I've owned a Dwarf 2 since Christmas. Paid less than 500 euros. Fantastic product that gave me the pleasure of "traveling" in the cosmos! The emotion I felt photographing comet 12P/Pons-Brooks was pure magic. I can never thank Dwarflab enough for creating a product accessible to all star lovers. The Seestar is certainly an excellent product but in Italy it costs 769 euros!!! So at least in my country Dwarf 2 wins the price/quality award!
The Seestar is just proof that prices are being artificially inflated. The Seestar is as capable, if not more so than the Unistellar, yet the price is so much more affordable. Cheers to Seestar for being honest and making a quality product for a reasonable price.
Absolutely, like all the Apple stuff that contributed to launch this trend of "perceived value inflating prices". Unfortunately people are sheeps, but I'm happy that there are actually exceptions which makes people oper their eyes...
@@NoxusGr01i remember when i first saw reviews about the vespera long ago. interesting concept but someone summed it up perfectly saying it was “something a very wealthy person would gift their little nephew”. The astronomical price just makes it impossible for a casual/beginner to get into. The seestar on the other hand? Affordable and the perfect value for what you pay for.
Not sure what you mean by artificially inflated. Vaonis, Unistellar, and Celestron set a price point and people pay it. None of them hold a monopoly. It is toy not a commodity like food or gas.
People can say what they want about the seestar but its honestly the only scope ive ever owned that has impressed people with no knowledge of astronomy, and its even gotten some of my friends more interested that otherwise would have no idea its even possible to see things like this in the night sky.
@nazzify6417 That and so much easier. I have a upscale scope that took me forever to setup, lock on target, I lost interest. Plus the s50 is compact and much easier to bring along. I bought a $35 50,000mah battery pack and can go anywhere and use scope all night. Mine tends to go through the internal battery in about 3 hours or less.
Because of it's low price point, many people are experimenting with it: mosaics, putting it on an EQ wedge, writing scrips for plan shooting. While the beginners are having fun with it, the experienced astrophotographers and hackers are pushing the Seestar to its limits. Fun for all! If I only have one or two hours of clear skies, I don't take out my big rig, I take out the Seestar.
Couldn't agree more. I work full time so if there's a clear sky during the week the more complex rig with its tedious setup stays put. That's not to say that my Seestar will replace it, it's just a great alternative if you're limited to half an hour outside .... Also great that Siril produced a post-processing script for the Seestar, it works really well.
If they are paying for 5* reviews - we KNOW that happens ALL the time - then why on earth didn't Damon, here, let us know exactly where these reviews were lying, I mean, that MUST have been very easy to prove here (I'm not talking about 'different skies') ? I'm disappointed/shocked Damon kept quiet on this comparison with his review!
Thanks so much for this video. The Dwarf 3 is about to come out with improvements focused on image quality. I'll wait for reviews to see how it compares to the S50 before deciding on which one to purchase.
Great review. I have been into amateur astronomy now for the last 40 years. Have seen major changes in this period. The Seestar is a paradigm shift in amateur photography , and its price is available to all people who may have an interest in the night sky, which is a good thing. My Astro rig can take up,to 1 hour to setup, collimate, let the mirror acclimate and hole it doesn’t cloud over. SeeStar lets me setup in under 5 minutes and easy to move.
Seestar looks great, wasn't readily available in my area so I went for the Dwarflab. So far I'm more than happy with it and it suits my needs perfectly.
I bought the Seestar S50 on pre order and it only cost me 405 from high point. It has been a wonderful telescope and I have taken tons of great images with it. I love your videos, keep up the good work!
Im a UK Veteran and always loved anything to do with space. Ive never done anything to do with space apart from my own interest and in some of the places i have served around the world i have seen the milky way etc with the naked eye in very remote places and its amazing to see. I was fortunate to purchase S50 in the last year and it was amazing to see what it could capture. The UK has been horrible over the past year for weather but when it allowed me and my kids have loved it
Great video as always Damon thank you. I recently got an s50 and although I am really impressed with its performance i have not achieved images as beautiful as yourself. If you were considering future video ideas can i suggest one on editing? What software do you use, which edits are needed, what bortle skies do you shoot from etc.
I decided to get the Seestar S50 after careful consideration and much research. I have not been disappointed. What a fantastic bit of kit. And ZWO are still upgrading the firmware and capability, so it will only get better. Could not recommend more.
Thanks for your great review. I'm a newbie to astronomy and recently purchased a Seestar 3 months ago. I am very happy with the product and it's results. My family and friends are totally impressed with the beautiful pictures of the cosmos I have been able to produce from Palm Springs California. I especially like the aspect where I can link the Seestar to my iPad and operate it from my car or inside my home. I can set the target, my timer i.e. 1 hour and enjoy a nap while Seestar handles the heavy work and delivers the final pictures to my iPad. It was the best $499 I ever spent. Viva Seestar.
I've had my Seestar S50 since November and love it, but had frustratingly few opportunities to use it because of the weather in the UK this winter. I still need to learn how to process the images to get them looking as good as yours.
Imagine the increased frustration if you didn’t have a smart telescope. I have taken time to set up my equatorial mount only for the clouds to roll in and then have to put it away again. With this there are far more opportunities in the UK than traditionally available. Glad you are also enjoying it like me.
the cool thing is you can just let the fits files pile up on the scope and when you're ready you can stack them on a pc. I'm kinda amazed how little of the space i've used
The Dwarf 3 is now available for pre-order with deliveries scheduled for, I believe, September 2024. It looks like it has a number of improvements over the Dwarf 2 including a better sensor and slightly larger aperture. It also supports equatorial mode with a much longer exposure time. Of course until people get their hands on it and carry out some comparisons it won't be possible to say whether this new version knocks the Seestar from its perch.
There are now some testers on TH-cam and TikTok who have been given DWARF 3s, to test and review. The results and reviews look bloody amazing and even better than the DWARF 2 and the SeeStar, so much so I have just Preordered one. It comes out late September 😊
Great comparison. I find the Seestar a delight just because it dos not need polar aligning. Next might be an equatorial version which would make it the ultimate king.
[Damon, thank you for an awesome analysis!] The S50, as a standalone device is definitely at the top of the purchase list. Except - the sensor. 2MP is anemic. Yes, I realize MP isn't everything. To compensate, it needs to be a larger sensor to accommodate those increased MPs, hence a change in optics, focals, lenses, etc. But those technicals notwithstanding... and my initial hesitation. Damon - but, you questioned the company on if they were planning on an (S100) upgraded [version 2] scope. As you stated for their response, the company is perhaps still catching up to whatever backlog in manufacturing and aren't considering an update/V2. Physical manufacturing doesn't impede engineering of, or even the thought of, an updated Version 2. But they shut the thought down; and that concerns my pocketbook for long-term viability of a product line. I look for long term viability of a product and supporting company, not one that is resting on its laurels. Even at double $/€/£ for an "S100" compared to the existing S50; it's not about the money, it's the long term outlook of a company in support of a product line. LOVE the standalone/S50, not comfortable with the company reaction. Hopefully they will change their outlook.
