$500 vs $5,000 Telescope | Seestar S50 vs 80mm APO | Astrophotography

[@MojaveRedRocks]

Since receiving the S50 I haven't used by 80mm system. AP/EAA can be completely spontaneous with the S50 with its one-minute setup time and surprisingly good results in relatively short observing sessions. It's just plain fun! No, it doesn't deliver results comparable to a larger system but it does deliver enjoyable images without all the hassle and expense. Some very minimal cleanup of the FITS files in a program like Siril results in quite attractive images. Too, the Seestar software and firmware just keep getting more capable with each update. It's an evolving and improving product. Kudos to ZWO!

[@gloomiehoodie]

Well, if anthropography is your passion and the only hobby you have, then yes, the $5K setup is way to go, even if you don't have all the money, slowly build it. But for a guy like with passion for many different hobbies the Seestar S50 price, is perfect. I just wish ZWO would release a software update adding the mosaic (stitch images) to cover larger FOV.

[@cigarnationwarriors]

I think the Seestar did a wonderful job. I couldn’t justify the extra expense and post processing time for the APO Refractor. I’m in Bortle 5.8 skies with a Bortle 1.5 sight within 90 minutes of home. I suspect that I’ll be very happy with the Seestar. Always keep it simple for an 80 year old backyard thumper. 🔭👍

[@AstroForumSpace]

Thank you! I was really impressed with the seestar S50. The stars in Melotte 15 appeared stunning, and I didn't need complex capturing and processing.

[@erebostd]

1.5? Wow. Even to get a 3 i have to drive 5 hours from here, even a 2 is 7 hours away. A 1,x…i don’t know if that is even possible here…

[@SydneyDunk]

5.8? That’s quite precise 😄

[@DouglasLippert]

Clear skies brother!

[@cigarnationwarriors]

The Pawnee Buttes have phenomenally dark skies. I think the Bortle is more a 2 - but a true 2. The Milky Way casts cool shadows. In any case, I just got through cancer surgery, so I’m staying close to home for some time. Happy Viewing🔭

[@TheMills567]

Nice! 80mm Apo is def better but damn for $500 that little scope is probably the best $500 you can spend in this hobby!

[@SuperdanTech]

Nice video. It would have been nice to also do a comparison with a 1 hour total exposure with the Seestar and the same time with your rig!

[@Bigmarty1012]

Hmm... the Seestar had a total of 1.5 hours of data set against 7hours of data with the APO80 so for me this was not a like for like comparison. What image would be produced with 7 hours data from the Seestar ?. Well done for the APO80 image which is awesome .

[@TotalyRandomUsername]

I guess it was comparing the best both systems can do. But you are still right. :)

[@dinamush1342]

​@TotalyRandomUsername certainly not the best the seestar is capable of, with more exposure time the noise would be significantly reduced

[@ian-atg]

Idk. I have the seestar and I noticed past 30 minutes for nebulae there is little benefit in additional exposure. It’s just too weak of a scope to capture the faint features. It’s good for large bright objects tho. I am thinking of selling it and buying a proper set up

[@jiinx72]

Because of the SeeStar tracking. Above 1.5 hours you'll get field rotation vs a EQ and guide scope guided which will track all night allowing much longer exposures. There are SeeStar S50 owners who do 30 plus hours on one target but that's over multiple night's or mosaic mode which counter's FR but it's a long process. Seen some impressive S50 images but those are hitting 25 plus hour's.

[@AstroForumSpace]

Correction: ZWO informed me that mosaic is not yet available in v1.8.0 for the Seestar S50. They're working on it though. There will be a new sub-frame feature available in v1.8, allowing you to download and process the individual pictures in addition to the stacked picture. It's a great little telescope to get started!

[@oldfilmguy9413]

Incredibly beautiful image from the telescope. It's the difference between starting out and years of experience that functions behind the scenes, so to speak. It's not just about the setup, but learning how to get the best from the setup, which you have done wondrously. Cheers!

[@AstroForumSpace]

Thanks so much! I really appreciate that, have a great day!

[@jacobgerritsenfilms3559]

excellent comparison of the two telescopes! Well done!

[@santiagomadruga4298]

10x the price, 2x-3x the post-processing time, 5x setup time, and 3x the integration time. Another comparison could be 80mm APO vs. Hubble telescope.

