Is the Vespera Pro faster than the Origin Mark II?

From a Bortle 6 sky the Origin Mark II is 6× faster on the 30 most popular deep-sky targets; from Bortle 3 the Origin Mark II is 7× faster.

Which is better for small targets like planetary nebulae?

The Origin Mark II, with its finer pixel scale of 1.23″ per pixel.

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

Vaonis Vespera Pro against Celestron Origin Mark II, 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 Origin Mark II is 6× faster (geometric mean of the solid-image times, each scope on its recommended filter and default subs). From a rural Bortle 3 sky the Origin Mark II is 7× faster.

Field of view. The Vespera Pro shows 1.62° × 1.62° against 1.32° × 0.75°, so big targets such as the Andromeda Galaxy, the North America Nebula and the Pleiades fit with room to spare where the Origin Mark II needs a mosaic or a tight crop.

Detail. The Origin Mark II samples at 1.23″ per pixel against 1.65″, so it pulls finer structure from small targets: planetary nebulae, globular cores, galaxy arms.

Subs and dark skies. Both top out at 30 s subs, so neither has an edge at read-noise-limited dark sites.

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	Vespera Pro	Origin Mark II
Aperture	50 mm	152 mm
Focal length	250 mm (f/5.0)	335 mm (f/2.2)
Sensor	Sony IMX676, 12.5 MP	Sony IMX678, 8.4 MP
Pixel size	2 µm	2 µm
Pixel scale	1.65″/px	1.23″/px
Field of view	1.62° × 1.62°	1.32° × 0.75°
Sub exposures	10 s, 20 s, 30 s	10 s, 15 s, 30 s
Dual-band filter	Clip-on option (Dual Band filter)	Drawer option (Nebula Filter)
“No filter” position	No filter	No filter
Read noise used	0.8 e⁻	0.6 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	Vespera Pro	Origin Mark II	Faster
Andromeda GalaxyGalaxy	3 h 16 min1,176 subs	32 min191 subs	Origin Mark II 6×
Orion NebulaEmission nebula	38 min227 subs	6 min38 subs	Origin Mark II 6×
North America NebulaEmission nebula	5 h 04 min1,822 subs	49 min295 subs	Origin Mark II 6×
Pinwheel GalaxyGalaxy	10 h3,727 subs	1 h 40 min600 subs	Origin Mark II 6×
Ring NebulaPlanetary nebula	17 min103 subs	5 min30 subs	Origin Mark II 3×
Western Veil NebulaSupernova remnant	5 h 32 min1,992 subs	54 min322 subs	Origin Mark II 6×
Hercules ClusterGlobular cluster	16 min98 subs	5 min30 subs	Origin Mark II 3×
PleiadesReflection nebula	6 h 03 min2,177 subs	59 min352 subs	Origin Mark II 6×

Rural sky (Bortle 3)

Total integration for a solid image from a Bortle 3 sky, default subs, recommended filter for each scope.
Target	Vespera Pro	Origin Mark II	Faster
Andromeda GalaxyGalaxy	1 h 23 min500 subs	10 min60 subs	Origin Mark II 8×
Orion NebulaEmission nebula	18 min111 subs	5 min30 subs	Origin Mark II 4×
North America NebulaEmission nebula	2 h 06 min757 subs	15 min88 subs	Origin Mark II 9×
Pinwheel GalaxyGalaxy	4 h 10 min1,501 subs	28 min168 subs	Origin Mark II 9×
Ring NebulaPlanetary nebula	10 min62 subs	5 min30 subs	Origin Mark II 2.0×
Western Veil NebulaSupernova remnant	2 h 17 min824 subs	16 min95 subs	Origin Mark II 9×
Hercules ClusterGlobular cluster	9 min53 subs	5 min30 subs	Origin Mark II 1.7×
PleiadesReflection nebula	2 h 29 min897 subs	17 min103 subs	Origin Mark II 9×

Try the Vespera Pro in the calculator Try the Origin Mark II

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.

About the Celestron Origin Mark II

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.

Where to buy the Origin Mark IICelestron store Direct Amazon UK Amazon USThe Celestron 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 · Vespera Pro page · Origin Mark II page