DWARF 3 Smart Telescope Review + Tutorial

[@parkofile1173]

Thank you. When you test the released production device, please demo the scheduling feature that allows unattended multi target imaging overnight.

[@the5thmusketeer215]

MANY THANKS! That was an EXCELLENT review of the Dwarf 3. 🏆🥇 I really like your style of presentation… Clear, Logical, Knowledgeable, Honest, with plenty of step-by-step graphical overlays & an upbeat dose of your genial personality & infectious sense of humour. 😊👍 I very much look forward to your upcoming side-by-side review of the Dwarf 3 & ZWO Seestar 50, which is the other smart scope that I am considering purchasing (although it’s tempting to wait for the impending release of their next model… 🤔). Meantime, you have earned yet another very well deserved subscription. ✍️🙂👍

[@AstroForumSpace]

Thank you, I really appreciate it!

[@antn8387]

Wow, the D3 with the SONY IMX678 sensor is incredible.

[@mycarolinaskies]

It looks like the dwarf 3 has come a long way from the dwarf 2 model. By the way some of those moons around Jupiter move enough where if you did a stop motion capture every 10 minutes you should be able to see and capture motion around the planet. The dwarf proves that all of these smart telescopes would be best served having two cameras.

[@Nordictor78]

This is awesome, BUT I'm starting to get sceptical to these "smart" telescopes and cellphone after Samsung was busted by their AI technology. As soon as their phone discovered the moon you got crisp pictures of the moon, since their AI gathered pictures of the moon from databases. I have the nikon p1000 and have taken lots of pictures of the moon, and it's not easy to take crisp pictures even with tripod. Now dwarf3, do they do the same as samsung? It is awesome technology, no doubt, but if the AI "cheat" then it lowers the wow factor. It's like fossil hunting. It's not the same if someone just hand you their extra fossil since you didn't find any.

[@demonsaint1296]

Doesn’t seem to use AI. Just tracks the portions of the sky you want to shoot allowing longer exposures.

[@demonsaint1296]

My issues would be sensor size. Quality of the images.

[@lupia4]

Thank you for this video! Preordered a Dwarf 3 a couple months ago and looking forward to its arrival. Appreciate all that you shared!

[@AstroForumSpace]

Thanks so much 🙏

[@tatersquad2000]

As someone who wants to do birdwatching AND astro, the dwarf is the clear choice!

[@mrtransistor6173]

Could you check out how the new app and firmware effect the dwarf 2?

[@crm114.]

Excellent review. Probably worth mentioning that some of your post processing requires quite a steep learning curve and some expensive software (Pixinsight).

[@AstroForumSpace]

PixInsight comes with a steep learning curve and is priced at $300, not including any additional scripts or modules you may want to incorporate. That's why I also show the original stacked images without any of my own processing.

[@Accsastrogaming]

Very much looking forward to receiving my Dwarf 3. Great Review!

[@johnharrington9352]

Enjoyed your review. Recently purchased a used Dward II. An upgrade is in my future when time is right. D2 accepts standard size 1.25" filters. With the larger aperture on D3, I wish there was a way to attach 2" filters such as a neutral density filter, or a circular polarized light filter.

[@apexxy]

Ordered my Dwarf 3. Going to use it for astrophotography but also will try plane spotting and whale watching.

[@DavieParkes]

I think im going to have to buy one and it accompany my S50.

[@TheStarHound]

Thank you for the great review. I've always been primarily a look through the telescope astronomer, but I've been thinking of getting a smart telescope. I would love to see a head-to-head competition review of the ZWO and the Dwarf smart telescopes. Clear skies!

[@mileslegionis]

Very good and comprehensive review, thank you. I have been learning Siril for processing and I am considering Pixinsight. Would you be able to post a workflow of how you did M31?