[@RegulusRemains]

Is it crazy that he chose to stop shooting on the seestar instead of just letting it keep collecting data?

[@compadrechuma]

@@RegulusRemains Field rotation catches up with you after a while.

[@gloomiehoodie]

Well, if anthropography is your passion and the only hobby you have, then yes, the $5K setup is way to go, even if you don't have all the money, slowly build it. But for a guy like with passion for many different hobbies the Seestar S50 price, is perfect. I just wish ZWO would release a software update adding the mosaic (stitch images) to cover larger FOV.

[@rclines001]

Do 7 days of 1 hour shots with the Seestar and stack them and use the same processing software and the same amount of time processing to give a fair comparison. Yes the Seestar frame is smaller, but the same software you are using for processing can also create mosaic pictures if you also take pictures around the main target. Also, tell everyone how long it takes and how difficult it is to setup and take down each scope. I can setup my Seestar and have it shooting pics in less than 5 minutes, including time needed to remove it from it's case. No crazy aligning the mount or anything else required. 1) hit the power button. 2) Open app on phone or tablet and connect. 3) Level scope using built in software(takes 1 minute). 4) Pick target from list and press button. Walk over to chair, sit down, and wait for images to start popping up.

[@Mike__G]

I am using the Seestar for what might be termed EAA-plus. As our host pointed out, he only spent a short time processing the Seestar images and that’s what I’ve been doing. Partly because I lack the skill necessary for heavy-duty processing and I also lack the ambition to devote great amounts of time and energy to learning it. That said, I’m able with my rudimentary processing skills to get very acceptable images on par or even better than I did with a much more expensive (and heavy, and fiddly) EAA rig.

[@Shooting_the_Breeze]

Should really do a straight up comparison. If you could only get one hour out of the Seestar, you should do the same for the APO. Awesome image on the APO though. James Webb esque !

[@williamotule]

great comparison thanks!! Your work is stunning!!

[@myclykaon]

Seriously impressed with your APO image

[@AstroForumSpace]

Tx!

[@Svennz]

Top ding die Seestar, ik ben van plan om hem binnenkort te gaan halen

[@cdavidhord]

Definitely worth the expense and time with the APO 80. So much more resolution and 3D like image.

[@canyonblue737-8]

1000%... but for just $500, what a fun little scout telescope and camera the Seestar is! It's so quick to setup and takedown that you can put it out in minutes on any clear night and enjoy images of the night sky and plan for how to use your bigger setup... you can also use this to hop the night sky at the same time as your main rig is imaging a single subject the entire night. Really fun and the cost and barrier to entry is SO low. I also can't tell you how many people see the images I have taken and say... how can I do that too? Can I buy a $1000 telescope? Their eyes glaze over when I begin to explain what is required and the cost... and you can see that's the end of that dream for most... now I can recommend a $500 Seestar and they will be capturing DSO objects on the very first night.

[@greatpix]

I'm not sure if your S50 shots were right out of the app or not. I know that with post processing you can greatly enhance the Seestar images. Either way the Seestar S50 is a huge advance for the amateur astronomer just starting out in the hobby. For less than the price of a Celestron Nexstar 4 SE you can get a glimpse of much more than with visual viewing.

[@robkoopman8381]

Hi Wido, I think the Seestar did well if you compare the investment required, the time to set up both units, the amount of knowledge required to operate them. For sure your serious rig took a beautiful and far superior picture. But the time you spent imaging and processing the data is also superior to the time Seestar needs to show results. Also the clear skies are turning into somewhat of a rarity in the Netherlands these days. Seestar is well adapted to that if you have a short period of clear skies, just put it down, connect to the app, Go Imaging. As for the nerd mode, I fully understand, I own serious audio equipment, but also understand that others are very happy listening to music from their smart phone with a set of nice ear buds. Thanks for your effort in putting up these videos.

[@martynh5410]

The Seestar gave very good results in my opinion. Considering it’s price and ease of use, I think it makes a very nice starter Astrophotography package. The APO 80 image with that great ASI2600 camera is in a different league entirely!! It’s far superior and personally I believe it’s worth the extra money. Probably it’s more for the more serious Astro people. It will be able to image dimmer targets well beyond the limits of the Seestar. I really enjoyed your video Wido!