The seestar is an excellent beginners setup due to its simplicity, You will learn a lot about the stars and planets and how to set up and it's a great intro into Astrophotography. HOWEVER don't expect awesome images, yes they will look great on instagram but you are very limited with what you can do with it. 1: it is not an eq mounted device which means horrible field rotation as you use it during the night 2: the image quality is Meh compared to what you can do with a better scope, a cooled camera and an equatorial mount (obviously they do cost money) 3: If one thing breaks on it then you dead in the water. It is more or less a paperweight whereas with a dedicated Astro setup you can chop and change, the sky is the limit. 4: resale value will plummet as soon as the next incarnation comes in. Whereas you don't lose as much in resale for dedicated equipment Don't let what I said put you off however as I still think it's great for beginners and such a great learning tool for outreach, schools and for those days when a more seasoned astrophotographer just can't be bothered setting up or is traveling.
I wouldn't be surprised if in a few years high schools start buying smart telescopes in the same way they started buying 3D printers when the technology matured and the market stabilized.
@@hedgehog3180 yep they are perfect for school camps and outreach.I have also recommended one to a mate who wants to dip his toe into Astrophotography but told him about all the caveats I mentioned above
I'm a hobby animal photographer and I'm looking to dip my toe into astrophotography. I didn't understand half the words you said. That tells me that I'm not ready for real astrophotography. $500 is cheaper than most camera lenses, so it's worth it to get one of these toys to learn on.
@@madcow3417 This (very good) review didn't mention it but you can also use the Seestar for daytime nature photography. I haven't tried it with mine yet but I bet it will be fun for closeups of stationery targets (architecture, canyon formations, etc.). It's not going to have the wide-field or quick acquisition needed for fast-moving critters. Solar filter on a clear day is fun once for the sunspots but then I'm unlikely to do that again until there's an eclipse. Moon is ok. Jupiter and Saturn are viewable but you won't get good pis. Other planets are not even worth finding. Dumbell nebula was the standout of my first night sightseeing. Only needed 5 minutes. The onto Eagle nebula (second best), Andromeda galaxy, and the star cluster in Hercules.
I have had the Seestar for 3 months now and have loved every minute using it. As a newcomer to the field, the ease of entry and low price point makes it a no brainier. The big question now is…will the Celestron Orion offer enough to make it worth the £4K or will the Seestar kill it before it even steps into the market? The scope looks great but the sensor is underwhelming and it’s still not an EQ mount device. Fingers crossed that someone brings a smart scope to the game that meets those needs too.
@@DamonScotting Here’s hoping you get a unit to play with. I’m a stone’s throw from Kelling Heath if you fancy coming across to the east coast to give it a go!
I still prefer my 6” APO for the incredible performance it puts out. But I find that while I run it I always set up the Seestar S50. I love how small it is. I can take it with me places that I could not take my 6” APO, especially quick road trips where space is a premium. After I got a fantastic image of the Witch Head nebula I began to use it all the time. I would love to see a future iteration of this with a larger aperture like 80mm with a larger sensor that rotates.
Thank you for your review - i was about to purchase the unistellar and you've helped to give me incredible insight, especially as a being new to astronomy/astrophotography, you've helped me out so much!
Love my seestar s50. Super easy to setup, easy to use and takes good photos for the price. I bought a $20 tripod leveling base and fits in case also. So I have my entire setup in case. Everytime I connect a new device it acts up, won't let me connect, then works, after connecting a device successfully then it works perfect everytime. The s50 is around $460 now in US. When you do get one, make sure it's level before using, if not, you will make the scope off and have to relevel it. There is setting in app to level also. When doing deep space photos, remember to activate the filter if needed for object, not all need filter and if humid or cold, use the heater. Then play around, I just used the best deep space objects that night and had a good looking nebula in minutes. I can sit on couch in living room and take photos while scope is on my deck. Tracks sun and moon great too. Give it time, let the photos stack up, hour plus gets great results.
I'm an old timer astrophotographer stuck in my ways. Will it produce an image as good as a traditional rig that costs 4x as much? No. Do most people care? Also no! No gatekeeping from me! Come on in! I'm off to put my back out dragging the EQ6R about.
It's comments like these, that encourage me to stick with my current plan purchase of the Celestron CGX 11 Edge HD, so I would not be so limited to the quality of my images like I would having a smart telescope.
I see that ZWO/Seestar is coming out with a S30 model ($349) and are taking pre-orders (expected ship date of Jan 2025). Any chance you can review it before it is released?
I bouth a S50 two months ago and as an absolut beginner i am in love with that thing. It is cheap, it works and it allows me to make my first small steps into astronomy without forcing me to research for hours when, what and why i can see a stellar object in the night sky viewable from my balcony. :)
@@amirklan19 Sure. After you bought it you get an app with a community function. You can subscribe to other people and watch their uploads and leave comments with tips, hints or questions.
@@amirklan19 Sure. It comes with an app where you can upload your pictures and share them with the community. You can favorite, comment on, or give hints about other people's pictures.
These are just awesome. I am still looking for a an EQ 6 mount but they are more rare than chicken teeth here. I found an EQ 5 a few weeks ago, but still hoping for a 6. Maybe I'll end up with one of these instead. :)
I love my Seestar! I imagined the eclipse with it and captured an amazing video of the 3rd point of contact and second diamond ring. It is so flexible. Just the best for the money and convenience.
Thanks for the great review! What puts me off buying a Seestar is the incredibly low resolution - 1920x1080. Plus cropping because of field rotation? My question: someone has been successful printing Seestar images? Thanks!
Being from india seestar is winner here in our country cause dwarf 3 is just around ₹70k 😢 and dwarf 2 for like ₹60k and evscope is just another level price range :) , seestar being only ₹45-₹50k gives very great results
Damon the Unistellar EV 'scope is disgustingly expensive! In a hobby that is already so darn expensive to get into, it just really rattles my cage! So when the dwarf and S50 came out I was super pleased and impressed. Also, them being sub $500 also meant many more young and not so young alike could now be coaxed into the wonderful hobby we all know and love. Our future scientists will inevitably have a percentage of them who had chosen the science's for their higher education and future careers as a direct or even indirect result of their amazing experiences, wonder and memories as children using these very accessible instruments! Thank You for a very fair and in depth review Damon!
What about the Vespera? That one is around $1400. My friend sent me images from his Seestar. I wasn't thoroughly impressed. The stars were too fuzzy for me.
Vespera has still no dark substraction will come in the next 5 to 6 months via firmware upgrade. Its like the seestar has no mosaic seems to be planned for 2025, but there ar rumours that it wil be implemented in a pro version of teh seestar
Is it really looking at objects or enhancing images with an AI aoftware. And are the apps free or subscription based, or require one time purchase, separately?
Great review, I saw a review the other day from another reviewer who recommend people wait, but for $500, my recommendation was to go for it and have fun! Thanks for your perspective on these three smart scopes. love my Seestar. It’s pretty easy to set up and get going fairly quick. Within about 5 mins, starting with 🎉walking into the backyard, powering up, selecting a target, and it doing its calibrations. My plan is to use my 8” Dobsonian next to and using the Seestar, kind of as a seeing eye dog to help me find what I’m looking for or, and at in my Dobsonian. The bottom line for me is, I can see a lot more with Seestar than I have experienced with my telescope and in a fraction of the time and ease of using. The downside so far is that I’m not impressed with the moon and planets in the Seestar but I haven’t really experimented with to see if I could do something different to get some better outcomes.
Sold my HyperStar, ASI294MC, tri band filter and ASI Air for $1500… the $450 SeeStar replaced *ALL* of that equipment. I still have my C8 because it is special to look at the moon or Jupiter/Saturn through an eyepiece… but as far as deep sky imaging? SeeStar all day, or night - as it were.