[@dannyseville2543]

This looks like an amazing bit of kit and for the price, makes astrophotography more accessible to people. In you opinion would you get one of these over a mirrorless with a telephoto? I ask this as i have a sony a6000 and sigma 200-600mm lens (which equates to up to 900mm with crop factor) and have half an idea what I'm doing with astro. Would i be better getting one of these or investing in a good automatic mount for a tripod?

[@busload_uk]

Great review! I’m looking forward to receiving mine later this year. What is your opinion of the auto focus following go-to in Astro mode? Is it good enough to avoid having to use a Bahtinov Mask?

[@AstroForumSpace]

Hello! The auto-focus feature works well for capturing the Sun, Moon, and stars in deep-sky images. You can easily zoom in on the stars and fine-tune the focus using the plus/minus keys. However, it doesn't provide numerical data like the half flux radius (HFR).

[@johnmonreal3639]

Great video, can the Dwarf 3 take star trail photos and/or Timelapse’s?

[@AstroForumSpace]

Yes, through the wide lens.

[@NicoJW]

Is the Gigapixel mode available yet? Great video.

[@alandyer910]

Thanks! Could you have taken dark frames in the field by putting the solar filters over the lenses? Or is there still enough light leaking in that you have to put in its bag and in a dark room as with the Dwarf II.

[@AstroForumSpace]

Good question, In my sun capture, you can see that light comes through the ND solar glasses. Ideally, you’d want the lenses pointing with the solar glasses on to capture the darks, maybe just before you start your session, using the same shutter and gain settings as the temperature would be similar to your light frames.

[@TScottT]

Great review. Thank you! What do you think about being able to use this for night-scape photography (e.g. panoramic night images wtih star trails). I see that it already does time-lapse. I think that means it should do night-time panoramic time-lapse also.

[@AstroForumSpace]

Yes, with the wide lens you can do milkyway and startrails.

[@CncFrezar]

Hello. In the advertisement for DWARF 3 it is written that AI-Powered noise reduction : powerful automatic post-processing. Does this feature work?

[@lettermanian9938]

Great review, tempted to get this instead of the Star Adventurer for its built-in processing features and ease of use. Do you think putting it on a slider would affect tracking much? I'm thinking of motion timelapse of Milky Way.

[@krischandra9597]

after seeing your video ,i am ordering dwarf3 today .Should i buy a equatorial wedge to facilitate polar alignment also? Kindly advice. and which wedge brand do you recommend?

[@krischandra9597]

Awaiting ur response!

[@rayjermyn4541]

This was a real eye opener for me as a beginning astrophotography. How come the technology does not exist in regular EQ mounts to auto polar align and go to, with tracking?

[@nurolkurt]

if you compare it to the seestar s50 which one is better for astro deep sky etc ?

[@AstroForumSpace]

That could definitely be a whole new video! 😊 The Seestar offers a slightly better image scale and resolution, while the Dwarf 3 gives you a wider field of view for larger objects. The app experience is different too, and EQ mode isn’t available on the Seestar S50 yet, though you can purchase wedges to help with polar alignment. Overall, both telescopes provide great value, with the Seestar S50 better for smaller DSOs and the Dwarf 3 ideal for larger ones. This is just the tip of the iceberg, though! 😊

[@416pp]

just wait until seestar has a better sensor .. i have it i love the app i'll definitely buy once they come out with an upgraded unit

[@cloudkat9475]

@@AstroForumSpace the seestar is actually lower resolution, being 2mp (1080p) while the dwarf 3 is 8mp (2160p aka 4k)

[@andrejflis8161]

​@@cloudkat9475 those are raw pixels. Due to a smaller FOV and a larger aperture, Seestar produces a sharper image with more definition. That is most obvious if you would crop the Dwarf 3 image/data to the same FOV as the Seestar on the same target and compare how it looks.

