the software itself will need some more upgrade.
MOVE SHOOT MOVE NOMAD
In 2024 i decided to give it a go with this new star tracker from Move Shoot Move. Many thanks to the company for sending me this little magic device. I am really suprised by the size, its extra small, you cant even notice that you have it in the backpack. And the most important is that the tracking accuracy is really good for such a tiny device. For now i only tried few ultra wide shots and i can say that i am more than happy. This tracker is gonna be my tracker for longer hikes, where each gram is important. It is also very simple to use, with calibrated laser pointer you can do the polar alignment very fast and precise.
VOUCHER CODE 15%: THANKYOU-18E3Qr
AFFILIATE LINK AT THE BUTTON BUY.
Tripods and heads
Sunwayfoto T3240CK ( ambassador )
It is a versatile carbon fiber tripod with a high load capacity of 25kg which makes it perfect for astro-landscape photography. It is waterproof, solid and sturdy, very small when folded:51cm and lightweight: 1,5kg. I can recommend it to everyone who is looking for easy to carry, but at the same time very solid tripod with a good price.
VOUCHER CODE 5%: UROSFINK
Leofoto Ranger LS364C
I bought this tripod because of excellent price to performance ratio. One of the best tripod for this price on the market. With 36mm of max tube diameter makes it very strong and can hold a huge amount of heavy equipment above it. I have been using it in the snow, under the water, in hot and very cold temperatures and it is working perfectly. It is my favourite tripod of all time.
SIRUI AM-223 Travel Tripod + Two-Section Center Column
I bought this mini carbon fiber tripod mainly for longer hikes, to shot some composition with limited space and close up shots just above the ground.
And i can say that it came very handy for a few times already. I shot inside the small cave with it, where i could place my bigger tripods, i shot a lot of close up compositions where i needed to be clost to the ground. I also take it with me for a long hike on the mountains, and could simply put it inside my backpack without knowing its there ( 20cm folded, 0.5kg without ballhead and center column ). It also serve me as my third tripod when shooting a lot of compositions during some crazy nights. Working height can be adjust from 58mm to 660mm ( with center column ) without ballhead. Spikes and bag are also included. The quality of this small tripod is simply the best.
I am using it with included ballhead B-OOK which has good enough payload.
Its a really well spent money, and i can highly recommend it to anyone.
Nodal Ninja Advanced Rotator Panning Clamp PCD5 × 1
My latest equipment acquisition. Panoramic rotator with an option of presetting the desired degrees. With this tool i am gonna be able to rotate my cameras even faster while shooting panoramas. The quality of the product and material used is at the highest possible level. With 5,10,12,24,30 preset degrees i am gonna be able to use it for focal length all the way from 14mm till 150mm without having to use headlamp or looking for how many degrees i need to rotate my panning clamp.
Sunwayfoto Lb-90R leveling base ( ambassador )
This leveling base made by Sunwayfoto is a piece of masterful equipment without which i do not go anywhere anymore. It s a perfect tool for faster assembly photography setup, easier balancing gear on top of it and it is also good for faster polar alignment and few other extra secrets using new built in pano rotator on top. Built in pano rotator is the main reason why i replace my older Sunwayfoto leveling base with this new one + it looks and feel even better. With a large platform diameter of 90mm and high payload: 25kg is a great companion for my Fornax tracker. I also love the locking design of it.
VOUCHER CODE 5%: UROSFINK
Sunwayfoto Lb-68R leveling base ( ambassador )
This leveling base made by Sunwayfoto is a piece of masterful equipment without which i do not go anywhere anymore. It s a perfect tool for faster assembly photography setup, easier balancing gear on top of it and it is also good for faster polar alignment and few other extra secrets using new built in pano rotator on top.
With a large platform diameter of 68mm and good enough payload: 10kg is a great companion for my Benro polaris/Nomad tracker. The size of it is perfect, because i can fold the Benro polaris without touching/destroying the gear.
VOUCHER CODE 5%: UROSFINK
2x Atoll model c ( ambassador )
It’s a camera rotate tool. Like a tripod collar, but way more lighter, easier and faster to install and you can use it with almost all cameras and lenses. I use them instead of L-brackets. With it i can place my camera with lens in a more balanced position and easily access all the ports on my cameras. I can simply rotate my camera around its axis within a seconds. Its a perfect gadget for astro-landscape photographers with nice design and features.
SUNWAYFOTO XB-44DL 44mm Ballhead Low Profile BALLLHEAD ( ambassador )
Superior Low-Profile Ballhead ia a great addition for my astrophotography expeditions.
