I've read all of the comments so far, and no one seems to understand the *convenience* of physically setting up the scope, imaging, and having the final post-processed image available in just a few minutes. Several times I have gotten up half an hour before dawn, looked up at the sky, and only then decided to shoot some available targets. Ten minutes later, I had my first post-processed image ready to email or post on the internet. I understand $4K sounds like a lot, especially compared to the Seestar, but please don't compare it to a Newtonian. They cost relatively the same (thousands of dollars) for all of the required equipment to be truly comparable (laptop, auto-alignment scope, guide-scope, battery, USB hub, AI processing, etc.). I pick up the Origin, carry it outside, level it, select a target on a star map on my phone, and hit Go! You can only do that with an autoscope, not with any 8"+ scope available today. So I'm willing to pay $2K for the scope parts with an added $2K charge for the convenience. Astro-photograpghy doesn't have to be hard and time-consuming to be fun and rewarding.
This is an insightful and helpful comment. I have great interest but very limited time, and the convenience is worth a LOT to someone like me. I am tired of struggling with my bulky, hard-to-move, hard-to-use Orion XT10i, being worried I'm going to damage it or knock it out of alignment every time I move it from inside to the deck. The idea of setting it up at 8 PM, and telling it to show me things while I'm down in the kitchen making dinner is _very_ appealing.
Exactly. These new smart scopes (my EVscope in particular) has reinvigorated my interest in the hobby because I can spend more time observing and less time setting up and troubleshooting.
You are the BEST TH-cam presenter!! Wonderful clear voice and sweet presentation! I have a hard time understanding many TH-cam presenters and I could easily understand every word you said! Thank You Very Much
I have an Origin and LOVE it! I also volunteer at an Observatory and we hold many star parties each month. It is fantastic for these public events as well because it’s so fast. It’s worth every penny - if you can afford it.
I bought it and think it’s awesome. I own many telescopes, and think that it is a great machine. Very impressive for what it is. It’s totally easy to use.
@@raytbrown2 You guys really aren't getting wtf I am saying. SPECIFICALLY FOR PLANETARY IMAGING....... I have a Seestar and yes I know they are amazing, I get great shots of DEEP SKY OBJECTS like nebulae and galaxies, but if you are really going to try and tell me a Seestar is taking great images of Jupiter / Saturn, I think you might be blind or delusional.
Since last 5 months, i wait unprecedentedly for reviews start showing up so i could definitely take my final pic between Origin and Vespera Pro. 3 weeks ago i took a sudden turn and choose the hard path and begin my Astrophotography crusade and bought a basic rig under CA2.7k including used Canon M6. Now, thanks to your review and final thoughts, i feel just more confident about my decision since i needed that feeling of getting rewarded for my efforts; in which for sure after few weeks i wouldn't probably feel anymore with smart telescopes of any kind. Awesome detailed review!! Thanks!
Would have been worth it if it used sensor like the IMX676, IMX585 or even IMX715 which could get smaller objects like galaxies! I used a IMX715 in my RASA8 and could even image objects as small as M57! One of those camera and a wedge and you really don't need anything else! The benefit of the IMX676 is 2um pixels x 12MP and ultra low dark current noise so no need for cooling. Thanks for the review!
I agree the chip selection could have been better. But the one they chose isn’t a bad selection. But with better chips available and the premium price point, it’s a little bit of a let down.
@@MaximumAstronomy Any idea if the sensor is upgradeable in the future? This looks like a fairly modular design. Really struggling with this - the Origin looks like a great fit for my needs and the very limited time I have available.
@@RandallHeath1121 The sensor is upgrade-able but only for Celestron branded cameras. As of right now and for a while this is the only camera option available. Celestron has said they are going to bring new options available as “technology advances” but there is no ETA when another camera would be an option. Probably not for a year or more from now.
@@MaximumAstronomy thanks. I wound up pulling the trigger and my shiny new Origin saw its first light last Thursday. Very pretty initial captures! Now if only I could figure out how to make it recognize the USB drive.
@@RandallHeath1121 I know the USB drive has to be FAT32 formatted, and you just use the respective port for USB2 or 3 to match what thumb drive you have and it can be a little finicky I’ve heard. I personally haven’t had any issues but I get the frustration nonetheless.
I went with the vespera pro because I already had both light pollution and dual band filters from the vespera classic I had. But I may jump on getting an origin later this year. I have an old school nexstar gps 11 bit would love an origin too.
What gets me is that there are other smart telescopes in the same price but lower specs and people praise those but then people are so critical of this...
I’ve heard many good things about the Stellina and other “premium” smart telescopes and I think why this one gets scrutinized is because Celestron is a very popular brand that has been innovating for a long time in our hobby. Other smart telescopes like the widely popular SeeStar have 90% of the same functionality at the end of the day. The price point is what is killer for folks. In some ways, this product isn’t anything “new” really. It’s just a mix of their current offerings slammed into one hybrid product. And evolution mount you can get for $1200 if you were to buy it alone. That means the 6” RASA OTA is $2800 with the onboard electronics, which is crazy! An 8” RASA and your own dedicated camera with better specs would be cheaper in that regard. And I think that’s why this gets so much criticism is because Celestron wants high end money but it doesn’t do anything really the Seestar and some others do for a fraction of the cost, but the Origin just does them a little faster is all. I’m a huge fan of Celestron, I just don’t think this is going to be a slam dunk winner like their regular RASAs have been. The Seestar has the same stacking, the same Alt Az, dew heater, automatic finding of targets, plate solve, etc etc etc but yet cost $499. This is 8x the cost just to do everything a little faster and a larger aperture.
