Is the DWARF II faster than the Vespera Pro?

From a Bortle 6 sky the Vespera Pro is 1.5× faster on the 30 most popular deep-sky targets; from Bortle 3 the Vespera Pro is 1.8× faster.

Which is better for small targets like planetary nebulae?

The Vespera Pro, with its finer pixel scale of 1.65″ per pixel.

DWARF II vs Vespera Pro: which is faster for deep-sky imaging?

DwarfLab DWARF II against Vaonis Vespera Pro, on the same targets from the same skies, using the same photon-budget model as the rest of the site. Times are for a solid image; the calculator gives quick-look and showpiece figures too.

Speed. Across the 30 most popular targets from a suburban Bortle 6 sky, the Vespera Pro is 1.5× faster (geometric mean of the solid-image times, each scope on its recommended filter and default subs). From a rural Bortle 3 sky the Vespera Pro is 1.8× faster.

Field of view. The DWARF II shows 3.19° × 1.79° against 1.62° × 1.62°, so big targets such as the Andromeda Galaxy, the North America Nebula and the Pleiades fit with room to spare where the Vespera Pro needs a mosaic or a tight crop.

Detail. The Vespera Pro samples at 1.65″ per pixel against 2.99″, so it pulls finer structure from small targets: planetary nebulae, globular cores, galaxy arms.

Subs and dark skies. The Vespera Pro goes up to 30 s subs in Expert Mode, the DWARF II tops out at 15 s. That matters little from a city, where skyglow sets the floor, and a lot from a dark site, where read noise does.

Filters. Neither has a built-in dual-band filter, so emission nebulae from a lit sky are slow going on both.

Specifications side by side

Spec	DWARF II	Vespera Pro
Aperture	24 mm	50 mm
Focal length	100 mm (f/4.2)	250 mm (f/5.0)
Sensor	Sony IMX415, 8.3 MP	Sony IMX676, 12.5 MP
Pixel size	1.45 µm	2 µm
Pixel scale	2.99″/px	1.65″/px
Field of view	3.19° × 1.79°	1.62° × 1.62°
Sub exposures	15 s	10 s, 20 s, 30 s
Dual-band filter	None	Clip-on option (Dual Band filter)
“No filter” position	Astro	No filter
Read noise used	1.2 e⁻	0.8 e⁻

Timed on the same targets

Suburban sky (Bortle 6)

Total integration for a solid image from a Bortle 6 sky, default subs, recommended filter for each scope.
Target	DWARF II	Vespera Pro	Faster
Andromeda GalaxyGalaxy	4 h 59 min1,198 subs	3 h 16 min1,176 subs	Vespera Pro 1.5×
Orion NebulaEmission nebula	57 min228 subs	38 min227 subs	Vespera Pro 1.5×
North America NebulaEmission nebula	7 h 45 min1,860 subs	5 h 04 min1,822 subs	Vespera Pro 1.5×
Pinwheel GalaxyGalaxy	16 h3,817 subs	10 h3,727 subs	Vespera Pro 1.5×
Ring NebulaPlanetary nebula	25 min101 subs	17 min103 subs	Vespera Pro 1.5×
Western Veil NebulaSupernova remnant	8 h 29 min2,035 subs	5 h 32 min1,992 subs	Vespera Pro 1.5×
Hercules ClusterGlobular cluster	24 min97 subs	16 min98 subs	Vespera Pro 1.5×
PleiadesReflection nebula	9 h 16 min2,225 subs	6 h 03 min2,177 subs	Vespera Pro 1.5×

Rural sky (Bortle 3)

Total integration for a solid image from a Bortle 3 sky, default subs, recommended filter for each scope.
Target	DWARF II	Vespera Pro	Faster
Andromeda GalaxyGalaxy	2 h 31 min603 subs	1 h 23 min500 subs	Vespera Pro 1.8×
Orion NebulaEmission nebula	31 min126 subs	18 min111 subs	Vespera Pro 1.7×
North America NebulaEmission nebula	3 h 50 min922 subs	2 h 06 min757 subs	Vespera Pro 1.8×
Pinwheel GalaxyGalaxy	7 h 44 min1,856 subs	4 h 10 min1,501 subs	Vespera Pro 1.9×
Ring NebulaPlanetary nebula	16 min64 subs	10 min62 subs	Vespera Pro 1.6×
Western Veil NebulaSupernova remnant	4 h 11 min1,006 subs	2 h 17 min824 subs	Vespera Pro 1.8×
Hercules ClusterGlobular cluster	14 min57 subs	9 min53 subs	Vespera Pro 1.6×
PleiadesReflection nebula	4 h 34 min1,097 subs	2 h 29 min897 subs	Vespera Pro 1.8×

Try the DWARF II in the calculator Try the Vespera Pro

About the DwarfLab DWARF II

The original pocket scope. 24 mm aperture and tiny 1.45 µm pixels mean it is slow per pixel, so bin or downsample and be patient.

Where to buy the DWARF IIAmazon UK Amazon USAffiliate links: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.

About the Vaonis Vespera Pro

The square-sensor Vespera with 2 µm pixels. Higher resolution than the II, and correspondingly slower per pixel: expect around double the time for the same per-pixel SNR. Run-out in 2026 and replaced by the Vespera Pro 2.

Where to buy the Vespera ProAmazon UK Amazon USAffiliate links: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.

Other comparisons

All comparisons · Buying guide · DWARF II page · Vespera Pro page