EVscope Review - Is Unistellar's smart telescope worth the money?

[@redlightrobber]

Mr. Hunter, this is one of the finest technical videos I have ever watched. Thank you. I like your objectivity. I like how you addressed my concerns. It was as if you read my mind. My university degree is in astronomy. I aware of the tradeoffs between the real visual and an OLED. For me, in the end, I want to see cool nebula and not "white blotches". So I did buy a Unistellar. I expect it to you arrive in July 2020. The fact you are doing your observations in a casino parking lot surrounded by bright lights and still seeing what you are seeing is phenomenal. Thanks again.

[@williamhepfer8956]

I suggest you look for more videos by this couple and find out what their real names are.

[@jtbrower]

Thank you for a useful review. It is refreshing coming from someone else's review that did nothing but attack the telescope without any substance. Your review helped share exactly what you experienced so we the audience can form out own opinions without spending the cash.

[@Cruz474]

Theres no way to justify the 3000 dollar tag.

[@nobody2021]

You could get a beast of a normal telescope for that much

[@shreyanshknayak]

@Aussie.Sunset yep

[@Martinko_Pcik]

It is true. Marketed for well off people with no patience or passion for astronomy. If you have the passion you can do it all on your own for half the price. Motor mount plus a good camera and you are already at $1500 or more, auto-tracking camera ... you can go crazy in $3000 budget and learn a lot in the process. This product keeps you dumb and broke.

[@ps3gamer1492]

@@jackm3040 Hey, you are right about one thing, the pictures on the eVscope look better, than any armature visual setup. But here is the catch your comparing visual with a processed image. The eVscope will get good results of you don't know anything about photography, guiding and setup, but if you know those things and are willing to take time for this Hobby, you will get way better results for cheaper than with an eVscope. The biggest reason why people tell you that an eVscope cannot outperform normal scope's is because of physics, the aperture is one of the most important things and the aperture of the eVscope is small. If you have a bigger aperture you can gather more light, with more light you have more information about the object which can be captured by the sensor of the camera.

[@Superman-xr1oh]

@@Martinko_Pcik But will what your seeing look as good? This stacks the images, most regular telescopes don't do that

[@MarkoPola]

this was a good open minded review. some people don't want to get into all the details of researching equipment for visual astronomy. They just want something that's easy to set up and can give them enhanced views. This is a modern "high-tech" telescope similar to a point and shoot camera. Not the highest quality but the images will be more enhanced than observing thru a traditional eyepiece without stacking and sensors. And anyone that looks thru a telescope wants an easy way to share their photos and this telescope does that better than people trying to hold up iphones to an eyepiece. There is definitely a demographic of wealthy, casual observers interested in astronomy. If I had the money, I would buy it for my telescope collection as a novelty item.

[@dstcoyote22rants]

I achieved a 10m single raw exposure of the horsehead in a Bortle 3 sky with: a SkyView pro w/goto, 8” f/4.9 Newtonian scope - $1,100 Nikon d5300 - $500 Starshoot Autoguider - $400 Dynamo Battery Pack (portable power source) - $200 Larger telescope setup and still significantly cheaper than the eVscope!

[@steppen57]

I enjoyed the review. Very good job! I was amused that some people would think that the telescope shows "google images". Living in a Bortle 9 sky this would be a game changer for observing. Maybe wait for EVscope 2.0. And you are totally right, by the time you have a decent gear for astrophoto you are in the 3k mark. Thank you!

[@idk-zo2cd]

There is no "observing" with this scope, takes half of the fun from astronomy

[@johnbufton1487]

Good review. However I am surprised you chose to test it in such a light polluted area, plus it was a full moon. I do most of my night sky photography when the moon is not shining and I turn off all exterior lights as the atmospheric dust does create light pollution.

[@Astrolavista]

Very well balanced review and lots of effort in the production value, nice one!

[@rogermunns9206]

I've been into practical astronomy for 60 years. I've progressed through to an 8" Vixen with an EQ6Pro mount and a canon 550D camera. There is no way I would buy one of these.

[@michaelclark6865]

I've been asking for a scope like this for many years, even writing Celestron 10 or more years ago. Why can't they make a scope with stacking inside a eyepiece and to hook up to a computer? Someone's finally done it. Now I just have to figure a way to pay for it??? Way too expensive. For half the price I'd buy it. We're people. We love color. To see space in it's glory? That's the future of scopes.

[@suzz1776]

Go watch thunderf00t yt video about this from 2yrs ago b4 u buy this crappy overpriced thing. Trust me, u can get a way better telescope for less then half the price. Don't fall for the scam of the evscope

[@jbnitpou9942]

It’s really incredible to see how much the evolution or revolution of technology causes as blockages in all sectors. When you read some comments, you feel a mixture of jealousy and spite from all those who have spent hours in front of their telescope and see that everything is changing very quickly. I’m myself an astro and I would never understand this state of mind (I own a Dob ES 400 and an Apo). Everyone should rather be happy to drop the thankless part of the job to focus on the essentials. In any case, this technology is clearly the future. Amateur astronomy has nothing to do with sadomasochism ...... And concerning price and results of this stuff, it’s perfectly justified.

[@olivierb9716]

i'm just thinking about beginning in astro and i'm perfectly agree with you.