@@MaximumAstronomy The value of the seestar cant be beat for sure. However, the evscope 2 is 4.7K on amazon! Sure, us experienced guys could get this for less but to have these kinds of capabilities with all the fans and dew heaters and everything ready to go out of the box, no setting back focus, collimation, dealing with tilt, etc. does have value for others and while the seestar may provide the same experience for EAA if you want high resolution quality images the seestar falls way short. Great and thorough review. Thanks for your time!
There is NO comparison between the SeeStar and the Origin. I own a Unistellar eVscope2 and my friend has a SeeStar. We’ve done many side by side comparisons and the Origin is so much more clearer. It’s also much faster. If you don’t like it, don’t buy it, but your comment about the $2800 is completely inaccurate.
Thank you for your excellent review. The Origin is impressive instrument but so is the little Seestar in its own way. I also imaged M 17 from my Bortle 6/7 backyard and compared my results with the image shown in the video. While the Origin outperforms the Seestar, the Seestar image is 'almost as good' and both instruments certainly provide better views than I've ever seen through an eyepiece.
go for the V2 - the VPro is quite an advanced scope but it needs hours of acquisition... V2 is much faster and the difference isn't that huge unless you're into advanced astrophoto ofc.
This is one of the best reviews I've seen on anything. Very well thought out. Great work. Would be handy to own one for certain things. At that price point though,it isnt worth it. Maybe more like $2,000 would draw alot more people to purchase one. That and it needs to loose about 20 lbs to be somewhat considered portable.
For me in a suburban neighborhood the Origin motor noise is too high (~50 dB at 10m if the mount is like the one on Celestron Evolution C8) louder than recent heat pumps. The Seestar S50 is way below 35db at 10m in comparison, which means its noise is in the background, imperceptible.
Defiantly has other Smart Scopes beat with a fast F2.2, means more light captured per 10 second exposure. Gone with an actual AP camera. Comes in between other Smart scopes in FOV. So the biggest galaxies won't fit in outside of a panoramic shot. The company does have future plans with EQ mode,mounting system etc. But the price is pushing this outside the pocket range of alot of amateurs. The Dwarf3, S50 will still stand strong in the market because of price and they will produce good images.
TLDR - I own a Seestar and want to take the next step. I'm really on the fence here between DIY and Celestron Origin. DIY is more flexible and future proof, but more expensive in terms of money and time spent on an ongoing basis. I priced out what's considered a beginner to intermediate AP rig depending on what I pick. Do I go refractor or newtonian, looking at an Askar FRA400 or Apertura Carbonstar 150, ZWO AM5 mount, EAF, and asi2600mc air. The refractor is pretty much set and forget, but limits me somewhat on DSO objects. I could go with a bigger refractor but the cost goes up dramatically. The Carbonstar looks really interesting and allows me to capture dimmer objects, but it's a lot more fiddly with continuing need for collimation and potential maintenance. Then I really need to embrace post processing tools for the images to look good, which can be very time consuming and frustrating. I know I'd likely need to pickup PixInsight or Siril for Origin, but I feel like it's not always required with the right filters and their AI processing. A DIY rig with these components comes in somewhere around $5500-$6k depending on what I choose. Obviously this isn't an apples to apples comparison with Origin, the ASI2600mc sensor and AM5 mount are significantly superior. I could get closer to the Origin price with the lower end AM3 mount and lower end cameras. Then I would need a guide camera as well and will be limited in scope options due to weight issues with the AM3. Also I'd need to buy a ZWO asiair or other computer and use something like NINA. Going the more expensive DIY route, I would have a very future proofed AP rig where I could easily swap out components from across the AP market vs being locked into Celestron's system. I think convenience cost needs to be considered with Origin for those who just want something that works (mostly, from comments on Cloudy Nights). Yes pricing out the Celestron mount and RASA 6 vs RASA 8 makes for an expensive RASA 6. That said, Celestron clearly put a lot of thought and effort into Origin that you don't get with the same mount and RASA 8 today. Is it worth the extra price for Origin, I think so. The simplicity with Origin factors heavily as I think about all the time getting things working in a DIY or other Celestron setup. All of this is keeping me from pulling the trigger on DIY. The Origin's drawbacks and rapidly evolving smart telescope industry are keeping from buying there too. Decisions, decisions :)
Thanks for your research/insight into this. I've also been contemplating what gear to go with, including the convenience of setup that's going to make AP easier and fun. These smart scopes are convincing with the ease of setup, portability, processing of images (though choice in more post editing) and transfer of images for others to admire the night sky. Indeed what decision to make! cheers
I have a few issues with this telescope. First is the cost. Secondly, what about field rotation from what I presume is an Alt-Az mount. How would it run if you threw it on a wedge? And, of course, the added expense of said wedge. Overall, it’s a good video and I was curious about this unit. I have a SeeStar and it cost $100.00 to throw it on an EQ mount. With the EQ mount, I’ve images a target for 2 hours straight with no field rotation and zero frames rejected. To me, who also owns a full size Edge HD8 with HyperStar, it’s not worth the price.
