My Patreon: www.patreon.com/cuivlazygeek My Merch Store: cuiv.myspreadshop.com/ Order the Dwarf III Smart Telescope: tinyurl.com/y8sbtdcc or bit.ly/3B7aA3v (High Point Scientific) Setting up this scope in equatorial mode is surprisingly easy and gives excellent results! Amazon affiliate: amzn.to/49XTx01 Agena affiliate: bit.ly/3Om0hNG High Point Scientific affiliate: bit.ly/3lReu8R First Light Optics affiliate: tinyurl.com/yxd2jkr2 All-Star Telescope affiliate: bit.ly/3SCgVbV Astroshop eu Affiliate: tinyurl.com/2vafkax8 3-hour PixInsight Course: th-cam.com/video/XCotRiUIWtg/w-d-xo.html
I can’t imagine how frustrating it might be to have such a passion and skill for astrophotography yet live in possibly the worst possible place on the planet to be an astrophotographer 😅. You are so amazing even when handicapping yourself to such an extent!
Ha I live in about the wettest part of the UK, by the time I’ve got polar aligned, focused, tracking on, the clouds usually cancel the night. Hopefully when my Dwarf arrives I’ll get an hour or 2 between cloud cover.
Wow. I mean seriously, wow. This is the first smart telescope that I can honestly say "Man, I really want one of those". Like I said on the last video about it, it would be a great bit of gear for those nights that I either want to do some live streaming or don't want to get out the whole rig, but with the EQ mode, if they add more features to the app or even allow control through NINA via the USB-C port this could seriously be used for some of my more serious imaging projects when I want to go a bit wider than I can with my newt. It's also the first smart-scope that I feel like I could actually recommend to someone who asks about buying a first telescope if all they are interested in is imaging.
Thanks Cuiv for this really cool video. It has encouraged me as I wait for my Dwarf III ordered back in May of this year. Delivery is due for this month for those who ordered then, but so far the tracking hasn’t moved at all.
Thank you for another informative and insightful video! I bought a SeeStar in March and it utterly transformed my viewing of the bright suburban sky here, opening it up for me. When Dwarf 3 was announced, I knew I had to preorder it, so did at the end of May. Looking forward to when it arrives.
I’m really impressed at the quality especially given you’re in a city environment. I live in a city centre too so it’s good to see I might be able to get something without getting in the car first! Love your reviews, keep it up.
I was hesitant about these smart scopes but with the ability to put it into EQ mode and take extended timed images was truly a game changer for me. I have other EQ rigs but for travel, this is perfect. Great video. Thanks!
I'm not planning to buy a Dwarf 3 but a friend is so I watched this video (and I like your stuff). And you mentioned something in processing I'd never seen before... drizzling. That was a game changer! Thanks for that tidbit!
Thank you sir. With your video Dwarf 3 is compelling and oh so tempting. Your Tokyo skies makes me less willing to complain about my suburban Minneapolis skies 🔭💡🤷🏻♂️
I'm quite happy they're still supporting the Dwarf 2. I don't plan to upgrade yet, as I still get a lot of enjoyment out of my current one. Still on the fence about getting the Dwarf 3, but things are looking good atm.
@@CuivTheLazyGeek Could you do a video covering updates for the dwarf ii? Maybe good so people don't feel the need to rush and buy the upgrade. I've seen some people worrying about Dwarf labs dropping support for the dwarf 2. Maybe helpful to let these people know that they're supporting the dwarf 2 for a long time yet.
For the price and ease of use, the addition of this EQ mode is a killer feature. It reminds me when the AZ GTI went EQmode and now most photographers are using it as it works really well. The Dwarf III being so compact, cheap and now working on EQ mode seems to be the best offer on the market for people to actually wanting to discover astrophotography.. what i don't know however is... if the Dwarf III allows to switch filters. Not everything is Ha OIII. But still amazing for what it is.. may even be fun to buy as an astrophotographer to goof around and try new targets while taking photo with our equipments.. or just to do some light photo when hiking
This is simply amazing from such a small portable device. And dithering too! Mind blown 🤯 I wonder if something like the Sky Watcher Latitude Base would help make a more accurate polar alignment. I look forward to more adventures with this Dwarf 3. Thanks and clear skies mate!
I pre-ordered the DWARF II after watching one of your early video reviews of it. I pre-ordered the DWARF 3 on launch day, based on the expectations of the new features. It is so great to see those features delivered, such that they impress you! Looking forward to delivery soon! 😊
I'm impressed!!! Until now, I haven't bothered to do AP from anywhere but my driveway due to the size/weight/complexity of my current rig. Performance-wise, it won't replace the kilo$s I've already spent, but it will certainly free me to do AP elsewhere.
I am interested in this topic as a hobby and am already a keen photographer and videographer. I have a young daughter. Set up times and other more geeky and less “fun” parts of the hobby tend turn off younger minds. Something like this would allow me to pretty much set it and forget it while I pay attention to my daughter to keep her interested until she is old enough to handle the areas which require more patience. I’m definitely wanting one of these. Your focus on beginners is appreciated and your enthusiasm is infectious mate. Thank you!
Yes, I bought one about 10 days ago and it should arrive Oct/Nov. I was close to buying a SeeStar but the Dwarf 3, in my opinion, is better for me. I live under very light polluted skies, about 12 miles from downtown Washington, D.C.
Last week I chose the Dwarf 3 over Seestar because of its terrestrial application such as birdwatching, which I don't hear enough about. I'd like to see it in action!
Thanks for the review, specially the EQ mode setup which will be very handy for us Dwarf 2 owners too. We also got this killer feature and the UFO tracking :) with the latest FW upgrade.