I agree on the Seestar S50 has the best price to quality ratio. But to make the who is who of smart telescopes complete, you should take a look at the devices from Vaonis. Their Vespera telescopes offer a build in mosaic mode (called CovalENS) that creates a much larger field of view over time. The first Vespera that came out two years ago has the same sensor then the Seestar S50 and with 200mm focal length is pretty comparable. The new version Vespera II and the upcoming Vespera Pro have much bigger sensors with higher resolution. The are more expenisve compared to the Seestar and DWARF, but not as high as the Unistellar devices.
I am interested in starting photography but use a Nikon z 8 . To be honest the amount of fuse needed to produce an image is too much for me. The seestar s50 seems like my dream way into the night sky . I have one more question you showed it doing bird photography ? What other images could it be used for ? Landscape or cityscape? I am interested but £500 is not that expensive to a photographer kit bag . Has an all in stars at night I think it sounds bargain of the year . Nice job selling it
It certainly does, I have now seen a few results and reviews from independent DWARF 3 testers and it look amazing, I was a button press away from ordering the SeeStar but I have now Pre-Ordered the DWARF 3 instead 😊
@@coldeb8911 I worry about firmware and ease of use. So far my s50 has been really easy to use, even for someone with no patience. As long as it is level, it's really accurate. As with any scope, need good viewing place away from lights etc, but I have had some great results.
Thanks to you doing all the dirty work, my seastar s50 is on its way. I’ve had a few cheap scopes in my time but nothing sophisticated enough to see more than the moon. I’m thrilled.
Thanks so much for the great review. I’m looking at the SeeStar and was wondering if you have any tips on sharpening, noise reduction and color correction?
at 11:54 why can't you just pan out (zoom out) on the EvScope 2 so it fits in the screen? fits in the screen, cuz you are using the exact same focal length for each one or? or can you not adjust length at all? or frame that is? can;t i just zoom out .. perhaps there are no zoom adjustments at all and you get what you get? or perhaps its diffraction limitations? never used a telescope of any kind so please excuse my ignorance . . . TY
Hi, I really need your advice. Which telescope to choose not only for astrophotography but also for animal photography. This is my first telescope. Thanks
You should consider the Dwarf 3 that comes out Late August/Early September. Most professional reviewers state that the Dwarf 2 smart scope works better for terrestrial photography than the Seestar. The new Dwarf 3 should be very comparable to the Seestar as far as specs and with the built in mosaic mode, should actually be better than the S-50. The new Dwarf 3 is also very competitively priced with a pre-sale price of $469 US. I am looking for a scope similar to what you want, one that handles astro and terrestrial photography well and after much research I have ordered the Dwarf 3 myself.
I was litterally shouting before when i saw ur video. Im really intrested in astronomy and astrophotography,I’m 11 years old and I’m wondering, how to you memorize space? How do you know where everything is located, can you give me some tips? Thank you!😅😅
There's tons of free skymap software like Stellarium and Astrohopper that can help you get your bearings to start with. It helps to first get familiar with the planets, Jupiter and Venus are especially bright and easy to identify and once you know them you can use them as references. Also getting an actual physical star map is a great idea, having an actual piece of paper will give you an intuition that software can't really and you can use it without ruining your night vision plus they're extremely simple to use.
Hi Damon - I stumbled upon your channel while looking for reviews of the Unistellar eQuinox 2 because it was just recently featured on National Geographic. I’m glad I did, after seeing the results you are getting from the S50! What software / app do you use to edit the images you take on the S50? Thanks!
I have the Vespera and I would’ve definitely bought the SeeStar instead especially for the price, they also don’t include a solar filter in the box too so that’s a bummer
This question is for anyone that understands telescope specs. My 8 year wants this type of telescope for his bday. After watching this, the S50 is at the top of the list. The dwarf 3 is shipping in aug and curious if it may be a better option than the s50. Open to other options as well, just remember its for an 8 year old 😂
One question: is there light pollution in your yard? The Seestar and Dwarf have a built in light pollution filter that helps somewhat. We're all curious to see how the Dwarf 3 will do in real world use, especially with the mosaic feature to let you capture larger objects like the veil nebula. I got my Seestar a month ago and I'm impressed with the use and the photos. However, I researched before buying and I knew it would be terrible for viewing my favorite planets, Saturn and Jupiter. Thtere are three concerns in buying a Seestar or Dwarf for an 8 year old. 1) as simple as it is, it might too complicated for an 8 year old to use it unassisted. 2) Pictures are pictures, and once the novelty wears off the scope might sit in the closet unused. 3) Within a year or two, one of these companies or a competitor might produce a new model with a bigger mirror, better sensor and you will regret that you bought this one and the ten year old will be begging you to buy the new one. Last year I bought an reflector telescope with a 6 inch mirror (Seestar is just under 2") for just $250. No computer to help you find things and borderline too heavy for an 8 year old to carry out to the yard, but no batteries required. I've tried 3 different adapters to capture eyepiece photos using my cellphone but had little success with that. So I bought a $200 astrophotography camera and got zero usable photos with that. But, for live viewing of the moon it will blow you away! Seestar digital photos of the moon just cannot compete with a live shimmering view of moon craters from a 6" reflector with 2x Barlow lens. And Saturn is magical and Jupiter is good. For deesp-sky objects like nebula and comets, it's tricky to find them and they will just be white blurs when you do, but for moon and planets it will wow you and everyone you show it to. It's half the price of a Seestar, and it will last decades and never become obsolete.
the Dwarf II is build to accept eq mount. On the counter part, the SeeStar doesn't have an official eq mode, but, you can put the SeeStar on a eq mount or simply a tilt head, and perform you regular start up. It will perform its 3 point alignment (it's automatic), and it will work as an EQ. But, since it doesn't have an eq mode feature yet, your horizon is higher since as a tweak alt az, it consider low altitude target under the horizon. so, the capability is there, but it need to be unleash. If you pick the Celestron Orion, it can be mount on a wedge and accept the eq.
I look at it this way, my phone can do starlapse, milkyway, then I'd look into a telescope "smart" for galaxies, nebulas, then another telescope "smart" for planets. My pick would be the dwarf3, and a SkyWatcher 127 VIRTUOSO GTi Maksutov-Cassegrain GoTo Dobsonian Telescope with a phone mount and a pro 25mm eye piece. Others, insta360x4 for 360 time-lapse and Star-trails.
I really want to buy a Seestar for my mother but I don’t know where to purchase one in the UK. Could anyone give me tips as the best place to find it, with quick delivery?