@@marcoperches3078 the exposure times in the S50 are only 10 seconds. If you image with it beyond 1 hour you get field rotation. How is this one so different?
Very nice review. Thank you! Question: do you have to level the tripod and calibrate the compass before each use for the goto to work accurately like on the Seestar? Also, what about lunar tracking and solar tracking (solar filter?)?
Thank you very much! For the tripod you do have to level it but there is no compass inside to calibrate. It all does based off its plate solving software to locate the sky once you’ve put in your location in the settings. As for the planets and solar system objects, I am currently working on a video for that! But there is no dedicated function for them like with the SeeStar as of yet.
@@MaximumAstronomy Thanks so much for the quick reply! Very helpful. I'm sure Celestron will continue to add features via software upgrades over time. Will be interesting to see what they do. I think there is a significant market for these smart scopes. I'm part of that market as astrophotography is interesting to me but I don't have the time or desire to go down yet another hobby rabbithole to learn everything necessary to build my own rig. It is odd to me, though, that so many seem to be gatekeepers for this hobby and don't like people like me to be able to image the sky without having to go through the long learning curve. I guess that's true of many hobbies, though. "I did it the hard way, so you should have to also" (I'm obviously not talking about you specifically, just the general tone I pick up on various forums)
I totally get that. Everyone has their own path to whatever part of the hobby they want to invest time and money into. And yes there are a lot of people who dislike the smart telescopes because it takes all the small things away that matter to them. But to each their own! Smart telescopes aren’t for everyone. Big imaging rigs aren’t for everyone too. Enjoy the hobby in whatever capacity you choose to explore! That’s the fun of it! :)
Hi i will be Reciving my tomorrow and wanted yor opinion on what filter will you recommend to se objets and planets whit my kid and family I do have this ones: Celestron 93624 Narrowband Oxygen III 2 Filter, Celestron 94124 2-Inch UHC/LPR Filter, Celestron 94305 Two-inch Eyepiece and Filter Kit, Orion 5562 2-Inch Variable Polarizing Eyepiece Filterand I know you liked Optolong L-eXtreme F2, and it is one of my next buys if I share to buy 2 more filter what will be your opinion?
The filters you described are for visual observing. I am not confident they would work overly well with the origin. The clear filter it ships with will be your best for the moon and planets, star clusters and galaxies. A good nebula narrowband filter like the Celestron origin specific one, the L-extreme f/2, IDAS NBZ high speed are all great choices for nebulae. Hope that helps! Clear skies
The device isn’t for everyone, that’s for sure. It is limiting in what it can do, and for the price point you should get a little more for your dollar.
I still feel you loose something when the photons of the distant object are not hitting you retina. Nothing goes further then to connect me with distant objects then to have their actual light in my eyes. Let alone use A.I. to aid in image generation. I want to be able to actually see my targets.
Using a telescope to "see" something is already using a kind of crutch to enhance perception of objects for which evolution has done nothing to help us seing (except the stars for which our eyes are optimized for sunlight spectrum). Smart telescopes are just another king of crutch way better than visual telescopes to perceive celestial wonders in the optical spectrum.
if your looking to get into the hobby to take pictures its not really that much, by the time you buy everything separately your going to be in for way more then 4 grand. personally i think it takes all the fun and education out of astronomy, this like using a cheat code in a game and most people who buy it will use for a month and get board.
@@MaximumAstronomy Sorry to repeat questions.. But does this have to be around WiFi to work in general.? Am I going to have to be connected to a main source WiFi to be able to “Use” and “Enjoy” this Telescope?
@@brucenunn3268 Nope. You can be in the middle of nowhere and it will operate just fine! The only WiFi you need connected is the one that’s imbedded in the mount. You can use it anywhere
ZWO AM5 with tripod $2298.00 Apertura Carbon Star 150 $849.00 ASI 533MC Pro $799.00 Optolong L Extreme $309.00 Sharpcap with live stacking $18.00 Total $4274.94 Better telescope, better equatorial mount, better filter, better camera, better stacking.
This is for people who aren’t interested in figuring things out. They just want to spend the money, plop it down and watch it work. It’s cool for getting people into the hobby who otherwise wouldn’t be, or keeping people interested who have a short attention span, low frustration threshold. Price point is 1,000 too high IMO.
That is unfortunately a main competitor even though the Origin is 8X more expensive, the field of views are similar, the features in the end are mostly checked for each unit but the SeeStar is a small carry on for an airplane versus the origin is a bit big and bulky.
@chrisruthford4492 I don't know if that's accurate. I've priced out a rig with a C6, a good ZWO imager, starsense, hyperstar etc, getting as close to the same specs as i can. I can't get below US$6500. I'm not weighing in regard the Origin's price being objectively worth it. I know I can use $4k or $6.5k to build a much more flexible rig (my fave is the Evo HD 8 with lots of goodies). I will say, being in my 60s, a high quality, super portable, autonomous scope is very appealing.