Only Dwarf3 have the EQ feature, not Dwarf2 as far as I can see. But Dwarf3 is a very tempting purchase I think due to upgades and the wide camera possibilities. Thank you for another great video from you Cuiv!
presumably will add it to Dwarf2 as only a software feature and all it does is tell you how far out of alignment you are. If you are familiar with polar alignment you can get it close with Dwarf 2 with the live view of Polaris (for those in N). I use a phone app and pan and tilt head and mount the Dwarf2 with a Arca Swiss plate after aligned tripod.
@@tma2001 The EQ mode was working in the last beta and today it seems a new app version catering for Dwarf 2 & 3 is available which has it. I've downloaded but not used yet, lot's of cloud, rain and thunder here in UK the last few days.
@@StevieD68SF thanks for the heads up - I was expecting the app would notify an update was available but alas not. Only just got one of the last batch of D2's on sale in UK and found a major goto bug on my first night which should be fixed in this release after I reported it. and yeah I live in sunny Greater Manchester ;)
This is almost the perfect smart telescope. I just wish Dwarf Labs would add an internal rotator to their camera to allow framing the target exactly the way we want it framed. I know that would add cost and complexity to the product, but I would be willing to pay more for that feature. And I have an Esprit 100, Quattro 10", iOptron CEM70G mount, QHY 268M camera (and filter wheel and OAG) and even I would love to have a small portable telescope like the Dwarf III if it gave me the ability to rotate the camera!
Great suggestion i use the level app on the iPhone to set the elevation on mount once optical tube is set!! Works great and a lot more accurate compared to the written scale on mount. also i use the compass app too, with a caveat and reminder to set/calibrate app to true north rather than magnetic north which is the default setting
Hi Cuiv. Great video up to your usual standard. My son ordered one for my birthday, and I will be getting it in the second shipment. It really opens up astrophotography to so many more people that Dwarf should get an honorable mention for this anticipated increased interest. I have a William Optics Skyguider Pro VIxen style base that I am hoping to modify so that I should be able to use (perpendicular mount of Dwarf 3 I am hoping will work). It would be nice to have a video on how to take flats and dark flats which Dwarf tells me is possible.
Thanks for the feedback! It's going to be a great present from your son! You will probably need a Vixen dovetail to 1/4 inch tripod adapter to use it, although a standard tripod head should work well since the Dwarf is so small :)
Great video! I’ve had the Dwarf 2 for one year and use it quite a lot from Madrid (Bortle 8). I’m so fond of it that I may upgrade to the 3. It’s so portable and easy to use!
I got disinterested in AP about 15 years ago when i moved from Arizona. My current location is not great and my setup was complex enough to cause some frustration..cpc-11, DSLR, Faststar, laptop, lots of wires, lots of software, lots of post processing and lots of weight 😂. This may get me interested again or maybe frustrated at how much I spent back then. I still have my old equipment, maybe i'll take a look around to see of there's any new tech to make that old equipment simplified.
Hey Cuiv, Good video as always. I put together a travel setup a while back of the SW -AZ GTI, Askac ACL200, ASI533, ASIair plus. Unfortunately the AZ GTi tracking went to hell and would have needed new motor units. So I gave up on a travel pack. However this is teazing my interest as an all in one unit that gets good, usable results so I may get one. Lot less struggle for traveling with a ton of gear in a backpack aswell.
I'm so sorry to hear about the fate of the travel pack... And yes this Dwarf III looks like a good travel companion. Not as good as a proper rig, but should be able to gather some good data!
I didn't know it had a temperature sensor as I use the sensor on my weather station and note it down as part of my observing log with the Dwarf2. Which reminds me would be nice if you could attach a text note to each session (I've no idea what the HD number of named stars like Polaris, Vega etc are!). I like you can now choose custom dark frames (with the ND filters as you mentioned). My #1 workflow annoyance on Dwarf2 is not restoring the shooting settings after every goto, autofocus, calibration (default of 1s, g80, IR Pass). Also confusing pitfall for beginners if you read the forums. Also didn't realise Tokyo is so far south at 36 degs! I'm flying to Crete next week with my Dwarf2 also at the same latitude! Will be experimenting with a pan and tilt head and using the Dwarf2 tele view as its own iPolar scope pointing at Polaris to see how close can get the alignment. Dawrflab need to add a cross hair in centre of frame overlay option.
once you have a few nights of using this , could you do a comparison between the S50 and this , ease of setup , ease of use (app and device) setup and accessories current/due and wish list , last value , Great video now a sub
I love your tests on smart telescope under heavy light pollution in Japan. I live right next to you, Korea, so I get really good reference from your video. Just my curiosity, how good will the smart telescopes' result will be under really dark skies. Would you kindly make a comparison video in the future regarding smart telescopes' result difference with same deep sky object under bright city sky vs dark sky?
That is a serious bit of kit. With some refinement of the app adding things us advanced users require I see this being a very popular family telescope. For 1 it opens the sky to beginners, and allows for a professional image just from the inbuilt processing, but also for advanced users being able to do darks, have the raw frames to do your own processing is a game changer in portability and ease of use. If the pricing is great, this could out sell every other brand. Keep on them about the features! Great work on the review mate!
Excellent review! Very exciting what's happening with smart scopes. This upgrade will put pressure on ZWO to up their game. Maybe we Seestar users will get equatorial mode sooner.
I am tempted to get one. The only negatives are the number of clear skies - they seem rare. And I wonder if you learn your way around the sky this way. If there is a way of doing that, it would be a useful video, maybe you've already done it?!