[@Mistr_A]

Biggest con lack of upgradeability, what you see is what you get and that's it. With your equipment you can keep the mount, sell the scope for another, sell the camera for another, use different eyepieces etc etc. This is a one trick pony unfortunately and an expensive one at that because of the lack of versatility. Great for outreach and school camps but not much else I'm afraid.

[@GalacticHunter]

You're right, I should have added that in the Cons! Will do in the written post.

[@Mistr_A]

@@GalacticHunter Thanks I saw the what you wrote. Cheers and glad to assist

[@h.cedric8157]

@@GalacticHunter kindly check Thunderfoot's video on this sham product. I have a Vixen 114mm Newtonian Telescope. I can get better photos.

[@pedropereira2211]

know what, my iPhone has the same issue...

[@jefflucas_life]

The price is something to think about, for sure its a great educational tool for kids wanting to learn astronomy. Great review Galact Hunter!

[@GalacticHunter]

Thank you Jeff!

[@mhx6437]

Overpriced product.

[@Kohalaskies]

I love this telescope. It is easy to take it out and take photos within 5 minutes. Photos are very good.

[@Tahydrahel]

Can you upload some? I would like to see. :)

[@maxschmidt666]

EVscope is the iphone under the telescopes: - Easy to use - "Fancy" - Mediocre hardware - Closed eco system - Way overpriced

[@palomarjack7090]

Could not have said it better.

[@domsau2]

Stellina is the same.

[@vejymonsta3006]

Yep. It's all marketing BS. You gan get a much better motorized scope from celestron for much less. The automated celestron scope is like the android of scopes while this thing is the iphone.

[@pluto6383]

VejyMonsta I have a NexStar Evolution 9.25 from them. The SkyPortal alignment system is so easy, it’s very powerful and I got it for $1900. I’m going to use it tonight

[@Chimp_6]

New sub here. You do a really great job with your video subjects! A 4.5" Newt with imaging for $3K? No thanks, you could do a LOT better for half that price.

[@GalacticHunter]

Thank you!

[@detectiveamevirus8]

3k dollar bruh i want buy a 16 INCH dobsonian

[@maxvazquez9351]

KITKAT IMPERIAL インペリアル That is a MUCH better investment

[@allnamesaretaken]

Another thing about this telescope is that its limited to 50X magnification, so solar system objects are out of the question. It can't even do the moon properly because their website says that the moon is too bright. Reading further, they say the image can take a few minutes to show the object, this makes me think that all they are doing is live image stacking and then cleaning the image up with a editing software. 3K for a limited Newtonian telescope is extortion. And their claim that its 100X more powerful than a regular telescope is the biggest lie in astronomy since department store telescopes with a single front lens and 30mm aperture can do 600X magnification.

[@Superman-xr1oh]

@@allnamesaretaken How is it the biggest lie? I'm not being sarcastic, just looking for an honest answer as someone who's looking into getting started in amateur astronomy.

[@McÐädi]

Hopefully there will be enough rich amateurs who will buy this so that the developers will get enough money and still get significantly improved on that telescope and it's software. This idea has been awaited for how long and it is time to get something like this. For myself, the device is still far too buggy / limited but maybe in a couple of years.

[@cauldron101]

For sure it is expensive, but almost everyone is missing the point. This is the future of amateur astronomy. It will be a leap like that from DSLRs to Mirrorless cameras. It is foolish to compare the quality of the images from this to those made by experienced people that know how to setup a telescope for astrophotography. Especially for people with little or no knowledge on these, it is an excellent one. It will not let down with a colorless view on first sight and it takes all the fuss out of learning how to setup a telescope, align aim and track an astronomical target. Very expensive, but yet unique, perhaps of the shape of things to come.

[@Richard-qu5vi]

The mount is cheap, You can't change the lens and its not as powerful as an 8 inch that is three times cheaper. This thing is only good for kids.

[@NGC008]

Very nice and honest review, thank you.

[@nicomet747]

Merci pour cet épisode qui répond aux questions que je t'ai posé, au top, le résultat avec un appareil astrophoto est bien meilleur je trouve. A bientôt bonjour de la France.

[@GalacticHunter]

Merci, content que ça a pu aidé!

[@robertYTB78g]

I would get one of these in a shot if the price were halved. Connecting up EAA hardware to connect together is not every ones cup of tea, and it's starting to feel like learning to build a watch in order to find out the time! . I'll stick with my dobsonian until the price comes down :)

[@T.K.9]

I am guessing that the reason why it's expensive is because it is as a whole package in one. A reflector, with its own astro camera and its own app with its own computer that auto stacks the images live. Basically it's an EAA. You can also achieve the same EAA with say a 12" dobsonian tracked with an asi 294 hooked on a laptop using free apps. The difference is the latter will have to tinker with. Whilst the eve is plug and play the 12 inch will definitely collect more light though.

[@GarnettLeary]

The way you tackled this was top rate. Great introduction and review.

[@GalacticHunter]

Thank you so much, I really tried my best to be fair which is why it took so long haha.

[@JeremyTani]

I'm wondering if the discrepency you saw with the tinted moon color was from the iPhone's True Tone and Night Shift feature? For visual work, I've had to turn those kinds of features off because it tends to tint everything different degrees of orange, depending on the time (Night Shift), and/or the ambient light (True Tone).