@@wadehathawaymusic I bought a Celestron C6-A XLT optical tube for $600, a SvBony 605cc (IMX 533) on sale for $440, a Hyperstar 6 v4 with filter drawer for $540, a Sky Watcher Star Adventurer GTi (go to mount) for $865 for a total of $2,445. Works quite nicely.
never mind , in alta zimuth you cant track your target correctly because the telescope cant rotate the camera , other issue is the thick wires in front of the telescope distort the stars , and your are limited because the power , in equatorial mounts you can use variety of telescopes
That is very true. But I don’t think Celestron is intending this to be a full on Astro-imaging rig replacement telescope. I think this is for quick observations and folks that want EAA over a full on imaging setup.
Something fishy about this scope. Bortle 8 and you getting those images? Seems like it is downloading them from celestron. Would be interesting to see if it still pulls this without any internet data connection, but then again it could plate solve and pull the images from internal memory. Which would explain why the AI images it produces look so artificial.
@@aliceh6538 The only WiFi connected was to the mount. I did not have my home WiFi connected in any way. These were straight from the telescope without processing. The only one that was is the 30 minute exposure on M17 towards the end. Everything else was straight out of the telescope.
People said the same thing about the Seestar. Amazing that Seestar has an image of the trees in my yard in their database, which I can see in the raw images. (that's sarcasm btw) There is no way these devices have the capability to store so much data onboard. It would be very easy to verify that the images were being downloaded from a remote database so hardly worth the effort on the part of the manufacturer.
I am sure this works like the Seestar, that I own - it connects to your phone or iPad with WiFi - not to the internet. WiFi in this case is simply a way to connect to your device to control it.
@@MaximumAstronomy. Thank you very much, sir but I was just curious which iPad you actually use. Your video has convinced me to get the origins. I just don’t know which iPad to get and I want to get a good one.
@@MaximumAstronomy thank you sir and I really appreciate your time. I really like your review and the time you spent on the Orgin. It definitely convinced me to get one and now that iPad Pro.
I have an iPad Pro and iPhone 14 and use both to connect. The Origin creates its own network OR you can connect to WiFi if there’s one nearby. The app is based on Sky Safari, but isn’t not exactly.
Nice review mate! Gj. My opinion if anyone cares? Not worth it. For this price, recognize on what pieces you wanna spend your money on, do a research, spend time on it, and make your own custom rig. It will be tedious but in the end, youll achieve much greater results and you also get knowledge doing proper ap. Maybe its just me but im not into this automated stuff.
Not even talking about postprocessing part, which in the end makes 80percent of the magic, considering youre shooting session went well. This just cuts all the fun out of ap.
@@XX-vs6ltsince you can take the FITS files and do your own processing through Siril, Pixinsight or whatever, by your own math, you are only loosing 20% of the fun. That’s more hassle free time on your big 80% and you can be pretty sure that shooting session definitely went well. It’s a fast EAA device too - a point so many are missing.
I've read all of the comments so far, and no one seems to understand the *convenience* of physically setting up the scope, imaging, and having the final post-processed image available in just a few minutes. Several times I have gotten up half an hour before dawn, looked up at the sky, and only then decided to shoot some available targets. Ten minutes later, I had my first post-processed image ready to email or post on the internet.
I understand $4K sounds like a lot, especially compared to the Seestar, but please don't compare it to a Newtonian. They cost relatively the same (thousands of dollars) for all of the required equipment to be truly comparable (laptop, auto-alignment scope, guide-scope, battery, USB hub, AI processing, etc.). I pick up the Origin, carry it outside, level it, select a target on a star map on my phone, and hit Go! You can only do that with an autoscope, not with any 8"+ scope available today. So I'm willing to pay $2K for the scope parts with an added $2K charge for the convenience. Astro-photograpghy doesn't have to be hard and time-consuming to be fun and rewarding.
This is an insightful and helpful comment. I have great interest but very limited time, and the convenience is worth a LOT to someone like me. I am tired of struggling with my bulky, hard-to-move, hard-to-use Orion XT10i, being worried I'm going to damage it or knock it out of alignment every time I move it from inside to the deck. The idea of setting it up at 8 PM, and telling it to show me things while I'm down in the kitchen making dinner is _very_ appealing.
Exactly. These new smart scopes (my EVscope in particular) has reinvigorated my interest in the hobby because I can spend more time observing and less time setting up and troubleshooting.
This is the best review we seen, thank you and clear skies
You are the BEST TH-cam presenter!! Wonderful clear voice and sweet presentation! I have a hard time understanding many TH-cam presenters and I could easily understand every word you said! Thank You Very Much
I have an Origin and LOVE it! I also volunteer at an Observatory and we hold many star parties each month. It is fantastic for these public events as well because it’s so fast. It’s worth every penny - if you can afford it.
Does this take good pictures of the planets?
I bought one and I love it. I have an 11”SCT and the Origin was an easy way to get into astrophotography. The images are terrific.
I bought it and think it’s awesome. I own many telescopes, and think that it is a great machine. Very impressive for what it is. It’s totally easy to use.
I really wish one of these companies would release a smart telescope specifically for moon and planetary imaging
you dont really need one for planets cause 1 or two second exposure is all you need with a ordinary scope, you dont even need tracking.
@@perry92964 Show me a good, close up, sharp image of Jupiter from the Seestar and then maybe I'll think you know what you're talking about.
@@perry92964 you use video for planetary imaging so you are shooting 24,30,60 photos in one second.
They did. It's called the Seestar. Try it. Great for solar, too.
