Pre-Order Links for the ZWO SEESTAR S50! tinyurl.com/3n62hpzx (Direct from Maker/ZWO) bit.ly/3Mf9pAU (Agena Astro) tinyurl.com/53suzkw5 (All Star Telescope) bit.ly/45k7J1b (High Point Scientific) My initial impressions and first light: ua-cam.com/video/Nt29_kHV1Fg/v-deo.html The competing Dwarflab Dwarf II Smart telescope: amzn.to/47Ztwxf or bit.ly/3SyChXu Support me on Patreon!: www.patreon.com/cuivlazygeek If you're planning on buying equipment (or anything from Amazon), it will help me if you first click the affiliate links in the description!
@@anthonysuarez7416 Yes they would, and the I would get a small kickback (but only if you have cookies enabled!). You can bypass that by disabling cookies or just avoiding my links :)
Thanks Cuiv. This is looking like a perfect little telescope to put into the boot of a car when going on vacation. How robust is it? Can it withstand less than delicate handling, or rough terrain, during transport?
My experience has been that folks often use the label “toy” to diminish things that aren’t to their taste because it makes them feel better, in contrast, about their activities. If someone is able to use something like the Seestar to make photos that make them happy, it’s a tool that is as serious as its user, and it’s a simple kindness to just respect that perspective.
Very nice review of the issues people have raised about the SeeStar S50, Cuiv! I think the folks who bash the unit as being a toy are forgetting the intended audience. I can't even imagine how much this would have brought the wonders of the night sky to me as a child! I would venture to say that something like this that sparks the imagination of a child (or young adult!) can even change the path they take in life. A "Tool Of Your" (TOY) imagination. I had one ordered but my wife thought my granddaughters were too young yet. 🙄 Yeah, but what about me? 🤣
Got mine today 10:30AM in Germany! Did some FW updates as well as doing pictures from sun and nearby houses. Great Auto-Fokus and Sun-Tracking option. Working absolutly great!!!
I love seeing these smart telescopes. I love tinkering with my setup, and want to build it out, but it weighs like 60lbs! There are nights where i want to image something i can’t see from my balcony but don’t want to bring down my setup. Between harmonic drive mounts and these affordable smart telescopes i think this will drive my passion and many others up. It’s a very exciting time to be an astronomer and i love it
It makes sense that the built in filter is optimized already. It may take a while for the community to figure out which filters will produce the biggest gains.
Thank you for all the information. They've done SUCH a good job with this telescope that people are confused, that's why they're asking questions like "are the pictures real" and "is it a toy". For those people who think a £500+ telescope is a toy, please wait until closer to Xmas to order one for your kid, because I'd like to get hold of some stock first.
Hi Cuiv, yes, I believe that someone was able to download individual images and, later use DSS to stack them to feed in Siril for analysis post processing. As you said, it is a nice gear to take with you anywhere without major problem, Thanks for your analysis on the S50 (and many other ones you have done as well). Oh, I forgot, it would be interesting to know bluetooth capability.
Thank you for tackling the question about whether the images are fake. I just got ours a couple weeks ago and at first light, when we saw Saturn's rings at 4x, we were taken aback. And it was busy showing details of M51 and beautiful images of M13 within minutes of imaging. I did see a satellite trail in one, but given how advanced generative AI is, the suspicion remained. So excited to use this personally and for outreach.
Great video Cuiv! - Seems like the LP filter segment matches up well with what we were talking about the other day, interesting! 😀 Can't wait to see more!
I've been waiting for something like this for travel work. It's really great for travel to cities because we don't have to worry about polar alignment when our balcony has a good view of the southern sky but consequently, Polaris is blocked by the building.
Very cool little scope! I probably would have bought this last year if available. I went with a 72mm refractor, eqm35 mount and Zwo mini, 533mcpro, EAF. Zwo makes it easy to stack, and it's the feature I use the most. I can see how it's hard to believe because of how unreal the night sky actually is. Adding L enhance filters improved this further in moderately light polluted city.
Super info, I have a vespera and did pre order the seestar, as you can never have enough telescopes. Convinced 3 others to order the seestar. We need more astronomy outreach. Keep up the great work
I'm thinking more and more about getting one of those smart telescopes. Living in the city, with limited space in my flat and no car, I think this is the best choice for me. Now I have to choose which one
I am excited for the opportunity this provides for our middle and high school students that want to see these DSOs they see on the web, but wouldn’t get to actually see even in our NexStar8SE. Anything that gets my students more interested in the astronomy, the photography, the electronics, the software, etc. is a welcome addition to my educational toolbox.
The only non-toy telescope I ever used was the 100" telescope at Mt Wilson Observatory. I saw 37 rings on Saturn with it. This telescope ushered in modern astronomy in 1917 (Edwin Hubble used it). The scope is still in pristine condition after 106 years.
Great answers to some good questions! Nice to hear all this from an experienced astrophotographer. Many of these tend to bash a product like this, but it's a great (and affordable) entry into the hobby. Maybe some day. we'll dive deeper with better equipment, but for a beginner, this seems like an ideal tool to just go out and explore. We ordered one today.
Wow what a great video!! We have been discussing this in our astronomy club. The equatorial mount and filter questions were some our members also thought about. We also wanted to be able to get the files for using pix insite on them.
I just order it on last friday after i ran into your first testing of the scope. I watched of few other reviews and had to get it. Cant wait to get it.
I'm sure some people bash it because they spend 10x the amount and don't get images as good as the Seestar. I have a 8" EdgeHD I use for planetary photography. I don't wish to spend as much to delve into deep sky, so I ordered a Seestar to get my feet wet. Looking forward to it's delivery.
Hi there! Love your channel - the energy you bring is infectious. At last, a good infection! On the basis of your first Seestar review I nipped over to a well respected and trusted Astro kit supplier and placed my 25% deposit on my very own Seestar. I’m excited to receive it but it will be a bit of a wait. I live in Australia and shipping is not expected to commence before 30 November. Maybe I will get a really cool Christmas present. I have friends who have been amateur astronomers for years and years but I’m getting too old to acquire their level of knowledge however willing they are to share. For me, this is a fantastic option and my knowledgeable friends are very supportive of my decision especially from the Seestar’s specifications. I must thank you for helping me find a great way to add an excellent hobby at the ideal time of my life. It means a lot. I too am a geek, lazy as they come, thus your reviews really spoke to me. I’ve liked and subscribed but wild horses couldn’t make turn on the bell. Sorry. Hehe. You keep producing videos and I’ll keep watching and sharing them. All the very best to you and yours, and thank you again. 😊
Hi Cuiv, Cool video, I think you should make some more Q&A videos, because many of the action in this channel is in the comments! Yesterday in an Astronomy group in FB, someone (new to astronomy) asked if there is a cheap telescope they could buy , take to a dark place, and without any knowledge just press a button and look though the eyepiece and see something. Push Here Dummy style. The answer they got is: "there is nothing like that, you should join some club or star party and ..." - which BTW is a very good advice But I said: hey there are new tools that do just that!! These are definitely tools! As you said FUN and TOOLS!