[@domsau2]

"Not fake from Hubble": You thought about that, too! ;-)

[@gregkarris6869]

Thanks for the great review. As time goes on, these will become cheaper and more companies will enter the market. Like everything else, it is inevitable that Telescopes will become digital like cameras and music and many other things have....

[@mhx6437]

You mean astrophotography?

[@tomf3150]

Does it take ref pictures (black frames) while stacking ?

[@bluestraveler2980]

I am sure Las Vegas Bortle's scale is a "9". Look at the light from the Thomas & Mack Center and fully lit parking lot plus the full moon. I suppose if you live in L.V. you do not notice the bright lights everywhere. Thomas & Mack Center is next to the Las Vegas airport and next to the strip. the light pollution must be at maximum it is fantastic you could see what you did. How did you come up with Bortle 4?

[@slydog7131]

The field of view seems very small, and apparently there is no way to change it. There are good and bad points about the EVScope. Everyone will need to decide for themselves. It is nice to see some colors, though, as well as objects that would simply not be visible at all with smaller non-enhanced telescopes. Good review. I wonder how it would be on a moonless night in an area with less light pollution.

[@mhx6437]

Or... Astrophotography? Read or heard that?

[@allnamesaretaken]

They are visible in a small telescope, you can hook up a cheap SvBony 305 camera to any cheap Newt or refractor to get those images. If you have a newish phone with pro-mode, you can also use that. There is nothing in this telescope that is enhanced, all they are doing is live stacking images, hence why they say that it may take a few minutes to show the image.

[@Superman-xr1oh]

@@allnamesaretaken But the image live stacking isn't something you can do with a smartphone if it's all you had. So you wouldn't necessarily be able to get the same kind of pictures.

[@allnamesaretaken]

@@Superman-xr1oh You can live stack on both an android phone and a windows 10 laptop with Sharpcap software (the software that is used by almost every single camera for a telescope). Pro-mode on a phone or a DSLR has the ability to adjust exposure etc. so that you can get similar results but the longer you record, the better the image, hence why i recommended the SvBony 305 camera, i should have mentioned sharpcap in my main comment. The EVscope has a delay between shooting the image and showing the image so you see it a few minutes after you have started because its live stacking. So, the way it works out, a telescope with interchangeable eyepieces and a cheap real astro camera like the SvBony 305 can give you by far more options because you can use a focal reducer to give a low power wider field of view or use a barlow lens to increase magnification to pull in the DSO and planets that this EVscope cannot do, all for a tiny fraction of the price of this telescope.

[@communityministriesinterna8083]

Do you like this as well as the Vespera?

[@sprinklez1926]

This scope in NEW Zealand is $4000, and version 2 is $8500, (about USD$5000), FYI.

[@TheSeventhLotus]

Thanks for sharing.

[@Sanjiocom]

How does the EVScope compare with the Stellina? Do you prefer one over the other? Also wondering if you have tried the ASIAir for EAA/live stacking? Thanks

[@inter-linked]

Good question.

[@Tommyr]

That's a very fair review! Well done. I own the evscope. I do believe they include some sort of light pollution reduction in the software to help combat it during stacking (enhanced) mode. I'm in a Bortle 6 zone. I see M31 very easily and the 2 satellite galaxies show up as well. Comet T2 Panstarrs also shows up well at mag.9.5 or so. Plenty of images on Twitter from me and other users.

[@GalacticHunter]

Thanks Tommyr, yes I guess the software itself helps with light pollution, I should have asked.

[@bluestraveler2980]

Yes, they use a laser to understand the atmosphere conditions and compensate the telescope for light pollution.

[@Tommyr]

@@bluestraveler2980 Ummm, no.

[@bluestraveler2980]

@@Tommyr um yes look it up

[@cajunsushi]

A great beginning. One day we might look back at this telescope as a pioneer of more advanced, more adaptable, observing instruments. I see the price has already dropped and probably will continue to slide to a more reasonable figure. Some of the comments here are like those seeing their first horseless carriages back in 1895. So defensive and dismissive.

[@philliphansen9096]

if the scope was between $300-$600 then it would be worth it as a beginner level telescope.

[@mfaison]

It includes a ~$400 Sony sensor, a ~$400 goto alt-az mount, and a few hundred $ per item of custom software development, so they would be selling it at a loss... I think the right price is around $2000.

[@briansmith5391]

@@mfaison a Revolution Imager connected to a Meade LX 90 would still be cheaper than this EV scope with better equatorial tracking.

[@mycarolinaskies]

@@mfaison a etx125 bundle is 800, add a asi224 for 250, use sharpcap or apt or get asiair for 299. Could opt for etx80 which would be cheaper.

[@mfaison]

@@mycarolinaskies But it's not as easy to use as the EVscope. Sure, you can set up laptops, batteries, and cables, and work on polar alignment and all that to get better results for less money, but you pay in hassle and setup time (and learning curve).

[@Gabriel-hh1pw]

@@mfaison Doesnt matter how long it takes. If you go with the easy way you get a shit image. With some hard work you can get a beautiful hubble-like image for the same price. It's a waste of money buying this shit. Even a Celestron Nexstar 127slt is better than this, and less expensive.