I love using it for single shots or some deepscape with my Fornax Lightrack 2i tracker where everything needs to be as good as possible and each piece of gear counts at the end.
Whole center of gravity is lowered more then 15% compared to traditional ballheads. This is actually pretty important, because we want to have our cameras as low as possible above the star tracker for better stability and even more precise tracking. With 25kg of payload i can put on this ballhead as much as i want. Two drop notch design also comes handy, because i can point my camera in more direction without needing to rotate panning base of the ballhead.
Special structure makes it the lightest of its class, knobs are made of metal for reliability and long use term.
Screw/lever combo of the arca-swiss clamp is very easy and fast to use in the night time.
I love using this ballhead, and i didnt have anykind of problem with it till now. I highly recommend it.
VOUCHER CODE 5%: UROSFINK
LS-75 Ring Lens Support ( ambassador )
Today we have a lot of different types and companies who are selling camera rotate toll. I wanted to try Sunwayfoto model LS-75 which is designed for dslr cameras.
As original, without modifications, i can use it with Nikon z6 and zfc camera with native lenses or in combination with megadap, techart adapters ( Sony bayonet ).
In order to be able to use this model in combination with the ftz adapter and dslr lenses, I had to drill additional threaded holes in one of the attached plates. Now its working perfect with all of my gear and i can say its very sturdy, solid and the most important for astrophotography there is no wobble.
2x Sunwayfoto tilt head dt-03 ( ambassador )
A piece of equipment that is indispensable for me. It serves me as leveling base for making big panoramas, or even as wedge for Fornax Lightrack 2. I am just in love in this Tilt head. It is very solid, stable, lightweight with high payload. You could use it instead of a ballhead also. I actually have two of them and i would not defend myself with a third one.
VOUCHER CODE 5%: UROSFINK
Sirui k-20x balhead
This is a classic ball head which i use for deep sky shots or “deepscapes”. With it i can quickly change compositions or find an object in the Sky. It is very solid, 420g weight and it comes with high payload of 25kg. It is a good choice for heavy equipment or telephoto lenses. After 3 years of use the head no longer runs so smoothly, and gets stuck a bit, but still works.
BAGS
Shimoda x70 starter kit
One of my most difficult, but at the same time one of the best purchases of photography equipment. Difficult, because it was hard for me to shell out so much money for a backpack, and good because i cannot imagine going anywhere without this photographic backpack anymore. With 70L of space and XL insert this backpack is big enough to carry almost all of my gear on this list of my gear. With one word: Perfection!
Pouch bags for shimoda
These are additional pouch bags for carrying any kind of gear or even clothes. If i am running out of space in my Shimoda backpack, i tie them at the bottom and sides of the backpack. They are very convenient for few day photography trips.
2x boona bags for accessories
Pouches for storing smaller accessories such as cables, batteries, powerbanks, lens warmers, screws, remote shutters and so on…I put these pouch bags in my backpack always when i go out. In this way i am more organized at night and do not waste unnecessary time for searching smaller pieces of gear all over my backpack.
OTHER GEAR
Focus on stars masks (ambassador)
Focusing tool for Landscape and Deep Sky Astrophotography. Anyone who thinks that such a focusing tool are not needed has plenty of images that are out of perfect focus. If they are just little out of focus, stars may look sharp, but the chromatic aberration will show up on the lenses. It is very easy to use. I simply hold the filter in front of the lens with my hand, while with other one i am focusing. There are 2 different focusing filter: Wide for 14-50mm lenses and Telephoto for 30-400mm lenses.
Techart TZE 01 adapter
This is Sony E – Nikon Z Autofocus Adapter. With this adapter i can use all Sony E mount lenses on my Nikon Z6 without loosing any optical quality. With using this adapter lenses loose their functions, such as FN button, focus does reset when the camera goes to sleep or when you turn it off despite the focus lock function. While AF and all other functions like exif data are working good. It is very thin, and you need to be careful with it to not brake it.
Megadap etz 21 adapter
Sony E – Nikon Z Autofocus Adapter. It has the same role as the Techart, only that this adapter is even better. Focus lock function is working even if you turn your camera off, or camera goes to sleep, focus stays in the locked pre-set position, which can be a time saviour in the night time. Also AF is much faster than with Techart with all the exif data written in the camera. I have two of them because i do have two cameras and i am planing to buy some additional Sony E -mount lenses in the near future.
