Seestar S50 Review: A Deep Dive into the Power and Value of this $500 Telescope

[@Naztronomy]

Thanks to everyone who has watched this video and have had feedback, questions, and comments. Stay tuned for a couple of 'how to process' videos. In the meantime, check out how I process narrowband images in Pixinsight: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iGKTqZp-p9Z3mck

[@ffffff8048]

I feel so bad for making my comment about "how easy it is to image with smart telescopes". I was low key just coping about spending 2k on my rig instead of just getting a smart telescope xd . I understand the idea of using one but I thought that I would get better pictures when using "proper" AP gear instead of smart telescopes. I myself bought a AVX and 72 skywatcher for starters to begin my journey to AP, especially deep space photography. However I didnt realize it would generate that much of hate. Im sorry fellow star watchers. I respect you all!

[@Naztronomy]

@@ffffff8048 Thank you! I think everyone is entitled to their own opinion, sometimes they're not very popular :) I appreciate your response and I'm sure others do as well! At the end of the day, we should probably see smart telescope astrophotography and full-rig astrophotography as two different branches of astrophotography. It's still AP but it's like driving a car with GPS vs using a physical map.

[@GenuineUFOs6833]

I'm seeing the night sky like I never thought was possible, without using more expensive equipment and a huge learning curve.The Seestar brings the universe to life at the touch of a button.

[@PandaBurrie]

I was at my Astronomy club meeting last night and I met a person who’s been in the group longer than me. We got to talking about our set ups. Mine is incredibly basic, I use the Sky Guide app and a mix of naked eye observation and 25x70 Astro-binoculars, he is really into spectroscopy and has a $5000 rig. I said “yeah, I don’t have the greatest set up.” And his response was “never underestimate the power of just naked eye observing like our ancestors did for hundreds of thousands of years.” The cosmos isn’t gatekeepy, it doesn’t care if you’re using an affordable option, or taking out a $15k loan on your setup. It just matters that you keep looking up. 🖖

[@Naztronomy]

Couldn't agree more! This was one of my least popular videos but earlier this year, I created a video talking about 5 ways to get into astronomy for free, and of course the first method is to use your naked eye: kzbin.info/www/bejne/foSQfaaie8l2pqs Claer skies!

[@PandaBurrie]

@@Naztronomy Just checked it out! Great video, will definitely be on the lookout for your future uploads 😊

[@Naztronomy]

@@PandaBurrie thank you! Clear skies!

[@atoieno]

So I'm sorry if I'm reading this incorrectly. Previously the only way I could experience exploring some of the wonders of the universe was to spend thousands and thousands of dollars on hardware and software. Now I can for a fraction of the cost but some how its not as legitimate because I haven't had to struggle as hard. Don't ever forget that the wonders above are why we look up. It's not an exclusive activity.

[@Naztronomy]

Yeah I never really understood the mindset of gatekeepers, not just in astronomy but anything really. And in this case, I disagree with anyone who say it's not legitimate. Sure, it's not for everyone but whether you use a $10k rig, a $500 smart telescope, or just your eyes, you should be free to do your thing.

[@sjpp71]

Good review! I think this is the future, I still love astrophotography but this gadget gives a fast glimpse into the hobby to begginers. And sometimes we also want to just grab a few pics with no much fuss. Would be nice if it could be a modular system, something you could attach a different camera or scope (within reason of couse, not a 150mm f8 apo, lol). Perhaps Ed was a bit hard with the seestar, I love his channel and webpage he's written on for decades, he knows his stuff, and should not be in any way considered a gatekeeper, all the contrary, he always tries to offer alternatives to begginers in this hobby. Only that imo he comes from the age when astronomy was mainly visual, and now everyone just want to take pictures to post on social media. Clear skies!

[@Naztronomy]

@@sjpp71 Thank you! I agree with everything you said. I don't think Ed is a gatekeeper, my comment was about gatekeeping in general and that one commenter that I won't name, who was really really against the seestar :) I sent Ed a preview of this video and opened up a communications channel with him so that we can understand each other. Including a discussion about the future of astronomy/astrophotography. He's definitely looking out for the community but just didn't fully consider all the possibilities of the Seestar. He made really valid points in either case and I did my best to address the performance concerns he had. I initially planned to cover more of his concerns but the video was getting too long so I cut that out. Ed is an amazing person and I'm always happy to see one of his reviews. Clear skies!

[@sjpp71]

@@Naztronomy Thanks for your reply. Awesome that you approached Ed, and all the points you made are totally valid and sensible. You have a great YT channel. looking forward to your next video! All the best!