Great video 😊 The SeeStar does look amazing with great image quality, but it will be interesting if/when you get the DWARF 3 to test with its bigger aperture, more processing power such as automatic noise removal and sharpening, mosaic mode and its going to be more user friendly apparently . I did seriously consider the SeeStar and very near bought one, but when I saw the reviews and pre-testing results recently of the DWARF 3 ,I have preordered one of those instead.Whether or not the SeeStar will try and compete again with DWARF LABS with an upgrade remains to be seen, but my guess will be a yes. Personally I think SeeStar and DWARF will be the main competitors for the smart scope market, rather like VHS and BETAMAX was for home Video, but I think this time there will be a place for both SeeStar and DWARF, hopefully you will get a DWARF 3 to test yourself soon and do another comparison against the SeeStar, it comes out the end of September. On another note, how come you talk in $s and not £s, as your obviously from over here in the U.K ? unless your now living in America of course 🤣
Sadly I don't own any telescope, but I'm kinda fan of astrophotography and wonders of our universe. My only resentment is that Smartscopes are great for newcomers and affordable (in my country it's still around monthly salary 😢 tho), but are they a bit.... too easy? They do all of work for you. I thought that process of capturing and stacking, color corection, cropping etc. is part of hobby. Although it's tough and tedious, it brings most joy and "pride and accomplishment". Learning new skills lose yourself in that process and clear your mind. It's like going fishing but bringing robot to fish for you. TO ALL OF FANS of astrophotography, it's not hating or attacking Damon. It's genuine question to ppl that have both Smartscopes and Telescopes. I'm kinda thorn between two opposite camps xD. Happy 🌌 stargazing
I do not own this, but my understanding is that it you can use this as an EAA device, where it does some of the work for you (mostly just live stacking) so you can at least see something in color within a couple of minutes, but it will also have a lot of digital noise. It does not automatically give you the beautiful, best images like Damon showed. He still has to export them to his computer and process them manually to eliminate the noise, color correct, etc...
Embrace the technology, stop fighting it. Easier, less costly, yes. The fake storyline of you will get bored quickly. Nonsense. I'm having so much fun with mine. I'm retired and the S50 fits all my needs. I have a technical background, and integration was a big part of my job and the decision to buy. Will I eventually feel the need to move on? Maybe. But if I do, I hope it will align with the release of the Seestar S100.
What sort of life span would these have? Or how long would they be expected to last before internal failures begin? As I’ve had scopes for nearly 25 years now and as good as new.
While I agree with you, and what holds me back from getting one. However, in 25 years there will be Smart Scopes that Rival the Hubble. I mean these show SO much more than even an 8" does.. So.. I hold out..
I bought the original EV scope for around £3k with the accessories. It was very underwhelming. I ended up selling it. I can’t believe there’s better scopes for under £500!
Honestly the images from these smart telescopes are easy to beat if you have a star tracker and camera. They are really EAA tools rather than for astrophotography.
I agree, unfortunately, a start tracker is same price than these EAA, if you had a camera, a goto, a mini pc/raspberry pi/asiair, Dual Narrow Band filter, and... an APO lens and/or telescope + autofocusser, you're way out any 500$ market. This is the high selling point of these introduction device.
@@Matrix9969 Yeah thats why you should buy used. Star trackers are like $250-300 on the used market, and even if you buy it new the prices of them are dropping quickly.
Question I just purchased the dwarf 3 but it's not available yet I'm waiting for it what would be your advice stay with it or change it to the ZWO Seestar S50
I love my S50, as an amateur. Compare that to a beginner telescope i got for this kids a few years ago that was a disaster. Traditional telescopes are too difficult for kids and amateurs to use, so don't bother. Spend the $ for a smart telescope. I will say that planets are difficult, and these "long exposure" stacks are great but not suitable for impatient people like me. I max out at about 10 minutes, while occasionaly going 20 minutes. 6 hours? yikes, not for me. So maybe the photos I get aren't quite this good, but still pretty cool.
that is not correct. At Astroshop it costs 735 euros + shipping costs. But you'd be better off buying it from ZWO, like I did, it costs $499 (487 euros) + import costs of 137 euros, and that only comes to 624 euros delivered to your home by DHL. good deal this way, right? And the delivery time was 7 days.
i own the Dwarf 2 along with a sct goto. Dwarf 2 has exceeded my expectations tho i will admit that the se star looks very good. Dwarf 3 is soon to be released so will wait to see what that brings, already tho Dwarf 2 has been upgraded. what ever happens between these smart telescopes it is an interesting time to look up at the universe . i know a lot of astro photographers that think these are not the real deal but the images one can obtain for the price i totally disagree .
So??? Price is only one factor to consider. There is also performance. Moreover, it’s price is comparable to what a more serious traditional Astro rig would cost. In the visual world, I could buy a 4 1/2 Orion Starblast reflector for a few hundred bucks, an 8” mass-produced dob for $700, or a 22” Obsession Dob for $10-15k. The Starblast is clearly the cheapest, but also has the worst performance. The Obsession wins on performance, but is very expensive and requires a lot of space. For now I have settled on the 8” as a balance of performance and price. But don’t be surprised if I eventually save up for the Obsession.
Well, that's different. Grand Canyon, in order to take a picture, you have to be there, and then, unlike for astronomical objects, you'd see it with your own eyes and will experience your own sensory perception.
@@MGRVE There are many objects in the night sky that can be imaged, that you can not see with your own eyes. And the SeeStar image will be in color and have way more detail than you can ever observe thru an eyepiece.
I hate that devices are developed as smartphone-dependent or smartphone peripherals, meaning they won't work or operate without a smartphone. I wish we could go back to the time of standalone devices, when they worked on their own without the need for a smartphone.
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I've owned a Dwarf 2 since Christmas. Paid less than 500 euros. Fantastic product that gave me the pleasure of "traveling" in the cosmos! The emotion I felt photographing comet 12P/Pons-Brooks was pure magic. I can never thank Dwarflab enough for creating a product accessible to all star lovers. The Seestar is certainly an excellent product but in Italy it costs 769 euros!!! So at least in my country Dwarf 2 wins the price/quality award!
The Seestar is just proof that prices are being artificially inflated. The Seestar is as capable, if not more so than the Unistellar, yet the price is so much more affordable. Cheers to Seestar for being honest and making a quality product for a reasonable price.
Absolutely, like all the Apple stuff that contributed to launch this trend of "perceived value inflating prices". Unfortunately people are sheeps, but I'm happy that there are actually exceptions which makes people oper their eyes...
@@NoxusGr01i remember when i first saw reviews about the vespera long ago. interesting concept but someone summed it up perfectly saying it was “something a very wealthy person would gift their little nephew”. The astronomical price just makes it impossible for a casual/beginner to get into. The seestar on the other hand? Affordable and the perfect value for what you pay for.
I just wish they'd spend $10 more on a better image sensor. I don't think anyone would have said "it's too expensive now"...
Not sure what you mean by artificially inflated. Vaonis, Unistellar, and Celestron set a price point and people pay it. None of them hold a monopoly. It is toy not a commodity like food or gas.
People can say what they want about the seestar but its honestly the only scope ive ever owned that has impressed people with no knowledge of astronomy, and its even gotten some of my friends more interested that otherwise would have no idea its even possible to see things like this in the night sky.
me too, I placed it and people naturally came to me, ask questions and feel awed with the live stacking and auto stacked images
@nazzify6417 That and so much easier. I have a upscale scope that took me forever to setup, lock on target, I lost interest. Plus the s50 is compact and much easier to bring along. I bought a $35 50,000mah battery pack and can go anywhere and use scope all night. Mine tends to go through the internal battery in about 3 hours or less.
At outreach star parties I get a crowd around me. People are very intrigued by the Seestar and ease of use in a self contained package.
Because of it's low price point, many people are experimenting with it: mosaics, putting it on an EQ wedge, writing scrips for plan shooting. While the beginners are having fun with it, the experienced astrophotographers and hackers are pushing the Seestar to its limits. Fun for all! If I only have one or two hours of clear skies, I don't take out my big rig, I take out the Seestar.
Couldn't agree more. I work full time so if there's a clear sky during the week the more complex rig with its tedious setup stays put. That's not to say that my Seestar will replace it, it's just a great alternative if you're limited to half an hour outside .... Also great that Siril produced a post-processing script for the Seestar, it works really well.