@9:00 It seems that it could handle the stacking and dithering while taking the next light frame. The computer that does the stacking inside of the camera is likely mostly idle while taking a light frame. This sounds like something could be fixed with an update and some process improvement. The same with not being able to see and select images for the stack. It would be a bit a bit of work for the photographer to go through and choose which images to use, but this could likely salvage an image with some bad light frames, clouds, planes, a car driving by etc. Once they tweak the firmware both of these should be non issues. Nice review!
Really looking hard at one of these 'all in one' setups due to my own limited time and energy. I wish it had an 80mm triplet or quad objective even though it would be a bit heavier/bulkier to transport. (everything in astrophotography seems to get exponentially heavier and more expensive as you go up in aperture). But on the other hand, it's pretty darn impressive for the current '50mm craze'! What a time we live in!! 🎶🍰🎁🎉😜
I have a nice 6" SCT already but yes I did just order the SeeStar - Its a completely different thing for a different purpose and its going to be so easy to put in a back pack and take anywhere
There is a dual NB filter in the production unit they say! EDIT: I get it now! the Lightpollution Filter IS the Dualband Filter (ZWO Website shows it).
Oh wow, thanks for the info, this is really good to know, I didn't realize that! It makes the low price of the telescope even more mystifying... how are they making any profit??
So glad I found this video! I was pretty much ready to go forward with this one but I did have a nagging concern that it might simply be using stored image data to Overlay the pictures the camera was taking. So glad you helped to spell that idea. Many thanks
@@CuivTheLazyGeek I’m curious to see what framing is going to be like with a fixed sensor. Will something like Andromina need to be shot as a mosaic and will this even soot a mosaic. I can’t wait to see what you put together
An important video, thank you! I had the thought that maybe these photos were fake. But I guess I didn’t believe that because I ordered one last week!!! I have some physical issues right now so this will let me continue my love and work on the galaxies and nebulae!!!
I can understand why people’s first reaction would be to bash it and call it a toy. If I have been doing this for a long time, spent 1,000s of dollars. I’d be kind of angry too lol. But that’s the march of technology. As well as these have been reported to be selling, other companies are going to start making their versions and it will just get better. I love that you don’t have all of those separate cords and moving parts. It’s an all in one unit.
Hello Cuiv, thanks for your second review, I ordered mine for long time but they are on back order, they sent it does to UA-camrs like you, one day can use it. Thanks for sharing
Man you should come to visit rural Japan, the night sky is perfect for this machine! Im Slovakian living near Achi (Japan no. 1 night sky) and I'm looking forward for every clear night
With the relatively narrow Field of View, I would like to buy this if ZWO could in future bundle some software to mosaic several adjacent stacked images (eg. 2x2 or 3x2 would be brilliant). I would pay a bit more than the current price if this feature could be included, to overcome the narrow FOV for wider views. I guess the following would also help to optimise mosaic images: Equatorial mode operating off a static polar aligned wedge mount would also be great, to eliminate the field rotation artifacts. Gear like this Seestar S50 make it an exciting time to be looking to play at the entry level end of astrophotography.
A "Pro" version of this would be interesting. I'm sure if there was a version with a mono sensor, BVR photometric filters and the facility to change exposure length it would be useful for variable star monitoring.
@@robinletcher2676That's exactly the size that I thought of 😂 EQ, bigger aperture and FL, more light and essentially the same software and it would be a dream for most.
Lots of great questions answered. I’m on preorder here in Canada. I made the purchase because of your first video. I’m new to astrophotography and want something easy to get me going so I can learn and see if maybe investing in a larger rig might be an option for me in the future. I appreciate you taking the time to make this content. I’m hoping my daughter will take an interest in it as well and maybe ignite the spark.
Good day. Just ordered mine too for similar reasons. i'm in Canada and i like the simple fact that i can look at sky objects while in my heated house! I'll be 60 next year and staying out for hours with a 70lbs rig that i have to setup every "goog" night is no longer part of the fun. Thanks Cuiv!
@@jvanier this is a really good point. Having it sit out on the lawn while I’m inside is a great selling point. I wonder if ZWO will update the temperature range at all. Currently I think the lowest is 0 degrees. I know most winter nights that will be spectacular for viewing will be significantly colder.
I was looking at starting astrophotography, but the setup I think would be great for beginner (in a way), will cost more than 7000$CA, which is really expensive (but as a photographer I understand photography gear is expensive). Now that I know this exist, I think I will buy it first. Why? Because I will use it mostly like the setup I configured, aka an automated compact refractor build. Will it be better than a ZenithStar 73 coupled with a ASI2600MC and an AM3? Of course not, but it's 10x less expensive, but probably not 10x as bad. It will help me see if I really want to enter this hobby and spend that much money. See if I have the courage to spend nights setting up the thingy to do hours of exposure. It will help me get the subs and imaging, learn processing. At the end, if I buy the expensive setup, I will still be a nice thing to have during star parties, or travel and stuff. And it does sun photography, which for the 2024 eclipse is nice, ngl. As a beginner in the hobby, I'm very excited for this. Also, I'm very excited for ZWO to update this thing with a "pro/manual" setting. Because at the end, it's a rougly 230mm apo-triplet with a Az mount. The cheaper Az mount star tracker that exist in Canada is the Sky-Watcher and it's the same price than the whole Seestar. Tells you that much I think.
Thanks for this feedback! That's exactly how I see it - it's a great way to get into the hobby and test the waters, it's also very complimentary with an existing astrophoto setup! I've found myself using this little smart scope to browse the skies while my main scope was imaging :)
@@CuivTheLazyGeek That's great to hear then! If the product is good enough for someone of your experience, it tells a lot. I'm sure I'll be able to obtain some quality pictures with it too. Especially if I get to have the subs. I pre-ordered the scope, unfortunately I won't it until November according to canadian distributors, but right on time for Orion. Thank you for the review and updates, helped me a lot. I'm eager to see what you will do next with it. :)
I remember using a telescope camera motor my Dad made in the ‘60’s as a kid. Loved it and would like to get one for the kids in the family, but I honestly don’t know if they would be interested for more than one minute before going back to their phone! I’d use it anyway.
For the price, this thing is a must buy for every serious astronomer as well as an interesting buy for regular consumers. Gatekeeping is ridiculous. Nobody is forced to use it and it's cheap enough for everybody.
Excellent video!!! One more question you can ask ZWO is when are these shipping!! The community is waiting eagerly to get our hands on these and they keep delaying shipping!!! Can’t wait to get mine!! Been waiting years for this!!
Cuiv, you better get me a space to sleep in your couch, because your videos just convinced me to orrder the Seestar S50 (while already owning a Dwarf II) and my wife will surely kick me out. :)
Yes, it’s a toy. Just like my $6000.00 dollar Lunt is, and all my other scopes and cameras are. The only difference is this toy is accessible to kids as well adults where the more expensive ones really aren’t. This is going to be great for outreach.
If you could reach through a portal and let Copernicus use it for a night, would he call it a toy? No he'd probably call it the best scope in the world. Perspective.