[@livingart2576]

I agree. I’m very busy with work, 2 children (plus another on the way). I play guitar, practice archery, fish and study astrophysics. For me the SeeStar is the perfect tool to get me going, specially considering my hectic schedule. I have a feeling that scope will attract plenty more people to the hobby who feel either priced out or don’t have the time and experience. 👍👍😀

[@HeavenlyBackyardAstronomy]

Hi Wido, No competition... the 80mm APO with the ZWO 2600 in narrowband is the clear winner. However, the Seestar would be a great entry-level scope for someone getting into astrophotography. - Patrick -

[@AstroForumSpace]

It feels liberating not having to setup a whole rig and still be able to capture DSO's with lucky imaging Patrick. And the price is finally getting to a point where lots of folks can enjoy AP.

[@jameshart1028]

Incredible pictures by the $5000 scope, but that price tag is only the tip of the iceberg when you consider the time and effort it takes to learn to use it with the level of skill that this type of device requires. Stunning photos.

[@tim3780]

The image from the dedicated telescope rig is so damn amazing! Sadly so expensive. Added all the parts you linked in the description up, would currently be 8,611€ or 9,425 US$

[@AstroForumSpace]

Thanks! It's about 5K in total for the entire setup.

[@tim3780]

Checked the US links too now, the parts seem to be way cheaper there around 5k$ in the US and 9,3k$ in Europe (with the current Exchange rate). Thats a huge difference sadly The Seestar S50 for example also would be 799€ (875$) directly here in Germany

[@mikewarkentin8736]

Nice video. I like how you overlayed the larger picture taken with the AP rig with the Seestar smaller photo of the Heart of the Heart. For me, once Seestar gets a mosaic feature, it's going to be awfully tough justifying the extra cost and time of the full rig vs the ease of use of the Seestar. I have both as well but have not had a chance to do a similar test, but WOW so far the Seestar is very impressive.

[@AstroForumSpace]

Thanks Mike! EDIT: Talked to ZWO again. Unfortunately, the Mosaic function will not be released in the next update, but they're working on it. v1.8 will have the option to download all individual photos in addition to downloading the stacked picture. Cheers.

[@erebostd]

@@AstroForumSpaceoh, great news 😁👍. Now they only need to finally send me the ordered scope 😁😉

[@10esseeTony]

Thanks, incredible final image from the $5000 rig, but....how about a direct comparison? 10 second exposures, matching the SeeStar for up to 90 minutes?

[@AstroForumSpace]

Would be interesting. Apart from the resolution, you'd have about the same picture. You get the extra details by taking longer exposure pictures for which you need precise equatorial tracking.

[@Durkan34]

There’s not a competition in absolute terms but wow the seestar does a grand job for what it is. Beautiful shot with the proper rig. 👏👍

[@Durkan34]

It’s a shame the seestar can’t be mounted equatorially.

[@AstroForumSpace]

Tx mate!

[@davidpippin3460]

Nice work and your 80mm photo is beautiful but to really compare you should devote the same processing time to each capture. That would be a fairer comparison of the product, not your post-processing.

[@michaelzell4924]

It was clear, that ZWO would implement the mosaic mode into the Seestar app, since Vaonis already has this for their teleskopes. This will greatly improve the performance of the Seestar. I'll definitely buy a Seestar for Christmas. The picture taken with the Seestar looks great and of course, the picture you took with the other scope looks better, but the difference is not worth 5000 Euros. I can't use the ASI Air, because I use cameras, that aren't supported by ZWO. So, I could use an Astroberry, but that is a pain in the ass, since it's not really user friendly, or I could use N.I.N.A. on my notebook or minicomputer. But I'm tempted to sell all my other stuff and only use the Seestar for astrophotography. I'm a lazy guy, so the Seesatar is perfect for me. With this scope I can get great pictures of deep sky opjects, the moon , the sun and I can take pictures during daytime of landescapes and wildlife. I can't take pictures of the planets, but I can live with that.

[@shanekelly4836]

Id like to see you get same target with a Dwarf II and ZWO dual band filter to see how it stacks up with the same person editing the photo. Dwarf has a larger FOV vs Seestar.

[@bamsemh1]

If you got a computer and stack, the 500$ can make such pictures too. Just needs more work, but still doesn't mean you need a 5000$ telescope.