Makes you wonder if Unistellar is paying for 5 star reviews , and if that's the case the review outlets themselves should be in question as well
No way they aren't. Everything is so insanely overpriced on their site
If they are paying for 5* reviews - we KNOW that happens ALL the time - then why on earth didn't Damon, here, let us know exactly where these reviews were lying, I mean, that MUST have been very easy to prove here (I'm not talking about 'different skies') ? I'm disappointed/shocked Damon kept quiet on this comparison with his review!
Please do a video of your editing process for the S50.
Thanks so much for this video. The Dwarf 3 is about to come out with improvements focused on image quality. I'll wait for reviews to see how it compares to the S50 before deciding on which one to purchase.
Great review. I have been into amateur astronomy now for the last 40 years. Have seen major changes in this period. The Seestar is a paradigm shift in amateur photography , and its price is available to all people who may have an interest in the night sky, which is a good thing. My Astro rig can take up,to 1 hour to setup, collimate, let the mirror acclimate and hole it doesn’t cloud over. SeeStar lets me setup in under 5 minutes and easy to move.
Seestar looks great, wasn't readily available in my area so I went for the Dwarflab. So far I'm more than happy with it and it suits my needs perfectly.
I bought the Seestar S50 on pre order and it only cost me 405 from high point. It has been a wonderful telescope and I have taken tons of great images with it. I love your videos, keep up the good work!
Im a UK Veteran and always loved anything to do with space. Ive never done anything to do with space apart from my own interest and in some of the places i have served around the world i have seen the milky way etc with the naked eye in very remote places and its amazing to see. I was fortunate to purchase S50 in the last year and it was amazing to see what it could capture. The UK has been horrible over the past year for weather but when it allowed me and my kids have loved it
Great video as always Damon thank you. I recently got an s50 and although I am really impressed with its performance i have not achieved images as beautiful as yourself. If you were considering future video ideas can i suggest one on editing? What software do you use, which edits are needed, what bortle skies do you shoot from etc.
Definitely! Probably you use windows desktop apps. It would be great to see what are the best options for MacOS and Android/iOS, too.
I decided to get the Seestar S50 after careful consideration and much research. I have not been disappointed. What a fantastic bit of kit. And ZWO are still upgrading the firmware and capability, so it will only get better. Could not recommend more.
Здравствуйте, тоже хочу купить этот телескоп, можем дружить?😅
Thanks for your great review. I'm a newbie to astronomy and recently purchased a Seestar 3 months ago. I am very happy with the product and it's results. My family and friends are totally impressed with the beautiful pictures of the cosmos I have been able to produce from Palm Springs California. I especially like the aspect where I can link the Seestar to my iPad and operate it from my car or inside my home. I can set the target, my timer i.e. 1 hour and enjoy a nap while Seestar handles the heavy work and delivers the final pictures to my iPad. It was the best $499 I ever spent. Viva Seestar.
Здравствуйте , я планирую купить себе такой же телескоп. Можем дружить?😅
I've had my Seestar S50 since November and love it, but had frustratingly few opportunities to use it because of the weather in the UK this winter. I still need to learn how to process the images to get them looking as good as yours.
Imagine the increased frustration if you didn’t have a smart telescope. I have taken time to set up my equatorial mount only for the clouds to roll in and then have to put it away again. With this there are far more opportunities in the UK than traditionally available. Glad you are also enjoying it like me.
the cool thing is you can just let the fits files pile up on the scope and when you're ready you can stack them on a pc. I'm kinda amazed how little of the space i've used
The Dwarf 3 is now available for pre-order with deliveries scheduled for, I believe, September 2024. It looks like it has a number of improvements over the Dwarf 2 including a better sensor and slightly larger aperture. It also supports equatorial mode with a much longer exposure time. Of course until people get their hands on it and carry out some comparisons it won't be possible to say whether this new version knocks the Seestar from its perch.
There are now some testers on TH-cam and TikTok who have been given DWARF 3s, to test and review. The results and reviews look bloody amazing and even better than the DWARF 2 and the SeeStar, so much so I have just Preordered one. It comes out late September 😊
Great comparison. I find the Seestar a delight just because it dos not need polar aligning. Next might be an equatorial version which would make it the ultimate king.
People have EQ mounted their S50.
[Damon, thank you for an awesome analysis!]
The S50, as a standalone device is definitely at the top of the purchase list. Except - the sensor. 2MP is anemic. Yes, I realize MP isn't everything. To compensate, it needs to be a larger sensor to accommodate those increased MPs, hence a change in optics, focals, lenses, etc. But those technicals notwithstanding... and my initial hesitation.
Damon - but, you questioned the company on if they were planning on an (S100) upgraded [version 2] scope. As you stated for their response, the company is perhaps still catching up to whatever backlog in manufacturing and aren't considering an update/V2.
Physical manufacturing doesn't impede engineering of, or even the thought of, an updated Version 2. But they shut the thought down; and that concerns my pocketbook for long-term viability of a product line.
I look for long term viability of a product and supporting company, not one that is resting on its laurels. Even at double $/€/£ for an "S100" compared to the existing S50; it's not about the money, it's the long term outlook of a company in support of a product line.
LOVE the standalone/S50, not comfortable with the company reaction. Hopefully they will change their outlook.
The seestar is an excellent beginners setup due to its simplicity, You will learn a lot about the stars and planets and how to set up and it's a great intro into Astrophotography. HOWEVER don't expect awesome images, yes they will look great on instagram but you are very limited with what you can do with it.
1: it is not an eq mounted device which means horrible field rotation as you use it during the night
2: the image quality is Meh compared to what you can do with a better scope, a cooled camera and an equatorial mount (obviously they do cost money)
3: If one thing breaks on it then you dead in the water. It is more or less a paperweight whereas with a dedicated Astro setup you can chop and change, the sky is the limit.
4: resale value will plummet as soon as the next incarnation comes in. Whereas you don't lose as much in resale for dedicated equipment
Don't let what I said put you off however as I still think it's great for beginners and such a great learning tool for outreach, schools and for those days when a more seasoned astrophotographer just can't be bothered setting up or is traveling.
I wouldn't be surprised if in a few years high schools start buying smart telescopes in the same way they started buying 3D printers when the technology matured and the market stabilized.
@@hedgehog3180 yep they are perfect for school camps and outreach.I have also recommended one to a mate who wants to dip his toe into Astrophotography but told him about all the caveats I mentioned above
I'm a hobby animal photographer and I'm looking to dip my toe into astrophotography. I didn't understand half the words you said. That tells me that I'm not ready for real astrophotography. $500 is cheaper than most camera lenses, so it's worth it to get one of these toys to learn on.
@@madcow3417 This (very good) review didn't mention it but you can also use the Seestar for daytime nature photography. I haven't tried it with mine yet but I bet it will be fun for closeups of stationery targets (architecture, canyon formations, etc.). It's not going to have the wide-field or quick acquisition needed for fast-moving critters. Solar filter on a clear day is fun once for the sunspots but then I'm unlikely to do that again until there's an eclipse. Moon is ok. Jupiter and Saturn are viewable but you won't get good pis. Other planets are not even worth finding. Dumbell nebula was the standout of my first night sightseeing. Only needed 5 minutes. The onto Eagle nebula (second best), Andromeda galaxy, and the star cluster in Hercules.
