Seestar S30 vs. S50: Which Smart Telescope Is Right for You?

[@rakitakhan]

I've had the S50 for about 45 days. I love it ! It doesn't replace my normal telescopes but it's a load of fun. I'll probably skip the S30 and wait for maybe a more powerful setup. Thx for the informative video !

[@Naztronomy]

Totally agree that these tiny scopes can't replace our regular gear. There's no way for it to compete with my 8" SCT on planets or smaller DSO (not yet at least). Glad you are enjoying the S50! Clear skies!

[@bobcarn]

That was a nice comparison. I have the S50. I'm hoping they can do things with software updates to give it the auto-leveling compensation of the S30. I do a better job of leveling it now (I bought a device that lets me fine-tune the leveling), but it still would be nice to not have to worry about it so much.

[@Naztronomy]

Thanks and I agree, that would give the S50 an amazing upgrade.

[@Ando22RE]

I really hope they allow Milky Way photography with the wide angle. It will be the complete packing and a 1Up on the dwarf 3.

[@Naztronomy]

Yeah totally agree. ZWO hasn't told me anything for certain but their answer makes me believe it's coming. Just hope it comes before next milky way season.

[@IndianaStones1]

I rather would have seen a bigger version 30/50 are really the absolute limit for deepsky. Actually i would say its a no go. The software must be a miracle worker.

[@stuffybroz7936]

i bought an S30 as my first beginner smart telescope. is it worth the purchase?

[@Naztronomy]

I think it's definitely worth the purchase! I should have mentioned it in the video but I think you can't make a wrong choice with the Seestars. They both have their advantages and disadvantages over each other but so do every other system. Congrats on your purchase!

[@stuffybroz7936]

@ thank you! This video helped me understand the how these little machines really function! I can’t wait to receive mine!!

[@happyfeet5338]

Great review ! I am planning to buy my first smart telescope. I understand that the S30 wide angle lens can’t be used to take a picture of the Milky Way like the Dwarf 3 can. Is this correct? However, can I use the S30 in Mosaic Mode or take several pictures and stitch them together using a different software to get a picture of the full Milky Way. Please let me know so that I can make up my decision whether to buy the S30 or D3, although there is a price difference.

[@Naztronomy]

Thank you and awesome! And you are correct about the wide angle lens. When I asked ZWO about using the lens for Milky Way, the answer made me believe that the feature will be coming in the future. So hopefully they do it before the next Milky Way season. And also correct, you can use the mosaic mode to take pictures and stitch them together. 150mm focal length is still pretty zoomed in so you may need a lot of individual frames. But I can totally see someone doing it for small regions of the milky way at a time. I currently have no experience with the D3 (or any Dwarf lab products) so I can't comment on the differences. I'm trying to get my hands on the D3 now because a lot of people have been asking me about it but I believe they are currently backordered to at least the end of January. So aside from the price difference, you'll probably get the S30 weeks (if not months) before the D3. I reached out to Dwarflab for more information and to see if I can maybe move on up the list 😁 if that happens, you can bet I'll do a comparison video between these two. Let me know if you have more questions, happy to answer!

[@happyfeet5338]

​@Naztronomy thank you for insights

[@happyfeet5338]

I am told that I can use a power bank to charge the S30 if I want to let it operate longer than 6 hours. Could you tell me what should be the specifications of the power bank for it to charge the S30 whilst in use? Thanks

[@Naztronomy]

Yep, you can use any power bank that can provide 2A of current. When I'm not home, I use something like this: amzn.to/3Z6PXwE - works pretty well when the dew heater isn't on. When the dew heater is on, the charge goes down but it goes down slower. And when I can, I use something like this Jackery, with the wall outlet, I can get a good amount of power where it'll charge the Seestar faster than it drains: amzn.to/498eJ44 If you watch my latest live stream, you'll notice that the charge stayed at 100%. I had it plugged into a Jackery.

[@ShayMagen]

Looks like they just released the new noise reduction feature.. I don't see any toggle or control on the app.

[@Naztronomy]

Ahhh Yeah, my app updated as soon as I was done editing this video last night. I'm hoping to do a live stream later tonight if the weather complies so I'll test it out then. Sad to hear that there's no control. Thank you for sharing!

[@zygmuntziokowski7877]

Thanks for the video, I have 6" SCT and what kind of camera you use to get that shoot of the Jupiter? Thanks!

[@Naztronomy]

I used an ASI 533MC Pro for that. But I've also used a DSLR in the past. I have a couple of videos showing my setup if you're curious: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mH68k6mmqsxgmLc kzbin.info/www/bejne/l5eam2x7mch1iNU

[@SKANDaR0875]

If you had to keep only one which one would keep?

[@Naztronomy]

Since I do a ton of outreach, I think the S30 is better suited for me because it's easier to set up and t he wide field is perfect for certain objects that I usually target. Although I'll miss the closer views of the moon with the S50 which has been a fun target to show people thus far.

[@toygaryagci]

rectangular rectangle :)

[@Naztronomy]

I have a way with the words 😁

[@martinezq1]

can you compare both with dwarf 3?

[@Naztronomy]

I'm trying to get my hands on one now. As soon as I get one, you can expect a comparison. Let me know if you have any specific questions I should look to answer.

[@davidaaaa4611]

None of these are right for me. I ordered a Dwarf Smart 3. Tried a Seestar and it would not work on my wi fi, so I sent it back.

[@Naztronomy]

Ah that's strange! Was it not working in Station Mode or could you not connect to it directly? Hope the Dwarf 3 treats you better! I'm trying to get my hands on one now.

[@davidaaaa4611]

@@Naztronomy Good Luck I have been waiting 2 weeks.

[@cleverpete1]

I’m sure they don’t have the same pixel size ?

[@Naztronomy]

The pixel size is the same. Both are 2.9µm.