Is the Vespera Pro faster than the Odyssey?

From a Bortle 6 sky the Vespera Pro is 1.8× faster on the 30 most popular deep-sky targets; from Bortle 3 the Vespera Pro is 2.8× faster.

Which is better for small targets like planetary nebulae?

The Odyssey, with its finer pixel scale of 0.93″ per pixel.

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

Vaonis Vespera Pro against Unistellar Odyssey, 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 1.8× 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 2.8× faster.

Field of view. The Vespera Pro shows 1.62° × 1.62° against 0.75° × 0.56°, so big targets such as the Andromeda Galaxy, the North America Nebula and the Pleiades fit with room to spare where the Odyssey needs a mosaic or a tight crop.

Detail. The Odyssey samples at 0.93″ per pixel against 1.65″, 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 Odyssey tops out at 4 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	Vespera Pro	Odyssey
Aperture	50 mm	85 mm
Focal length	250 mm (f/5.0)	320 mm (f/3.8)
Sensor	Sony IMX676, 12.5 MP	IMX415-class, 1.45 µm (Unistellar does not name it), 6.2 MP
Pixel size	2 µm	1.45 µm
Pixel scale	1.65″/px	0.93″/px
Field of view	1.62° × 1.62°	0.75° × 0.56°
Sub exposures	10 s, 20 s, 30 s	4 s
Dual-band filter	Clip-on option (Dual Band filter)	None
“No filter” position	No filter	No filter
Read noise used	0.8 e⁻	1.2 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	Odyssey	Faster
Andromeda GalaxyGalaxy	3 h 16 min1,176 subs	6 h 07 min5,505 subs	Vespera Pro 1.9×
Orion NebulaEmission nebula	38 min227 subs	1 h 08 min1,016 subs	Vespera Pro 1.8×
North America NebulaEmission nebula	5 h 04 min1,822 subs	9 h 33 min8,594 subs	Vespera Pro 1.9×
Pinwheel GalaxyGalaxy	10 h3,727 subs	20 h17,741 subs	Vespera Pro 1.9×
Ring NebulaPlanetary nebula	17 min103 subs	28 min422 subs	Vespera Pro 1.6×
Western Veil NebulaSupernova remnant	5 h 32 min1,992 subs	10 h9,406 subs	Vespera Pro 1.9×
Hercules ClusterGlobular cluster	16 min98 subs	28 min419 subs	Vespera Pro 1.7×
PleiadesReflection nebula	6 h 03 min2,177 subs	11 h10,297 subs	Vespera Pro 1.9×

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	Odyssey	Faster
Andromeda GalaxyGalaxy	1 h 23 min500 subs	4 h 05 min3,683 subs	Vespera Pro 2.9×
Orion NebulaEmission nebula	18 min111 subs	47 min701 subs	Vespera Pro 2.5×
North America NebulaEmission nebula	2 h 06 min757 subs	6 h 21 min5,721 subs	Vespera Pro 3×
Pinwheel GalaxyGalaxy	4 h 10 min1,501 subs	13 h11,739 subs	Vespera Pro 3×
Ring NebulaPlanetary nebula	10 min62 subs	21 min309 subs	Vespera Pro 2.0×
Western Veil NebulaSupernova remnant	2 h 17 min824 subs	6 h 57 min6,257 subs	Vespera Pro 3×
Hercules ClusterGlobular cluster	9 min53 subs	20 min297 subs	Vespera Pro 2.3×
PleiadesReflection nebula	2 h 29 min897 subs	7 h 36 min6,843 subs	Vespera Pro 3×

Try the Vespera Pro in the calculator Try the Odyssey

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 Unistellar Odyssey

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.

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

Other comparisons

All comparisons · Buying guide · Vespera Pro page · Odyssey page