[@RonaldKools]

Wow, dat eindresultaat van M31 ziet er wel top uit! Wat heb je gedaan om die sterren zo klein te krijgen? Heb je misschien ook een tutorial voor je bewerkingen? Zo niet, misschien komt ie nog...(hint) ? 😉

[@AstroForumSpace]

Dag Ronald, ik durf het bijna niet te zeggen maar ik gebruik al jaren PixInsight - een geavanceerd nabewerkingsprogramma specifiek ontwikkeld voor astrografie. Dat programma kost 300 euro in aanschaf, bijna de prijs van de Dwarf 3, lol. Ik heb weleens een tutorial gemaakt, zie bijvoorbeeld hier: kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y2S4p4mMqbGki6c

[@RonaldKools]

@@AstroForumSpace Thanx! Ik ga hem meteen even bekijken. Ik heb jaren geleden al eens naar PixInsight, DeepSkyStacker en APP gekeken, maar had wat moeite met het begrijpen van de GUI van PI. Nu ik toch wat serieuzer met deze hobby aan de gang wil gaan moet ik toch nog maar een keer een poging wagen. 😃 Ik heb overigens geen Dwarf maar ik zag toevallig deze video en mijn M31 lijkt heel erg op die van jouw voor je bewerking.

[@AstroForumSpace]

Top! je kunt me altijd e-mailen op [e-mail] voor meer info. En op mijn website staat ook het e.e.a. aan info: astroforumspace.com Succes!

[@jiinx72]

Keep wondering if I should go with the Dwarf3 vs the Vaonis. Better fov vs using mosaic. Produces quality DeepSky images(yes being a expert in the after stacking/processing helps a ton). EQ mode for increased exposure time. DwarfLab showing us a unconventional telescope can work.

[@DougSeims]

Which Hama tripod do you use? Great review, thank you!

[@AstroForumSpace]

Thanks, I use this one: amzn.to/4hG3mV2

[@kokhowe]

One thing I'm often confused by Dwarf. How do I decide on the gain and shutter speed?

[@morsing]

Your edits looks fantastic!

[@AstroForumSpace]

Thank you so much!

[@michaeledmonds3027]

Thanks for a great video... I'm anxious to see if ZWO improves their SeeStar... better sensor, EQ solution. Michael

[@darrollsewell3628]

This was an awesome video and inspired me to purchase a Dwarf 3!!!

[@DaveStern2]

great video! and great info! would you be willing to make some of the TIFF or FITS files available? Also, what if I mounted the dwarf 3 on my tracker (but didn't tell the camera that it was on a tracker) - would that work in non-EQ mode? (e.g. camera expecting some rotation but on a tracker, none to solve for but the tracking and any internal stacking wouldn't care that the rotation was minor / none)?

[@dgasparotto]

Great review thanks. I am certainly interested in the D3. Images seem ok but do you think the stars would be better tracked with less over exposure ie more soft with proper EQ mode?

[@AstroForumSpace]

Yes, when aligned properly the Dwarf 3 can track for 60 seconds at a lower gain level.

[@caspase888]

This is fantastic. A quick question … what kind of image resolution you would get …. A one make a print from the final image (what size)? Also … what’s the focal length and aperture; and the sensor size? Thanks

[@AstroForumSpace]

Hi there, thanks! the image scale is 2.75 arc seconds and the FoV you'll get is 2.93 x 1.65° - which fits the Andromeda Galaxy nicely like demonstrated in the video. It's an 8 megapixel (3840x2160) camera with a pixel size of just 2 microns. The aperture is 35mm and the focal length is 150mm, but with that compact camera sensor you'll get an equivalent focal length of 747mm when compared to a regular digital camera. I have more info in my written review, you can find it here: astroforumspace.com/dwarf3-smart-telescope-review-tutorial/

[@AstroForumSpace]

Thanks! You can check out more details and photos in my written review here: astroforumspace.com/dwarf3-smart-telescope-review-tutorial/

[@MarkG_14]

Beste Wido, heb je enig idee wanneer de Dwarf 3 op de Nederlandse markt komt? Alvast dank!