For the price of a good Astro camera alone that seems pretty amazing. OK so you need Blur Exterminator to make the stars look good but for its target market, very impressive. Would be good to see the same exposure on that target from your main rig as a comparison :)
Would be cool and immenseley helpful (and time saving!) if dwarflab made an entire darkframe library from -20°C to +35°C (in 3 or 5° steps) and for every exposure length from 1" to 60" and included that on an internal extra storage OR hosted it on their servers and check the sub metadata to download the correct darks everytime. The later is obviously only possible if you have an internet connection but still; i think that would be a cool feature.
Hi Cuiv, surely you could mount this on something like a Star Adventurer wedge or something similar to help getting even better polar alignment. I know you said it doesn't tell you which way to move the alt/az but you could figure it out without too much trouble. I must say I am liking the look of this.
Well, you just made me spend a lot of money 😂 Seeing how well eq mode works and how easy it is to set-up means I can use it most of the time, unless there's no tripod. Hoping I am able to take it to a bortle 3 place once I receive mine to see how good it is, and compare it to the og star tracker and a mirrorless camera. I'm betting on having worse photos but being so simple that it doesn't matter.
Hey Cuiv great video as always and I cant wait to see what fun you have when on your trip, also cant wait for mine to arrive dwarflab have come along way I got my dwarf 2 due to your video thanks had great fun with it Hey Cuiv FYI your link to the dwarf is broken
Watching this video again in anticipation of the arrival of my Dwarf 3. Definitely like your idea of the app assisting with the angle. I am curious. Once you have set the scope axis towards Polaris & set the correct angle for the scope relative to your location, couldn't you point the lens assembly straight up, 90° relative to the scope base, then center Polaris directly from the camera view? I do not know if the optical tube assembly on a Dwarf 3 has a 90° index mark like the base does, or if it uses encoders to know the precise positions of the alt/az motors? If not, it would be simple enough to carefully point the scope straight up & make a small mark with a Sharpie for quick alignment. If the motors are encoded, Dwarflab could set the optical tube to 90° during the equatorial alignment procedure to facilitate this process. They could even get fancy & provide simulated Polaris/Polaris B target reticles like an actual polar alignment scope.
Yep, that works! In fact it was one of the "standard" ways of doing PA on the Dwarf II (although it assumes Polaris is visible) - there's no mark on the Dwarf III but we can guesstimate it well enough :)
Im going to wait and see what the next SeeStar is like and then decide. Wow! These are amazing times. I remember my first attempts at AP in the 90s. What a difference!!
I have the Seestar and I think I will sell it. It bothers me that it doesn't have the equatorial mode option. I will wait a while longer to see if zwo listens to the users.😢😢😢😢😢😢
Thx… unfortunatly TOOOO many nice new devices in the market now, and I have to make decisions… - Dwarf III - Hover X1 Pro Max - Laowa 10mm f2.8 - DJI Air 3S (nearly there) - Fenix 8X HELP!!!! 🤣🤣🤣
I can help! You don't need two drones, just get the DJI. The Fenix 8 series is still full of bugs, wait for it to get better or just get a second hand Fenix 7X or 7X Pro. Buttons on those will feel better anyway! And if you're dead set on this new generation of watches, the Enduro 3 is the real good one imo :) Now buy the Dwarf III!
hmmm - but I have an ASI2600MC Pro, a Redcat51, an ASKAR103, ASIair, AM3, OAG/ASI220MM … and … a modified Sony A7r, Askar FMA135, Laowa 15mm, Laowa 10mm, SA Mini, MSM Nomad…. So do I really need a Dwarf III?! 😅
Interesting that neither Seestar or Celestron seem to offer Equatorial mode (as the Celestron is based on the Evo mount it should be able to do so) you need to get the Celestron under test as it looks to be a serious bit of kit...
Blown away by this, it might be a way into this for me, can you show the Timelapse features on a video please? I presume it can do video. In photo mode can it cope with a foreground object/building? John
I hope they will be able to do mosaic for Dwarf II too ... they told me it will not be available because HW limitations but I dont see reason why it should not be possible to do stacking with some movements in-between.
as a D2 owner that's disappointing to hear - it might be memory limitation to preview live such a large image in real-time. I also think the D3 has a faster cpu iirc. Of course you can do it yourself with manual gotos and stich it afterwards but you have to plan it out beforehand so not as convenient.
I seriously consider buying the D3 thanks to your very usefull presentation of this product. The post processing of the images on the computer app is also amazing (but expensive). As I know python programming and aware of astropy packages, I wonder if I could do a similar processing. Anyway the internal D3 processing/ image stacking is already good even if it is not completely optimal. Do you think that a firmware will be updated to improve later the image processing performed inside the D3 ?
Since the IMX678 sensor has STRAVIS2 technology, I wouldn’t expect there to be any amp glow. Are the dark calibration frames useful? Great video, thanks again 😊
As always im just perfectly entertained and trained at the same time. Thanks Cuiv! One question: can the dwarf app tell the temperature of the device or did you measure it with a extra tool? (for the dark frames) thanks !
Thankyou, very informative, quick question, for those of us that don’t process fits files, is there a stacked png or tiff provided and if so is it stretched or unstretched. I’m hopeful it provides one because obviously we don’t want to try to process a jpeg…...thanks, I do understand you get better results from fits, however lots of people will be trying to get best results they can from processing on their tablet or just using the basic starnet program to improve images with basic level and denoise programs
Hello, thanks for the great demo, now I, as an interested beginner, have a lot more clarity. Question: is the equatorial mode the same as a parallactic mount? So the other devices that you mentioned and that I always hear about would require a specially installed mount? Thank you, Johann
I assume you're referring to German Equatorial Mounts when you say parallactic mount? I haven't heard the term before but it sounds right. Yes this equatorial mode is equivalent (basically we get one axis to be parallel to the Earth's rotation axis)
What is the final size/megapixels of your stacked/processed images with the Dwarf III? Are you ending up with something that can be printed on a larger format? I'm impressed with the final images and interested but would want the ability to print a large/poster size if I capture something amazing - and not just share on social media. If anyone has insight I'd love to hear it. Thanks!!