I have had the Seestar for 3 months now and have loved every minute using it. As a newcomer to the field, the ease of entry and low price point makes it a no brainier. The big question now is…will the Celestron Orion offer enough to make it worth the £4K or will the Seestar kill it before it even steps into the market? The scope looks great but the sensor is underwhelming and it’s still not an EQ mount device. Fingers crossed that someone brings a smart scope to the game that meets those needs too.
Well said, Andy! You're bang on with your points! I'm also excited to see what the Orion origin will produce 🤞
@@DamonScotting Here’s hoping you get a unit to play with. I’m a stone’s throw from Kelling Heath if you fancy coming across to the east coast to give it a go!
If you look in the Celestron Origin coming feature, you have the easy polar align and compatibility with the Nexstar 6/8SE wedge.
I still prefer my 6” APO for the incredible performance it puts out. But I find that while I run it I always set up the Seestar S50. I love how small it is. I can take it with me places that I could not take my 6” APO, especially quick road trips where space is a premium. After I got a fantastic image of the Witch Head nebula I began to use it all the time. I would love to see a future iteration of this with a larger aperture like 80mm with a larger sensor that rotates.
Согласен с вами, представляю монстра телескоп с 80 мм с таким то качеством и фильтрами, там можно будет снимать даже планеты очень близко😅
The Seestars50 is probably what I'd go for. Helpful video Damon!
Thank you for your review - i was about to purchase the unistellar and you've helped to give me incredible insight, especially as a being new to astronomy/astrophotography, you've helped me out so much!
Love my seestar s50. Super easy to setup, easy to use and takes good photos for the price. I bought a $20 tripod leveling base and fits in case also. So I have my entire setup in case. Everytime I connect a new device it acts up, won't let me connect, then works, after connecting a device successfully then it works perfect everytime. The s50 is around $460 now in US. When you do get one, make sure it's level before using, if not, you will make the scope off and have to relevel it. There is setting in app to level also. When doing deep space photos, remember to activate the filter if needed for object, not all need filter and if humid or cold, use the heater. Then play around, I just used the best deep space objects that night and had a good looking nebula in minutes. I can sit on couch in living room and take photos while scope is on my deck. Tracks sun and moon great too. Give it time, let the photos stack up, hour plus gets great results.
I'm an old timer astrophotographer stuck in my ways. Will it produce an image as good as a traditional rig that costs 4x as much? No.
Do most people care? Also no!
No gatekeeping from me! Come on in! I'm off to put my back out dragging the EQ6R about.
It's comments like these, that encourage me to stick with my current plan purchase of the Celestron CGX 11 Edge HD, so I would not be so limited to the quality of my images like I would having a smart telescope.
Seestar 499 USD, Wel in Europe it is around 700 Euro (751 USD)
as an atrophotographer myself this is like my dream come true thankyou damon for letting me know about such wonderful telescopes
I see that ZWO/Seestar is coming out with a S30 model ($349) and are taking pre-orders (expected ship date of Jan 2025). Any chance you can review it before it is released?
I bouth a S50 two months ago and as an absolut beginner i am in love with that thing. It is cheap, it works and it allows me to make my first small steps into astronomy without forcing me to research for hours when, what and why i can see a stellar object in the night sky viewable from my balcony. :)
Здравствуйте, тоже хочу купить этот телескоп, можем дружить?😅
@@amirklan19 Sure. After you bought it you get an app with a community function. You can subscribe to other people and watch their uploads and leave comments with tips, hints or questions.
@@amirklan19 Sure. It comes with an app where you can upload your pictures and share them with the community. You can favorite, comment on, or give hints about other people's pictures.
These are just awesome. I am still looking for a an EQ 6 mount but they are more rare than chicken teeth here. I found an EQ 5 a few weeks ago, but still hoping for a 6. Maybe I'll end up with one of these instead. :)
I love my Seestar! I imagined the eclipse with it and captured an amazing video of the 3rd point of contact and second diamond ring. It is so flexible. Just the best for the money and convenience.
Thanks for the great review! What puts me off buying a Seestar is the incredibly low resolution - 1920x1080. Plus cropping because of field rotation? My question: someone has been successful printing Seestar images? Thanks!
Great and honest review👍🏼 i just purchased my seestar hours ago i’m so excited
Being from india seestar is winner here in our country cause dwarf 3 is just around ₹70k 😢 and dwarf 2 for like ₹60k and evscope is just another level price range :) , seestar being only ₹45-₹50k gives very great results
Damon the Unistellar EV 'scope is disgustingly expensive! In a hobby that is already so darn expensive to get into, it just really rattles my cage! So when the dwarf and S50 came out I was super pleased and impressed. Also, them being sub $500 also meant many more young and not so young alike could now be coaxed into the wonderful hobby we all know and love. Our future scientists will inevitably have a percentage of them who had chosen the science's for their higher education and future careers as a direct or even indirect result of their amazing experiences, wonder and memories as children using these very accessible instruments!
Thank You for a very fair and in depth review Damon!
What about the Vespera? That one is around $1400.
My friend sent me images from his Seestar. I wasn't thoroughly impressed. The stars were too fuzzy for me.
Vespera has still no dark substraction will come in the next 5 to 6 months via firmware upgrade. Its like the seestar has no mosaic seems to be planned for 2025, but there ar rumours that it wil be implemented in a pro version of teh seestar
Good video. I've just preordered the dwarflab 3 looking forward to giving that a go as my first smart telescope
Is it really looking at objects or enhancing images with an AI aoftware. And are the apps free or subscription based, or require one time purchase, separately?
The Vaonis Vespera - more expensive than the S50 but great images. Built-in mosaic mode as well.
Seestar will implement the mosaic mode as well though. Still, Vespera takes some great images.
just got my seestar , great scope
Здравствуйте, тоже хочу купить этот телескоп, можем дружить?😅
I think what people are going to take more time learning is the stacking/processing side of AP. Curious why the Vaonis wasn't put in this line up.
Great video. Thx man, keep up the good work
Great review, I saw a review the other day from another reviewer who recommend people wait, but for $500, my recommendation was to go for it and have fun! Thanks for your perspective on these three smart scopes.
love my Seestar. It’s pretty easy to set up and get going fairly quick. Within about 5 mins, starting with 🎉walking into the backyard, powering up, selecting a target, and it doing its calibrations. My plan is to use my 8” Dobsonian next to and using the Seestar, kind of as a seeing eye dog to help me find what I’m looking for or, and at in my Dobsonian.
The bottom line for me is, I can see a lot more with Seestar than I have experienced with my telescope and in a fraction of the time and ease of using.
The downside so far is that I’m not impressed with the moon and planets in the Seestar but I haven’t really experimented with to see if I could do something different to get some better outcomes.
For me, the S50 images of the moon and sun are just about right. Planets, not so much. However, it is small, but I was able to capture Pluto.
Sold my HyperStar, ASI294MC, tri band filter and ASI Air for $1500… the $450 SeeStar replaced *ALL* of that equipment.
I still have my C8 because it is special to look at the moon or Jupiter/Saturn through an eyepiece… but as far as deep sky imaging? SeeStar all day, or night - as it were.
I agree on the Seestar S50 has the best price to quality ratio. But to make the who is who of smart telescopes complete, you should take a look at the devices from Vaonis. Their Vespera telescopes offer a build in mosaic mode (called CovalENS) that creates a much larger field of view over time. The first Vespera that came out two years ago has the same sensor then the Seestar S50 and with 200mm focal length is pretty comparable. The new version Vespera II and the upcoming Vespera Pro have much bigger sensors with higher resolution. The are more expenisve compared to the Seestar and DWARF, but not as high as the Unistellar devices.