[@toliscy]

I am waiting in line for my seestar, I cant afford the $5000 rig and honestly I am intimidated by the editing process but damn that picture is easily worth 10X times more! One day hopefully...

[@TomGarner99]

Very cool! Thanks for the video.

[@perry3928]

Thanks Wido. Nice the seestar will be able to do mosaics. Im sure an eq mount will close the deal. Very impressive. Can't beat the price.

[@lindarawlins8080]

Beautiful pics, both. Could you have applied a similar color scheme to the Seestar image as you did for the refractor rig? Even if yes, and even when the Seestar permits mosaic, it seems the 80mm simply gathers more usable data in less time; and the result is spectacular. Great job!

[@willrothfuss8470]

No comparison. Your photo with the 80mm is stunning. Pro astrophotographers from the past would be amazed by what amateurs can get today. That said, the Seestar is a great all in one $500 rig. I see it as more of an EAA set up than strictly an AP one.

[@darksanity]

WAIT!!!! seestar is going to allow us to make Mosaic photos? That is epic as heck! I am even more excited to keep mine on order now, I've been "on the fence" about it because it is expensive for me.... But hey!!!

[@AstroForumSpace]

Thanks for watching the whole video 😀. Correction: ZWO informed me that mosaic is not yet available in v1.8.0. They're working on it. There is a new sub-frame feature available in v1.8 to download and process the individual 10s pictures in addition to the stacked picture.

[@polacofederos]

I recently got my Seestar, very happy so far! the thing is even i have a more cappable equipment, the problem is the time i require to mount it, align it and so on. So most of the times I end doing nothing, now the Seestar is a apx 5 minutes leveling at most, you can do sensor & compass calibration and some other stuff to get more precise tracking. Anyway I do expect to use it much much more, i can afford using it anytime the sky is clear with almost no time or preparation! so that is a winner to me. Anyway i do expect to improve my gear at some point or maybe a Seestar III in a few years. My main complaint about the Seestar is that i would like to capture a larger portion of the sky, having some way to zoom in or out would be great, who knows, maybe in a future iteration they include some of this capabilities even if the price is twice as much. I think Seestar is a begining of some kind of smart telescope family for ZWO.

[@AstroForumSpace]

Hi there, the Vaonis Vespera is capable of capturing a larger portion of the sky with its mosaic mode. ZWO is also working on this feature, it may be released as a future software update.

[@bubzona]

WOW just wow man! Of course you can't compare pro setup to casual one however I must say for travelling S50 definitely beats pro setup because one has to consider carrying lots of weight on a plane and another country, so not bad for S50 to be honest. But of course TS 80 hands down. One thing I want to ask is wonder if there's additional functionality for S50 will be opened via firmware update like taking wide field of view (mosaic) and stacking few within number of exposure to create wide field of view of the object. Just curious...

[@tomcaron9113]

ZWO didn’t include a mosaic option because they consider the S50 an entry level astrophotography scope. But, this thing is producing such good images and gathering so much information that users deserve the mosaic ability . Hopefully they will reconsider!

[@tonytypes]

The Seestar is a great little scope for the money. Im very happy with mines since I got it a couple days ago. Its so simple to use and does all the hard work for you. The time it takes me to setup my larger rig, with the Seestar I could already be be done setting it up and getting a decent stacked image 😀 now if theres a way to get the colors to pop more with the Seestar like your larger setup that would be. awesome.

[@MrMrduke1975]

I bought the Seestar, seeing how I’m new to the hobby but man! I’m starting to build a rig on the side with my Sony A6000 mirrorless camera.

[@davesworld6206]

No contest on the images. The 80mm setup is in another league. That being said where the Seestar shines is in convenience of set up and take down. In the time it takes to set up my larger telescope with its heavy mount tripod and counterweights and properly align it I have already captured at least one decent image from the Seestar easily and without breaking my back or neck carrying out the heavier equipment. The other night I was cooking dinner while the Seestar was sending me a nice image of M31. Of course I wish it had the mosaic mode to capture a full image as it is frustrating to see Andromeda cut off. But as a whole I’m in disbelief how easy this is to use night after night and the quality of images per effort is incredible.

[@AstroForumSpace]

Don't forget those cloudy nights with one or two hour breaks in the clouds. Perfect for a short smart telescope session.