2X NIKON FTZ II MOUNT ADAPTER
In 2024, I replaced mine older version FTZ adapters with a neewer model FTZ II because of one important thing. When using atoll, or any other lens collar ring, i dont need to screw it on the FTZ and change the height of the ring. In the middle of the night when i wanted to change the Nikon dslr lens with Sony mount lens there was a lot screwing, tightening. All of this takes time, and makes you nerves during the night. Now, with FTZII i dont need to do any of those steps, which is much faster.
+ FTZII is a bit lighter an not that bulky.
led light pad A5
Simple led light panel in A5 format for easier carrying around. I am using this panel for creating flat frames when i am shooting with telephoto lenses. This led light pad has the same brightness across all the panel and because of that is very good gadget for creating flat panels. It also has adjustable brightness, very light and it is powering via usb cable.
2x Pixel tw 283
Remote Control Wireless TW-283 allows you to trigger your camera wirelessly, up to a distance of more than 80 meters. I have two of them for my 2 Nikon Z6 cameras. Without this remote controller i cannot shot in bulb mode or longer than 30s. So this is a must have tool for long exposure photography if your camera does not support internal exposure longer than 30s.
2X COOWOO USB Lens Warmers 450mm
This is my new lens defogging heater with temperature regulator. I bought it because i heard only good things about this product. Some of my friends have been using it for a longer period without any problems, even in very low temperatures. It fits lenses up to 41cm circumference, while cable is very long 2.2m including heat regulator which also comes very handy when shooting panoramas. I will be able to tell about the long-term experience a bit later.
nitecore NU25 USB headlamp
On of the lightest if not the lightest headlamp on the market today. With maximum 360lumen output, CRI LED which produces a warm 20-lumen beam and renders colors and details better than cool white outputs, a secondary red LED for preserving night vision, three special modes (red caution/SOS/Beacon) for emergencies and signaling, long battery life and with rechargeable battery makes it great for astrophotographers.
2X MOVE SHOOT MOVE 5mw AJUSTABLE LASER + LASER ADAPTER
I receive my MSM Nomad star tracker together with this tiny laser pointer. And oooh man i can tell you i love it so much!
Its smaller and lighter compared to other laser pointer, you can charger it vis usb type c cabel, you can calibrate it for more precise Polar Alignment. Laser needs to be screw on Nomad using laser adapter, and thats how the laser is safely in place. And the best thing is that with a bit of help of my friend, now i can screw this laser on my Fornax Lightrack 2i arm. This makes using Fornax tracker much easier and faster without needing to use polarscope.
I felt in love with this laser pointer so much and because i do have two trackers where i can use it, i ordered one more!
forclaz trek 500 headlamp
This is my backup headlamp. It has Large beam (200 lm) with 60 m range, rechargeable battery by micro usb, secondary red light for preserving night vision and not disturbing other photographers.
saiyu step up voltage converter cable 5V to 12V USB
This step up cable will keep your device workable with a power bank. IC circuit will protect your device over load. It helps the cable in steady current&steady voltage, when your output or input is over the limit of the cable, it will lower the current to protect your devices. I need this step up cable to connect the Fornax Lightrack 2 to the powerbank. And till now i did not have any problems with it.
3x Nitecore NB10000 GEN II
I have a few powerbanks because I do have three cameras with which sometimes i work at the same time. Three lens warmers, three trackers, Iphone.. All of this needs a lot of batteries to work smoothly over a night.
I recently bought 3x Nitecore NB 10000 Gen2 ultra thin fast charging power banks.
This is the lightest 10.000mah powerbank on the market you can get today ( 150g), and this is also the reason why i did decide to purchase those batteries.
Now that i have all 3 cameras with type-c charging, i can simply charge them with powerbanks, and i can shot all night long without needing to change the batteries.
digital camera battery charger
With this battery charger i can charge the batteries while i am on the go or even while i am shooting outside. It can charge two batteries at the same time, and the best is that i can connect it to powerbank for fast charging. Really good and cheap piece of gear which comes especially handy for few days trips where is no electricity.
SMALLRIG TC2713 9in1 Multi-Tool
Must have tool for photographers combines 9 fold-out tools with threaded storage holes to keep the screws within easy reach. It is handmade of stainless steel tools and an aluminium housing with the weight of 78g. It consists of a wide and narrow flat head screwdriver, a Phillips screwdriver PH1 and Allen keys H1.5, H2.0, H2.5, H3.0, H4.0, 3/16 + threaded holes on one side for as storage space for M2.5, M3, M4, M5 and 1/4″-20 screws. I love it! Super tool for night photographers.