Hello Sir, I have liked your channel from the first time that I have seen it. Looking forward to learning more with you about how to work with the Dwarf 3. I have also sent you a message otherwise; hoping you will answer me back.
Hey Clive, what mount are you using? I’m a newbie and need to know what kind of mount head you need to use. Thanks! I have a SeeStar but want to try equatorial mode.
no but there is a metal heatsink on the top of the rotating lens cylinder that gets quite warm from cooling the processor - if only they could cool the sensor! Their online help mentions a increase speed of cpu option in device settings to act as a kind of indirect dew heater. I was reading on an astronomy forum a Dwarf2 user who was using it fine in the middle of Ohio last winter at -10C without issue.
You know, I was thinking about eq alignment. I think what would be really cool would be if dwarf could have an option to display a polar alignment bullseye on the screen, that way we can see what the dwarf is actually seeing and can line it up accurately on screen.
Since the lens was actually looking completely away from Polaris when I was doing the alignment, yes it looks like it doesn't need visibility of Polaris. I can't guarantee it without physically testing it near the equator (like in Singapore) but I don't see a reason why it wouldn't work there
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 80 | คู่เอก "รักษ์ vs ยอดนำชัย"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ckLMRorsMeY/mqdefault.jpg)
My Patreon: www.patreon.com/cuivlazygeek
My Merch Store: cuiv.myspreadshop.com/
Order the Dwarf III Smart Telescope: tinyurl.com/y8sbtdcc or bit.ly/3B7aA3v (High Point Scientific)
Setting up this scope in equatorial mode is surprisingly easy and gives excellent results!
Amazon affiliate: amzn.to/49XTx01
Agena affiliate: bit.ly/3Om0hNG
High Point Scientific affiliate: bit.ly/3lReu8R
First Light Optics affiliate: tinyurl.com/yxd2jkr2
All-Star Telescope affiliate: bit.ly/3SCgVbV
Astroshop eu Affiliate: tinyurl.com/2vafkax8
3-hour PixInsight Course: th-cam.com/video/XCotRiUIWtg/w-d-xo.html
Hey Cuiv FYI your link to the dwarf is broken
@@chuckshc376 fixed now! Thanks for the notification!
I can’t imagine how frustrating it might be to have such a passion and skill for astrophotography yet live in possibly the worst possible place on the planet to be an astrophotographer 😅. You are so amazing even when handicapping yourself to such an extent!
Hahaha yes I know!! I guess it's part of my "brand" now 😂
Ha
I live in about the wettest part of the UK, by the time I’ve got polar aligned, focused, tracking on, the clouds usually cancel the night. Hopefully when my Dwarf arrives I’ll get an hour or 2 between cloud cover.
@@CuivTheLazyGeek i legit look at it this way "if cuiv in the worst light polluted place can do it, then it's possible to do it anywhere on earth" 😂
Wow. I mean seriously, wow. This is the first smart telescope that I can honestly say "Man, I really want one of those". Like I said on the last video about it, it would be a great bit of gear for those nights that I either want to do some live streaming or don't want to get out the whole rig, but with the EQ mode, if they add more features to the app or even allow control through NINA via the USB-C port this could seriously be used for some of my more serious imaging projects when I want to go a bit wider than I can with my newt. It's also the first smart-scope that I feel like I could actually recommend to someone who asks about buying a first telescope if all they are interested in is imaging.
There's a third party plugin for stellarium to control the Dwarf II (and III) so I assume NINA control should be possible down the line!
@@CuivTheLazyGeek 👀👀👀
Thanks Cuiv for this really cool video. It has encouraged me as I wait for my Dwarf III ordered back in May of this year. Delivery is due for this month for those who ordered then, but so far the tracking hasn’t moved at all.
The Dwarf III looks really awesome. Can't wait to see the next stage of your review.
This marks the begging of the end for many market actors in the astronomy/astrophoto field
Thank you for another informative and insightful video! I bought a SeeStar in March and it utterly transformed my viewing of the bright suburban sky here, opening it up for me. When Dwarf 3 was announced, I knew I had to preorder it, so did at the end of May. Looking forward to when it arrives.
Hope you get it soon!!
Your processing really improved the result and was very interesting. Cool.
Amazing. Ordered a Dwarf 3 last week after watching your earlier video. I can hardly wait for it to arrive!
same here ... just ordered one 🎉
Hope you enjoy it!
That's why we have to wait now... too many orderd
@@blenderbuch You snooze you lose!
I’m really impressed at the quality especially given you’re in a city environment. I live in a city centre too so it’s good to see I might be able to get something without getting in the car first!
Love your reviews, keep it up.
Thanks Jack!
Wow Cuiv, what you get from the dwarf3 is actually amazing
It's really good!
I was hesitant about these smart scopes but with the ability to put it into EQ mode and take extended timed images was truly a game changer for me. I have other EQ rigs but for travel, this is perfect. Great video. Thanks!
I'm not planning to buy a Dwarf 3 but a friend is so I watched this video (and I like your stuff). And you mentioned something in processing I'd never seen before... drizzling. That was a game changer! Thanks for that tidbit!
Always my pleasure :)
Thank you sir. With your video Dwarf 3 is compelling and oh so tempting. Your Tokyo skies makes me less willing to complain about my suburban Minneapolis skies 🔭💡🤷🏻♂️
I'm quite happy they're still supporting the Dwarf 2. I don't plan to upgrade yet, as I still get a lot of enjoyment out of my current one. Still on the fence about getting the Dwarf 3, but things are looking good atm.