[@lbourges]

Great honest review! I also own an eVscope and use it in Los Angeles, and I am surprised about your result with M31. But you definitely put it to the test in the very worst conditions. I am wondering how a classic telescope with a dslr would do next to the Vegas Strip under a full moon.... But anyway, I think one of the main pros that you didn’t mention is the ease of use, the ratio effort to result. Fully agree that the target customers are not experienced amateurs.

[@GalacticHunter]

Thanks Laurent, I should have added this pro, I might do it in the written review, thanks! And I also wonder if a regular setup would show M31 in the same conditions, maybe I'll give it a try at some point next year :)

[@viniguez487]

Hey guys! Great video. Thanks for answering my question. Unfortunate you can’t get the raw images off to share them for now. I think this product would be great for anyone doing outreach events. It is a great educational tool but perhaps not for the anyone who is serious about astrophotography as there are much better options available. Keep up the great work! Btw if you guys ever want to test out a RASA 11 let me know!

[@GalacticHunter]

Thanks Victor, and I agree with your comments! We'd love trying out a RASA 11, send us an email! [e-mail]

[@HadleyMslays]

I'm guessing the moon looked redder on your phone because your blue light filter was on. Just a thought.

[@jeremymurray-wakefield8011]

You've missed the point - you definitely can "compare the two" because live, visual video astronomy is, actually, a "thing" some people do. I have an SCB-4000 specifically for this purpose (admittedly an old camera, and there's probably much better stuff available now)

[@briansmith5391]

Personally, I really think in my heart that this telescope was just a Marketing gimmick; that's just my opinion, folks.

[@georgeandrew1143]

As a person who has the EVscope and also a huge dob, this is no gimmick. I think this is a shift in technology like the iphone was.

[@Mistr_A]

@@georgeandrew1143 so will you fork out another $3k in 2 years time when this becomes obsolete? It's a one trick pony that will be gotten sick of very quickly as soon as the novelty wears off and is not upgradeable.

[@georgeandrew1143]

@@Mistr_A this is your "opinion". Thanks for playing.

[@briansmith5391]

@@georgeandrew1143 George first off I mean no offense if you're happy with the EV then fine, Just from what I've seen in the video 3k just seems way too steep for something like this. I have a Revolution Imaging CCD camera from Orange County Telescopes which I purchased for only $300.00 dollars. If you look at the brightening feature on the EV, it's the same as the Gain control on the Rev Camera that I have, and I can pull in more depth for a fraction than what you purchased your scope for. Your EV appears as nothing more than a more expensive version of my Revolution Imager. Now albeit, yours has an alignment feature while mine is just the camera; but I connect it to my Meade 8 inch LX 90 which I purchased for only $1700.0 dollars- and it's an excellent scope with very good tracking, still less than the EV. Just something to consider, that's all.

[@Mistr_A]

@@georgeandrew1143 mate it's not an opinion it's a question, are you prepared to fork out another 3k in a few years time when it becomes obsolete? Remember none of it is upgradeable. what you see is what you get and if one component breaks down what guarantee do you have of it getting repaired? Serious question not opinion No need to get defensive

[@stargazer4574]

It could be as good as some people say, but it's still 3,000 bucks.

[@Fluterra]

Can someone explain why you need to focus on an object so far away?

[@skysurfer4547]

Is this also good for observing bright objects like planets, moon, pleiades, albireo etc?

[@Gabriel-hh1pw]

No. Absolutely not. This is why it's 100 times overpriced and not 100 times better than a normal telescope.

[@deanmindock3680]

The reviewer did image the moon. The review was over a year ago. I believe the scope and app have been updated since then. The price is over 4K now.

[@RazorChrist]

The "smart telescope" idea like EVscope or Stellina is really cool, but I'd really like to seem them design a GEM version that is designed with astrophotography in mind. I get that these are mostly for visual purposes with the ability to do photography, but like you said, they're mostly for visual. Plus, these type of scopes are always Alt-Az, which means even if you are using it for photography, it's not going to account for field rotation like a GEM/CEM would. I started out using a Nexstar Alt-Az when I first got into photography and it was a pain in the ass. I couldn't do any higher than about 15-20s exposures at a time. Upgrading to a CEM25P opened the universe up for me, so to speak. I just wish these intelligent scopes could do the same.

[@ArtCardenas]

Unistellar has a computer that stacks the visual taken pictures, not sure if it used the internet to enhance them... you are paying for the computer and the app, rather than the lenses or filters.

[@nguyenbw]

I still remember when the evscope’s kickstarter campaign mentioned that the retail price was going to be $1500, so I was a bit surprised that the current retail price is $3000. I really hope they can lower the price somehow, because I think this would’ve been a good product for outreach. A lot of us have been spoiled with Hubble images growing up, so I was one of those people who looked through an eye piece for the first time and disappointedly asked, “is that it?” Which is the reason I got interested in astrophotography. The only way to see things that Hubble took, is to take space pictures. That was an expensive learning process. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed every step of the way, but I personally consider myself fortunate to have the funds to finance this hobby. I think the evscope would’ve been the perfect product to fill the gap between visual and astrophotography. Not everyone needs to get into astrophotography, or even have the time and money to get into it. However, visual astronomy is getting harder and harder with increased light pollution (I live in LA), so I think evscope’s “enhanced vision” feature is a good evolutionary step to keep people’s interest in astronomy alive. But $3000 is a lot. I’m going to wish Unistellar good luck, and I really hope they sell a lot of their products. Hopefully the other telescope manufacturers realize this is something people are interested in, and add this as a feature to drive the price down in general.