LEE Filters 100mm System Polyester Soft Filter
A lot of people are asking me if i am using some additional H-Alpha filter, or some Light Pollution filter. So the answer is no, those are my first and only filters i started using them for astrophotography.
Probably those filters are the best filters on the market for astrophotography today.
Unfortunatelly they are out of stock, because Lee company dont produce it anymore. I did have a bit of luck, because i found a store which still had a few of those filters in stock. So now, i do have soft 4 and 5 to create some dreamy look effect on the stars. It gives bigger stars more pop-up, boosting colors and soft looking smaller stars.
I simply hold the filter with my hand in front of the lens. And normally i do create two frames: one without filter, and one with filter and a bit different settings.
You fall in love sooner or later when you see the final result.
You can only find few of Lee soft 4 filters in UK store.
Lexar CF express Card Type B 256GB + SDXC UHS-I SILVER 256GB
When i upgraded my Nikons Z6 to Z6II i also bought new memory cards for both camera. Now that i have 2slots in camera on is gonna serve me as backup, in a case something goes wrong with one of the card.
My main card is now CF Express Card Type B from Lexar with really fast read/write speed and 256gb of space. While my second card is SDXC UHS-I with the same amount of space.
Post processing gear
Macbook pro m1 max 2021
This is my latest acquisition as far as post production goes. Before i bought this expensive workstation i was working on a pc and one of the older macbook. I was unhappy with the performance of the pc which had pretty good components. When i was working on big projects, my pc often froze and it was pretty slow compared to my older mac. I have been so frustrated that i decided to invest my money in the best possible macbook so i can enjoy working on my projects. We, astrophotographers spend a lot of time with editing our images, and working on such a powerful machine is just amazing. It is much faster than my previous pc workstation, flawless and because i do a lot of work away from home, THIS IS AN INDISPENSABLE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.
Macbook pro 15" retina 2014
This is my older model of Macbook that runs on Intel processor. And this is also the reason why I kept it. Unfortunately we cannot run all programs and plugins on new M1 processors. I only use it for specific plugins. I installed windows on this Macbook, which I don’t run virtually, but as bootable windows.
Benq sw321c
Benq SW 321C is considered as one of the best photographic monitors on the market. It covers 99% AdobeRGB, 95% P3, 100% sRGB. When i am editing images at home, this is my primary monitor. Macbook pro m1 max is connected with monitor via thunderbolt 2 which is also powering Macbook at the same time.
Colorchecker display pro
The Calibrite ColorChecker Display Pro is an innovative calibration tool that gives you the speed and ample flexibility to achieve colour accuracy. Colour perfectionists know that it is crucial to work with a well-calibrated, profiled display for an efficient digital workflow. This means you spend less time perfecting colour fidelity, plus the colour of the image on the screen matches the colour of the final print. I am using this device a couple of times a year.
Synology ds220j ( 2x 8tb WD RED )
This is my backup workstation with 16b of memory ( 2x 8tb Wester Digital red ). I did configure disks with Synology Hybrid RAID which means i have duplicated data on both disks and 8tb of space for storing my data. I can access the data on the Hard Drive disks from anywhere and make a backups from my Macbook. I will soon need to expand my storage and buy Synology with bigger capacity of 4 disks.
Owc envoy express m2 case
This is my enclosure for M2 ssd disk with type C connection. The case is made of aluminum with a magnet that can be attached to the laptop case. With it, we achieve fast data writing and reading (reading and writing speed around 1500mbps). It is also suitable for Photoshop as a cache disk for faster system operation. So far, I haven’t had any problems with it, but it is true that, like all portable enclosures for M2 disks, this one also heats up to a high temperatures.
M2 samsung 970 evo disk 2tb
Superior NVMe® Read/Write performance with speeds up to 3,500/3,300 MB/s. Althought i cannot achieve this speed using OWC external case its a great way if you want to have as high speed as possible on your laptop. I use it for projects and images i am currently working on. It serves me as backup disk before i am transferring all the data on Synology station, or even as scratch disk for Photoshop.
Logitech mX keys + mx master 2
If you haven’t tried this illuminated keyboard yet, then you don’t know what you’re missing. Both, keyboard and mouse from mx master series are amazing. The keyboard is made of aluminium, the build quality is excellent, the responsiveness and the experience itself is perfect. One of the thing i love about this keyboard is smart illumination. Proximity sensors detect your hands, illuminating the keyboard at the moment your fingers approach. The backlit keys then fade off when you leave the desk which is perfect for my work, because i am editing my images in pretty dark room and i cannot see on keys without this backlit, but at the same time i dont like that lights shines on my screen thru all the time.