Yeah they really put some thought and effort into the Dwarf III for sure!
@@CuivTheLazyGeek Could you do a video covering updates for the dwarf ii? Maybe good so people don't feel the need to rush and buy the upgrade. I've seen some people worrying about Dwarf labs dropping support for the dwarf 2. Maybe helpful to let these people know that they're supporting the dwarf 2 for a long time yet.
Ordered mine on 30th May so hopefully it will arrive soon, you have got me excited Thanks
Hope it arrives soon!
For the price and ease of use, the addition of this EQ mode is a killer feature. It reminds me when the AZ GTI went EQmode and now most photographers are using it as it works really well. The Dwarf III being so compact, cheap and now working on EQ mode seems to be the best offer on the market for people to actually wanting to discover astrophotography.. what i don't know however is... if the Dwarf III allows to switch filters. Not everything is Ha OIII. But still amazing for what it is.. may even be fun to buy as an astrophotographer to goof around and try new targets while taking photo with our equipments.. or just to do some light photo when hiking
Yep, it has IR cut and HaOiii, but I'm sure we'll be able to use external 2 inch filters with some 3D printing wizardry!
@@CuivTheLazyGeek looks very fun to try indeed
If it has Equatorial mode, then I’d definitely buy the Dwarf 3. I’d like to see Equatorial mode better supported on the SeeStar S50.
Yeah an eq mode on the seestar would be so nice, right now the workaround is too painful to really use
This is simply amazing from such a small portable device. And dithering too! Mind blown 🤯 I wonder if something like the Sky Watcher Latitude Base would help make a more accurate polar alignment. I look forward to more adventures with this Dwarf 3. Thanks and clear skies mate!
Exactly! It's really impressive!
finally a first ACTUAL review of the Dwarf 3.. been eyeing on this for a while! Thanks alot..
I pre-ordered the DWARF II after watching one of your early video reviews of it.
I pre-ordered the DWARF 3 on launch day, based on the expectations of the new features.
It is so great to see those features delivered, such that they impress you!
Looking forward to delivery soon! 😊
Yess! It's going to be a lot of fun when you receive it :)
Fantastic update! I can’t wait for mine to arrive. Thanks so much for your clear and honest insights.
My pleasure!
Great video Cuiv. I was on the fence for the Dwarf 3 but this just pushed me over it...Thanks..
Enjoy it :)
I'm impressed!!! Until now, I haven't bothered to do AP from anywhere but my driveway due to the size/weight/complexity of my current rig. Performance-wise, it won't replace the kilo$s I've already spent, but it will certainly free me to do AP elsewhere.
I am interested in this topic as a hobby and am already a keen photographer and videographer. I have a young daughter. Set up times and other more geeky and less “fun” parts of the hobby tend turn off younger minds. Something like this would allow me to pretty much set it and forget it while I pay attention to my daughter to keep her interested until she is old enough to handle the areas which require more patience. I’m definitely wanting one of these. Your focus on beginners is appreciated and your enthusiasm is infectious mate. Thank you!
That's a great use-case, although make sure you're proficient with using it by the time you introduce it to your daughter!
Yes, I bought one about 10 days ago and it should arrive Oct/Nov. I was close to buying a SeeStar but the Dwarf 3, in my opinion, is better for me. I live under very light polluted skies, about 12 miles from downtown Washington, D.C.
I’m about 12 miles from downtown Chicago and I’m enjoying my Seestar! I’m surprised at what it can do!
Enjoy it!
Last week I chose the Dwarf 3 over Seestar because of its terrestrial application such as birdwatching, which I don't hear enough about. I'd like to see it in action!
I'll need to try it out at some point :)
Thanks for the review, specially the EQ mode setup which will be very handy for us Dwarf 2 owners too. We also got this killer feature and the UFO tracking :) with the latest FW upgrade.
Only Dwarf3 have the EQ feature, not Dwarf2 as far as I can see.
But Dwarf3 is a very tempting purchase I think due to upgades and the wide camera possibilities. Thank you for another great video from you Cuiv!
presumably will add it to Dwarf2 as only a software feature and all it does is tell you how far out of alignment you are. If you are familiar with polar alignment you can get it close with Dwarf 2 with the live view of Polaris (for those in N). I use a phone app and pan and tilt head and mount the Dwarf2 with a Arca Swiss plate after aligned tripod.
@@tma2001 The EQ mode was working in the last beta and today it seems a new app version catering for Dwarf 2 & 3 is available which has it. I've downloaded but not used yet, lot's of cloud, rain and thunder here in UK the last few days.
@@StevieD68SF thanks for the heads up - I was expecting the app would notify an update was available but alas not. Only just got one of the last batch of D2's on sale in UK and found a major goto bug on my first night which should be fixed in this release after I reported it.
and yeah I live in sunny Greater Manchester ;)
This is almost the perfect smart telescope. I just wish Dwarf Labs would add an internal rotator to their camera to allow framing the target exactly the way we want it framed. I know that would add cost and complexity to the product, but I would be willing to pay more for that feature. And I have an Esprit 100, Quattro 10", iOptron CEM70G mount, QHY 268M camera (and filter wheel and OAG) and even I would love to have a small portable telescope like the Dwarf III if it gave me the ability to rotate the camera!
Would be really nice! Although a good mosaic mode could help as well
This is awesome! I have a Seestar and I’m working on a larger setup, but I might have to get the Dwarf III too! It looks really fun to use like this.
It is a lot of fun :) Larger setup would be awesome too :p
Great review, Cuiv. Impressive little scope. I've got one on order due at the end of September. Can't wait to give a go.