[@AstroForumSpace]

Hoi Mark, je kunt de Dwarf 3 bestellen op de website als pre-order. Ze geven aan dat je hem dan rond januari 2025 binnenhebt, zie: bit.ly/3BNCulA

[@HermanDesmet]

Hallo Wido, kan de dwarf 3 ook wide timelapse videos maken waarbij je bvb op de voorgrond een boom of berg ziet staan incl de grond en op de achtergrond de melkweg van links naar rechts ziet voorbijkomen? Toevallig al eens getest? En lukt dat in Belgie of Nederland met de lichtpollutie?

[@AstroForumSpace]

Dag Herman, dat zou moeten lukken, ik zal het eens testen. Voor de melkweg heb je wel een nieuwe maan (donkere, heldere nacht) nodig en een plekje zonder al te veel lichtvervuiling.

[@HermanDesmet]

@@AstroForumSpace Super! Ik zou dat vooral op vakantie willen gebruiken hoor. (Ik woon vlakbij Brussel). Maar denk je dat het op een plaats met extreme lichtpollutie (zoals de rand rond Brussel) mogelijk is om toch mooie dingen te fotograferen zoals Andromeda met die Dwarf 3, door die ingebouwde Astro filter?

[@davidhustlehoes2086]

Please try to zoom in and track airplanes like you did the helicopter. Thanks

[@Mr_Glenn]

Are flats, dark flats and biases not required?

[@pilsplease7561]

I wanted one but was not willing to wait till january so i moved on to other hobbies.

[@gary0359]

Hi, what star tracker mount would you recommend for the Dwarf 3 ?

[@AstroForumSpace]

Hey Gary, you actually don’t need a star tracker since the Dwarf 3 can track objects in the night sky on its own and can be polar aligned using the new EQ mode. I’m using an inexpensive Hama tripod that I can tilt to match my 52-degree latitude.

[@donegal79]

silly question maybe but why isn't this ideal for photographing planets?

[@AstroForumSpace]

To observe planets, it's important to note that they all appear less than one arcminute in size from Earth, which is about 1/30th the size of the moon. Because of this, you'll need a telescope with a large aperture to gather enough light and a long focal length to achieve the magnification required for clear views of the planets. Here's my blog on telescopes to image the planets: astroforumspace.com/best-telescopes-to-photograph-the-planets/

[@AstroCHARLY]

I've heard that the D3 still has some issues with the optics. Is that true?

[@Masa-gh2uw]

I ordered one :)

[@TcpIpNut]

Thanks for the great review!

[@mikeanderson3083]

What is the software you use on your pc/laptop to smarten up your dwarf 3 stacked photos

[@stevechapman3945]

Can you use D3 to record the night sky to download to a laptop?

[@bowrudder899]

I could never get my Dwarf 2 to open, and customer support was no help. Getting rid of it at a loss, never having even been able to get it to work.

[@brotell1950]

what software did you use to process the astro shots loved the vid

[@ddtackett]

Doesn't the Dwarf III have a microphone on the bottom? Whats it used for if it doesn't capture audio during video recording?

[@AstroForumSpace]

I'm not getting any audio input when recording witheither the wide or telephoto lens...but to be sure I'll check with Dwarflab! I believe the openings at the bottom are intended for ventilation.

[@AstroForumSpace]

I reached out to Dwarflab, and audio is on their backlog, so it should be available in future updates of the app. However, they’re unsure about the timeline for this feature.

[@ClassicTrialsChannel]

Gave up on waiting for it. they kept putting my order back, its now saying jan 25. cancelled it

[@ReeferReas]

How does it go against the S50?

[@worldwidenewsnow-15]

@Wido's AstroForum Could this be used for recording/live streaming a meteor shower?

[@AstroForumSpace]

Yes, you could use the wide lens to record a meteor shower.