[@witnessZero]

This telescope needs to sell for about 1/3 of its current price. For about $1,000 the EVscope would be a good value and a revolutionary product. Furthermore, this price is achievable given the feature set of the device.

[@Jayrage]

Good overall video, however I think that being "unable to compare" is a little bit disingenuous. Saying that the eVscope is marketed as an optical telescope but then also saying you cannot compare it to an optical telescope is a little bizarre. Yes, the eVscope has a screen inside of it. However, you can still compare them as that is what the eVscope is made for.

[@yosefjason]

How does this compare to a Celestron with star sense and a cell phone or a revolution imager.

[@DanielVerberne]

I wish you used metric weights instead of imperial. I have no idea what a ‘pound’ is.

[@Ninja-Alinja]

You clearly have internet access, so what the hell?!?

[@megadeath6720]

If the eyepiece is optics then I guess it's okay for casuals who want to see flashy things in sky but if the eyepiece is just another bit of digital screen i am looking at then no. I won't feel close to sky as much as I do when I look out of optical tele than this. If I want to see nice pictures I would just open Google

[@Ambassador_Kobi]

You can buy components for a semi-live imaging setup for half of your money and you can upgrade when you want.

[@KTachyon]

Kobi42 Totally agree. Including the plate solve/automatically pointing to the object and the “live view” on the phone.

[@cruikshank]

I don’t have $1500 but curious, mind sharing which parts you would use? Would you need to write the APP for it? Thanks for any info.

[@Ambassador_Kobi]

​@@cruikshank It depends if you want to have the option to grow to astrophotography or not. Not, then I would go for a cheap EQ5 with 6 inch reflector or LXD75, and add a Atik Infinity, if you can get them second hand. When you don't want to exclude astrophotography, I would prefer buying a EQ6-R mount first then later go for a better larger CMOS astrocamera later like the ASI 533MC-PRO, or Altair Hypercam 183C PRO, or ATIK Horizon, but there is no live stacking included so then you have to take short pictures and stack them.

[@cruikshank]

Kobi42 Thanks, just curious since I have an electronics degree from forever ago and have always been into DIY. I currently have a 70’s version Celestron C8 with wedge Mount, Nikon D7000 crop sensor DSLR, an iOptron SkyTracker Pro for light camera based tracking, an a selection of lenses. I just picked up today a Tokina 11-20mm 2.8 for Milky Way season. Still need a fast telephoto lens or small refractor for M42 etc. thanks for the reply

[@Ambassador_Kobi]

If you're really interested into this stuff I would recommend The Astro Imaging Channel on KZbin. Lots of good info from accomplished hobbyists.

[@paulorubens2527]

Too bad the scope was not used in proper location. A parking lot in any city in the USA is a crime against astronomy. I would like images from a decent dark site.

[@eaojnr]

So what's the hand on the telescope meant to proof? If you're a smart architect trying to create a product that is using a secondary source of imagery, I'd have the lens cover detection capability to be able to "fool" the user to believe it is a live feed. But I want to really buy the scope, still not sure, thanks to your video. What about qualify for planetry imaging? The jury is still out...

[@victorgraca9267]

You should also add that its practically useless for planetary Astronomy. How would you increase magnification for better resolving power to get details like the Cassini division or details on Jupiter or mars? You paid $3000 for a DSO scope that a simple DSLR camera with some decent wide angle lens can achieve.

[@bluestraveler2980]

This telescope can connect to 7,000 other telescopes around the world at the same time, the images are comparable to the Hubble and JWST.

[@mihirdaiya9676]

Hi Antoine, your video was extremely intuitive and helpful. I am planning to buy Evscope2, could I please request you to give your honest opinion on that as well pls? That would help me buy this scope. Thanks, Mihir

[@AbHAT22]

How do you change the magnification?

[@vrocher93]

Stellina or Evscope which has the most wow effect.?

[@ohhellno8759]

They both bad lol

[@harleym9194]

I think you should see great details of the moon like the flag or whatever if it can pick up nebula lol

[@kirubasuthan]

How about looking at Mars, Jupiter and Saturn? I bet a $200 Celestron will out perform this 2000+ fancy gimmick. Nice review BTW

[@hmuphilly9129]

The bag needs more length for the OTA.