Excellent, only a couple more weeks of wait!
Great suggestion i use the level app on the iPhone to set the elevation on mount once optical tube is set!! Works great and a lot more accurate compared to the written scale on mount. also i use the compass app too, with a caveat and reminder to set/calibrate app to true north rather than magnetic north which is the default setting
Absolutely intend to buy when I scrape the cash together, brilliant work
Great video. Really looking forward to receiving mine!
Hope you enjoy it!
Hi Cuiv. Great video up to your usual standard. My son ordered one for my birthday, and I will be getting it in the second shipment. It really opens up astrophotography to so many more people that Dwarf should get an honorable mention for this anticipated increased interest. I have a William Optics Skyguider Pro VIxen style base that I am hoping to modify so that I should be able to use (perpendicular mount of Dwarf 3 I am hoping will work).
It would be nice to have a video on how to take flats and dark flats which Dwarf tells me is possible.
Thanks for the feedback! It's going to be a great present from your son! You will probably need a Vixen dovetail to 1/4 inch tripod adapter to use it, although a standard tripod head should work well since the Dwarf is so small :)
Great video! I’ve had the Dwarf 2 for one year and use it quite a lot from Madrid (Bortle 8). I’m so fond of it that I may upgrade to the 3. It’s so portable and easy to use!
It's a cool product and they've really worked hard on enhancing the app, the hardware, etc.!
I got disinterested in AP about 15 years ago when i moved from Arizona. My current location is not great and my setup was complex enough to cause some frustration..cpc-11, DSLR, Faststar, laptop, lots of wires, lots of software, lots of post processing and lots of weight 😂. This may get me interested again or maybe frustrated at how much I spent back then. I still have my old equipment, maybe i'll take a look around to see of there's any new tech to make that old equipment simplified.
Enjoyed the presentation so much I ordered from High Point. Can't wait.
Hope you enjoy it!
Hey Cuiv, Good video as always.
I put together a travel setup a while back of the SW -AZ GTI, Askac ACL200, ASI533, ASIair plus. Unfortunately the AZ GTi tracking went to hell and would have needed new motor units. So I gave up on a travel pack.
However this is teazing my interest as an all in one unit that gets good, usable results so I may get one. Lot less struggle for traveling with a ton of gear in a backpack aswell.
I'm so sorry to hear about the fate of the travel pack... And yes this Dwarf III looks like a good travel companion. Not as good as a proper rig, but should be able to gather some good data!
Excellent capture and workflow Lazy Geek!
Thanks Ray!
I ordered it in august... it should be on its way soon 😊 I'm eager to test it under B2 and B3-4 skies...
Hope it will be good for you. I’ll follow your project with dwarf III. Cuz I wanna know how it perform under B4😊
That's some delicious skies you'll be testing it under!!
Would love to heat your views on the Dwarf 3 v Seestar s50. I'm trying to decide between the two. Great video.
Will probably do a comparison video down the line, want to wait until both have their mosaic features in
WOW, its just going to get better.
I didn't know it had a temperature sensor as I use the sensor on my weather station and note it down as part of my observing log with the Dwarf2. Which reminds me would be nice if you could attach a text note to each session (I've no idea what the HD number of named stars like Polaris, Vega etc are!).
I like you can now choose custom dark frames (with the ND filters as you mentioned).
My #1 workflow annoyance on Dwarf2 is not restoring the shooting settings after every goto, autofocus, calibration (default of 1s, g80, IR Pass). Also confusing pitfall for beginners if you read the forums.
Also didn't realise Tokyo is so far south at 36 degs! I'm flying to Crete next week with my Dwarf2 also at the same latitude! Will be experimenting with a pan and tilt head and using the Dwarf2 tele view as its own iPolar scope pointing at Polaris to see how close can get the alignment. Dawrflab need to add a cross hair in centre of frame overlay option.
All good suggestions!! And yes that workflow annoyance is still there.... :-(
once you have a few nights of using this , could you do a comparison between the S50 and this , ease of setup , ease of use (app and device) setup and accessories current/due and wish list , last value , Great video now a sub
Will do at some point :)
I ordered a dwarf 3 and it arrives Monday.
Congratulations!! Hope you enjoy it!
Thanks … good job, my III has just been ordered.
I'm sure you will enjoy it!
I love your tests on smart telescope under heavy light pollution in Japan. I live right next to you, Korea, so I get really good reference from your video. Just my curiosity, how good will the smart telescopes' result will be under really dark skies. Would you kindly make a comparison video in the future regarding smart telescopes' result difference with same deep sky object under bright city sky vs dark sky?
Not sure I'll make a comparison, but I'll take it to darker skies to see how it will perform!
Great vid. Thanks. I think the inbuilt EQ mode is the ultimate selling point. Enjoyed your presentation. 😊
This makes the Dwarf a bit more appealing for sure.
Yep, proper eq mode is a win for sure
Thanks for the great video, waiting my D3 to arrive, ordered alresfy in May
That is a serious bit of kit. With some refinement of the app adding things us advanced users require I see this being a very popular family telescope. For 1 it opens the sky to beginners, and allows for a professional image just from the inbuilt processing, but also for advanced users being able to do darks, have the raw frames to do your own processing is a game changer in portability and ease of use. If the pricing is great, this could out sell every other brand. Keep on them about the features! Great work on the review mate!
It's $500 so I think the price is as low as they can get it! Really impressive stuff for sure
Thanks! ordered with your link
Thank you so much for your support! I hope you enjoy the scope :)
Hi. Bro, your results are amazing, thanks for sharing
Thank you!