[@stred92]

Does it gives only jpeg files? Or it gives also raw files?

[@AstroForumSpace]

Dwarf 3 also exports fits and tiff files (16-bit) when using astro-mode. Lots of post-processing tools work well with fits files.

[@Wultuswuffel]

what´s the best telescope for ufos?

[@mrtransistor6173]

You could use and all sky camera to monitor the skies lol.

[@mostlymessingabout]

the one with highly reflective mirror, in the outside of the main Reflector tube

[@ahmedalfi8487]

Great review

[@s_r_v]

I'm using a canon70d dslr apc a 300mm f5.6 lens to capture the moon and use autostakkert! Results are OK, will they be better with the d3?

[@AstroForumSpace]

Honestly, I don’t think the difference would be that significant. The real advantage would be having a smart telescope with all the functionalities shown in the review. Cheers!

[@mercury7]

Great video, thanks

[@NOSUBSCRIBERSWANTED]

So many things have connectivity now, the fridge, stove, toaster, the door bell, the car. The build quality on everything that has connectivity is mostly very poor and only last as long as the everchanging connection methods. Unbeknownst to most people, we don't need more cheaply constructed plastic junk and e-waste filling our landfills. We defiantly don't need to keep paying big telecom to spy on our lives and all we're connected to 24/7. Live long, be free, be privet, unplug.

[@reinerhohn472]

Do you using PixInside for prosessing?

[@AstroForumSpace]

No, i use Pixinsight 😉

[@BOTIFARs]

You can see its AI made 9:00 AI enhance was ON.

[@AstroForumSpace]

No, not true. AI enhance does some basic stuff like reducing camera sensor noise, it doesn't invent pictures.

[@NFawc]

Looks like the inbuilt stacking needs some options to 'auto stack' in different ways to give better results?

[@DomDom-tw5jk]

Dwarf 3 track mode should be compulsory for UFO testimonies

[@Audfile]

I really need to know if they finally surpassed the Seestar.

[@Astrotamtv]

seestar is cooking up ther next gen version. tho something tells me it won't be a bigger scope

[@Audfile]

@@Astrotamtv I just want a wilder field of view, not assuming it's all viewed just on my phone.

[@vixbox4684]

@@Astrotamtv the new model is the S30!

[@tatersquad2000]

I bought a dwarf for terrestrial purposes like bird watching

[@SpikeF14]

The hardware appears to be excellent, but it is hindered by subpar software. The necessity of using costly software to achieve optimal results is disappointing. However, I will be very interested once the post-processing software is improved

[@jessicaltherrien1004]

Wow. Here's me with $5000.00 worth of outdated gear now. Nice! Love the MARTIAN REFERENCE!!

[@NOSUBSCRIBERSWANTED]

Edward Snowden is my hero.

[@eottoe2001]

Are you in Holland?

[@AstroForumSpace]

Yes, from Utrecht, the Netherlands :-).

[@FancySassy80]

Are those real images or are some of them AI generated? Like doesn't seem like it zooms into the moon all that close. Like a high powered telescope

[@MG-qj2zh]

Thanks for the report, unfortunately the optics seen from the stars are so bad that even with PIX no useful results can be seen. There is already extensive discussion with the manufacturer in the Dwarf forums. But the software seems to be a success, only the hardware is scrap.

[@realmcerono]

Can you point to the forum you mentioned? Something is obviously off with the optics... is this the reason for the delay announced lately?

[@wilduc7302]

Helaas in Europa een stuk duurder dan die €499…..De D2 is reeds na een jaar obsolete, heb je met Chinese meuk, maar voorlopig goed genoeg voor mij.

[@AstroForumSpace]

FYI: bit.ly/47TPhPq

[@darabbit333]

Your link leads to Dwarf2.

[@labasdavid]

it seems to me that most of the dwarf 2 and 3 videos feature the same 5 -10 DSOs. are these telescopes' capabilities misrepresented in the reviews or that is all they are capable of?

