Which smart telescope should you buy?
Choose a target you want to photograph, check how it fits the frame, then see what the model predicts from your sky. That gives you a useful shortlist before you compare prices.
Try the decision before buying
- Choose the target. A wide nebula and a small galaxy ask different things of a telescope. Check the field of view as well as the predicted integration time.
- Use your sky. Compare the same target and sky class on each scope. The figures below use catalogue assumptions, including estimated sensor behaviour; they are planning calculations rather than timed product tests.
- Check the full package. Include any tripod, EQ head, filter or power supply you need. Prices below are dated observations; follow the regional retailer links for current stock and the total price.
Try Andromeda with the S50 Pro Try the same sky with DWARF 3
Already own a scope? The tonight planner helps you find targets for it before deciding whether an upgrade would help.
Check the package before checkout
The S50 Pro already includes a tripod and case; DWARF 3 includes a bag and solar filters but takes a separate camera tripod. Match accessories to an actual gap: S50 Pro fittings and power · DWARF 3 tripod and power choices. We compare published specifications and modelled times; these are not hands-on reviews.
The short answer
Wide fields and big nebulae
ZWO Seestar S30 Pro, Vaonis Vespera 3, DwarfLab DWARF 3, ZWO Seestar S50 Pro. The S30 Pro frames four degrees of sky, enough for the whole North America and Pelican pair or the Heart Nebula with room to spare. The Vespera 3 gets to a similar field by mosaic. The DWARF 3 and S50 Pro are the wide-but-detailed middle.
Galaxies, planetaries and small targets
DwarfLab Draco, Celestron Origin Mark II, Unistellar Odyssey, Unistellar eQuinox 2, Vaonis Vespera Pro 2. Aperture and fine pixel scale are what resolve a galaxy’s arms or a planetary’s ring. The Draco puts 90 mm at f/3.8 behind a narrow dual-band filter for about a third of the Origin’s price, but it is on pre-order until November. The others are the heaviest and dearest scopes here, and galaxies need the dark sky that no filter can fake.
Travel and dark-site trips
DwarfLab DWARF mini, DwarfLab DWARF 3, ZWO Seestar S30 Pro, ZWO Seestar S30. Small enough for a rucksack, with EQ mode and long subs to make the most of a dark sky. The DWARF mini allows 90 s subs; the DWARF 3 has the lowest read noise of any scope here, which is exactly what a dark site rewards.
Seeing it now: live view and outreach
Unistellar Odyssey, Unistellar eQuinox 2, Celestron Origin Mark II. Unistellar’s scopes stack fixed 4 s frames live, so a crowd sees the nebula appear on the screen within a minute. The Origin does the same at larger aperture. Neither is the best pure imaging value; both are the best show.
Most pixels for a print
Vaonis Vespera Pro 2, Celestron Origin Mark II, ZWO Seestar S50 Pro. The Vespera Pro 2 mosaics to 50 MP over 3.2°; the Origin Mark II and S50 Pro give 8 MP single frames at fine scale.