[@KTachyon]

But why did you compare it with your rig? You can actually get similarly spec’d gear for less than half the price... Your camera costs over $1000, but a camera with the same IMX224 sensor costs about $250 (ASI224). You can get a 114/450 Newtonian for less than $140. Throw in the $200 corrector, add an ASIAIR PRO for $300, and a $300 motorized mount (AZ or EQ). Throw in a $50 booster and $10 in cables and you’ll have a similar rig, controllable via phone with “live view”, plate solving/automatic point to the object just like the evscope for just $1250... and it includes all the neat features except for the gimmick eyepiece no one cares about because you already have the image on your phone’s screen! Better yet... it will store the RAW subs if you want to do AP! Really, get a cooled ASI183 for $800 instead and it will still cost $1200 less than the evscope... or even your DSLR, which would just work with the ASIAIR too, and it would still be $1000 cheaper... You can get a full RASA 8” setup, ASIAIR Pro and the ASI183 for about $450 over the evscope price and just blow the evscope in speed and quality... it’s just ridiculous. They don’t have any magic software, it’s all sourced from the existing open source projects. The same software used by ZWO, StellarMate and others... There is another Kickstarter project called Hiuni for a fully automated telescope like this and they’re going for just $1200 for the thing... the evscope is just an overhyped rip-off. So, answering the question, no, it is absolutely not worth the money. EDIT: For anyone stating that I have forgotten something, here’s the list: Scope - $140 Mount - $300 (AZ with GoTo) Camera - $250 (ASI224MC, same sensor) Computer - $300 (ASIAir Pro, includes plate solving and live stacking, controlled via phone) Coma corrector - let’s say $200 Power source - $50 (some booster) Add $10 for a cable or two Total: $1250

[@jochenkraus7016]

Did you include a Goto-mount? It doesn't change your comparison much, but I think you should put in more money for the mount. A more modular setup, especially a much bigger one, is more work to transport and to set up. That's an advantage of EVscope or Stellina. Unfortunately, they charge very much for that. In addition, you can't change or upgrade single components. That can be good or bad. It's less versatile but it it might reduce what the photographers call "gear aquisition syndrome" ;-)

[@KTachyon]

Jochen Kraus Yeah, a small goto mount costs about $300. Orion Telescooes actually has a similar scope + AZ goto mount for $450. Add the computer, corrector and even a small powerbank just to power the computer and some AA batteries to run the mount and you’ll have essentially the same rig for just over 1/3rd of the price of the evscope. I mean... the Kickstarter project I mentioned is aiming for about $1200, which makes sense. When your producing something you don’t source your components from retailers, so the production cost will be way cheaper than buying parts from retailers...

[@davenb8642]

What everyone seems to forget is that the eVscope has an integrated computer that does plate solving and automated stacking. You would also have to include the cost of a laptop, software and guide scope. And I’m not sure if any of the current telescopes do plate solving, perhaps the ones with StarSense. With this telescope it will plate solve to verify the DSO object is in view. There is a cost to this technology and integration into a compact package. Hopefully with competition pricing will come down.

[@KTachyon]

Dave NB I have included that. The ASIAIR Pro does all of that and all you need is your smartphone to control it. I literally have one and I also have one small AZ setup with a better scope where I have done exactly this. Look at the Orion StarSeeker AZ 114. Add the ASIAIR Pro, an ASI224MC and a corrector and you’re essentially done. No laptop required. The total price still stands at $1250. I have not forgotten anything ;)

[@davenb8642]

The ASIAir Pro is certainly an interesting product but I thought it required an equatorial mount with a guide port?

[@djambush360]

3000 $ Teleskope with the power of a 149 $ Teleskope with a camera added but no tripod.

[@glaswurm1]

It's not for the money, 1.) it's portable, even for a 70 year old. guy 2.) Imaging with a normal telescope is extremely time-consuming! That is the biggest advantage for this telescope. 3.) For planets you need a different telescope.

[@leboch65]

Can u make a review on video astronomy? Using say the samsung scb 2000 or the revolution imager?

[@johngiromini5745]

I would have to concur with the analysis that if one is already using a telescope of comparable pricing, then the EVscope will not likely be as desirable. It would seem to be more appropriate for first time viewers, or younger viewers. The primary feature of importance to me is the "enhanced" viewing, especially at star parties. People want to see nebula. They're used to seeing Hubble pics or perhaps visit APOD often. Pictures I have seen appear to be lacking in crispness and detail. Nice video!

[@KTachyon]

John Giromini Several other products can produce the enhanced viewing, controlling the rig and have it point to the right place without you having to do it manually via your smartphone by connecting a small raspberry computer to the rig. I have a $650 AZ setup from Orion that I can control like this using my ASIAIR. There’s even a similarly spec’d setup (114/500) from Orion for just $450. The ASI224MC is the same sensor as the evscope, costs $250. Add the $200 corrector and a power source (boosters go for $50) and you’ll have all the evscope features for just $1250 ($300 for the ASIAIR PRO).

[@GalacticHunter]

Thanks John, you are completely right and I think this is why a good amount of people will be interested in this scope.

[@AstroCRT]

You should have paired it up against stellina 😁

[@Wheeljack678]

That was a really great review. Well made, to the point without any selling points one way or the other. I enjoyed watching the review. It answered a lot of questions I had. I was really curious about this scope, thank you for making this video.

[@GalacticHunter]

That's awesome, thanks! It took me a while to release it as I wanted to make sure it was fair all throughout :)

[@BackyardObservatory]

Nice video. Honest, and to the point. 14:49 I was looking through my "grab and go" rig's rapid live stacks (130SLT, IMX224, B8/9 skies, no filter, SharpCap). With gain and sub times being very similar to what you show in the video, the EVScope does give better results. If anything, I think there's a bit more image processing going on behind the scenes on the EVScope. While the rig I used is 1/3 the cost of the EVScope, it's also nowhere near as compact and novice friendly. So like you, I understand it's place in the grand scheme even if I'd never buy one.