Where are you ordering your clear skies from? All of my usual places are out of stock.
The Seestar is truly incredible! 🎉
I am interested in starting photography but use a Nikon z 8 . To be honest the amount of fuse needed to produce an image is too much for me. The seestar s50 seems like my dream way into the night sky . I have one more question you showed it doing bird photography ? What other images could it be used for ? Landscape or cityscape? I am interested but £500 is not that expensive to a photographer kit bag . Has an all in stars at night I think it sounds bargain of the year . Nice job selling it
Just bought my Seestar and can't wait to try it out, thanks Damon for the informative video
Now Dwarf 3 looks like it will possibly outdo the s50? I have the s50, but dwarf 3 looks promising.
It certainly does, I have now seen a few results and reviews from independent DWARF 3 testers and it look amazing, I was a button press away from ordering the SeeStar but I have now Pre-Ordered the DWARF 3 instead 😊
Ceti Alpha V can be seen on this telescope?
@@shatner99 Need the Enterprise to see it.
@@coldeb8911 I worry about firmware and ease of use. So far my s50 has been really easy to use, even for someone with no patience. As long as it is level, it's really accurate. As with any scope, need good viewing place away from lights etc, but I have had some great results.
Thanks for another awesome video!
I have the Seestar S50 and it's amazing! it even came with 4 months worth of cloudy nights for free 🤣
Thanks to you doing all the dirty work, my seastar s50 is on its way. I’ve had a few cheap scopes in my time but nothing sophisticated enough to see more than the moon. I’m thrilled.
Здравствуйте, тоже хочу купить этот телескоп, можем дружить?😅
I first bought a Dwarf and then a Seestar and I must say Seestar performs better, but the Dwarf will always be my first love.
Thanks so much for the great review. I’m looking at the SeeStar and was wondering if you have any tips on sharpening, noise reduction and color correction?
That is called Post Processing.
at 11:54 why can't you just pan out (zoom out) on the EvScope 2 so it fits in the screen? fits in the screen, cuz you are using the exact same focal length for each one or? or can you not adjust length at all? or frame that is? can;t i just zoom out .. perhaps there are no zoom adjustments at all and you get what you get? or perhaps its diffraction limitations? never used a telescope of any kind so please excuse my ignorance . . . TY
Hi, I really need your advice.
Which telescope to choose not only for astrophotography but also for animal photography. This is my first telescope. Thanks
You should consider the Dwarf 3 that comes out Late August/Early September. Most professional reviewers state that the Dwarf 2 smart scope works better for terrestrial photography than the Seestar. The new Dwarf 3 should be very comparable to the Seestar as far as specs and with the built in mosaic mode, should actually be better than the S-50. The new Dwarf 3 is also very competitively priced with a pre-sale price of $469 US. I am looking for a scope similar to what you want, one that handles astro and terrestrial photography well and after much research I have ordered the Dwarf 3 myself.
I was litterally shouting before when i saw ur video. Im really intrested in astronomy and astrophotography,I’m 11 years old and I’m wondering, how to you memorize space? How do you know where everything is located, can you give me some tips? Thank you!😅😅
There's tons of free skymap software like Stellarium and Astrohopper that can help you get your bearings to start with. It helps to first get familiar with the planets, Jupiter and Venus are especially bright and easy to identify and once you know them you can use them as references. Also getting an actual physical star map is a great idea, having an actual piece of paper will give you an intuition that software can't really and you can use it without ruining your night vision plus they're extremely simple to use.
@@hedgehog3180thanks! I’ll try those apps
what power bank did you plug into the seestar? that seemed more convenient then the one i used
Thank you. I enjoy my SeeStar. You should talk with Ed Ting, he panned the SeeStar.
Hi Damon - I stumbled upon your channel while looking for reviews of the Unistellar eQuinox 2 because it was just recently featured on National Geographic.
I’m glad I did, after seeing the results you are getting from the S50! What software / app do you use to edit the images you take on the S50?
Thanks!
I have the Vespera and I would’ve definitely bought the SeeStar instead especially for the price, they also don’t include a solar filter in the box too so that’s a bummer
This question is for anyone that understands telescope specs. My 8 year wants this type of telescope for his bday. After watching this, the S50 is at the top of the list. The dwarf 3 is shipping in aug and curious if it may be a better option than the s50. Open to other options as well, just remember its for an 8 year old 😂
One question: is there light pollution in your yard? The Seestar and Dwarf have a built in light pollution filter that helps somewhat. We're all curious to see how the Dwarf 3 will do in real world use, especially with the mosaic feature to let you capture larger objects like the veil nebula. I got my Seestar a month ago and I'm impressed with the use and the photos. However, I researched before buying and I knew it would be terrible for viewing my favorite planets, Saturn and Jupiter. Thtere are three concerns in buying a Seestar or Dwarf for an 8 year old. 1) as simple as it is, it might too complicated for an 8 year old to use it unassisted. 2) Pictures are pictures, and once the novelty wears off the scope might sit in the closet unused. 3) Within a year or two, one of these companies or a competitor might produce a new model with a bigger mirror, better sensor and you will regret that you bought this one and the ten year old will be begging you to buy the new one. Last year I bought an reflector telescope with a 6 inch mirror (Seestar is just under 2") for just $250. No computer to help you find things and borderline too heavy for an 8 year old to carry out to the yard, but no batteries required. I've tried 3 different adapters to capture eyepiece photos using my cellphone but had little success with that. So I bought a $200 astrophotography camera and got zero usable photos with that. But, for live viewing of the moon it will blow you away! Seestar digital photos of the moon just cannot compete with a live shimmering view of moon craters from a 6" reflector with 2x Barlow lens. And Saturn is magical and Jupiter is good. For deesp-sky objects like nebula and comets, it's tricky to find them and they will just be white blurs when you do, but for moon and planets it will wow you and everyone you show it to. It's half the price of a Seestar, and it will last decades and never become obsolete.
You didn't mention the smart scope Achilles heal... field rotation!
Make a smart scope with a german eq mount and I'm all over it.
the Dwarf II is build to accept eq mount. On the counter part, the SeeStar doesn't have an official eq mode, but, you can put the SeeStar on a eq mount or simply a tilt head, and perform you regular start up. It will perform its 3 point alignment (it's automatic), and it will work as an EQ. But, since it doesn't have an eq mode feature yet, your horizon is higher since as a tweak alt az, it consider low altitude target under the horizon. so, the capability is there, but it need to be unleash. If you pick the Celestron Orion, it can be mount on a wedge and accept the eq.
Thanks! You saved me time and money, but moreover you helped me find a new hobby! 😊
Alexa, take a photo of Messier 42.
😂😂😂
😢😢😢
I look at it this way, my phone can do starlapse, milkyway, then I'd look into a telescope "smart" for galaxies, nebulas, then another telescope "smart" for planets. My pick would be the dwarf3, and a SkyWatcher 127 VIRTUOSO GTi Maksutov-Cassegrain GoTo Dobsonian Telescope with a phone mount and a pro 25mm eye piece. Others, insta360x4 for 360 time-lapse and Star-trails.
I really want to buy a Seestar for my mother but I don’t know where to purchase one in the UK. Could anyone give me tips as the best place to find it, with quick delivery?
Can we use S50 for citizen science?
Awesome Video!