Excellent review! Very exciting what's happening with smart scopes. This upgrade will put pressure on ZWO to up their game. Maybe we Seestar users will get equatorial mode sooner.
So SeeStar? Or Dwarf 3? Which is the better buy? Also would like to see a side by side comparison of the 2 specs wise...fov, resolution, etc.
Will work on it at some point!
Excellent and very informative. Thank you Cuiv!
My pleasure!
thank you all your videos are great, i seen them all :)
Glad you like them!
Cuiv do you think this little scope could be operated with NINA eventually ?
There's a third party plugin to use it from Stellarium, so I assume so yes
Thanks
Thanks so much for your support!
Thanks!
Thank you so much!
Nice results. I suspect that the next iteration (Dwarf 4?) will have a 50mm aperture, a focal length near 1000mm equivalent, etc
Not sure if 50mm will be doable in this form factor, it would get quite big, but that would be very nice!
I am tempted to get one. The only negatives are the number of clear skies - they seem rare. And I wonder if you learn your way around the sky this way. If there is a way of doing that, it would be a useful video, maybe you've already done it?!
No, goto telescopes make you lazy and you don't learn the night sky much... but you enjoy it with less frustration, it's a trade off!
For the price of a good Astro camera alone that seems pretty amazing. OK so you need Blur Exterminator to make the stars look good but for its target market, very impressive. Would be good to see the same exposure on that target from your main rig as a comparison :)
Yep, I hope to do a redcat51 vs Seestar vs Dwarf III at some point!
@@CuivTheLazyGeek Nice :) Will look out for that one
Would be cool and immenseley helpful (and time saving!) if dwarflab made an entire darkframe library from -20°C to +35°C (in 3 or 5° steps) and for every exposure length from 1" to 60" and included that on an internal extra storage OR hosted it on their servers and check the sub metadata to download the correct darks everytime. The later is obviously only possible if you have an internet connection but still; i think that would be a cool feature.
That would be amazing indeed! Probably a LOT of work though..
Hi Cuiv, surely you could mount this on something like a Star Adventurer wedge or something similar to help getting even better polar alignment. I know you said it doesn't tell you which way to move the alt/az but you could figure it out without too much trouble. I must say I am liking the look of this.
There is a polar wedge made by omegon that I use with the seestar and it will work perfectly with the dwarf.
Yes, any wedge would work! Oh it does tell us the direction, in this case it was saying clockwise for instance!
Well, you just made me spend a lot of money 😂
Seeing how well eq mode works and how easy it is to set-up means I can use it most of the time, unless there's no tripod.
Hoping I am able to take it to a bortle 3 place once I receive mine to see how good it is, and compare it to the og star tracker and a mirrorless camera. I'm betting on having worse photos but being so simple that it doesn't matter.
Bortle 3 zone should really let you see the full capabilities of this thing!
Hey Cuiv great video as always and I cant wait to see what fun you have when on your trip, also cant wait for mine to arrive dwarflab have come along way I got my dwarf 2 due to your video thanks had great fun with it
Hey Cuiv FYI your link to the dwarf is broken
yes, hijacked or something bad.
Thanks! Fixed now!
I definitely want one. The price is very good for the features that you get. I wonder how it works in colder climates?
Watching this video again in anticipation of the arrival of my Dwarf 3. Definitely like your idea of the app assisting with the angle. I am curious. Once you have set the scope axis towards Polaris & set the correct angle for the scope relative to your location, couldn't you point the lens assembly straight up, 90° relative to the scope base, then center Polaris directly from the camera view?
I do not know if the optical tube assembly on a Dwarf 3 has a 90° index mark like the base does, or if it uses encoders to know the precise positions of the alt/az motors? If not, it would be simple enough to carefully point the scope straight up & make a small mark with a Sharpie for quick alignment. If the motors are encoded, Dwarflab could set the optical tube to 90° during the equatorial alignment procedure to facilitate this process. They could even get fancy & provide simulated Polaris/Polaris B target reticles like an actual polar alignment scope.
That's pretty clever! First use the wide angle camera and then the telephoto.
Yep, that works! In fact it was one of the "standard" ways of doing PA on the Dwarf II (although it assumes Polaris is visible) - there's no mark on the Dwarf III but we can guesstimate it well enough :)
Im going to wait and see what the next SeeStar is like and then decide. Wow! These are amazing times. I remember my first attempts at AP in the 90s. What a difference!!
I wonder when they will drop it
I have the Seestar and I think I will sell it. It bothers me that it doesn't have the equatorial mode option. I will wait a while longer to see if zwo listens to the users.😢😢😢😢😢😢
Maybe wait for the Mosaic Mode, if it works it could do some heavy lifting :)
I'd like to see what wide field images it can take, or mosaic. I like milky way images
Thx… unfortunatly TOOOO many nice new devices in the market now, and I have to make decisions…
- Dwarf III
- Hover X1 Pro Max
- Laowa 10mm f2.8
- DJI Air 3S (nearly there)
- Fenix 8X
HELP!!!! 🤣🤣🤣
😂
I can help! You don't need two drones, just get the DJI. The Fenix 8 series is still full of bugs, wait for it to get better or just get a second hand Fenix 7X or 7X Pro. Buttons on those will feel better anyway! And if you're dead set on this new generation of watches, the Enduro 3 is the real good one imo :) Now buy the Dwarf III!
hmmm - but I have an ASI2600MC Pro, a Redcat51, an ASKAR103, ASIair, AM3, OAG/ASI220MM … and … a modified Sony A7r, Askar FMA135, Laowa 15mm, Laowa 10mm, SA Mini, MSM Nomad….