The built-in batteries in keyboard last very long ( at least one month in my case ). I can copy-paste files from one macbook onto another with using only mouse, and the same goes for the keyboard.
Smatree Hard Laptop Sleeve Case
In this hard laptop sleeve case i can fit both of my Macbooks ( 16″ and 15″ ), with chargers, mouse, usb keys, external m2 case, hubs, ipad,etc…And the best thing about this bag is that it is made of very hard and solid material, which provides good protection against shocks or falls. The inner side is lined with soft material, which ensures that expensive computers stays in “as new” condition without scratching them.
USB C Hub Dock Connector 7-in-1 Dock
This is USB C multiport solid expansion which i use with my Macbook pro m1 max. Because new M1 Macbooks do not have usb ports i need to use this hub. Its also great if i want to have more stable internet connection with using the cable instead of wifi.
BoYata Aluminium Laptop Stand
If your workstation is like mine, ( laptop + main LCD ) then you need to have one of the stand for laptop with adjustable height and angle. I chose this model based on the positive reviews on Amazon. After a year of use I can highly recommend you to buy this model. It is very solid, very good manufacturing qualit all made of aluminium. It holds My 16inch Macbook in place without any problem in all possible angles.
BENFEI CFexpress Type B Card Reader with USB 3.2
10Gbps SUPER SPEED FOR CFEXPRESS CARD – BENFEI CFepxpress card reader is specially designed for CFexpress memory card (Type B) and supports USB3.2 Gen2 (10Gbps) super speed data transfer for your CFexpress card.In order to reach 10Gbps high speed,the USB/USB C port of your devices must reach the speed of USB 3.2 GEN2.
- 2-in-1 Design for Type-C/Type-A – The 2-in-1 USB-C/USB 3.0 cable design allows the BENFEI card reader to work with a computer or laptop via a USB 3.0 slot or the latest USB Type-C (Thunderbolt 3/4 compatible) slot.
SAIJI Bed Table, Height and angle Adjustable
2 auto-lock buttons on each side allow easy quick height changes. The legs can be adjusted to 5 different heights (adjustable from approx. 24-32 cm). In addition, 2 snaps allow you to adjust the table top angle to 4 different angles (from 0-36°).
I bought this table because of my shoulder dislocation injury. I could move my right arm up, so this was quite a challenge to be at home for few months without being able to edit my photos. With the help of this table i could edit my photos directly on the sofa, and it serve me very good! Actually i love editing images on my sofa even when i am not injures, so its gonna be very handy even after recovery.
Its worth that money, for shure you can get better then this one is, but it serves me good for now, and the price is pretty small.
Softwares
Pixinisight
PixInsight is a professional-grade image processing software that is widely used in astrophotography for stacking, processing, and analyzing images. It offers advanced alignment and stacking features for astrophotographers that are ready to take on the complexities of such an advanced tool.
I am using it for all of my nightscape images, from ultra wide angle shots taken with 14mm lens, or some longer focal length shots. This is my must have program in editing workflow, and when i have started using it, my images suddenly looked much much better. It takes quite a lot of time to learn it, but it all pays off when you see the results. Two must have plugins for Pixinisght are from Russell Croman: Noise Xterminator & Star Xterminator.
The other one which also comes very handy from time to time are scripts by Herbert Walter which you can download for free here!
None of my images in the last two years have been edited without this software.
Camera raw +Photoshop + adobe bridge
This is a bundle of Adobe program which i am using for post processing my nightscape images.
Adobe bridge serves me as file/folder organizer, and checking my raw frames and exif data.
In Camera raw i pre-edit raw frames so they are ready for further work, correcting mistakes on starless images, and also using it as filter layer while working in Photoshop projects.
In Photoshop i am running big projects ( sometimes projects exceed the size of 50gb ) and is a must have program for me.
PtguiPro
Ptgui pro is a program designed for stitching complex panoramas. But not only that, inside this program you can find a lot of good features which will help you to get as smooth and nice looking panoramas without big errors.
It pretty easy for usage. I stiched all of my panoramas inside this program with success. Even if i fail a bit with shooting and small overlapping between frames i manage to stich them successfully. With a bit of hidden features and learning this program became your best friend for big panoramas. I already stiched an images with more then 80 frames with success. I also do love multi exposure “hdr” ability, which you can later blend different exposure panoramas in Photoshop using layers.