@@raytbrown2 You guys really aren't getting wtf I am saying. SPECIFICALLY FOR PLANETARY IMAGING....... I have a Seestar and yes I know they are amazing, I get great shots of DEEP SKY OBJECTS like nebulae and galaxies, but if you are really going to try and tell me a Seestar is taking great images of Jupiter / Saturn, I think you might be blind or delusional.
Since last 5 months, i wait unprecedentedly for reviews start showing up so i could definitely take my final pic between Origin and Vespera Pro.
3 weeks ago i took a sudden turn and choose the hard path and begin my Astrophotography crusade and bought a basic rig under CA2.7k including used Canon M6.
Now, thanks to your review and final thoughts, i feel just more confident about my decision since i needed that feeling of getting rewarded for my efforts; in which for sure after few weeks i wouldn't probably feel anymore with smart telescopes of any kind.
Awesome detailed review!! Thanks!
@@awnstar2139 I’m glad I could help! Enjoy :)
I agree with your prediction that if this model is successful, we'll see an 8" and 10" in the future.
Amazing in depth look at the origin, thanks for this!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks for the video! I got mine about 3 weeks ago and it's been awesome so far. I can confirm all the big things you talked about.
Enjoy it! I’m happy you’re getting out under the sky.
A thorough and insightful review of an amazing piece of technology. Thank you for covering so many details. You should be on commission…
Would have been worth it if it used sensor like the IMX676, IMX585 or even IMX715 which could get smaller objects like galaxies! I used a IMX715 in my RASA8 and could even image objects as small as M57! One of those camera and a wedge and you really don't need anything else! The benefit of the IMX676 is 2um pixels x 12MP and ultra low dark current noise so no need for cooling. Thanks for the review!
I agree the chip selection could have been better. But the one they chose isn’t a bad selection. But with better chips available and the premium price point, it’s a little bit of a let down.
@@MaximumAstronomy Any idea if the sensor is upgradeable in the future? This looks like a fairly modular design. Really struggling with this - the Origin looks like a great fit for my needs and the very limited time I have available.
@@RandallHeath1121 The sensor is upgrade-able but only for Celestron branded cameras. As of right now and for a while this is the only camera option available. Celestron has said they are going to bring new options available as “technology advances” but there is no ETA when another camera would be an option. Probably not for a year or more from now.
@@MaximumAstronomy thanks. I wound up pulling the trigger and my shiny new Origin saw its first light last Thursday. Very pretty initial captures!
Now if only I could figure out how to make it recognize the USB drive.
@@RandallHeath1121 I know the USB drive has to be FAT32 formatted, and you just use the respective port for USB2 or 3 to match what thumb drive you have and it can be a little finicky I’ve heard. I personally haven’t had any issues but I get the frustration nonetheless.
This is a wish list item. I wish I had the budget for it!!!
I went with the vespera pro because I already had both light pollution and dual band filters from the vespera classic I had. But I may jump on getting an origin later this year. I have an old school nexstar gps 11 bit would love an origin too.
wonderful review. Im totally impressed by this telescope and your video really shows how easy it is. Great. Celestron should send one to you.
If only I was that lucky! Hahaha
What gets me is that there are other smart telescopes in the same price but lower specs and people praise those but then people are so critical of this...
I’ve heard many good things about the Stellina and other “premium” smart telescopes and I think why this one gets scrutinized is because Celestron is a very popular brand that has been innovating for a long time in our hobby. Other smart telescopes like the widely popular SeeStar have 90% of the same functionality at the end of the day. The price point is what is killer for folks. In some ways, this product isn’t anything “new” really. It’s just a mix of their current offerings slammed into one hybrid product. And evolution mount you can get for $1200 if you were to buy it alone. That means the 6” RASA OTA is $2800 with the onboard electronics, which is crazy! An 8” RASA and your own dedicated camera with better specs would be cheaper in that regard. And I think that’s why this gets so much criticism is because Celestron wants high end money but it doesn’t do anything really the Seestar and some others do for a fraction of the cost, but the Origin just does them a little faster is all. I’m a huge fan of Celestron, I just don’t think this is going to be a slam dunk winner like their regular RASAs have been. The Seestar has the same stacking, the same Alt Az, dew heater, automatic finding of targets, plate solve, etc etc etc but yet cost $499. This is 8x the cost just to do everything a little faster and a larger aperture.
@@MaximumAstronomy The value of the seestar cant be beat for sure. However, the evscope 2 is 4.7K on amazon! Sure, us experienced guys could get this for less but to have these kinds of capabilities with all the fans and dew heaters and everything ready to go out of the box, no setting back focus, collimation, dealing with tilt, etc. does have value for others and while the seestar may provide the same experience for EAA if you want high resolution quality images the seestar falls way short. Great and thorough review. Thanks for your time!
Hard pass
There is NO comparison between the SeeStar and the Origin. I own a Unistellar eVscope2 and my friend has a SeeStar. We’ve done many side by side comparisons and the Origin is so much more clearer. It’s also much faster. If you don’t like it, don’t buy it, but your comment about the $2800 is completely inaccurate.
Thank you for your excellent review.