Every scope on one table
| Telescope | Aperture | Field | ″/px | Longest sub | Dual-band | Andromeda, Bortle 6 | Veil, Bortle 6 | Price (2026-09-23) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZWO Seestar S50 | 50 mm | 1.3° × 0.7° | 2.39 | 60 s (EQ) | Built in | 1 h 27 min | 1 h 33 min | £539 / $499run-out |
| ZWO Seestar S50 Pro | 50 mm | 2.5° × 1.4° | 2.30 | 60 s (EQ) | Built in | 1 h 36 min | 1 h 44 min | £999 / $999 |
| ZWO Seestar S30 | 30 mm | 2.1° × 1.2° | 3.99 | 60 s (EQ) | Built in | 1 h 32 min | 1 h 48 min | £419 / $399 |
| ZWO Seestar S30 Pro | 30 mm | 4.0° × 2.2° | 3.74 | 60 s (EQ) | Built in | 1 h 41 min | 1 h 52 min | £649 / $699 |
| DwarfLab DWARF 3 | 35 mm | 2.9° × 1.7° | 2.75 | 60 s (EQ) | Built in | 2 h 07 min | 1 h 55 min | £459 / $549 |
| DwarfLab DWARF mini | 30 mm | 2.1° × 1.2° | 3.99 | 90 s (EQ) | Built in | 1 h 27 min | 1 h 31 min | £399 / $419 |
| DwarfLab Draco | 90 mm | 1.7° × 1.2° | 1.46 | 300 s (Pro Mode) | Built in | 1 h 12 min | 1 h 13 min | £1,299 / $1,399pre-order |
| DwarfLab DWARF II | 24 mm | 3.2° × 1.8° | 2.99 | 15 s | None | 4 h 59 min | 8 h 29 min | discontinued |
| Vaonis Vespera II | 50 mm | 2.6° × 1.4° | 2.39 | 30 s (Expert Mode) | Optional | 1 h 27 min | 2 h 28 min | £1,398 / $1,590 |
| Vaonis Vespera Pro | 50 mm | 1.6° × 1.6° | 1.65 | 30 s (Expert Mode) | Optional | 3 h 16 min | 5 h 32 min | discontinued |
| Vaonis Vespera 3 | 50 mm | 2.6° × 1.5° | 2.44 | 30 s (Expert Mode) | Optional | 1 h 24 min | 2 h 21 min | £2,199 / $2,490 |
| Vaonis Vespera Pro 2 | 50 mm | 1.7° × 1.7° | 1.68 | 30 s (Expert Mode) | Optional | 3 h 07 min | 5 h 16 min | £2,599 / $2,990 |
| Unistellar eQuinox 2 | 114 mm | 0.8° × 0.6° | 1.33 | 4 s | None | 1 h 19 min | 2 h 15 min | £2,299 / $2,899 |
| Unistellar Odyssey | 85 mm | 0.8° × 0.6° | 0.93 | 4 s | None | 6 h 07 min | 10 h | £2,099 / $2,599 |
| Celestron Origin | 152 mm | 1.3° × 0.9° | 1.48 | 30 s (EQ) | Optional | 23 min | 39 min | discontinued |
| Celestron Origin Mark II | 152 mm | 1.3° × 0.7° | 1.23 | 30 s (EQ) | Optional | 32 min | 54 min | £3,999 / $4,299 |
Two columns tell most of the story. Andromeda is a broadband target where only aperture, pixel scale and read noise count; the Veil shows what a dual-band filter does from town, and what its absence costs. Read when dual-band filters help and how long subs should be for the reasons.
By budget
Under £500
ZWO Seestar S30 · £419 / $399
Wider and lighter than the S50 with the same 2.9 µm pixels, so its per-pixel speed on extended targets is close despite the smaller aperture. Ideal for big nebulae.
If your sessions need it: USB-C power bank 10000mAh 5V 3A (Search Amazon UK · Search Amazon US); ZWO Seestar TH10 fluid tripod head (Search Amazon UK · Search Amazon US). All Seestar S30 accessories.
DwarfLab DWARF 3 · £459 / $549
Small pixels on a 35 mm f/4.3 lens give a sharper image than its aperture suggests, and EQ mode with 60 s subs makes it the read-noise winner in dark skies.
If your sessions need it: Anker Nano A1259 power bank 10000mAh 30W built-in USB-C cable (black) (Amazon product UK · Search Amazon US); DWARFLAB mini hydraulic tripod DWARF 3 (Search Amazon UK · Search Amazon US). All DWARF 3 accessories.
DwarfLab DWARF mini · £399 / $419
DwarfLab’s answer to the Seestar S30: same sensor and focal length, big pixels, dual-band filter built in, and 90 s subs in EQ mode. Sensitivity over megapixels.
If your sessions need it: USB-C PD power bank 10000mAh 20W (Search Amazon UK · Search Amazon US); DWARFLAB mini hydraulic tripod (Search Amazon UK · Search Amazon US). All DWARF mini accessories.
£500 to £1,500
ZWO Seestar S50 · £539 / $499run-out
The scope that made smart astrophotography mainstream. 50 mm triplet, 2 MP sensor, dual-band filter on a wheel. Alt-Az stacking at 10 s, EQ mode unlocks 60 s. Out of production since 2026 and replaced by the S50 Pro, but there are a great many in use.
If your sessions need it: Anker Nano A1259 power bank 10000mAh 30W built-in USB-C cable (black) (Amazon product UK · Search Amazon US); ZWO Seestar TH10 fluid tripod head (Search Amazon UK · Search Amazon US). All Seestar S50 accessories.