[@woody5109]

Hahahaha, no contest sir, the telescope wins, hands down. Great image by the way, thanks for sharing 🙏

[@BigDuke6ixx]

Really looking forward to seeing the mosaic mode. Can the Seestar be polar aligned? On my old Meade SCT a wedge was all it took to polar align so a wedge for the Seestar should be simple to do given the light weight and if the software allows.

[@pengouin]

just preordered the seestar but your pro rig is giving a result that is completely awesome. i will probably never invest that much in a pro telescope since it require massive amount of time and patience to get a worthy result. Im curious , for the s50 did you try to improve the image or you simply took the main picture the s50 produce. With the updated firmware we can get all the pictures separately. mosaic picture would be awersome for s50.

[@rexcellencemagee6729]

Yep, it’s worth the money! 5k is a lot but for a beginner like me, the S50 is a great way to get started. Awesome video and thanks for the comparison! Obviously it’s worth the difference in cost, to be honest I’m going to spend more time using it for wild life, so in my case having both would be beneficial. I think I speak for everyone, wonderful job!

[@AstroForumSpace]

It's great for casual stargazing and basic AP! I use smart telescopes on nights with only 1 or 2 hours of clear skies "between the clouds". It's really great, helps me get through the winter.

[@pilsplease7561]

I wanted to get into astrophotography but the stuff for noobs is very poorly documented and its very expensive so the seestar is looking appealing have not decided if i am going to order one or not but While I would love to have a $5000 rig its a lot of money. @@AstroForumSpace

[@Jamesee777]

​@pilsplease7561 I get it. I'm still a noob too! But after 6 months from viewing andromeda for the first time with my dusty celestron c90 mak with an az gti mount, I went deep down the rabbit hole. Thousands of dollars in upgrades later, andromeda is now good enough to be my screen saver with canon 60d and asksr v. The rig is fully automated. Just 15 to 20 mins to setup and I'm back indoors, nice and warm. Post processing is vital. But I gave up on siril and switched to pixinsight with rc astro plugins. After half day learning it, my mind was blown away again. Another game changer, especially for noobs. It was a hard start in the beginning, but noob answers found on KZbin and forums. What's more challenging is diy mount. I'm gathering parts for a diy harmonic drive mount. Building that is easy but the controller is a different story. I can save a few grand. The only thing I can possibly diy is the mount. Lol

[@tommydstudios2094]

It's a no brainer here. Obviously the better setup will destroy the seestar. But, I have nice setups just like you and I still got a Seestar so I can image anywhere, anytime, and have a portable easy to use battery operated setup.

[@Jamesee777]

My goodness! Not only there is no comparison between the two telescopes, the song used for the photo reveal is EPIC! Did you use a flattener on the 80mm scope? If not, even more impressive! I recently bought an Askar V and only managed 21mins exposure on M31 with Canon 60D because of clouds. Wow! What a difference compared to what I could do with almost 3 hrs with a C90 Mak. Hoping to get something jaw dropping too with the 2600mc pro when it arrives. I'm already deep down the rabbit hole. May need to dive even deeper using monochrome one day too.

[@AstroForumSpace]

Thanks! Yes, I use a field flattener with the triplet refractor.

[@Jamesee777]

@@AstroForumSpace Thanks for the info! I forgot to mention. For the money, the seestar 50 is still an excellent buy. The results on spending $500 to basically just turn on and get images right away is jaw dropping too. It's perfect for someone who never tried astrophotography and even people with good astro gear. It's a win win for ZWO.

[@joeponthetrails]

I wonder if they can correct this field rotation effect in software, and or allow you later to put the seestar on an EQ mount for longer exposures (or would the sensor give too much noise then) Also 10x the price, and probably 10-100x the effort + time invested for your clearly better heart nebula picture.

[@bdeclerc]

they're already correcting for field rotation in software when they stack the images - the problem is that the sensor itself is not "round", so some parts of the field of view will rotate away, leaving you with noisy corners due to field rotation moving that part of the sky out of the sensor's field of view. A "Seestar S60" using an IMX533 sensor would be a very interesting scope, the sensor is a lot bigger but mainly, it's *square* - that means that field rotation noise will not affect such a large portion of the image as on a rectangular sensor - you could even just put a circular mask on the end-results and hide the corners and still have most of the field of view. It would be a more expensive solution than the S60, so it might not make as much sense. And the IMX533 has somewhat higher read noise than the IMX462, so it's not quite as good for short exposures. Alternatively, if they could rotate the sensor during the exposures, that would also eliminate field rotation as a concern, but it does add some complexity to the system, and hence the price. TANSTAAFL