The Origin is impressive instrument but so is the little Seestar in its own way. I also imaged M 17 from my Bortle 6/7 backyard and compared my results with the image shown in the video. While the Origin outperforms the Seestar, the Seestar image is 'almost as good' and both instruments certainly provide better views than I've ever seen through an eyepiece.
100% the truth!
Thank you. Great video. Have the Seestar and trying to decide on Origin. This helped
Glad I could help
Also a Seestar owner trying to decide whether to pull the plug.
Great review. Yes, it looks amazing. But, I still love my Seestar. I can take it anywhere. Though the Origin's image quality is very impressive.
Thanks for the review. You saved me from wasting my money.
Debating in buying the origin or vespera pro. I have a vespera first version and old school nexstar gps 11.
go for the V2 - the VPro is quite an advanced scope but it needs hours of acquisition... V2 is much faster and the difference isn't that huge unless you're into advanced astrophoto ofc.
This is one of the best reviews I've seen on anything. Very well thought out. Great work.
Would be handy to own one for certain things. At that price point though,it isnt worth it. Maybe more like $2,000 would draw alot more people to purchase one. That and it needs to loose about 20 lbs to be somewhat considered portable.
@@scoobywrx05dw I appreciate the kind words! Glad you enjoyed!
Nice review. Good job!
I wanted the Celestron Origin, but it's too heavy and bulky. I got the
For me in a suburban neighborhood the Origin motor noise is too high (~50 dB at 10m if the mount is like the one on Celestron Evolution C8) louder than recent heat pumps. The Seestar S50 is way below 35db at 10m in comparison, which means its noise is in the background, imperceptible.
Tx for the video, will be checking for next version, the camera is not worth the price tag for me.
Excellent review. Thank you! Awesome scope. Please review the Vespera Pro!
Defiantly has other Smart Scopes beat with a fast F2.2, means more light captured per 10 second exposure. Gone with an actual AP camera. Comes in between other Smart scopes in FOV. So the biggest galaxies won't fit in outside of a panoramic shot.
The company does have future plans with EQ mode,mounting system etc.
But the price is pushing this outside the pocket range of alot of amateurs. The Dwarf3, S50 will still stand strong in the market because of price and they will produce good images.
Well done on the review mate.
Damo
Thanks!
TLDR - I own a Seestar and want to take the next step. I'm really on the fence here between DIY and Celestron Origin. DIY is more flexible and future proof, but more expensive in terms of money and time spent on an ongoing basis.
I priced out what's considered a beginner to intermediate AP rig depending on what I pick. Do I go refractor or newtonian, looking at an Askar FRA400 or Apertura Carbonstar 150, ZWO AM5 mount, EAF, and asi2600mc air. The refractor is pretty much set and forget, but limits me somewhat on DSO objects. I could go with a bigger refractor but the cost goes up dramatically. The Carbonstar looks really interesting and allows me to capture dimmer objects, but it's a lot more fiddly with continuing need for collimation and potential maintenance. Then I really need to embrace post processing tools for the images to look good, which can be very time consuming and frustrating. I know I'd likely need to pickup PixInsight or Siril for Origin, but I feel like it's not always required with the right filters and their AI processing.
A DIY rig with these components comes in somewhere around $5500-$6k depending on what I choose. Obviously this isn't an apples to apples comparison with Origin, the ASI2600mc sensor and AM5 mount are significantly superior. I could get closer to the Origin price with the lower end AM3 mount and lower end cameras. Then I would need a guide camera as well and will be limited in scope options due to weight issues with the AM3. Also I'd need to buy a ZWO asiair or other computer and use something like NINA. Going the more expensive DIY route, I would have a very future proofed AP rig where I could easily swap out components from across the AP market vs being locked into Celestron's system.
I think convenience cost needs to be considered with Origin for those who just want something that works (mostly, from comments on Cloudy Nights). Yes pricing out the Celestron mount and RASA 6 vs RASA 8 makes for an expensive RASA 6. That said, Celestron clearly put a lot of thought and effort into Origin that you don't get with the same mount and RASA 8 today. Is it worth the extra price for Origin, I think so. The simplicity with Origin factors heavily as I think about all the time getting things working in a DIY or other Celestron setup. All of this is keeping me from pulling the trigger on DIY. The Origin's drawbacks and rapidly evolving smart telescope industry are keeping from buying there too. Decisions, decisions :)
Thanks for your research/insight into this. I've also been contemplating what gear to go with, including the convenience of setup that's going to make AP easier and fun. These smart scopes are convincing with the ease of setup, portability, processing of images (though choice in more post editing) and transfer of images for others to admire the night sky. Indeed what decision to make! cheers
Great review bro
Thank you!
Pretty close to my vaonis stellina
I have a few issues with this telescope. First is the cost. Secondly, what about field rotation from what I presume is an Alt-Az mount. How would it run if you threw it on a wedge? And, of course, the added expense of said wedge. Overall, it’s a good video and I was curious about this unit. I have a SeeStar and it cost $100.00 to throw it on an EQ mount. With the EQ mount, I’ve images a target for 2 hours straight with no field rotation and zero frames rejected. To me, who also owns a full size Edge HD8 with HyperStar, it’s not worth the price.
With this setup the exposure times are so short that field rotation doesnt become an issue.
@@marcoperches3078 the exposure times in the S50 are only 10 seconds. If you image with it beyond 1 hour you get field rotation. How is this one so different?