If Copernicus could figure out what it was for, then he would probably think it was wonderful because it would be the first scope he ever saw. Copernicus died in 1543 and the telescope was allegedly created in 1608 by Hans Lippershey (and he filed a patent for the telescope). The James Webb telescope in 480 years will be of no scientific use to civilization. But it would make a hell of a toy! So yeah, perspective.
There is always someone in the comments section that is self opinionated and desperate to have the final say...you must be terrific at parties at making new friends, if you actually get invited that is 🤔
Hope they make a mk2 with a bigger sensor and even better optics for closer images. I don’t mind it being a tad bigger. What is the next step up if one is willing to put up 800-1000 EUR but that has the similar smart features as the Seesta but that could produce even better images?
Really appreciate your reviews of S50 and Dwarf II, Cuiv - Thank You! After watching your in-depth Dwarf II coverage, I acquired this portable scope for travel to NZ. I have, however, experienced some serious 'banding' issues with stacking my Dwarf II subs (using WBPP) and the stacked/calibrated and cosmetically corrected image, after further processing in PI amplified this banding and substandard final images resulted. Perhaps this banding is 'walking noise' resulting from stacking too many Dwarf II short exposures with fixed noise...?? As your S50 images do not seem to display any significant banding (per above description) - perhaps because the S50 provides effective dithering and better fixed noise dispersion... I have decided to order a S50 in hopes of generating RAW stacked (and eventually, subs) with improved SNR and the opportunity to generate improved final images using PI tools. Thanks again, Cuiv... please keep your information pipeline flowing... and advice regarding improved astro-imaging outcomes.
I really enjoy your videos - I stumbled upon you after seeing an article for the Dwarf II and now have gone down a rabbit hole of wanting to get into astralphotgraphy. I'm torn between the ZWO Seestar S50 and the Dwarf II - Do you have a preference of the two for someone that is just wanting to dip their feet and get started? Both of these seem like great options, I'm wondering what you think.
It's been proven many times that one doesn't need a giant light bucket on a super expensive equatorial mount to get great results. Even my phone camera, which has the tiniest of lenses can produce impressive results, under the right conditions and while cherry picking a suitable target, simply while laying screen down on a table (10 second timer delay to take picture).
I live in an apartment and up till now I had to wait until the stars passes my bedroom window. I have about 40 degree wide view. But this telescope it is so small that I can put it on my windowsill I suddenly have now a 120 degree view. And it makes also possible to put at the other side on my kitchen windowsill having an additional 45 degree view without the buildings. There is no polar alignment needed, just rotate a few times with calibration on and off you go. Setup is a few minutes.
I did have connection issues through the network but today a firmware update happened v1.91 and the connection issues seems to be gone. The Compas mode in SkyAtlas behaves erratic, but that is because you are zoomed in to the max. Just zoom out. The erratic nature is your phone's sensor that sends erratic data at that deep zoomed in level. And something I struggled with is when you select something in the SkyAtlas you can make it move to that point. But no record button. Go back to the previous screen and select "Stargazing" that is where your record button is.
These new smart scopes are definitely on my list of stuff to get. Way way more convenient than my Newtonian on a EQ mount. I’d use one of these 10 times more just because of the simplicity.
I know, I'm already thinking crazy things, but what if we can "freeze" the telescope in a certain position, attach it to an Equatorial mount and only the focusing/imaging would be active so we can use it as a 50mm imaging scope, that does it's own focusing . I know lol my idea is basically throwing away 90% of its capabilities, since otherwise it would be just a 50mm triplet scope with an autofocuser (which is not bad, right? ). p.s. I can almost bet, that by the end of the year, someone will attempt to do what I just said, maybe even succeed LOL!
I love this scope and don't consider it to be a toy. Its small, compact, and portable, and can be used as a tool for scientific purposes, imaging, and educational purposes. Its small and portable, compared to my bigger rigs which take a lot of effort to take to the field (Heavy tripod and mount head, must bring power to the field, counterweights, etc. With this one, just grab it and go, no long setup or polar alignment or heavy lifting.
Another great video, Cuiv! Question, please.... I assume a large tablet with WiFi would work the same as a smartphone, and yield more work space and larger images. Have you used a tablet with the SeeStar? FYI: I ordered mine in late July during the ZWO pre-sale promotion. I'm hoping I'll take delivery by November this year. Thanks, Michael
From what I’ve seen the app for IOS is only formatted for the iPhone. I’ve seen another video where the user put it on an iPad and it basically just stretches the app. So no extra usable space in app yet. It would be nice to see a native iPad app at some point for sure.
@@thecarbonprop Thanks for your response.... I'm an android guy and have found that astro software seems to favor that OS, but I agree that a tablet will only stretch the SeeStar app.
I don't think they have a tablet-optimized version, so yes I think it would just stretch the app (still nice to see it bigger) - unfortunately I don't have a tablet to test!
While I don’t have my SeeStar yet I do have the app on my iPad. You can tap in the bottom right corner to make it fill the screen. Unfortunately it is really made for portrait mode, yes it will rotate and allow use in landscape mode it won’t stretch out and fill the screen in that orientation leaving you with a smaller screen area than in portrait mode.
How many times I have set up my 12 inch scope, setting up, cooling the mirror, collimating then clouds coming over. This makes sense as quick to setup, easy to use, light and gets great results. I am definitely looking at buying one of these.
Fantastic video. You answered a lot of my questions. I have one unanswered question though. If I am imaging in Nebula, and letting the telescope do it for one hour, does this mean the phone with the app running has to be right next to the telescope? Or can I start the imaging on the phone and then walk into my home to watch an episode of my favorite series and come to the backyard to see the stacked image? Wondering whether it is mandatory for the phone and the device to stay connected throughout the imaging process.
Love your channel. I just purchased my S50 and have had it for a few days now. It's mindblowing what it can do. The only thing I can not seem to get to work is the auto-save for the images. Am I missing something right under my nose?
"Just a toy". I suffered a similarly dismissive attitude from the Amateur Radio fraternity when I obtained my Foundation Licence. To be honest, I allowed those comments to completely alienate from from the hobby. Instead, we really ought to encourage people into the hobby and never, ever degrade their enthusiasm by being so unkind.
I really want one of these. Its like my 2. 3d printer.. Its a bambu lab, no fiddeling, like my first 3d printer.. It just auto almost everything, so press and print. Thats what I want from my 1. Telescope, press and watch.
Your experience testing the external filter makes me think there may be something to the concern that the internal ir/cut filter is blocking important bands…. That’s really the only reason I can think of
Someone just asked the "is it fake" question on the official fb page. It's funny because I can see clouds live when they pass, friends laughed with my when a plane flew in front of my Seestar. As for "is it a toy?": I would say yes. Telescopes in general are toys. They don't really provide anything of use to us other than having fun looking at the sky - But, is there anything wrong with this? :p half my fun is exploring the atlas. The other half is editing. 😊
Very well explained Cuiv. I was aware of the questions re is the image faked due to the Samsung cellphone camera moon image enhancements, but I think you could have answered the does it download images from the internet question by stating without station mode, the Seestar has no access to the internet, it forms it's own access point to connect to the smartphone or tablet.