SLS + SSS
These are the two programs i use for stacking my pre-edit raw frames. I am using it for one year now, and i can say that the final result is much better then it is with Sequator on windows. What I like the most is that they are very easy and fast to use with good results of course. If one of this two is not working good, the other will. Either way, one is going to work for shure.
Starry landscape stacker is also very good with untracked stacking where you have a lot of trees, branches and complex foreground, because you can create a mask using brushes inside the program with function of detecting trees.
lrtimelapse
I use lrtimelapse in combination with Lightroom for night time timelapses. With it you can create smoother timelapses without to much flickering, edit them as you want using keyframe and grade together with Lightroom. With it you can create perfect Day-to-Night and Night-to-Day timelapse transitions, render the final clips in different formats and so on.
davicni resolve studio
This is a program intended for video production and requires a lot of learning. But for some basics that I use myself, it’s great.
I mostly use it for the final editing of timelapses such as deflickering which is really amazing in this program , dynamic zoom, music, text, transitions, color grading, for motion control where all of my editing follow the path of the Milky Way or desired object, final rendering and so on…But lately i am not so oriented into timelapses, because it takes a lot of time for editing, and i simply dont have time.
Plugins: topaz bundle
From this bundle i mostly use only Topaz Denoise for the foregrounds. Its amazing and severe noise module is doing a great job on nightscape images. It is not so good for sky layers, where i prefer to use Noise Xterminator from Rusell Croman. But its doing great job with the foregrunds, especially on the water! Sometimes i miss a focus on the foreground, then i use Topaz Sharpen to correct it as much as possible without destroying it. You need to be a bit more careful with it, because you can quickly destroy your image instead correcting. Most of the time i use Noise and Sharpen at the beginning of editing images. I do not use Gigapixel, i bought it as bundle plugins for good value ( watch for black friday deals ).
Plugins: nik collection - color efex
From Nik Collection i am using only plugin called Color Efex. I usually use it somewhere towards the end of the project on a new layer in Photoshop. Sometimes I also make two versions and compare them with each other. I save some of my edits in Color Effex so i can maybe use it later with another images. I don’t use it for every photo, but I always try to see if I can improve something on my photo.
Plugins: Raya pro
This is one of my first plugins that I started using in Photoshop. Mostly i am using only Action and Filter tab for sharpening image when exporting them for web, sometimes vignetting and Magic Green Landscape for better, smoother blending with subtle Orton effect. You can do a lot of stuff with this plugin. Also RGB masks comes handy sometimes, but i rarely use it.
Plugins: Astropanel x
I am using this plugin only when working with star trails images, otherwise i do not like such a plugins for editing my images. I prefer doing everything without presets and magic buttons. But it has some nice feature for star trails and that is also why i have it.
Plugins: StarSpikes Pro 4
This is a plugin for Photoshop which can be be a very good simulator of Starglow filter. You just need to be careful to not over do it, otherwise the final results can be just awesome. I did use it with a few of my images, and I believe no one has guessed whether I was using the filter or just plugin. It is also very good to highlight the meteors. One downside of this plugin is that is not Mac-compatible. And this plugin is also one of the reason why i did not sell my old Macbook which is running on Intel processor, where i am running Windows.
Plugins: Star Xterminator & Noise Xterminator
StarXTerminator is a tool to remove stars from astronomical photographs that works in Photoshop and PixInsight while NoiseXTerminator is a fast and easy-to-use AI-powered noise reduction tool. I personally run both plugins in Pixinisght software. I found that Starnet 2 does a better job on certain photos then Starxterminator, but in principle, however, Staxterminator is much better, especially for deep sky shots.
By using this plugins in combination with photoshop and camera raw, the quality of my photos has increased significantly.
I especially love the noise xterminator, with which I can quickly and effectively remove the noise.
In any case, these are plugins that justify every euro to buy and they are also one, if not the most important plugins for getting better processing results with astro photos.
Registar: Automatic image registration for astrophotography
RegiStar is a toolkit for deep-sky imagers. It allows several images, possibly taken with different telescopes and cameras, to be processed into a final composite image. Operations require only minimal user input.
Alot of Astro landscape photographers are using it for aligning H-alpha frames with RGB frames.
I do not use it for this purpose, simply because i dont shot with H-alpha clip in filters.
I am starting to use it for inserting meteors from different cameras captured during some meteor showers. I also used it for aligning soft stars which i shot using lee soft filter with normal frames without filters. And i can say its working like a magic. Very fast and precise, you just need to press like 2-3 buttons and that is it.
The only downside is that is working only on Windows platform, and not on Mac OS. So thats why i kept my older Intel Macbook still at home.