I am buying the ipad Pro13 M4. Which ipad case do you use?
Great review, thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Very nice review. Thank you! Question: do you have to level the tripod and calibrate the compass before each use for the goto to work accurately like on the Seestar? Also, what about lunar tracking and solar tracking (solar filter?)?
Thank you very much! For the tripod you do have to level it but there is no compass inside to calibrate. It all does based off its plate solving software to locate the sky once you’ve put in your location in the settings. As for the planets and solar system objects, I am currently working on a video for that! But there is no dedicated function for them like with the SeeStar as of yet.
@@MaximumAstronomy Thanks so much for the quick reply! Very helpful. I'm sure Celestron will continue to add features via software upgrades over time. Will be interesting to see what they do. I think there is a significant market for these smart scopes. I'm part of that market as astrophotography is interesting to me but I don't have the time or desire to go down yet another hobby rabbithole to learn everything necessary to build my own rig. It is odd to me, though, that so many seem to be gatekeepers for this hobby and don't like people like me to be able to image the sky without having to go through the long learning curve. I guess that's true of many hobbies, though. "I did it the hard way, so you should have to also" (I'm obviously not talking about you specifically, just the general tone I pick up on various forums)
I totally get that. Everyone has their own path to whatever part of the hobby they want to invest time and money into. And yes there are a lot of people who dislike the smart telescopes because it takes all the small things away that matter to them. But to each their own! Smart telescopes aren’t for everyone. Big imaging rigs aren’t for everyone too. Enjoy the hobby in whatever capacity you choose to explore! That’s the fun of it! :)
Nutty price
Nice video, thanks.. I hope for a biger sensor cammera..
thanks for the review
My pleasure!
In France this is NINE times more expensive compared to the Seestar S50. Is it that much better though? I don't think so
The main difference is the speed. A fast system like the Origin can capture way more in 1 night than the S50 could.
Hi i will be Reciving my tomorrow and wanted yor opinion on what filter will you recommend to se objets and planets whit my kid and family I do have this ones: Celestron 93624 Narrowband Oxygen III 2 Filter, Celestron 94124 2-Inch UHC/LPR Filter, Celestron 94305 Two-inch Eyepiece and Filter Kit, Orion 5562 2-Inch Variable Polarizing Eyepiece Filterand I know you liked Optolong L-eXtreme F2, and it is one of my next buys if I share to buy 2 more filter what will be your opinion?
The filters you described are for visual observing. I am not confident they would work overly well with the origin. The clear filter it ships with will be your best for the moon and planets, star clusters and galaxies. A good nebula narrowband filter like the Celestron origin specific one, the L-extreme f/2, IDAS NBZ high speed are all great choices for nebulae. Hope that helps! Clear skies
6 hours isn't all night. It's only part of it. The camera is sub par for DSO imaging. AZ mount do i need to go on.
The device isn’t for everyone, that’s for sure. It is limiting in what it can do, and for the price point you should get a little more for your dollar.
I heard that there might be an EQ wedge coming out soon.
I still feel you loose something when the photons of the distant object are not hitting you retina. Nothing goes further then to connect me with distant objects then to have their actual light in my eyes. Let alone use A.I. to aid in image generation. I want to be able to actually see my targets.
Using a telescope to "see" something is already using a kind of crutch to enhance perception of objects for which evolution has done nothing to help us seing (except the stars for which our eyes are optimized for sunlight spectrum). Smart telescopes are just another king of crutch way better than visual telescopes to perceive celestial wonders in the optical spectrum.
if your looking to get into the hobby to take pictures its not really that much, by the time you buy everything separately your going to be in for way more then 4 grand. personally i think it takes all the fun and education out of astronomy, this like using a cheat code in a game and most people who buy it will use for a month and get board.
Do you have to have WiFi to use this Telescope.?
The telescope casts its own WiFi network to connect to
@@MaximumAstronomy
Sorry to repeat questions..
But does this have to be around WiFi to work in general.?
Am I going to have to be connected to a main source WiFi to be able to “Use” and “Enjoy” this Telescope?
@@brucenunn3268 Nope. You can be in the middle of nowhere and it will operate just fine! The only WiFi you need connected is the one that’s imbedded in the mount. You can use it anywhere
ZWO AM5 with tripod $2298.00
Apertura Carbon Star 150 $849.00
ASI 533MC Pro $799.00
Optolong L Extreme $309.00
Sharpcap with live stacking $18.00
Total $4274.94
Better telescope, better equatorial mount, better filter, better camera, better stacking.
This is for people who aren’t interested in figuring things out. They just want to spend the money, plop it down and watch it work.
It’s cool for getting people into the hobby who otherwise wouldn’t be, or keeping people interested who have a short attention span, low frustration threshold.
Price point is 1,000 too high IMO.
RIP Unistellar.
Really need to see how jupiter looks in it
These types of F/2 scopes are NOT designed for planetary viewing
Me who doesn't have $4000 dollars:
very interesting indeed
But AI editing is just drawing Hubble images from its memory instead of showing what was actually captured.
your very good
It is good auto telescope, but definitely not $4000 worth. One electronic glitch, it’s a 4k paperweight!
That cost...that size... on an ALTAZIMUTH mount?! You have to be kidding.
Can the app go in to night app mode? My astro club will kill me if I have a non-red app driving the scope!