[@Naztronomy]

@@sjpp71 I really appreciate that 😊

[@bobcarn]

Ting's video of "it's not that good" was, to be frank, stupid. He's a seasoned and professional astrophotographer and felt it wasn't good enough for the standards he set. In other words, he was gatekeeping and implying that you should either go all-in on astronomy and astrophotography with advanced rigs, or you shouldn't do it at all. That's insulting and more than a little conceited. I'm in my 60s, inexperienced, on a budget, live in a light-polluted city, and have arthritis in my neck keeping me from easily looking into eyepieces (I can't even look straight up). But I am VERY interested in astronomy and wanted to be able to see nebula and sunspots and galaxies. For less than $500, I can see things I never thought I'd see. It's been almost a year now, and I still pull it out to see what's in our wonderful sky! I'm eagerly looking forward to newer versions of this. Most likely not the next one since I'm on a budget, but in a couple years I can see myself getting the newer version and gifting this to a family that's interested in astronomy.

[@Naztronomy]

I'm really glad to hear that you would consider handing your Seestar to someone else interested in astronomy. I think that's how it should be in order to make sure these don't hit the landfills when we are done with it. That takes care of one of Ed Ting's concerns. And to be fair to Ed, he has done a great job warning us about bad scopes in the past and has really good insights. But I agree that he may not have considered how some people would really benefit from something like the Seestar. I emailed him an advanced viewing of my video since I mentioned him and I opened up a communications channel to understand more of where he's coming from and try to get him to see where I and people like you are coming from. We all want the night sky to be available for everyone without any gatekeeping anywhere and we need to be able to utilize every tool we can get our hands on. I don't know if Ed will update his review but I've passed on my thoughts. He had other concerns in his video such as the products not being finished, too high of a premium now, etc. My original video plan was to address all of it but it would have made the video way too long so I just stayed with addressing Ed's concerns about the Seestar performance. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, I'm really glad to hear the Seestar has been a great took for you. I'm also eagerly waiting for the next version. Clear skies!

[@doubledark2]

I'm in a similar boat to you; except I have zero interest in spending half the night doing "real" astrophotography. I have other hobbies that require physical exertion, so sleep is important. This device seems to be perfect for me; at this stage. Your words about the reviewer are spot on.

[@PhilW222]

I’m in the same boat - a year ago I would never have even contemplated doing any form of astrophotography, too expensive, too cumbersome, too complicated, despite having been a visual observer (on and off) all my life. But I got a Seestar six months ago and couldn’t be happier with it, it is perfect for what I want. Of course it can not match up to rigs costing 10x the price but then that is a futile comparison. Smart telescopes are going to have many more people looking up to the stars and that has to be a good thing.

[@DavideMazzetti]

Well said :-)

[@DavideMazzetti]

It wasn't just stupid, it was downright arrogant.

[@Arakyrie]

the intended users for the S50 is not a seasoned astrophotographer, it is visual astronomy users that fight against light pollution and wants to expand observations to DSO

[@Naztronomy]

I think the intended use for the Seestar is however anyone wants to use it. Whether it's a visual astronomer in a light polluted area or a season astrophotographer like me who want to use it as a secondary setup, a quick portable setup, or a companion for outreach. So far I've done 2 of those 3 and I'm looking forward to using it for outreach if my plans go well in September 😊

[@roo8814]

Im totally agree with you

[@emptyal5341]

Just received mine. Instant results and gratification that make me want to do more and learn about post processing. For that money, and received in NZ from China in a week from purchase: amazing.

[@Naztronomy]

Totally agree with you! There are a few good tutorials out there but I'm currently working on a couple of videos showing how I post process my images.

[@peter-hy3rp]

One point about all these small, fully automated rigs is that they are "partner friendly". There isn't a pile of cables all over the place. They can be placed in a cupboard when not being used and they take up very little space.

[@Naztronomy]

Agreed! Cable management is super easy with this 😊And the portability is unbeatable, especially since it comes in a protective case.

[@DeepSpaceAstro]

Great review Naz! I think these smart scopes are great little devices!

[@Naztronomy]

Thanks, Rich! Totally agree. I'm holding out for the new version before I buy myself one.

[@bab01824]

Great review Naz! Thanks for showing me the Seestar a couple of weeks ago. I agree with your wishlist...

[@Naztronomy]

Thank you, Bruce :) Glad you were able to take it for a spin, despite the clouds ruining the evening.

