Is the Seestar S50 faster than the Draco?

From a Bortle 6 sky the Draco is 1.1× faster on the 30 most popular deep-sky targets; from Bortle 3 the Draco is 1.1× faster.

Which is better for small targets like planetary nebulae?

The Draco, with its finer pixel scale of 1.46″ per pixel.

Seestar S50 vs Draco: which is faster for deep-sky imaging?

ZWO Seestar S50 against DwarfLab Draco, 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 Draco is 1.1× faster (geometric mean of the solid-image times, each scope on its recommended filter and default subs). From a rural Bortle 3 sky the Draco is 1.1× faster.

Field of view. The Draco shows 1.66° × 1.24° against 1.28° × 0.72°, so big targets such as the Andromeda Galaxy, the North America Nebula and the Pleiades fit with room to spare where the Seestar S50 needs a mosaic or a tight crop.

Detail. The Draco samples at 1.46″ per pixel against 2.39″, so it pulls finer structure from small targets: planetary nebulae, globular cores, galaxy arms.

Subs and dark skies. The Draco goes up to 300 s subs in Pro Mode, the Seestar S50 tops out at 60 s. That matters little from a city, where skyglow sets the floor, and a lot from a dark site, where read noise does.

Filters. Both carry a dual-band filter, which is what makes emission nebulae practical from a lit sky.

Specifications side by side

Spec	Seestar S50	Draco
Aperture	50 mm	90 mm
Focal length	250 mm (f/5.0)	340 mm (f/3.8)
Sensor	Sony IMX462, 2.1 MP	1/1.3″ 50 MP, 2 × 2 binned (DwarfLab does not name it), 12.6 MP
Pixel size	2.9 µm	2.4 µm
Pixel scale	2.39″/px	1.46″/px
Field of view	1.28° × 0.72°	1.66° × 1.24°
Sub exposures	10 s, 20 s, 30 s, 60 s	30 s, 60 s, 120 s, 300 s
Dual-band filter	Built in (LP filter)	Built in (Hα + OIII)
“No filter” position	UV/IR-cut	No filter
Read noise used	1 e⁻	1.8 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	Seestar S50	Draco	Faster
Andromeda GalaxyGalaxy	1 h 27 min525 subs	1 h 12 min144 subs	Draco 1.2×
Orion NebulaEmission nebula	12 min75 subs	15 min30 subs	Seestar S50 1.2×
North America NebulaEmission nebula	1 h 25 min512 subs	1 h 08 min136 subs	Draco 1.3×
Pinwheel GalaxyGalaxy	4 h 37 min1,661 subs	3 h 47 min454 subs	Draco 1.2×
Ring NebulaPlanetary nebula	7 min42 subs	15 min30 subs	Seestar S50 2.2×
Western Veil NebulaSupernova remnant	1 h 33 min557 subs	1 h 13 min147 subs	Draco 1.3×
Hercules ClusterGlobular cluster	7 min44 subs	15 min30 subs	Seestar S50 2.0×
PleiadesReflection nebula	2 h 42 min971 subs	2 h 13 min266 subs	Draco 1.2×

Rural sky (Bortle 3)

Total integration for a solid image from a Bortle 3 sky, default subs, recommended filter for each scope.
Target	Seestar S50	Draco	Faster
Andromeda GalaxyGalaxy	34 min204 subs	27 min55 subs	Draco 1.2×
Orion NebulaEmission nebula	10 min58 subs	15 min30 subs	Seestar S50 1.6×
North America NebulaEmission nebula	59 min357 subs	46 min92 subs	Draco 1.3×
Pinwheel GalaxyGalaxy	1 h 40 min602 subs	1 h 20 min160 subs	Draco 1.3×
Ring NebulaPlanetary nebula	6 min36 subs	15 min30 subs	Seestar S50 2.5×
Western Veil NebulaSupernova remnant	1 h 04 min387 subs	50 min100 subs	Draco 1.3×
Hercules ClusterGlobular cluster	5 min30 subs	15 min30 subs	Seestar S50 3×
PleiadesReflection nebula	1 h362 subs	48 min97 subs	Draco 1.3×

Try the Seestar S50 in the calculator Try the Draco

About the ZWO Seestar S50

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.

Where to buy the Seestar S50ZWO store Direct Amazon UK Amazon USThe ZWO store link is a plain link; the others are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.

About the DwarfLab Draco

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.

Where to buy the DracoDwarfLab store UK DwarfLab store US Amazon UK Amazon USThe DwarfLab store link is a plain link; the others are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.

Other comparisons

All comparisons · Buying guide · Seestar S50 page · Draco page