It is definitely fake images. It is not downloaded directly from the internet. It uses AI to enhance its poor photos and we all know where AI gets its image from. Yes, it is sneaky. Computational photography. How can so many people get fooled by this!!! Test it on a new object that has not been photographed.
Like "heavyjohnny", I'm interested in knowing what the quality limits are with the images someone can get from this rig. So... dark site, clear night, carefully processed. Most of the test images I've seen on YT have been only of a well done EAA quality. Thanks.
Aaah I think this will need a full video! Both are worthwhile, I'd say if you're an astrophotographer who likes to tinker, the Dwarf II is closer to the full astrophoto experience, while if you just want to relax and never have to think about anything, the ZWO is better :D
@@CuivTheLazyGeek Ok, thanks. Yes, it would be interesting to see, if you compared both in a dedicated video. Nevertheless, I acquired the Dwarf 2 recently due to its portability. It's around 2kg ligther than the Seestar and this makes quite a difference when backpacking.
Good video and good analysis. I like your channel. I started to do astronomy few months ago. My brother gave me a 12 inches dobsonian with tracking but it is so big it doesn't fit into my car so I am stuck in my bortle 7 backyard. I am not well equipped to do photography right now: I can use my iphone to put on top of the eyepiece or use my old Canon 40D. So, I have a dilemma, I am thinking to buy a ZWO ASI678MC with an ASIair to capture good planetary shots and don't expect too much for deep sky. That would cost me around $800 canadian but I don't want to spend that money for nothing if I end up buying a deep sky refractor telescope like a Redcat that can cost me close to $10,000 all equipped with tracking system, a good mount and a good camera but don’t have the money now. I think I would need both but more I think about this small Seestar, I could have a lot of fun with deep sky captures (without big expectations) and also buy the planetary camera for my dobsonian. Eventually I may buy a conventional refractor for deep sky. Although, I think smart telescopes is going to become the futur for main stream astronomy an will improve a lot in the coming years similar to photography did with smartphones for the last 5 to 10 years. 👍
My issue with devices like this, although being extremely cool and relatively cheap you are seeing the light from the stars/moon with your own eyes. Instead seeing it through a screen which for me takes away from the experience. I think I'd rather go for a traditional telescope but with a tracking feature and app. I've now idea what they cost but this for me just doesn't hit the mark.
I fully understand the feeling! I remember the EVscope actually having an electronic eyepiece to mimic that feeling of seeing it with your own eyes :) But yeah there is something amazing about eeking out galaxy arm details with averted vision, seeing more and more stars in globular clusters as the eyes adjust, that feeling of shiny diamonds on black velvet... incomparable. Now I want to get an ETX 125 again!
I agree, it’s nice to see things directly with your own eyes, gives you a connection to the object that is missing on a screen. However, apart from a few very bright objects, the view through an eyepiece is, in my opinion, extremely underwhelming. I was blown away when I moved from my 8 inch Newt with (expensive) eyepiece to an inexpensive 72mm doublet refractor, a cheap colour camera on a cheap equatorial mount. Could see so much more detail, and in colour, in just a few minutes. Wouldn’t go back to visual astronomy now, (although I still love sweeping starfields in dark sites with a pair of binoculars!) I now have a pretty good setup that I use in my suburban back garden, but far from portable! I’m really tempted by a Seestar for when I’m on holiday in places with better skies than home. The price is incredible, you would be hard pushed to assemble anything competitive from components. Thanks for the reviews Cuiv
I wonder whether a bigger and more sturdy tripod will improve the behaviour under windy conditions. Of course in some sense this contradicts the idea of having a small and compact device. I assume with the small tripod the center of mass is quite high and a more serious tripod could change this.
It's possible indeed - although to be honest the provided tripod, while small, is well built and sturdy. Maybe hanging a weight off of it could helps as well!
Hi, Cuiv...thanks for all your excellent videos! I live at almost 3000m under dark skies in Colorado and have an 11" SCT. Haven't tried astrophotography yet (crummy mount) but was just gifted an Ha modified DSLR so I'll try for some lucky images (and I have a Seestar on order). Meanwhile...whence the name Cuiv? You already have a touristy square on Montmartre named for you...
I'm pushing a bit on the equatorial mode questions, but I'm very curious if the software is able to adjust the speed of the motors if the telescope isn't perfectly flat (aimed towards the north celestial pole for example 😁). I assume it would give error messages, but I'm still curious. This seems like the perfect telescope to start astronomy though, gives the most room for progression, while still having a decent sized lens. Even having a full astrophotography rig, I wouldn't mind having one for when I have a bit of time to share astronomy with others in a few minutes
I agree with you. My shop tools are toys. My telescopes are toys. My '57 Chevys were toys. Computers.....anything I use for enjoyment are toys. They cease to be toys when I feel like I HAVE to go work on them. That is when I gave up my antique automobiles....I was having to work on them instead of WANTING to work on them! Hobbies with their toys are for enjoyment. Of course there really ARE toy telescopes, but most can tell the difference between a $500 imaging system, and a $60 department store 60mm 900 power joke. Considering that first image you took in your initial assessment this appears to be a pretty good scope. One thing people need to keep in mind though. I have a feeling this company is going to start bringing out slightly larger objective lenses on each version every year or so. I am considering buying one but would be unhappy if I bought one of these, and a month later they introduced a 75mm or 100mm version for $100 more, or something. How about you checking with the company and see if they will tell you what they are planning for in the near future? Does it come installed with a solar filter? Have you tried imaging a planet yet? (I realize it is probably not ideal for this) As for the wind problem....does it HAVE to be used on it's included tripod, or can it be placed on a heavy duty tripod or pier? And if so, do you feel the scope itself is contributing to it's shakiness or is it totally due to the small tripod? Thanks for your reviews. Your videos are very informative.
Completely agree! I don't know what their plans are (they won't tell me), but since they specifically added S50 in their naming scheme, it seems likely they'll introduce larger apertures. Although for photo/EAA 50mm does work great (Redcat 51 can attest to that). It does come with a solar filter (tested in the previous video), but I haven't tested planets yet. The included tripod is actually very solid and robust, but the scope is a standard 3/8 inch screw, so it can be used with other tripods for sure. Still I feel a lot of the wind sensitivity is due to the scope body itself and not the tripod.
When connected to a computer via USB-C cable, A) will it charge from the computer if the computer's USB-C port supports that mode? B) Can you use the telescope normally while connected to a computer? If yes to both, I could see running this off of a computer all/most of the night. And, especially, if the raw 10s exposures are available being able to download and delete from the telescope the previous staking observation while running a stacking observation on either the same or a different object. BTW, what is the USB speed? USB-3 or only USB-2?
Great! I would like to see more videos with Seestar tests, tricks, and suggestions. In this video, it was missing to talk about whether there will be a PRO mode that allows more adjustments and if that will be included in a software update, and also if it will be free for all buyers. Finally, I would like to suggest a video with image comparisons between the Dwarf and the Seestar. I imagine that the Seestar will be much better, but maybe the Dwarf can take better pictures of large objects that might appear “cut off” in the Seestar (it would be great to know if ZWO will also include a mosaic mode).