Wearings heat company ( brand ambassador )
1st layer: Merino liner pro
Hands down this are the best inner ( under ) layer gloves i have tried to date, and i tried quite a few different inner layer gloves. The gloves are so warm that sometimes i do not even need to put second layer on top of it. I can easily operate my gear and camera with them.
Interior is made of soft merino wool, while exterior is made of hightech fiber. There is extra pocket on the back of the palm for Heat handwarmers, Silicone print on the palm for non-slip grip + conductive textile on thumb, index and middle fingers to handle touch screens makes this gloves a must have gloves for night photography.
VOUCHER CODE 10%: urosfink23
2nd layer: Shell full leather
These are the warmest gloves you can buy from the Heat company. They are made of 100 % goatskin. With simple method of folding down a thumb and mitten ( fix with magnets ) are ideal for handling the gear. With the combination of merino liner pro you can use these gloves in the coldest places in the world.
I know what it’s like to be outside in the winter at -10 degrees or even more thru all night and work with photographic equipments at the same time. With this shell full leather everything becomes more pleasant. There is also a pocket for carrying small tools or Heat warmers.
VOUCHER CODE 10%: urosfink23
3rd layer: polar hood
This is the outermost layer of the Heat layer system. They are strongly wind and water repellent, made of 100% nylon with membrane coating. They are so thin and lightweight you wont know that you have it in your backpack.
Palm is equipped with silicone print for better grip.
With velvety soft fabric on the thumb you can wipe off glasses and displays without leaving scratches.
They are great if you have a lot of contact with the snow, or rain, so all the layers under this stays dry.
VOUCHER CODE 10%: urosfink23
INSOLE FOOT WARMERS
This is one of the must have warmer for your winter photography expeditions.
I am shure you foot will stay warm thru all the night even in more extreme conditions.
Especially suitable if you stand in one place all night. They will warm your feet for 8+ hours at 40°C. 100% natural ingredients. I use them always when I spend a night in the cold or in the snow.
VOUCHER CODE 10%: urosfink23
HEAT WRAPS
This is my most wanted and used warmer at extremely low temperatures. I found that if i have enough warm feet and my lower back i feel very comfortable and i get a feeling of warmth all over my body. It will give you 12+ hours warm all around, its 100% natural. You can stretch the heat wraps effortlessly from 80 cm to 170 cm thanks to stretch material.
Like all warmers and insoles from Heat company they work in such a way that after opening the packaging, they activate themselves within a few minutes and are ready to use.
VOUCHER CODE 10%: urosfink23
HANDWARMERS
Hand warmers can be used for many different purposes in night photography. They can be used with combination of Heat gloves ( extra pockets where you insert them ), or simply hold them in your bare hand. You can use them as a heater for lenses, tracking devices or even tripods for more comfortable carrying, etc.
They warm hands for 12+ hours, 100 % natural, instant heat within minutes. They are useable several years, if left unopened.
You can choose between two sizes ( normal & xlarge ). The smaller size is the one which can be used in extra pockets with Heat gloves.
VOUCHER CODE 10%: urosfink23
Gear that i no longer use
Samyang 14MM f2.8 AF
Samyang is a company where you never know how good copy of the lens you will get in your hand. The lens is small and light, convenient to carry, nice for timelapses or some close up shots. It has a bit more vignetting wide open, but the stars looks pretty nice also in the corners. I just sold this lens not so long ago and will replace it with Sony 14 1.8GM.
Sunwayfoto lb-90 leveling base (ambassador)
This leveling base made by Sunwayfoto is a piece of equipment without which i do not go anywhere anymore. It s a perfect tool for faster assembly photography setup, easier balancing gear on top of it and it is also good for faster polar alignment. With a large platform diameter of 90mm and high payload: 25kg is a great companion for my Fornax tracker. I also love the locking design of it. I replaced this leveling base with new model: Sunwayfoto LB 90R with built in rotator on top.
VOUCHER CODE 5%: UROSFINK
Andoer fnr-100 nodal rail
It is a very short nodal rail which i used several times for installing the camera with ultra-wide lens on Benro Polaris automatic head. I used this nodal rail when i did not have Atoll yet.
Neewer Pro 69mm tripod levelling base
This is my older leveling base with 69mm of platform diamater. It still works great after 2 years of usage. Due to the smaller size of the platform diameter i kept it for my Benro Polaris tracker. It is strong enough, a bit akward locking design with knob with which you can hit the platform or gear above it. Maybe a bit too high, Otherwise it does its job. I replaced this leveling base with Sunwayfoto LB68R.