ZWO Seestar S50 Pro · £999 / $999
The S50 optics at 260 mm on an 8 MP 1/1.2-inch sensor: a wider, taller field, four times the pixels, and 60 s subs in EQ mode. Per pixel it is a whisker slower than the S50 because of the longer focal length; the long subs make it the better dark-site scope.
If your sessions need it: USB-C power bank 20000mAh 5V 3A or 12V 3A (Search Amazon UK · Search Amazon US); ZWO Seestar TH10 fluid tripod head quick release plate (Search Amazon UK · Search Amazon US). All Seestar S50 Pro accessories.
ZWO Seestar S30 Pro · £649 / $699
The S30 optics upgraded to a quadruplet in front of an 8 MP IMX585. Same speed per pixel as the S30, four times the pixels, so you can crop hard.
If your sessions need it: USB-C power bank 10000mAh 5V 3A (Search Amazon UK · Search Amazon US); ZWO Seestar TH10 fluid tripod head (Search Amazon UK · Search Amazon US). All Seestar S30 Pro accessories.
DwarfLab Draco · £1,299 / $1,399pre-order
DwarfLab’s big scope: 90 mm of folded f/3.8 optics, the most aperture of any Seestar or DWARF, a narrow 13 nm dual-band filter and 300 s subs with built-in guiding. A small-target scope; big nebulae need its mosaic mode.
If your sessions need it: USB-C PD power bank 20000mAh (Search Amazon UK · Search Amazon US). All Draco accessories.
Vaonis Vespera II · £1,398 / $1,590
A 50 mm quadruplet on an 8 MP sensor with Vaonis’s mosaic mode for wide fields. Same optics class as the Seestar S50, four times the pixels.
If your sessions need it: USB-C PD power bank 20000mAh 30W (Search Amazon UK · Search Amazon US). All Vespera II accessories.
£1,500 to £4,000
Vaonis Vespera 3 · £2,199 / $2,490
The 2026 Vespera: same 50 mm quadruplet class as the II on an 8 MP IMX585, with a 24 MP mosaic mode and 11 hours of battery. Per pixel it behaves like a Seestar S50 Pro without the built-in dual-band filter.
If your sessions need it: USB-C PD power bank 20000mAh 30W (Search Amazon UK · Search Amazon US). All Vespera 3 accessories.
Vaonis Vespera Pro 2 · £2,599 / $2,990
The square-sensor 2026 Vespera with 2 µm pixels. Sharper than the Vespera 3 on small targets and correspondingly slower per pixel; the 12.5 MP square frame suits galaxies and planetaries.
If your sessions need it: USB-C PD power bank 20000mAh 30W (Search Amazon UK · Search Amazon US). All Vespera Pro 2 accessories.
Unistellar eQuinox 2 · £2,299 / $2,899
A 114 mm Newtonian with five times the light grasp of a 50 mm refractor. Fixed 4 s subs put it in read-noise territory under dark skies, but the aperture carries it. The published field is 45.6′ × 34.2′, a crop of the sensor.
If your sessions need it: USB-C power bank 20000mAh 5V 2A (Search Amazon UK · Search Amazon US). All eQuinox 2 accessories.
Unistellar Odyssey · £2,099 / $2,599
Unistellar’s compact 85 mm with autofocus and tiny pixels. Sharp, but the fine sampling costs time on faint extended targets. The Odyssey Pro is the same telescope with an eyepiece added, so these figures apply to both.
If your sessions need it: USB power bank 20000mAh 5V 2.4A (Search Amazon UK · Search Amazon US). All Odyssey accessories.
Celestron Origin Mark II · £3,999 / $4,299
The Origin Mark II (late 2025): the same 6-inch f/2.2 RASA with an 8 MP IMX678 in place of the original 6 MP IMX178. Smaller pixels for finer detail, a quieter sensor, and still the fastest system here by a wide margin.
If your sessions need it: portable power station 300W AC outlet (Search Amazon UK · Search Amazon US); Celestron 93665 equatorial wedge NexStar Evolution Origin (Search Amazon UK · Search Amazon US). All Origin Mark II accessories.
No longer sold new
DwarfLab DWARF II, Vaonis Vespera Pro, Celestron Origin: see buy second-hand, not new.