[@AstroForumSpace]

Exactly. the field rotation cannot be corrected in the corners of the image. An electronic rotator would probably do the trick but it'll drive the price up. Alternatively, an EQ mount option with a guide sensor would also be an option but that would - again - make the whole product more expensive. I think this is a very nice option if you're curious and ready to move beyond visual, naked-eye observations. You get nice images of the moon, sun, and bright deep sky objects and with the APP and platesolving it is super easy to control the telescope and get some interesting images to share with friends or online, without going through all the hassle as demonstrated with the expensive setup.

[@anvikshiki]

Thanks for this great comparison! Well, predictably, the TS image is far better, 7 hours of signal, better filters and good guiding will do that. The Seestar nonetheless produced a nice image for the money with much less effort and time. A professional world champion boxer can outperform a fighter making their professional debut, but that doesn’t mean the new pro is a bad fighter! I haven’t had a chance to use my new Seestar yet (please, please Netherlands, one clear fall night…pretty please!), but I’m looking forward to it!

[@AstroForumSpace]

The Seestar S50 performs very well in its own weight class :-)

[@michaelhuebgen7060]

Which 3-fold did you use for the Seestar?

[@greatpix]

I'm hoping for ZWO to come out a 80mm version of the Seestar. Even further in the future I'd like to see them switch to an EQ mount and better camera but sill at a lower price than buying each piece individually and the spaghetti mess of cables.

[@stevepauley1200]

What's the tripod for the Seestar

[@AstroForumSpace]

the small one

[@Astroduck44]

Hey, question how did you make the heart of the nebula have less stars than the out side in the background area?

[@AstroForumSpace]

Starnet ++...

[@Pay_attention_Benny]

How much of the end result was to do with photoshop?

[@Bracecomb]

Great comparison. The Seestar does a great job and is an excellent beginner scope. @4:05 What are the chances of getting the orientation of 3 USB plugs wrong 3 times🤣

[@AstroForumSpace]

Lol 😀

[@mr4kids.866]

There are three known ways of plugging is an USB cable. 1. The wrong way 2. The other wrong way. 3. The first way you tried.

[@ronshep]

I am a total novice, so forgive me if this is a dumb question, but is it possible to take 4 90-minute stacked images on separate nights and stack them together, giving a more comparable image (time wise) to your expensive rig?

[@cryptojihadi265]

Yes, you can image over separate nights. But don't do 90 minute exposures if that's what you're saying.

[@KofieBluejay]

As you stated in another comment here, when we will be able to download individual sub frames and do mosaics on several nights, the Seestar will probably be one of the best starter you can have. I was wondering whether I start with using wide field scope + az.alt mount, but the mount itself is the price of the seestar. I believe that, given you let it take its time, the Seestar is probably better value than a 1k/2k beginner setup. Even right now, when processed with pixInsight, some people do have really really good render, for something that cost less than even the cheapest « okay » apo. Also it does sun videos and that’s nice for the 2024 complete eclipse 😎

[@jtepsr]

How did process the see star image

[@erikjones6346]

Thanks for another great video! How would that look like with the same rig, except with an astro modified dslr like the canon 6d instead of the asi? Would the result be similar?

[@AstroForumSpace]

Hi Erik, camera sensors on these smart telescopes are pretty small in comparison to DSLR cameras. Your fov with a DSLR will be bigger, so more objects will fit in your cameras view. Another difference is that the DSLR doesn't come with a tracking device or an APP that can find objects in the sky for you....most people look into buying a star tracking in combination with a DSLR to track the night sky.

[@js7un165]

I would have liked to hear your evaluation.

[@astroberg4774]

Would love to have seen the results of 1hr vs 1hr. Or 7hrs vs 7hrs. Obviously the seestar would have to do this over multiple nights due to field rotation

[@AstroForumSpace]

I won't use the Seestar for a 7h session. It is perfect for stargazing and automated short(er) sessions when the skies are clear for an hour or two. It shows objects far beyond what the naked eye can see, that's what it is designed to do.