[@GalacticHunter]

Very interesting, I wish I could have compared it with something similar to what you have. Yes the portability / ease of use is definitely a major pro.

[@Alex-qb1nt]

I know very little about telescopes but was interested in this one when it was about 1300$. At 3000$, it's a whole other story.

[@mhx6437]

It isn't even worth 1300$.

[@lbourges]

@galactic_hunter how do you think it compares to the Stellina?

[@GalacticHunter]

We're actually gathering all our thoughts on both right now to later maybe do a quick video about which one we prefer.

[@DJFITME]

@@GalacticHunter Cant wait for that video 😀

[@zizo4921]

Can you observe planets?

[@mhx6437]

Yes, but instead of buying thid, buy a dobsonian telescope for 400€. This thing is overpriced.

[@mhx6437]

You can see planets with the naked eye.

[@allnamesaretaken]

No, because it has only 50X and they are too bright for the camera to come to focus, on their website, they recommend a telescope with interchangeable eyepieces😂

[@Superman-xr1oh]

@@allnamesaretaken Lol

[@szaki]

14:54 - Regular astrophotography set up wins? No! Aperture size wins, period! EV scope 4", other 8" f3.9! Try a 12 or 16" newt for astro photography? 😁

[@aeroscience9834]

Who is going to get interested in astronomy and spend 3k off the bat without getting a cheaper option first? I got a secondhand manual telescope for $50 to see if the hobby actually interested, before spending big

[@nobody2021]

I think the clear answer is rich people who have "f you money". People who actually are passionate about astronomy wouldn't buy something like this because you could get an incredible setup for the same price as this that would blow this thing out of the water. The difference between people who would buy something like this, vs spending the same amount of money on a superior conventional setup, is that people who care about astronomy are willing to put in the time and work to learn how to use more challenging equipment to it's vastly higher potential, because that's what it means to be passionate about something. This thing is more like a toy that rich people buy for either themselves or their kid when they get a casual passing interest in astronomy, use for a couple of nights, and then it spends the rest of it's life collecting dust in a closet.

[@ribhavkapoor4361]

Ev scope is 5000 dollars in india and for that price i can get a full goto 16 inch dob for visual astronomy. For quarter of price of Ev scope we can get 12 inch dob . So it looks way overpriced for this piece of equipment.

[@robertschmidli2195]

Oh your dob sees color?

[@palomarjack7090]

Sorry, but it looks so, so much better in my 8" f/6 without Theta Orionis being washed out. That's the multiple star in the center of M42 where the overexposed white area is. And, best of all, it's not a "one trick pony".

[@Martinko_Pcik]

I'm wondering why you chose the worst conditions possible for this review. Middle of light pollution with the full moon ? Is it to show what is possible ?

[@GalacticHunter]

Yes that was exactly the point

[@danwray5626]

Thank you for the great review

[@GalacticHunter]

Thank you!

[@williamjohnson3912]

Another comment is that you are tied to the manufacturer’s software. It was noted that the software application seemed rather dated. What chance is there that the software will get better? The technology associated with this device should become available for other telescopes. Any telescope that uses strictly proprietary software and hardware has little chance of being economically successful.

[@fnersch3367]

I have been involved in this hobby now for 61 years and have owned dozens of telescopes over the decades. I delighted 300 children (and stunned their parents) last night at one of our school outreaches with the eVscope. With this scope spiral galaxies, planetary nebulae, and numerous other types of objects were picked out of the murk in Bortle 9 skies and a gibbous moon. In several minutes I had some of the kids operating the scope themselves. There is no doubt to me that this is the best scope I have ever owned, bar none. Instruments like this will predominate the hobby in the future. All the negative BS you see down below IS pure BS. These people want to destroy this product, it's that simple.

[@fnersch3367]

@f lucifer There is no story to change.

[@nobody2021]

I have a hard time believing someone with 61 years of experience would call this thing the best telescope they've ever owned. Anyone who knows anything about telescopes should find this dubious. That's all I'll say. Press X to doubt

[@mhx6437]

@@fnersch3367 Best telescope ever? I have a telescope for 200 euros and this bad boy comes with a viewfinder (red dot), 2 eyepieces, a adjustable mount and a 4-inch achromatic refractor! I'd bet all my life savings that this masterpiece can beat yours!

[@aardvarkmindshank]

I find it hard to understand Astro photography really. You can of course download something way better. Ok. You didn’t create it. But the pro pictures are so much better that it’s painful looking at anything else! Each to their own. Maybe I will try it one day and see if I find it at all satisfying. Really surprised it doesn’t even auto focus.

[@mfaison]

I have access to one of these and I will write a review. It's kind of like the "mac vs. PC" argument. Do you want an expensive and limited astrograph that "just works", or do you want some thing that can be upgraded and customized, but has a long learning curve?

[@slydog7131]

Or maybe the better way to frame this is: Do you want to observe, or do you want to do photography.

[@gianniformica8235]

Kinda unfair location... Id like to see work in dark skies. I think what you are paying for here is the goto interface, which is pretty good.

[@mhx6437]

It's a overpriced 400-500$ telescope.

[@LShaver947]

@@mhx6437 you can get a 18" dob for the same price 😂

[@esp445]

@@LShaver947, yeah. But then you’d have to sacrifice portability for aperture.