I just watched a side by side comparison video of the same 3 targets by ScottCastrophotography. Even after extensive post-processing the weird circular pattern noise is impossible to remove. Would be nice to see a cross of the two with the 8M pixel sensor of the Dwarf with the larger 50mm aperture of the Seestar plus equatorial mode support.
Great video Cuiv! I love planets and a smart telescope that can do that would be the Holy Grail…are there any prospects on the horizon that you know of?
For planets my feeling is that a normal telescope (where you can insert a cheap planetary camera from time to time) works best, since the targets are so bright... And the best telescope and sensor pairing will depend on the local seeing conditions... it's a tough one!
Excitement to get my pre-ordered S50 continues to grow! Appreciate the video Cuiv! Question... I'm super curious how well the S50 will do stacking comets like Nishimura? Comets that get close enough (or nearly close enough) to see with the naked eye? I suppose depending on 'how close?' they are... we'd have "field of view" limitations? Thoughts?
thank you for the clarification ! Browsing the internet, I see that the images taken with the seestar have a maximum integration time of around 1 hour, that's all! Isn't it possible to fit more hours into one night?? THANKS
Unfortunately this product is not available for months. After decades of geekdom and pre-ordering things, I have concluded that a product not available now does not really exist yet. Thanks for the great info though!
Pre-Order Links for the ZWO SEESTAR S50!
tinyurl.com/3n62hpzx (Direct from Maker/ZWO)
bit.ly/3Mf9pAU (Agena Astro)
tinyurl.com/53suzkw5 (All Star Telescope)
bit.ly/45k7J1b (High Point Scientific)
My initial impressions and first light: ua-cam.com/video/Nt29_kHV1Fg/v-deo.html
The competing Dwarflab Dwarf II Smart telescope: amzn.to/47Ztwxf or bit.ly/3SyChXu
Support me on Patreon!: www.patreon.com/cuivlazygeek
If you're planning on buying equipment (or anything from Amazon), it will help me if you first click the affiliate links in the description!
Great follow up video review. If I use one of your (above) links to purchase one, will the company know I bought it through your channel?
@@anthonysuarez7416 Yes they would, and the I would get a small kickback (but only if you have cookies enabled!). You can bypass that by disabling cookies or just avoiding my links :)
Thanks Cuiv. This is looking like a perfect little telescope to put into the boot of a car when going on vacation. How robust is it? Can it withstand less than delicate handling, or rough terrain, during transport?
My experience has been that folks often use the label “toy” to diminish things that aren’t to their taste because it makes them feel better, in contrast, about their activities. If someone is able to use something like the Seestar to make photos that make them happy, it’s a tool that is as serious as its user, and it’s a simple kindness to just respect that perspective.
Very nice review of the issues people have raised about the SeeStar S50, Cuiv! I think the folks who bash the unit as being a toy are forgetting the intended audience. I can't even imagine how much this would have brought the wonders of the night sky to me as a child! I would venture to say that something like this that sparks the imagination of a child (or young adult!) can even change the path they take in life. A "Tool Of Your" (TOY) imagination. I had one ordered but my wife thought my granddaughters were too young yet. 🙄 Yeah, but what about me? 🤣
Greg I love your "Tool Of Your" Imagination acronym, well said!!
Got mine today 10:30AM in Germany! Did some FW updates as well as doing pictures from sun and nearby houses. Great Auto-Fokus and Sun-Tracking option. Working absolutly great!!!
Congrats on getting yours!! I think a lot of people are jealous! Glad it's working well for you :)
Would you mind sharing where you bought yours from?
@@3sCaptAwesome yes, directly from ZWO in China in April
@@elythomaslumber , thank you and enjoy your new tech!
Can you see Saturn clearly?
Love the style of your videos and how your enthusiastic personality shines through. Ordered mine and will be observing from Maine, USA.
Awesome! Enjoy it!
I can see more of this technology becoming available in time for larger telescopes, which is a good time saving/stress relieving thing.
Enjoy Japan! No specific shop recommendations unfortunately...
I love seeing these smart telescopes. I love tinkering with my setup, and want to build it out, but it weighs like 60lbs! There are nights where i want to image something i can’t see from my balcony but don’t want to bring down my setup. Between harmonic drive mounts and these affordable smart telescopes i think this will drive my passion and many others up. It’s a very exciting time to be an astronomer and i love it
It makes sense that the built in filter is optimized already. It may take a while for the community to figure out which filters will produce the biggest gains.
Thank you for all the information. They've done SUCH a good job with this telescope that people are confused, that's why they're asking questions like "are the pictures real" and "is it a toy". For those people who think a £500+ telescope is a toy, please wait until closer to Xmas to order one for your kid, because I'd like to get hold of some stock first.
You're absolutely right! And good strategy to get yours asap lol
Hi Cuiv, yes, I believe that someone was able to download individual images and, later use DSS to stack them to feed in Siril for analysis post processing. As you said, it is a nice gear to take with you anywhere without major problem, Thanks for your analysis on the S50 (and many other ones you have done as well). Oh, I forgot, it would be interesting to know bluetooth capability.
That's awesome! For now BT seems to be used to detect whether the telescope is available for connection, but not much more (could be different on iOS)
Thank you for tackling the question about whether the images are fake. I just got ours a couple weeks ago and at first light, when we saw Saturn's rings at 4x, we were taken aback. And it was busy showing details of M51 and beautiful images of M13 within minutes of imaging. I did see a satellite trail in one, but given how advanced generative AI is, the suspicion remained. So excited to use this personally and for outreach.
Great video Cuiv! - Seems like the LP filter segment matches up well with what we were talking about the other day, interesting! 😀
Can't wait to see more!
I've been waiting for something like this for travel work. It's really great for travel to cities because we don't have to worry about polar alignment when our balcony has a good view of the southern sky but consequently, Polaris is blocked by the building.
Totally agree!
Very cool little scope! I probably would have bought this last year if available. I went with a 72mm refractor, eqm35 mount and Zwo mini, 533mcpro, EAF. Zwo makes it easy to stack, and it's the feature I use the most. I can see how it's hard to believe because of how unreal the night sky actually is. Adding L enhance filters improved this further in moderately light polluted city.
Sounds great!
Super info, I have a vespera and did pre order the seestar, as you can never have enough telescopes. Convinced 3 others to order the seestar. We need more astronomy outreach. Keep up the great work
Hahaha yes never can have enough telescopes, how do you like the Vespera?
I'm thinking more and more about getting one of those smart telescopes. Living in the city, with limited space in my flat and no car, I think this is the best choice for me. Now I have to choose which one
I am excited for the opportunity this provides for our middle and high school students that want to see these DSOs they see on the web, but wouldn’t get to actually see even in our NexStar8SE. Anything that gets my students more interested in the astronomy, the photography, the electronics, the software, etc. is a welcome addition to my educational toolbox.