[@DirtyBird]

Desirable upgrades in a "Seestar 2.0" would be a larger sensor with increased resolution, mounted internally in a motorized, rotatable, base . This would not only provide the ability to frame objects, but could also serve as an automated field derotater during imaging sessions, alleviating the need for equatorial mounting altogether. Bumping up the storage to 128 or 256 GB would also be welcome, or add a MicroSD slot.

[@Naztronomy]

Agree with all of your points. That would be cool but from the looks of their teaser images, we may not be getting that. At least one version is smaller/wider to perhaps rival the Dwarf 3. And a larger version may just have guiding. No real specs out at the moment but I'm eagerly waiting.

[@FredOzzie]

For leveling, I set my Seestar with its little tripod on a homemade 3-leg stool and then use wooden shims to get the level within ~0.2 deg. This work much better than trying to adjust the length of the tipod legs, It is even easier than using a leveling head.

[@Naztronomy]

That's a really smart idea!

[@txdave2]

Excellent video. For $500 this is an awesome piece of technology. I own both a Skywatcher 80mm refractor rig and the Seestar. I enjoy both. It's a good tool for obtaining data for learning how to use post processing software.

[@Naztronomy]

Thank you 😊 Totally agree with the point of getting data to learn post processing! That's a great way to think about it.

[@MickPletcher]

Let's hope the new Seestar that is coming out in the near future, which was just announced this week, will have many of the things you mentioned as improvements.

[@Naztronomy]

I hope so too! Can't wait to see some actual specs instead of teaser pictures 😁

[@MickPletcher]

@@Naztronomy more info came out today and it's not so great. It looks like it's going to be a 30 mm instead of 50 mm.

[@Naztronomy]

I think FLO is the only store that showed the S30 and they're known to joke around (e.g. t hey are also selling the Hubble Space Telescope). ZWO hasn't released any names or specs yet. From the looks of it, they may be coming out with two versions. One smaller and wider field and a bigger one, perhaps an improvement over what the current S50 does. We'll have to wait and see.

[@krzysztofkosak4720]

Regarding external display option it's already here: just buy/use already owned tablet. Dedicated display would not be free and would be one purpose device when wirelessly connected tablet can be used for other tasks.

[@Naztronomy]

Yeah, that's why I mentioned that the suggestion is for a very narrow purpose. I have external monitors that I use on the field as well as Tablets, it just could be easier 😁 Easiest solution for me today is to just hook up a tablet/phone to one of my external monitors. The biggest one I have now is a 17" 2k Monitor which should make the live stack look pretty nice.

[@Thommy78]

I am making my own experiences in the moment. You made a very good video. Well done.

[@Naztronomy]

Thank you so much 😊

[@davidgoodwin8480]

Two things that would be easy to do and not require any hardware changes is - the ability to adjust the gain in deep sky mode and a histogram on the live view similar to the asi air. They should be able to make these two changes with a software update.

[@Naztronomy]

Yep, I totally agree. It won't even be reinventing the wheel, someone just needs to copy some functionality over.

[@skullfreak102]

On the brightside, thry came out with the "mosaic" framing mode. So you can now rotate the image and zoom out a bit.

[@Naztronomy]

Yep! I'm really happy to see that. I did a quick demo of that in my live stream last night. Definitely one of their better feature adds.

[@ClassicTrialsChannel]

Just bought one. was looking at getting the Dwarf3. but after months of waiting , they keep adding a month to my ship date. its now Jan 25. so I gave up and bought 1 of these.

[@Naztronomy]

Ah I didn't realize the Dwarf 3 got delayed again. I'm not sure when the S30 will be shipping but both of these companies are playing around with the holiday shopping times. I hope the S50 treats you well! Feel free to reach out if you have questions.

[@brizzle3903]

@@NaztronomyS30 is apparently shipping late December per their website Still on the fence about the S30 or S50 I’m torn between the two

[@Naztronomy]

@@brizzle3903 If you haven't yet watched my S30 vs S50 video, here's the link, maybe it'll help you decide: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bqu8ZXiOnsSjgpo With that said, I believe the late December shipping time is only for the S30 preorders. Any S30 ordered now will be delivered in late March at the earliest. So this may also influence how you order. I got my hands on a Dwarf 3 so I'll be working on that review really soon.

[@brizzle3903]

@ SENSATIONAL! You’re the man I’m about to watch it right now

[@kokhowe]

Besides the upcoming Seestar S30, seems that Seestar S80 is in the works as well. Will probably be out next year.