[@astroberg4774]

​@AstroForumSpace it looks great. In which case a 1hr vs 1hr comparison would be more of a comparison. Atleast you can see what achieveable with same amount of time. Love your videos man 👍

[@Seafox0011]

All things being equal ... we would have to compare 7 hours mosaic capture with the Seastar for a 'truer' comparison. I'd certainly like to see how much of the noise can be processed out after that amount of exposure time. The 80mm is stunning and basically is the quality the Seestar would have to match to be in any form of competition on quality alone - price is another story! ;-)

[@etrax7007]

Beer vs wine!

[@davepastern]

for the very casual imager, the Seestar looks OK, although image quality is not what I'd call "great". For a serious imager, or someone who wants better quality, the dedicated setup wins hands down.

[@Dryer_Safe]

Seestar S50, is great, you can fit it in a backpack, and takes decent pictures compared to - Damn, not fair :)

[@georgepoitras3502]

Ok so why didn't you compare with the same filters?

[@AstroForumSpace]

Dualband filter work with color cameras, not mono.

[@georgepoitras3502]

Ah ok.

[@IvanVazquezS]

I think I will wait a bit before buying a Seestar S50 and instead buy the next iteration of it. I believe I'm not the only thinking that if they increase a bit the size of the telescope to 80mm instead of just 50mm, upgrade to a basic EQ mount, and we compensate the size and weight of a 5000 USD setup with the ability to put it in a backpack and go to a sky Bortle 2 or 3 and do around 4 to 5 hours of imaging there, we can equalize or even surpass a 5000 USD setup done from the city while also enjoying a bit of nature! If such setup would cost around 1000 USD I'm 100% sold and I would immediately buy it (if it can fit in a regular luggage).

[@deevnn]

Even if it cost $2000 I would be on board...

[@Pletharoe]

I think you have to be totally fair though, the amount of editing combined with data is VASTLY more than with the ZWO. I'm not at all apposed to arguing that ten times the price can yield ten times the result, but I think if you were honest that better image was ten times the data and ten times the editing....

[@lavers_1]

Well it's quite obvious what's better. 500 dollars is a no brainer for someone that wants to start to get into this rabbit hole.

[@JimJimJimJim99]

In my imagination I'm trying to compare your two images with what one sees visually in, say, a 250mm telescope. Without the camera based set-ups I guess you would just see the stars and no nebula.

[@AstroForumSpace]

Yes, visually you'd see some faint, colorless nebulosity and a cluster of bright stars.

[@TamsonsAstrophotography]

Nice right now I'm getting m13

[@greatpix]

Your home setup is like a car with a manual trans that you upgraded to a race car vs a Tesla Model Y.

[@Barhom0_o]

amazing

[@James-yd8tg]

I've been doing astrophotography since back in the witchcraft film days. So my opinion is skewed on many years of serious astro imaging. For me personally, I could never see myself going in with what I would consider non serious equipment. It's neat and has it's place in the market I'm sure. Just my personal 0.2c

[@cryptojihadi265]

It's one or two steps from a Google search, but takes a lot longer and reveals much more inferior images.

[@briansture4353]

Astro photography will lead you into a chain of continued investment for better gear. That was true 30 years ago in the film days. There was a saying in our astronomy group. Before taking up astrophotography see your psychiatrist first to check your sanity. So many of us ran out of steam with astrophotography and just went back to visual astronomy with bigger better telescopes.

[@Eugen963]

Pro setup is 10 times more expensive but picture is 10 times better

[@santiagomadruga4298]

Integration time is also 10X (so to speak) higher. The comparison makes no sense.

[@royhornyak8596]

Wow! Nice job on both setups, but that does seem like 5 grand well spent

[@rh5971]

The video would have been better without the zooming in and out with twisting the images around. Showing the pictures side by side would have been most helpful.

[@andreasschneider3488]

I strongly suspect that the conversations with your finance minister (wife) were very hard :)))

[@racingmike]

Wow!!! Very nice video. For my sake, where are you on the « bortle scale»? Thanks, always a pleasure to watch your videos :)

[@rebbel67]

I believe I've heard him say once that he's in a Bortle 9

[@AstroForumSpace]

Bortle 7/8. Dynamic background extraction is a must :-). Thanks racingmike.

[@mbdulka]

Having just bought the Seestar and only tested it, it's awesome for the money but it's not even remotely in the same league as your 80mm APO. Seestar gives you a taste, the 80mm let's you see God.