The first-night kit
Most first sessions end for a boring reason: a flat phone, a misted lens, cold hands, or a white torch that ruins everyone’s dark adaptation. Start with what is supplied and what you already own. Add power if your planned session exceeds the internal battery; leave EQ gear until you have a reason to use it.
- USB-C PD power bank 20000mAhRuns the scope past its own battery or keeps the phone running the app alive. Each telescope’s page gives the output it needs.
- red LED head torchRed light keeps your night vision; white light costs you twenty minutes of dark adaptation every time.
- Anker Nano A1259 power bank 10000mAh 30W built-in USB-C cable (black)Portable spare power for a USB-C phone. Check your device and cable; a Lightning phone needs its own cable.Specification source · checked 2026-10-12; indexed Amazon listing identity checked, availability not verified.
- hand warmers long lastingAir-activated packs give hours of heat for the person; winter nights are long and you spend most of them standing still.
- thermal flask 1 litreA hot drink at 2 am is the difference between one more target and packing up.
Affiliate links: the retailer pays us a small commission and you pay the same price. “Amazon product” opens an identified listing; “Search Amazon” opens results that may mix models. Check the model, output, seller and package before paying. Compatibility is based on published specifications, not our hands-on testing.
Winter is the best imaging season and the hardest on batteries: accessories by scope lists what fits each model, and every target page works out whether that night’s stack will outlast the battery.
Buy second-hand, not new
- ZWO Seestar S50: out of production and replaced by the S50 Pro, but the most common smart telescope in existence and still a fine imager at second-hand prices.
- Vaonis Vespera Pro: no longer sold new; the Vespera Pro 2 is the same idea with a mosaic mode and a newer app.
- Celestron Origin: superseded by the Mark II’s newer sensor; a used Origin is a lot of aperture for the money.
- DwarfLab DWARF II: 15 s subs and no dual-band filter cap it hard. Cheap used, and fine for a first look; not a scope to buy new when the DWARF mini exists.
Wait for something new?
The DwarfLab Draco is the newest scope here: on pre-order, shipping from November, so it will not be imaging this autumn. Vaonis has teased a scope called Atlas for a 15 October reveal, with no specification or price yet. If you want to image this autumn, buy this autumn; the scopes above will not lose value to a teaser.
What matters more than the scope
- Your sky. One class darker is worth more than one model up.
- The filter. Built in on the Seestar and DWARF ranges; an add-on on the Vespera and Origin; unavailable on Unistellar. What VIS, Astro, UV/IR-cut, dual-band and CLS mean.
- EQ mode. Only pays from a dark sky, and needs a head that holds the tilt.
- The calculator. Pick your target, scope and sky and read the time before you buy anything.
Questions people ask
Which smart telescope is best for a beginner?
A Seestar S30 Pro or S50 Pro, or a DWARF 3. All three set up in minutes, have a dual-band filter built in for nebulae, and offer EQ mode for 60 s subs later. The S30 Pro has the widest field, the S50 Pro the most reach, the DWARF 3 the lowest read noise and the smallest bag. From a town sky the differences between them are far smaller than the difference between a Bortle 7 back garden and a Bortle 4 field.
Is the Seestar S50 Pro worth it over the S50?
If you are buying new, yes, because the S50 is out of production; second-hand S50s remain a bargain. The S50 Pro puts the same 50 mm optics on an 8 MP sensor with a field nearly twice as wide, and per pixel it is about as fast. Existing S50 owners gain field and resolution, not speed.
Which smart telescope is best for galaxies?
The ones with aperture and fine pixels: the Celestron Origin Mark II (152 mm, 1.23 arcseconds per pixel), the Unistellar Odyssey (85 mm, 0.93) and eQuinox 2 (114 mm, 1.33), and the Vaonis Vespera Pro 2 (1.68). Galaxies are broadband targets, so the dual-band filter does not help and a dark sky matters most.
Do I need a dark sky?
No, but it is the biggest lever. From a Bortle 8 city sky to a Bortle 4 rural one the same target takes about a tenth of the time. From town, start with emission nebulae and the dual-band filter, which throw away most of the skyglow; save galaxies for a dark trip or a very patient winter.
Independent of every maker and retailer; see about. Prices last checked 2026-09-23.