Yes it does! :)
4k and it sounds like a seestar!!
That is unfortunately a main competitor even though the Origin is 8X more expensive, the field of views are similar, the features in the end are mostly checked for each unit but the SeeStar is a small carry on for an airplane versus the origin is a bit big and bulky.
The seestar is a lot quieter in fact
There’s no comparison. This is worth every penny.
Too bad the camera cable is going to produce diffraction spikes that are avoided with a perfectly circular aperture, like in the Seestar S50.
I was worried about that, too. But after around a dozen targets, not a single star had a single spike. Even after stacking raw subs.
I want one but $4,000 plus is not acceptable.
it also comes down to what you afford.
Can this telescope be used with eye visual observation?
No, you can only use it with the onboard camera and WiFi to “view” the objects electronically
The camera overlaps the mirror too much
That's a lot of dust on the filter and front glass!
For that price I better be able to see Martians running around on the Mars surface!😊
The cable to the camera is to BIG. It should half that size. Also the camera is TOO small.
very loud
I don't know if it is worth it. But, I wouldn't buy it.
Got four grand you could buy a rig with a much better sensor.
@@chrisruthford4492 Depends on how much you value your time
@@chrisruthford4492 Better sensor alone cost 2K, plus mount, plus telescope, plus computer, plus focuser, …..
@chrisruthford4492 I don't know if that's accurate. I've priced out a rig with a C6, a good ZWO imager, starsense, hyperstar etc, getting as close to the same specs as i can. I can't get below US$6500. I'm not weighing in regard the Origin's price being objectively worth it. I know I can use $4k or $6.5k to build a much more flexible rig (my fave is the Evo HD 8 with lots of goodies). I will say, being in my 60s, a high quality, super portable, autonomous scope is very appealing.
@@wadehathawaymusic I bought a Celestron C6-A XLT optical tube for $600, a SvBony 605cc (IMX 533) on sale for $440, a Hyperstar 6 v4 with filter drawer for $540, a Sky Watcher Star Adventurer GTi (go to mount) for $865 for a total of $2,445. Works quite nicely.
never mind , in alta zimuth you cant track your target correctly because the telescope cant rotate the camera , other issue is the thick wires in front of the telescope distort the stars , and your are limited because the power , in equatorial mounts you can use variety of telescopes
That is very true. But I don’t think Celestron is intending this to be a full on Astro-imaging rig replacement telescope. I think this is for quick observations and folks that want EAA over a full on imaging setup.
Talk is there is a wedge coming.
Not worth it, nice scope but everything else nope
Just use google images, saves $4k.
Something fishy about this scope. Bortle 8 and you getting those images? Seems like it is downloading them from celestron. Would be interesting to see if it still pulls this without any internet data connection, but then again it could plate solve and pull the images from internal memory. Which would explain why the AI images it produces look so artificial.
@@aliceh6538 The only WiFi connected was to the mount. I did not have my home WiFi connected in any way. These were straight from the telescope without processing. The only one that was is the 30 minute exposure on M17 towards the end. Everything else was straight out of the telescope.
People said the same thing about the Seestar. Amazing that Seestar has an image of the trees in my yard in their database, which I can see in the raw images. (that's sarcasm btw) There is no way these devices have the capability to store so much data onboard. It would be very easy to verify that the images were being downloaded from a remote database so hardly worth the effort on the part of the manufacturer.
AI
Which Ipad do you use? How do you get WIFI in the middle of nowhere? Which Sky Safari app do you use?
I am sure this works like the Seestar, that I own - it connects to your phone or iPad with WiFi - not to the internet. WiFi in this case is simply a way to connect to your device to control it.
I use the iPad Pro for mine. You connect to the WiFi that the evolution mount emits itself. All of this integrates with the Origin app for usage.
@@MaximumAstronomy. Thank you very much, sir but I was just curious which iPad you actually use. Your video has convinced me to get the origins. I just don’t know which iPad to get and I want to get a good one.
@@MaximumAstronomy thank you sir and I really appreciate your time. I really like your review and the time you spent on the Orgin. It definitely convinced me to get one and now that iPad Pro.
I have an iPad Pro and iPhone 14 and use both to connect. The Origin creates its own network OR you can connect to WiFi if there’s one nearby. The app is based on Sky Safari, but isn’t not exactly.
An absolute pi@@stake how many people can afford that rubbish, get taken in by hype😆😅🤣🙃🤧
Then don’t buy it. I’ve had one for over a month and LOVE it!
4K . Not a chance 👎👎👎
Nice review mate! Gj.
My opinion if anyone cares? Not worth it. For this price, recognize on what pieces you wanna spend your money on, do a research, spend time on it, and make your own custom rig. It will be tedious but in the end, youll achieve much greater results and you also get knowledge doing proper ap. Maybe its just me but im not into this automated stuff.
Not even talking about postprocessing part, which in the end makes 80percent of the magic, considering youre shooting session went well.
This just cuts all the fun out of ap.
@@XX-vs6ltsince you can take the FITS files and do your own processing through Siril, Pixinsight or whatever, by your own math, you are only loosing 20% of the fun. That’s more hassle free time on your big 80% and you can be pretty sure that shooting session definitely went well. It’s a fast EAA device too - a point so many are missing.