The only non-toy telescope I ever used was the 100" telescope at Mt Wilson Observatory. I saw 37 rings on Saturn with it. This telescope ushered in modern astronomy in 1917 (Edwin Hubble used it). The scope is still in pristine condition after 106 years.
Yet another great video. Just ordered mine. Hoping I get it before Christmas.
Thanks Marvin! I hope you do get it by Christmas, this thing is in high demand...
Just found out mine shipped. Yeah. Christmas came early.
Great answers to some good questions! Nice to hear all this from an experienced astrophotographer. Many of these tend to bash a product like this, but it's a great (and affordable) entry into the hobby. Maybe some day. we'll dive deeper with better equipment, but for a beginner, this seems like an ideal tool to just go out and explore. We ordered one today.
it's not a toy I have been doing astronomy since 1966 this is great I'm going to get one❤
Wow what a great video!! We have been discussing this in our astronomy club. The equatorial mount and filter questions were some our members also thought about. We also wanted to be able to get the files for using pix insite on them.
Glad I was able to answer some questions! And apparently we'll be able to stack in PixInsight in the end, I'm looking forward to this! :)
I just order it on last friday after i ran into your first testing of the scope. I watched of few other reviews and had to get it. Cant wait to get it.
I hope you get it soon!
@@CuivTheLazyGeek thanks
I'm sure some people bash it because they spend 10x the amount and don't get images as good as the Seestar. I have a 8" EdgeHD I use for planetary photography. I don't wish to spend as much to delve into deep sky, so I ordered a Seestar to get my feet wet. Looking forward to it's delivery.
It's definitely a solid entry point to deep sky, I hope you enjoy it!
Hi there! Love your channel - the energy you bring is infectious. At last, a good infection! On the basis of your first Seestar review I nipped over to a well respected and trusted Astro kit supplier and placed my 25% deposit on my very own Seestar. I’m excited to receive it but it will be a bit of a wait. I live in Australia and shipping is not expected to commence before 30 November. Maybe I will get a really cool Christmas present. I have friends who have been amateur astronomers for years and years but I’m getting too old to acquire their level of knowledge however willing they are to share. For me, this is a fantastic option and my knowledgeable friends are very supportive of my decision especially from the Seestar’s specifications. I must thank you for helping me find a great way to add an excellent hobby at the ideal time of my life. It means a lot. I too am a geek, lazy as they come, thus your reviews really spoke to me. I’ve liked and subscribed but wild horses couldn’t make turn on the bell. Sorry. Hehe. You keep producing videos and I’ll keep watching and sharing them. All the very best to you and yours, and thank you again. 😊
Thanks so much for this feedback, I hope you do get it by Christmas!!
Hi Cuiv,
Cool video, I think you should make some more Q&A videos, because many of the action in this channel is in the comments!
Yesterday in an Astronomy group in FB, someone (new to astronomy) asked if there is a cheap telescope they could buy , take to a dark place, and without any knowledge just press a button and look though the eyepiece and see something. Push Here Dummy style.
The answer they got is: "there is nothing like that, you should join some club or star party and ..." - which BTW is a very good advice
But I said: hey there are new tools that do just that!! These are definitely tools! As you said FUN and TOOLS!
Thanks for stepping in haha :) There are indeed such toys/tools!
@9:00 It seems that it could handle the stacking and dithering while taking the next light frame. The computer that does the stacking inside of the camera is likely mostly idle while taking a light frame. This sounds like something could be fixed with an update and some process improvement.
The same with not being able to see and select images for the stack. It would be a bit a bit of work for the photographer to go through and choose which images to use, but this could likely salvage an image with some bad light frames, clouds, planes, a car driving by etc. Once they tweak the firmware both of these should be non issues.
Nice review!
Really looking hard at one of these 'all in one' setups due to my own limited time and energy. I wish it had an 80mm triplet or quad objective even though it would be a bit heavier/bulkier to transport. (everything in astrophotography seems to get exponentially heavier and more expensive as you go up in aperture). But on the other hand, it's pretty darn impressive for the current '50mm craze'! What a time we live in!! 🎶🍰🎁🎉😜
Yes indeed!
这个产品只是第一个版本，是一个尝试，后面应该还会有更多型号可供选择
I have a nice 6" SCT already but yes I did just order the SeeStar - Its a completely different thing for a different purpose and its going to be so easy to put in a back pack and take anywhere
Exactly!
There is a dual NB filter in the production unit they say! EDIT: I get it now! the Lightpollution Filter IS the Dualband Filter (ZWO Website shows it).
Oh wow, thanks for the info, this is really good to know, I didn't realize that! It makes the low price of the telescope even more mystifying... how are they making any profit??
@@CuivTheLazyGeekBecause it's made in China by a 12 year old. 😢
So glad I found this video! I was pretty much ready to go forward with this one but I did have a nagging concern that it might simply be using stored image data to Overlay the pictures the camera was taking. So glad you helped to spell that idea. Many thanks
I cant wait to see some images from it!
There are some in the previous video, but I'll take more once I get more clear skies!
@@CuivTheLazyGeek I’m curious to see what framing is going to be like with a fixed sensor. Will something like Andromina need to be shot as a mosaic and will this even soot a mosaic. I can’t wait to see what you put together
Thanks Cuiv. I can see me getting this for EAA at some of our club's observing session.
An important video, thank you! I had the thought that maybe these photos were fake. But I guess I didn’t believe that because I ordered one last week!!! I have some physical issues right now so this will let me continue my love and work on the galaxies and nebulae!!!
I can understand why people’s first reaction would be to bash it and call it a toy. If I have been doing this for a long time, spent 1,000s of dollars. I’d be kind of angry too lol. But that’s the march of technology. As well as these have been reported to be selling, other companies are going to start making their versions and it will just get better. I love that you don’t have all of those separate cords and moving parts. It’s an all in one unit.
Hello Cuiv, thanks for your second review, I ordered mine for long time but they are on back order, they sent it does to UA-camrs like you, one day can use it. Thanks for sharing
LOVE my Seestar so far. LUNAR image was AMAZING. Still struggling with nebula and Galaxies! I am CONFIDENT it is MY inexperience!
Man you should come to visit rural Japan, the night sky is perfect for this machine! Im Slovakian living near Achi (Japan no. 1 night sky) and I'm looking forward for every clear night
Oh wow, I'm so jealous! And yes I know I need to find ways to travel more...
With the relatively narrow Field of View, I would like to buy this if ZWO could in future bundle some software to mosaic several adjacent stacked images (eg. 2x2 or 3x2 would be brilliant).
I would pay a bit more than the current price if this feature could be included, to overcome the narrow FOV for wider views. I guess the following would also help to optimise mosaic images:
Equatorial mode operating off a static polar aligned wedge mount would also be great, to eliminate the field rotation artifacts.
Gear like this Seestar S50 make it an exciting time to be looking to play at the entry level end of astrophotography.
A "Pro" version of this would be interesting. I'm sure if there was a version with a mono sensor, BVR photometric filters and the facility to change exposure length it would be useful for variable star monitoring.
I'm sure the S80 will bring it all together. Eq mount and all. I'll play with this toy until then.