[@Naztronomy]

I haven't seen any ZWO source confirm the S80 but if it's true, I'll be happy. I'm just afraid of what the price point will be.

[@neiltonks]

I'm surprised that there isn't a mount available that does a similar job but only supplies the mount. It could have support for your own particular camera you prefer and telescope. The mount could do all the heavy work and have an array of ports for your various cameras and anti dew heaters. The app could be similar to the seestar

[@Naztronomy]

A smart mount would be cool. ZWO just came out with the ASI2600MC Pro Duo Air which is an astro cam, guide cam, and ASI Air in one. So I won't be surprised if they come out with something like the AM5 Air with a built in ASIAir on the AM5 mount. We have things that get close like the AZ-GTi in alt-az mode or pretty much any modern goto mount with a computer. But a smart mount that can auto polar align will be amazing.

[@jjl.]

Can you teach us how to process the seestar data with siril

[@Naztronomy]

I'm currently working on a couple of videos on processing in Pixinsight, I can add Siril to the list but in the meantime, the Siril website has good documentation along with an embedded video tutorial that was created by my friend Deep Space Astro: siril.org/tutorials/seestar/

[@on_wheels_80]

If there's going to be a V2 with rotator and 4K sensor at twice the price, I might consider.

[@jnevitt47]

Great description of the Seestar, but your ring light is very annoying. You need to put it to the side a little so it doesn't reflect in your glasses or get non glare glasses. Thanks.

[@Naztronomy]

Thanks for the feedback! My ring light is usually off to the side but I did a bad job of placing it for this video.

[@cleverpete1]

The irony is that none of the expensive rigs can complete with the ultimate, Hubble. It never will. So one end up trying for the best rig, but that is an infinite chase to … the next best level

[@Naztronomy]

My goal is to get my own space telescope! Bortle 0 and no clouds.

[@cleverpete1]

@ 😂😂😂

[@brizzle3903]

That is true 😂 Hubble is on a different level If I could build one of those and put it out there in space particularly in the same area where JWST orbits that would be absolutely INCREDIBLE but sadly I’m very poor

[@MorsErslev]

Hey, thx for the video 👍 i order mine yet to arrive, i know astro photo but this is good for snap photo nights, how does the filter works, i understand it is simi auto, but can one use the tre filters seperat or and to in same time?

[@Naztronomy]

Hope you get yours soon! For the filters, by default, you get an uv/ir cut filter that will work on every mode. There's a dual-narrowband filter that will automatically come on when you search for a narrowband object but you can turn it off. So you have full control. And I don't think that the filters will work if you try to use it in any mode other than "deep sky."

[@NGC008]

Nice one, thanks for sharing

[@sandaruwanmilan9535]

Thanks lot , can it see planet ? Veus, suttern ,jupiter

[@Naztronomy]

You can see them but they'll look very small and surface features will be really hard to see. I did a comparison of the S50 vs the S30 in the following video where I show you what Jupiter looks like through each: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bqu8ZXiOnsSjgpo

[@Kiwi_Dave]

Would the S50 be recommended for a 10 year old as first scope?

[@Naztronomy]

I think this would be great for kids. Although the learning curve is really low, I'd still recommend adult supervision but the Seestar is a great tool to use to learn the sky. I have a friend with an 7 or 8 year old who is getting one of these. I'll be heading over there to give them a quick in-person tutorial when they're ready. If you order one, use one of my referrals if you can :) and feel free to reach out with questions. Clear skies!

[@fofoqueiro5524]

Before Seestar, I was only able to see clouds.

[@waynewheaton3210]

I own an 8" dob and C6 with a Star Adventurer GTi and IOPTRON cem40g. But....I have thee little kids. I don't have time to do standard astrophotography. Hence, I just bought a Seestar.

[@Naztronomy]

Perfect reason for a seestar! I only have one little kid and sometimes I don't have the energy to do anything so I just throw the seestar in the yard and it scratches the itch. I also have a CEM40 as my main mount.

[@angryhedgehoglee6363]

How about a seestar150 with 4mp. At that point the price point goes up at least double but still less expensive than the more accomplished Celestron Origin Observatory. But likely giving way more bang for the dollar.

[@Naztronomy]

That would be nice and if ZWO can make it cost effective, I'm sure they'll do it. From what I can tell, ZWO is trying to attract new people into the hobby. Small and cheap all-in-one telescopes seem to attract people. So we'll have to wait and see what they do in the future.