[@LShaver947]

@@esp445 you can get collapsible

[@esp445]

@@LShaver947, you mean that 12 inch or so Dob? I’ve seen it before; I think they sell for at least a fraction of the EV’s price. For me though, only a refractor would do given my light polluted location. Reflectors do better in more rural areas, right?

[@TheUrbanAstronomer]

That's a great review!

[@GalacticHunter]

Thank you!

[@hmuphilly9129]

Sir uhhh Who or what is that at 9:33 is that a person or a stand up stick figure or something?

[@keeplookingup911]

Stellina and Evscope are in developing phase. We cannot add filters and it is a major drawback. We have to rely on what telescope can do. Second, no way of getting more magnification as we cannot add Barlow or new eyepiece. It is too sleek and fancy tech, It takes away that nostalgic feeling.

[@JG27Korny]

The fair price of this gadget is between 450 EUR and 600 EUR but not 3000 EUR.

[@victorfranco9136]

Well give it to me if you don't want it. I'll be more than gladly to accept it as birthday gift ☺️

[@GoldSrc_]

Short answer: no. Long answer: watch Thunderf00t video about this scope as you can get the same results for less. I don't mind a manual focus though, so I wouldn't consider it a con. Your editing is great and great review. But at least is not a Bird-Jones scope lol, those scopes should die in a fire.

[@davenb8642]

Great review! 👍🏻

[@GalacticHunter]

Thanks!

[@johnlazenby723]

Why are you using a telescope in such a brightly lit location?

[@GalacticHunter]

to test its capabilities under heavy light pollution

[@stew_redman]

IMO the eVscope is a toy and an instrument. Expensive toy, poor instrument. It can't see M42, only part of it, with a blown-out core. Every picture I have seen from the eVscope, from actual users, looked poorly focused and noisy. It is poor value for the money. This was a fair review of the scopes performance, well done.

[@GalacticHunter]

Thank you Reddy, and that's an interesting way to look at it, being both a toy and an instrument.

[@jochenkraus7016]

Focus and Colimation are manual so we don't know how well that was done.

[@stew_redman]

@@jochenkraus7016 Every user I've seen posting pics on various platforms have made excuses about focus and collimation. The instructions tell you to do this,as Anton did, from the very start. Focus and collimation will not clean up the noise in the pictures in any case. Also, the FOV is so small that it can't fit many of the well-known nebulae into the eyepiece at all. Most of the great Orion nebula was outside the field of view. Terrible.

[@photonjones5908]

It looks like you are getting great video at light levels low enough to dilate your pupils. I want to make videos of dark-sky stargazing including video through an eyepiece. Any recommendations?

[@ChandrasekarThodla]

A smart telescope like this required for new young curious minds to astronomy. Right now the barrier to entry to too much, not because of cost, but the whole workflow is too steep to learn (requires lot of time). This will encourage more people to the hobby!

[@GalacticHunter]

I believe so too.

[@pluto6383]

I seriously doubt it will encourage people to the hobby. I’ve noticed that newcomers typically do not have a $3000 budget. I think to many, if not most, people, price is more important than whether there’s a learning curve or not. And how is the learning curve too steep? Many hobbies have some form of a learning curve.

[@mikebenengtouncry3613]

Bro I can get a frkn eq6r pro and a 10” scope with a decent camera ...

[@gregorymckenna6609]

Well said! While expensive, the product will introduce more people to astronomy in an easy to use and easy setup process. Astronomy, and in particular astrophotography has huge learning curves. This new telescope seems to greatly simplify the process for the beginner. Keeping in mind this is a first generation model. Give it a couple of years and I suspect there will be many improvements. Thanks for your great review.

[@Tommyr]

I agree. This is only the beginning of these type of scopes. They will only get better. And cheaper eventually.

[@jochenkraus7016]

Not sure if something that expensive will get more introduced to astronomy. Afaik there are already relatively small scopes with goto mounts.

[@Tommyr]

@@jochenkraus7016 Small scopes with goto mounts are still expensive (the GOOD ones) and then you still need to buy a good CMOS camera at the very least (CCD cameras are a lot more expensive). As he stated in this video a decent setup will cost almost as much as the evscope. Yes it WILL produce better images but the evscope is not meant to be used for astrophotography. Which he also said in the video.

[@GalacticHunter]

Thanks Gregory, and yes I also agree, there will most likely be lots of improvements overs the years.

[@KTachyon]

Tommyr They’re really not. The IMX224 sensor used in the evscope is the same as the ZWO ASI224MC, sold for $250. And sourcing the sensor from the manufacturer will be way cheaper. It’s basically a guiding/planetary sensor. That’s why most astrophotographers will criticize the product. They could have gone with a bigger and decent sensor for DSOs, at least that’s what one would expect to justify the price.

[@nebula1863]

Great review. But at $3000 it’s not going to encourage more people into astronomy, not directly at least . Most people who start out with astronomy buy a sub $500 telescope. I see this being more useful for outreach, very little setup time and built in stacking can wow crowds more easily than a conventional telescope without EAA.

[@TheCollabCurator]

There are other app enable scopes, starting at less than $400, that are more capable. Why would anyone buy this thing at $3,000?

[@Tracks777]

awesome video

[@GalacticHunter]

Thank you :)