@@robinletcher2676That's exactly the size that I thought of 😂 EQ, bigger aperture and FL, more light and essentially the same software and it would be a dream for most.
Lots of great questions answered. I’m on preorder here in Canada. I made the purchase because of your first video. I’m new to astrophotography and want something easy to get me going so I can learn and see if maybe investing in a larger rig might be an option for me in the future. I appreciate you taking the time to make this content. I’m hoping my daughter will take an interest in it as well and maybe ignite the spark.
Good day. Just ordered mine too for similar reasons. i'm in Canada and i like the simple fact that i can look at sky objects while in my heated house! I'll be 60 next year and staying out for hours with a 70lbs rig that i have to setup every "goog" night is no longer part of the fun. Thanks Cuiv!
@@jvanier this is a really good point. Having it sit out on the lawn while I’m inside is a great selling point. I wonder if ZWO will update the temperature range at all. Currently I think the lowest is 0 degrees. I know most winter nights that will be spectacular for viewing will be significantly colder.
Here's hoping the spark does get ignited, it really is a good tool for that!
Can't wait to get mine so I can show my daughter the beautiful night sky
3:42 settles it. I trust your videos. We all do.
Thanks for posting!
Thank you:)
I was looking at starting astrophotography, but the setup I think would be great for beginner (in a way), will cost more than 7000$CA, which is really expensive (but as a photographer I understand photography gear is expensive). Now that I know this exist, I think I will buy it first. Why? Because I will use it mostly like the setup I configured, aka an automated compact refractor build. Will it be better than a ZenithStar 73 coupled with a ASI2600MC and an AM3? Of course not, but it's 10x less expensive, but probably not 10x as bad.
It will help me see if I really want to enter this hobby and spend that much money. See if I have the courage to spend nights setting up the thingy to do hours of exposure. It will help me get the subs and imaging, learn processing. At the end, if I buy the expensive setup, I will still be a nice thing to have during star parties, or travel and stuff.
And it does sun photography, which for the 2024 eclipse is nice, ngl.
As a beginner in the hobby, I'm very excited for this. Also, I'm very excited for ZWO to update this thing with a "pro/manual" setting. Because at the end, it's a rougly 230mm apo-triplet with a Az mount. The cheaper Az mount star tracker that exist in Canada is the Sky-Watcher and it's the same price than the whole Seestar. Tells you that much I think.
Thanks for this feedback! That's exactly how I see it - it's a great way to get into the hobby and test the waters, it's also very complimentary with an existing astrophoto setup! I've found myself using this little smart scope to browse the skies while my main scope was imaging :)
@@CuivTheLazyGeek That's great to hear then! If the product is good enough for someone of your experience, it tells a lot. I'm sure I'll be able to obtain some quality pictures with it too. Especially if I get to have the subs.
I pre-ordered the scope, unfortunately I won't it until November according to canadian distributors, but right on time for Orion.
Thank you for the review and updates, helped me a lot. I'm eager to see what you will do next with it. :)
I remember using a telescope camera motor my Dad made in the ‘60’s as a kid. Loved it and would like to get one for the kids in the family, but I honestly don’t know if they would be interested for more than one minute before going back to their phone! I’d use it anyway.
For the price, this thing is a must buy for every serious astronomer as well as an interesting buy for regular consumers. Gatekeeping is ridiculous. Nobody is forced to use it and it's cheap enough for everybody.
I agree - it's just a fun scope!
Excellent video!!! One more question you can ask ZWO is when are these shipping!! The community is waiting eagerly to get our hands on these and they keep delaying shipping!!! Can’t wait to get mine!! Been waiting years for this!!
Thank you for answering all of my unposted questions 😊 !!! This is extremely helpful!
My pleasure!
Dwarf 2 vs Seestar vs basic budget Astro setup would you do one on that ?
I'll need to make a full video on that :)
@@CuivTheLazyGeek looking forward for that. Your videos are inspiring.
Cuiv, you better get me a space to sleep in your couch, because your videos just convinced me to orrder the Seestar S50 (while already owning a Dwarf II) and my wife will surely kick me out. :)
Hahaha I have a guest room lol Hope you have the dog house prepared in the mean while :)
If you still have access to the Dwarf 2, it would be great see a shoot-out video, comparing your photos from both :)
In the plans!
Yes, it’s a toy. Just like my $6000.00 dollar Lunt is, and all my other scopes and cameras are. The only difference is this toy is accessible to kids as well adults where the more expensive ones really aren’t. This is going to be great for outreach.
If you could reach through a portal and let Copernicus use it for a night, would he call it a toy? No he'd probably call it the best scope in the world. Perspective.
If Copernicus could figure out what it was for, then he would probably think it was wonderful because it would be the first scope he ever saw. Copernicus died in 1543 and the telescope was allegedly created in 1608 by Hans Lippershey (and he filed a patent for the telescope). The James Webb telescope in 480 years will be of no scientific use to civilization. But it would make a hell of a toy! So yeah, perspective.
There is always someone in the comments section that is self opinionated and desperate to have the final say...you must be terrific at parties at making new friends, if you actually get invited that is 🤔
@@53glowe oh did I hurt your feelings? So sad.
@@davidtotten3042 well, you sure did prove him right.
I wonder if ZWO will make larger Seestars in the future, like S-80, S-100, S-120 perhaps? That would be cool!
Hope they make a mk2 with a bigger sensor and even better optics for closer images. I don’t mind it being a tad bigger. What is the next step up if one is willing to put up 800-1000 EUR but that has the similar smart features as the Seesta but that could produce even better images?
Yep, I agree - good optics + easier to use our own filters + optional equatorial mode + optional cooled camera upgrade :)
Celestron Origin
@@jonathanfotografo thank you
Really appreciate your reviews of S50 and Dwarf II, Cuiv - Thank You! After watching your in-depth Dwarf II coverage, I acquired this portable scope for travel to NZ. I have, however, experienced some serious 'banding' issues with stacking my Dwarf II subs (using WBPP) and the stacked/calibrated and cosmetically corrected image, after further processing in PI amplified this banding and substandard final images resulted. Perhaps this banding is 'walking noise' resulting from stacking too many Dwarf II short exposures with fixed noise...?? As your S50 images do not seem to display any significant banding (per above description) - perhaps because the S50 provides effective dithering and better fixed noise dispersion... I have decided to order a S50 in hopes of generating RAW stacked (and eventually, subs) with improved SNR and the opportunity to generate improved final images using PI tools. Thanks again, Cuiv... please keep your information pipeline flowing... and advice regarding improved astro-imaging outcomes.
I really enjoy your videos - I stumbled upon you after seeing an article for the Dwarf II and now have gone down a rabbit hole of wanting to get into astralphotgraphy. I'm torn between the ZWO Seestar S50 and the Dwarf II - Do you have a preference of the two for someone that is just wanting to dip their feet and get started? Both of these seem like great options, I'm wondering what you think.
It's been proven many times that one doesn't need a giant light bucket on a super expensive equatorial mount to get great results. Even my phone camera, which has the tiniest of lenses can produce impressive results, under the right conditions and while cherry picking a suitable target, simply while laying screen down on a table (10 second timer delay to take picture).