[@AstroForumSpace]

LOL, thanks. The seestar is great for casual AP and stargazing beyond the naked-eye.

[@danilo16410]

Thanx for the comparison. Is the apo combination worth 10 s50's? I believe it is. First the picture of the apo is if not 10 but sure 5-6 time bigger than the other one, and more important it is "more alive" more details colors etc. That photo can be easily printed in 20x16 inches and it will be nice detailed and "alive," the other one may be printed max at 12x8 inches but better not because it will came out dull. But for the (only)smartphones freax that's emough, the smartphone size picture is enough. Than the apo blows out of the sky the s50 when it came to planets photographically or visually. No planets for the s50 sadly, and no visual enjoyment which connect the astronomer with all the great astronomers of the past. It is better (to save the money, collect it and) to go for the real thing (than to be confined in a smartphone.)

[@RikR1958]

Interessante vergelijking, maar in feite vergelijk je appels met peren. Alhoewel de S50 met zijn 500 euro prachtige foto's produceert, toch kan dit niet tippen aan een 5000 euro opstelling. Het is als een oud Dafje vergelijken met de nieuwste Tesla. Toch ben ik fan van de S50 vanwege zijn capaciteiten voor een lage prijs.

[@thomjefferson1743]

An apples to apples comparison would be the same amount of imaging time for both, with the same or similar filters, and the same type/amount of procesing. I get what you're trying to show, but c'mon - I'm not expecting a $500 setup to look like a $5000 setup. But the way you approach the test, it seems you're trying to justify your $5k rig.

[@angellestat2730]

is not 500 vs 5000, it is 500 vs at least 7000 (mount, apo, camera and extra gadgets) + a lot of time.

[@bobmusil1458]

Wow, you totally destroyed the Seestar. However, the difference is not only the price of the telescope but also the dedication and the time invested.

[@BennyKleykens]

I think ZWO may have cut in its own flesh with the Seastar S50. It's an attractive offering to many casual observers but it will also scratch the itch for many amateur astronomers on the fence whether they want to spend 1000s of dollars to leap into Astrophotography. Then again, I don't think ZWO had much of choice : if they don't make it others will. It's still a 'fast food' thing though and a webbrowser lookup is even cheaper and produces far better images than that Seestar S50 (and can do planets aswell) 😂

[@cryptojihadi265]

That's been my point since the beginning. It's one or two steps from a Google search. Zero sense of accomplishment. I think it kills budding AP enthusiasts interests. I'd probably use it two or three times and wonder what the point was.

[@Videomakerrobin]

Alterwise dat is very nice

[@allenbaylus3378]

it is about what I expected - the price is defiantly worth it for the results. I was thinking that it could be more similar, but the imaging size would be the biggest difference.

[@PinchOfLuck]

7 hours? And lenghty editing? Sorry nope. Probably Seestar s50 is just going to get a firmware update for longer exposures, and be even more amazing. even more amazing.

[@wimsma]

For me there is no realistic alternative for the Seestar.

[@chrismartin8381]

Not a fan of the Seestar. Maybe because of where I live. Bortles 8.

[@AstroForumSpace]

Alight. Did you check out the light pollution filter? It will block most of your LP. Dynamic background extraction software also helps.

[@wilduc7302]

Goed is goed genoeg, dus de S50!

[@AstroForumSpace]

Lol, inderdaad. Heerlijk hoor, gewoon naar buiten lopen en je hebt de Seestar up-and-running in 5 tot 10 minuten. Enjoy!

[@wilduc7302]

@@AstroForumSpace Ik heb ondertussen een dwarf gekocht omdat die op korte termijn leverbaar was, en ook goed genoeg voor mij.

[@AstroForumSpace]

Geniet ervan

[@bug9999]

LOL nice comparison.

[@n9amiwavelengthradio]

Duh big difference of course

[@deepthought1569]

How is 26 mp vs 2 mp even close to fair lol here you take this riding lawn mower... I'll take the Koenigsegg 😂

[@sturmzes]

So many experts in the comments. Don’t you really understand that your Seastar is just deceiving you? And that these photographs are absolutely not his. These are computer-drawn images from previously taken pictures from his memory! Of course he sees something to create an image, but everything else is a $500 scam!

[@AstroForumSpace]

If you believe that you're an idiot.