[@splitenz1770]

I think the Dwarf 3 has auto mosaics

[@Naztronomy]

Oh nice. Hopefully ZWO will add it soon, they don't even need a new version of the scope to do that.

[@DanFrederiksen]

computer viewing is the way to go but why such tiny optics. you can get a meade ETX90 for 100-200$ used and it's vastly stronger. And why not go up to 8 or 11" schmidt cassegrain. A C11 can be gotten around 1000$ and then it's suddenly serious optics

[@xyũ3naxto]

Умеет ли S50 снимать земные пейзажи? (море, лес, горы?)

[@jall2193]

Yes

[@du4644]

nice for a beginer , to do a least the same job You probably Need a 1500 dollars télescope ! and actually why spend more ?

[@Naztronomy]

Agreed, it's great for beginners and can get you results close to expensive telescopes, especially if you can process the images. For the moment at least, the optics of a good telescope and the sensor of a good camera will give you better quality than the seestar but smart telescopes could be catching up really soon.

[@PearsonLester-m5q]

Clark Thomas Lee Sandra Robinson David

[@globalclimate4744]

Faster recording vs 10m....lots of ufment closer ranging fast passes very busy....ne sky

[@gavinbillington7193]

You didnt like the idea before you started the review which is not really fair and without early adoptors the development will stall, it ok you people like you with thousands of pounds of equipement, hours and hours of time to post process and stack, not everyone is like you and the image you showed was deliberatly poor

[@Naztronomy]

Are you referring to me saying that the Seestar is not that bad? If so, that was a reference to someone else's video. I'm perfectly fine with Seestars and other smart telescopes.

[@hedleyd.walter7398]

You may understand what you are trying to explain but to the learner & uninitiated you are talking utter gibberish. It's generally the same with anyone who " understands" their subject, they expect others to be just as well versed in all the terms, such as filters, focal length etc and THEY ARE NOT. Please try to explain things like the Seestar S50 in more "simple terms so us lesser mortals can understand it a little better. Certain things we may know like USB, power pack & so on but technical info needs further explanation not just a quick mention as you do. We are not all techno or astronomical geniuses please remember that!!

[@Naztronomy]

Thanks for the feedback! It's difficult to make videos that speak at every level. I've done videos where I explain the very basics and the feedback is usually that I shouldn't waste time on that. So it's hard to make everyone happy 😊 I may do a very beginner friendly video where I go over everything about telescopes, cameras, etc. If you have specific questions, let me know, I'll add them to the video. Filters and Focal lengths will be on that list.

[@thevicar6609]

Waffle waffle waffle... Why are seasoned astrophotographers reviewing this Seestar, moaning about what it cannot do, comparing it to their very expensive rigs and then waffle on in jargon that most people who buy this Seestar will not understand? talk to me in basic English so that I can understand

[@ffffff8048]

Id rather fail at my entire imaging session for a night than use a smart telescope. It just feels like cheating and u dont learn anything xd

[@Naztronomy]

That's fair and that's why I made the distinction in the video that experienced astrophotographers will be disappointed. The seestar is definitely not made for everyone. But I think there's a lot to learn for beginners and for those who don't do astrophotography. For people getting into astronomy in general, the seestar is great for exploring the sky. Easy way to learn learn constellations, identify asterisms, etc. But for experienced astrophotographers, if they want to get a seestar, they need to go in with a different mindset. As I mentioned, I think it's great for outreach purposes and a great companion rig. It cannot compete with even a basic full AP rig. Most old school astronomers felt the same way about go-to telescopes, so we should try our best not to discourage others even if something doesn't work for us 🙂

[@NMHC1978]

nit picker --- if you live in a bortle 7 - 8 sky a smart telescope as the seestar S50 or the Vespera scopes. is the best idea. Post processing is theer always because those scopes only stack. also count if you want the same it is going to cost you a lot more (goto Alt/Az mount, ED50 scope, 462 camera, Mini-PC or Laptop, CLS or nebula filter, Batterypack)

[@henribuhagiar9445]

Hope you don’t use Goto technology then

[@ChessQuizToday]

I like cheating. I paid $399 and processing some great images...😂

[@NMHC1978]

@@henribuhagiar9445 Funny, Alt/Az goto mounts exists ioptron has them

[@josemhernandez8733]

If you are a season advanced astrophotographer then what are you doing with cheap astro equipment that will not satisfied your ego?? Sorry!

[@brizzle3903]

Simple answer to that question asked out of stupidity It’s his channel therefore he can do as he pleases, if you don’t like it take that uppity attitude elsewhere Does that answer your question sweetie