[@AstroForumSpace]

It’s autumn, so these are the main targets for this season! Just wait until winter, spring, and summer, and you’ll see a whole new set of objects as we orbit the Sun. 😊

[@sjc229]

Seems everyone reviewing this so far has been given it for free. I want one but I’m seeking a genuine, unbiased review from someone who didn’t get it for free with agreement to “highlight” its good points.

[@Luftbubblan]

👍

[@Mr77pro]

We don't want easy. We don't need fun. We don't want cheap. We want the struggle!! We want to overcome what stops us from achieving. But most of all, we really don't need mediocre images after all we have learned about processing the last few years😅😅

[@DanFrederiksen]

An astroscope with a 35mm focal length? really? that's a smartphone. The sensor is 7.5mm wide. They could have put the lamest of eastern european 100$ 500mm mirror lens on it and it would have been 100x more powerful. Then it would actually have been a potent product. The sensor is small so it only gives you a section of the lens's view but because the pixel sensitivity is state of the art it's a quite capable combination. Try again, Dwarf. Do better

[@AstroForumSpace]

The focal length is 150mm, and the aperture is 35mm, giving you an image scale of about 3 arcseconds per pixel with a planetary camera. While this is slightly higher than the typically recommended 1 to 2 arcseconds per pixel for deep-sky imaging, it’s still very usable for capturing nice photos of the night sky. You can definitely take some share-worthy astro photos that go far beyond what you can see with the naked eye!

[@DanFrederiksen]

@@AstroForumSpace it's small even for binoculars. don't encourage this

[@agatemaster4243]

At some point, things are getting so high-tech and easy that you might as well just sit on a computer and look at the pictures NASA took.

[@abfutrell]

But then I don't get to have conversations with the Screech and Barred Owls if I stay indoors.

[@jeffro7p202]

This thing is cool but why do they call it a telescope? Its a camera!

[@mostlymessingabout]

what is a telescope?

[@rolandgibbs9036]

Please get a proper tripod

[@ableite]

Bulllllshiiiiiiiit!!!

[@robertelmouchi5018]

In my opinion, a 3840 × 2160 (8.29 MP) image is so low resolution that daydreams of large high resolution prints are just wishful thinking. I’m also suspicious of a telescope that can also be used for landscape and wildlife photography. What? No macro photography option? Sounds to me like the cliche, “Jack of all trades, master of none.” I’m going to wait for independent reviews before I decide to spend 0.5 Thousand Dollars to purchase this item. I suspect user reviews will expose advertising hype.

[@AstroForumSpace]

It's important to understand that in astrophotography, it's not just about the 8MP resolution-image scale plays a key role. This telescope achieves 2.75 arcseconds per pixel, which is slightly beyond the ideal 1-2 arcseconds per pixel often suggested for deep-sky astrophotography, but not by much. When it comes to prints, you can always rescale the image to match the resolution needed for high-quality output. For comparison, I also use a 26MP cooled astrophotography camera that delivers better results, but it comes with a $1,500 price tag-just for the camera. Lastly, I want to reiterate that I did not receive any compensation for this review. The opinions I share in the video are my own, and I make a point to thoroughly explain what this product can do. Therefore, I find it unfair that you're questioning the integrity of my review. I encourage you to conduct your own research to find the gear that best suits your needs. There are many paths to getting started with astrophotography, and affordable smart telescopes are a valid option for those looking to avoid the steep learning curve of traditional setups.

[@snowhite1qazse4]

useless

[@fmsilva11]

Another chinise salesman. Same talks as others youtubers. How about upgrades ? How about Nina ? Ascom? Or indi ? How about hardware ? CPU ? RAM ? OS ? How about connect to Windows ? That "Smart" telescópe is like a Xiaomi mobile phone, 3 years and Will be out off support like dwsrf2 is now.

[@fyuchargroup611]

3rd class picture quality