So do I really need a Dwarf III?! 😅
@@Chorge1972 You sound like me 🤣🤣🤣
Interesting that neither Seestar or Celestron seem to offer Equatorial mode (as the Celestron is based on the Evo mount it should be able to do so) you need to get the Celestron under test as it looks to be a serious bit of kit...
From the marketing materials, it looks like Celestron is planning on supporting Eq mode, it will be interesting to see!
Nice to have as add on !
It sure is!
I would buy it immediately! Too bad I already did after your last video 😂
Jesus Christ! That’s insane to get from that small thing. Makes me think do I get this and sell my Samyang set up. Crazy Cuiv
Blown away by this, it might be a way into this for me, can you show the Timelapse features on a video please? I presume it can do video. In photo mode can it cope with a foreground object/building? John
I'll check those things later...
Sigh I'm me and my seestar are jealous. Though I am using the mosaic on seestar now. It works good. You should try it out.
I'll try it out once it gets officially released!
@CuivTheLazyGeek I look forward to that. From the beta I'm using it shows promise for mosaic. I seriously hope a eq mode gets added.
I hope they will be able to do mosaic for Dwarf II too ... they told me it will not be available because HW limitations but I dont see reason why it should not be possible to do stacking with some movements in-between.
as a D2 owner that's disappointing to hear - it might be memory limitation to preview live such a large image in real-time. I also think the D3 has a faster cpu iirc. Of course you can do it yourself with manual gotos and stich it afterwards but you have to plan it out beforehand so not as convenient.
Hey Cuiv,
For now, I want an official equatorial mod on seestar 😁
That would be awesome!!
I seriously consider buying the D3 thanks to your very usefull presentation of this product. The post processing of the images on the computer app is also amazing (but expensive). As I know python programming and aware of astropy packages, I wonder if I could do a similar processing. Anyway the internal D3 processing/ image stacking is already good even if it is not completely optimal. Do you think that a firmware will be updated to improve later the image processing performed inside the D3 ?
There are plans by Dwarflab to have AI denoising in the app so yes I think the out of the box results will get better!
@@CuivTheLazyGeek Thanks to you I ordered it !
This guy is a excellent Chinese salesman !
Oh yes, the blonde hair is a dead giveaway!
Since the IMX678 sensor has STRAVIS2 technology, I wouldn’t expect there to be any amp glow. Are the dark calibration frames useful? Great video, thanks again 😊
Dark frames also help with thermal noise caused by a simple uncooled camera such as this
@@samwarfelphotos Thanks 🙏
If it was cooled, yes, but uncooled I so prefer to have dark frames!
As always im just perfectly entertained and trained at the same time. Thanks Cuiv! One question: can the dwarf app tell the temperature of the device or did you measure it with a extra tool? (for the dark frames) thanks !
The temperature is displayed along the upper part of the Dwarf app.
This is great for those who dont have other equipment.. personally if I have to polar align I use the big weapons
Or for taking something on the go/travel!
Seestar, look at that!
Hope they add an EQ mode...
What is the best choice compared to Seestar s50?
Thankyou, very informative, quick question, for those of us that don’t process fits files, is there a stacked png or tiff provided and if so is it stretched or unstretched. I’m hopeful it provides one because obviously we don’t want to try to process a jpeg…...thanks, I do understand you get better results from fits, however lots of people will be trying to get best results they can from processing on their tablet or just using the basic starnet program to improve images with basic level and denoise programs
Hello,
thanks for the great demo, now I, as an interested beginner, have a lot more clarity.
Question: is the equatorial mode the same as a parallactic mount? So the other devices that you mentioned and that I always hear about would require a specially installed mount?
Thank you, Johann
I assume you're referring to German Equatorial Mounts when you say parallactic mount? I haven't heard the term before but it sounds right. Yes this equatorial mode is equivalent (basically we get one axis to be parallel to the Earth's rotation axis)
When is the release date
What is the final size/megapixels of your stacked/processed images with the Dwarf III? Are you ending up with something that can be printed on a larger format? I'm impressed with the final images and interested but would want the ability to print a large/poster size if I capture something amazing - and not just share on social media. If anyone has insight I'd love to hear it. Thanks!!
Hello Sir, I have liked your channel from the first time that I have seen it. Looking forward to learning more with you about how to work with the Dwarf 3. I have also sent you a message otherwise; hoping you will answer me back.
Hey Clive, what mount are you using? I’m a newbie and need to know what kind of mount head you need to use. Thanks! I have a SeeStar but want to try equatorial mode.
It looks really promising. Does it have a dew heater? I am thinking about preordering one, but I am not sure will it dew up during the winter etc.
no but there is a metal heatsink on the top of the rotating lens cylinder that gets quite warm from cooling the processor - if only they could cool the sensor!
Their online help mentions a increase speed of cpu option in device settings to act as a kind of indirect dew heater. I was reading on an astronomy forum a Dwarf2 user who was using it fine in the middle of Ohio last winter at -10C without issue.
Amazing! Not so much the image quality, but how simple is to use.
Yep, agree - and I think image quality would be much better outside of Tokyo :)
Is there a picture of Saturn's rings taken by this telescope? Thanks.
You know, I was thinking about eq alignment. I think what would be really cool would be if dwarf could have an option to display a polar alignment bullseye on the screen, that way we can see what the dwarf is actually seeing and can line it up accurately on screen.
True! Although based on my results I'm not actually sure it's needed anymore :)
What happen if we cannot see polaris. Places like near equator. Is the 3 point alignment going to work?
Since the lens was actually looking completely away from Polaris when I was doing the alignment, yes it looks like it doesn't need visibility of Polaris. I can't guarantee it without physically testing it near the equator (like in Singapore) but I don't see a reason why it wouldn't work there
I hope it will work when I receive my dwarf 3. I am in Singapore 😂