Neewer Panorama Tripod Head
One of the simplest yet satisfying panoramic head. I had two of this for making big panoramas, but not to0 long ago i replaced one of them with Ninja advanced rotator while i keep the other one for vertical rotation for panoramas. I have been using this rotator for two years without any problem. It is well made and cheap.
I dont use this big L bracket anymore because i changed my setup for tracked panoramas. This panoramic head was located directly on 3 legged thing L- bracket and served me for vertical rotation of my camera.
Kingjoy Panorama Base PB-75
This is a panorama rotator which i placed under the tracker. It serves me for two purposes: With it i can find the Polaris ( North Star ) much faster than i would do with wedge only. I do not need to worry how i will place my tracker in advance, plus it is very handy for shooting tracked reflections in the water. I replaced this rotator with leveling base which has a built in rotator: Sunwayfoto LB 90R.
2x MSM lens warmer
Lens warmers are also a must have tool for astrophotographers. If there is a lot of moisture in the air, the lens will fog over a time and the images will suddenly become blurry. This lens warmers are great because they do not consume much battery, they are thin, but not so effective at very low temperatures.
After one year of usage, one of the warmers stopped working and i bought Coowoo usb lens warmers.
2x dummy batteries
These are batteries that are connected to a powerbank for direct camera charging via the attached usb cable. With the help of these batteries, mine cameras can take pictures for 24 hours or even more. Especially suitable for longer timelapses and star trails in the winter time, when nights are very long.
NOT USING THESE ANYMORE BECAUSE I REPLACED BOTH MY Z6A FOR NEWEER MODEL Z6IIA WHICH HAS TYPE C CHARGING.
Laser pointer with adapter
Simple green laser pointer with 100mw of power. I use it very rarely. I think i used it only 3 times in 3 years. Some of astro-landscape photographers use such a laser for easier finding the Polaris or even for polar alignment. And that is also my plan for near future. When i will have an adapter for Fornax polarscope arm, i will be able to use it on my Lightrack 2 for polar aligning. This method of PA will be precise enough for tracking with ultra-wide and wide lenses.
I REPLACED THIS LASER POINTER WITH NOVE SHOOT MOVE CALIBRATED LASER POINTER.
Koolehaoda 240 mm extension Rail with double sided clamps
It is a multi-purpose nodal rail with slide. Together with this extension rail i also bought two Koolehaoda QR-50B double sided clamps which you can slide on nodal rail. I am gonna be using this for tracked sky panoramas with 2 cameras, ( not yet ) or even for shooting two different compositions of star trails and timelapses at the same time. High quality aluminum alloy is used to ensure a light weight and high strength support.
I DONT USE THESE GEAR BECAUSE I NEVER DID ACTUALY TRY TO SHOT WITH TWO CAMERAS SIMULTANIOUSLY.
XQD SD Card Reader - USB 3.0 Memory Card Reader
The SD/XQD card reader adapter with two slots has been specially developed for photographers. Supports reading up to 2TB SD/Micro SD cards and 5Gbps 10 times faster than USB 2.0 (480Mbps), so you can transfer movies via USB 3.0 or to files in seconds. Backwards compatible with USB 2.0 / 1.1.
I dont use QXD cards anymore, because i replaced them with new CF Express Type B cards, thus i need a different card reader.
2x pixel tc 252
This is Wired Timer Remote Control for my cameras. I have two of this just in case if some of my wireless controller would stop working during the shooting. You have to be ready for anything.
I dont use this wired remote controllers anymore, because i bought Nikon Z6II which already have built in extended shutter and i dont need extra backup for this.
3 Legged Thing QR11 Universal L-bracket
The QR11 L-bracket is incredibly versatile and can be used for a wide range of cameras because of its big size. It is a robust solution and allows switching between portrait and landscape modes.
I use it exclusively for making larger panoramas, where it serves me as a camera holder for vertical movements. You can see this setup in my YT video on top of this page.
I dont use this big L bracket anymore because i changed my setup for tracked panoramas.
2X NIKON FTZ MOUNT ADAPTER
With these adapters i can use all of my Nikon DSLR lenses on Nikon Z6a mirrorless camera. Optics and functions of the lens stays the same, the only difference is that the lenses looks even bigger with this adapter attached on them. It has a bit bulky design, would wish something like Megadap design, much thinner and easier to carry around without loosing too much space in my backpack. I have two of them, because i also have two Nikon Z6a cameras.
In 2024, I replaced mine older version FTZ adapters with a neewer model FTZ II