Great video 😊 The SeeStar does look amazing with great image quality, but it will be interesting if/when you get the DWARF 3 to test with its bigger aperture, more processing power such as automatic noise removal and sharpening, mosaic mode and its going to be more user friendly apparently . I did seriously consider the SeeStar and very near bought one, but when I saw the reviews and pre-testing results recently of the DWARF 3 ,I have preordered one of those instead.Whether or not the SeeStar will try and compete again with DWARF LABS with an upgrade remains to be seen, but my guess will be a yes. Personally I think SeeStar and DWARF will be the main competitors for the smart scope market, rather like VHS and BETAMAX was for home Video, but I think this time there will be a place for both SeeStar and DWARF, hopefully you will get a DWARF 3 to test yourself soon and do another comparison against the SeeStar, it comes out the end of September. On another note, how come you talk in $s and not £s, as your obviously from over here in the U.K ? unless your now living in America of course 🤣
You truly inspire me
Some lost buyers are reassured by (very) high prices, it seems like Unistellar understood that
Sadly I don't own any telescope, but I'm kinda fan of astrophotography and wonders of our universe.
My only resentment is that Smartscopes are great for newcomers and affordable (in my country it's still around monthly salary 😢 tho), but are they a bit.... too easy? They do all of work for you. I thought that process of capturing and stacking, color corection, cropping etc. is part of hobby. Although it's tough and tedious, it brings most joy and "pride and accomplishment".
Learning new skills lose yourself in that process and clear your mind.
It's like going fishing but bringing robot to fish for you.
TO ALL OF FANS of astrophotography, it's not hating or attacking Damon. It's genuine question to ppl that have both Smartscopes and Telescopes. I'm kinda thorn between two opposite camps xD.
Happy 🌌 stargazing
I do not own this, but my understanding is that it you can use this as an EAA device, where it does some of the work for you (mostly just live stacking) so you can at least see something in color within a couple of minutes, but it will also have a lot of digital noise. It does not automatically give you the beautiful, best images like Damon showed. He still has to export them to his computer and process them manually to eliminate the noise, color correct, etc...
@@millenialfalcon8243Good to know, thx.
Embrace the technology, stop fighting it. Easier, less costly, yes. The fake storyline of you will get bored quickly. Nonsense. I'm having so much fun with mine. I'm retired and the S50 fits all my needs. I have a technical background, and integration was a big part of my job and the decision to buy. Will I eventually feel the need to move on? Maybe. But if I do, I hope it will align with the release of the Seestar S100.
$499.00 equates to £373.00 yet currently selling for £539.00 in rip off Britain for the Seestar S50 ...
Love my Seestar would love to share some of the pictures I’ve taken here in Virginia!
looked at getting the Seestar S50 in the UK and its almost £900
What sort of life span would these have? Or how long would they be expected to last before internal failures begin? As I’ve had scopes for nearly 25 years now and as good as new.
While I agree with you, and what holds me back from getting one. However, in 25 years there will be Smart Scopes that Rival the Hubble. I mean these show SO much more than even an 8" does.. So.. I hold out..
I hope a Dwarf 3 is good, I have one ordered.
I bought the original EV scope for around £3k with the accessories. It was very underwhelming. I ended up selling it. I can’t believe there’s better scopes for under £500!
Honestly the images from these smart telescopes are easy to beat if you have a star tracker and camera. They are really EAA tools rather than for astrophotography.
I agree, unfortunately, a start tracker is same price than these EAA, if you had a camera, a goto, a mini pc/raspberry pi/asiair, Dual Narrow Band filter, and... an APO lens and/or telescope + autofocusser, you're way out any 500$ market. This is the high selling point of these introduction device.
@@Matrix9969 Yeah thats why you should buy used. Star trackers are like $250-300 on the used market, and even if you buy it new the prices of them are dropping quickly.
what imaging color correction software do you use?
yup thats it im saving money for a seestar
Curious how the dwarf 3 will fair out
Question I just purchased the dwarf 3 but it's not available yet I'm waiting for it what would be your advice stay with it or change it to the ZWO Seestar S50
Recently released deep sky images from the Dwarf 3 look fantastic - I’d probably wait.
@@kevinedw2002 thank you my friend
Would someone ever print the seestar images? I know it’s only a 2 megapixel sensor but I’m just curious
Yes, but not very large.
Could you tell me the bortle scale of where you live
you really need to test the Vaonis Vespera 2
Just got one for $360.. looking forward to the images
Damon scotting video - instant click. Keep making videos dude, you've got big potential to be one of the top astro youtubers
Damon is posting again!!!!
I'm guessing the Dwarf 3 is better than the Seestar?
see star is the true king in this show
I love my S50, as an amateur. Compare that to a beginner telescope i got for this kids a few years ago that was a disaster. Traditional telescopes are too difficult for kids and amateurs to use, so don't bother. Spend the $ for a smart telescope.
I will say that planets are difficult, and these "long exposure" stacks are great but not suitable for impatient people like me. I max out at about 10 minutes, while occasionaly going 20 minutes. 6 hours? yikes, not for me. So maybe the photos I get aren't quite this good, but still pretty cool.
Sadly Seestar needs to get EU warehouses, because to get one it´s like 820 EUR atm. Dwarf 3 is around 500 EUR to get, both with VAT and duty fees.
that is not correct. At Astroshop it costs 735 euros + shipping costs. But you'd be better off buying it from ZWO, like I did, it costs $499 (487 euros) + import costs of 137 euros, and that only comes to 624 euros delivered to your home by DHL. good deal this way, right? And the delivery time was 7 days.
would this work in highly polluted cities as well?
Yes 😁
i own the Dwarf 2 along with a sct goto. Dwarf 2 has exceeded my expectations tho i will admit that the se star looks very good. Dwarf 3 is soon to be released so will wait to see what that brings, already tho Dwarf 2 has been upgraded. what ever happens between these smart telescopes it is an interesting time to look up at the universe . i know a lot of astro photographers that think these are not the real deal but the images one can obtain for the price i totally disagree .
If you have the budget, I would wait a few weeks and see how the new Celestron Origin compares.
You could buy 8 seestar s50 for the price of the Celestion origin 😂
So??? Price is only one factor to consider. There is also performance. Moreover, it’s price is comparable to what a more serious traditional Astro rig would cost.
In the visual world, I could buy a 4 1/2 Orion Starblast reflector for a few hundred bucks, an 8” mass-produced dob for $700, or a 22” Obsession Dob for $10-15k. The Starblast is clearly the cheapest, but also has the worst performance. The Obsession wins on performance, but is very expensive and requires a lot of space. For now I have settled on the 8” as a balance of performance and price. But don’t be surprised if I eventually save up for the Obsession.
So what exactly is the difference to just downloading images off the internet?
What is the difference between ... you taking a picture of the Grand Canyon vs you downloading a picture of the Grand Canyon from the internet?
Well, that's different. Grand Canyon, in order to take a picture, you have to be there, and then, unlike for astronomical objects, you'd see it with your own eyes and will experience your own sensory perception.
@@MGRVE There are many objects in the night sky that can be imaged, that you can not see with your own eyes. And the SeeStar image will be in color and have way more detail than you can ever observe thru an eyepiece.
My point exactly - you cannot see the objects yourself. Never mind. I have been out photographing the night sky, so I know about the excitement.
I hate that devices are developed as smartphone-dependent or smartphone peripherals, meaning they won't work or operate without a smartphone. I wish we could go back to the time of standalone devices, when they worked on their own without the need for a smartphone.