Awesome man, I just got mine too here in TX. Testing it out tonight!
Cuiv, you have me convinced I am getting one.
Enjoy it (once you get it, the demand seems high!)
@@CuivTheLazyGeek I placed the order direct from ZWO website, hope to get it soon.
I live in an apartment and up till now I had to wait until the stars passes my bedroom window. I have about 40 degree wide view.
But this telescope it is so small that I can put it on my windowsill I suddenly have now a 120 degree view.
And it makes also possible to put at the other side on my kitchen windowsill having an additional 45 degree view without the buildings.
There is no polar alignment needed, just rotate a few times with calibration on and off you go.
Setup is a few minutes.
I did have connection issues through the network but today a firmware update happened v1.91 and the connection issues seems to be gone.
The Compas mode in SkyAtlas behaves erratic, but that is because you are zoomed in to the max. Just zoom out. The erratic nature is your phone's sensor that sends erratic data at that deep zoomed in level.
And something I struggled with is when you select something in the SkyAtlas you can make it move to that point. But no record button. Go back to the previous screen and select "Stargazing" that is where your record button is.
A comprehensive and helpful review, as always - Thank you
Thank you!
S50 is perfect for young people like kids to learn astronomy, most kids can use this with a phone or tablet, I wish I had this when I was a kid.
Absolutely - as a kid this would have been amazing...
Great FAQ, thank you very much! 😁👍 …now i only need my scope delivered to use it 🥲
These new smart scopes are definitely on my list of stuff to get. Way way more convenient than my Newtonian on a EQ mount. I’d use one of these 10 times more just because of the simplicity.
Exactly - they have their shortcomings of course but the convenience...
I know, I'm already thinking crazy things, but what if we can "freeze" the telescope in a certain position, attach it to an Equatorial mount and only the focusing/imaging would be active so we can use it as a 50mm imaging scope, that does it's own focusing . I know lol my idea is basically throwing away 90% of its capabilities, since otherwise it would be just a 50mm triplet scope with an autofocuser (which is not bad, right? ).
p.s. I can almost bet, that by the end of the year, someone will attempt to do what I just said, maybe even succeed LOL!
I love this scope and don't consider it to be a toy. Its small, compact, and portable, and can be used as a tool for scientific purposes, imaging, and educational purposes. Its small and portable, compared to my bigger rigs which take a lot of effort to take to the field (Heavy tripod and mount head, must bring power to the field, counterweights, etc. With this one, just grab it and go, no long setup or polar alignment or heavy lifting.
I’m really hoping zwo will come out with an integrated Wi-Fi camera that I can operate EAA easily with my cell phone!
Another great video, Cuiv! Question, please.... I assume a large tablet with WiFi would work the same as a smartphone, and yield more work space and larger images. Have you used a tablet with the SeeStar? FYI: I ordered mine in late July during the ZWO pre-sale promotion. I'm hoping I'll take delivery by November this year. Thanks, Michael
From what I’ve seen the app for IOS is only formatted for the iPhone. I’ve seen another video where the user put it on an iPad and it basically just stretches the app. So no extra usable space in app yet. It would be nice to see a native iPad app at some point for sure.
@@thecarbonprop Thanks for your response.... I'm an android guy and have found that astro software seems to favor that OS, but I agree that a tablet will only stretch the SeeStar app.
I don't think they have a tablet-optimized version, so yes I think it would just stretch the app (still nice to see it bigger) - unfortunately I don't have a tablet to test!
While I don’t have my SeeStar yet I do have the app on my iPad. You can tap in the bottom right corner to make it fill the screen. Unfortunately it is really made for portrait mode, yes it will rotate and allow use in landscape mode it won’t stretch out and fill the screen in that orientation leaving you with a smaller screen area than in portrait mode.
How many times I have set up my 12 inch scope, setting up, cooling the mirror, collimating then clouds coming over. This makes sense as quick to setup, easy to use, light and gets great results. I am definitely looking at buying one of these.
It's really a good little scope :)
Fantastic video. You answered a lot of my questions. I have one unanswered question though.
If I am imaging in Nebula, and letting the telescope do it for one hour, does this mean the phone with the app running has to be right next to the telescope? Or can I start the imaging on the phone and then walk into my home to watch an episode of my favorite series and come to the backyard to see the stacked image? Wondering whether it is mandatory for the phone and the device to stay connected throughout the imaging process.
Answered as text in the conclusion of the video :) yes, the phone can be disconnected, the imaging and stacking will continue
Love your channel. I just purchased my S50 and have had it for a few days now. It's mindblowing what it can do. The only thing I can not seem to get to work is the auto-save for the images. Am I missing something right under my nose?
For me the images automatically appear in my Google photos (on Android)
"Just a toy". I suffered a similarly dismissive attitude from the Amateur Radio fraternity when I obtained my Foundation Licence. To be honest, I allowed those comments to completely alienate from from the hobby. Instead, we really ought to encourage people into the hobby and never, ever degrade their enthusiasm by being so unkind.
Absolutely! There's sometimes some gatekeeping going on...
I really want one of these.
Its like my 2. 3d printer.. Its a bambu lab, no fiddeling, like my first 3d printer.. It just auto almost everything, so press and print.
Thats what I want from my 1. Telescope, press and watch.
Your experience testing the external filter makes me think there may be something to the concern that the internal ir/cut filter is blocking important bands…. That’s really the only reason I can think of
Thanks for the video. As always, great job 👍
Can’t wait to get mine
Thanks Cuiv. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the performance differences of the sensors in the Seestar and the Dwarf II. Is 2 megapixels too small ?
Well done, lots of great information!
Thank you!
Someone just asked the "is it fake" question on the official fb page. It's funny because I can see clouds live when they pass, friends laughed with my when a plane flew in front of my Seestar. As for "is it a toy?": I would say yes. Telescopes in general are toys. They don't really provide anything of use to us other than having fun looking at the sky - But, is there anything wrong with this? :p half my fun is exploring the atlas. The other half is editing. 😊
Very well explained Cuiv. I was aware of the questions re is the image faked due to the Samsung cellphone camera moon image enhancements, but I think you could have answered the does it download images from the internet question by stating without station mode, the Seestar has no access to the internet, it forms it's own access point to connect to the smartphone or tablet.
I thought of that approach..... but then people would say that it has the images pre-loaded :)
Good point Cuiv. Welcome to the world of conspiracy theories!
It is definitely fake images. It is not downloaded directly from the internet. It uses AI to enhance its poor photos and we all know where AI gets its image from. Yes, it is sneaky. Computational photography. How can so many people get fooled by this!!! Test it on a new object that has not been photographed.
Like "heavyjohnny", I'm interested in knowing what the quality limits are with the images someone can get from this rig. So... dark site, clear night, carefully processed. Most of the test images I've seen on YT have been only of a well done EAA quality. Thanks.
Wanting to get to a dark sky as soon as I can
How would you compare it to the DWARF 2?
Aaah I think this will need a full video! Both are worthwhile, I'd say if you're an astrophotographer who likes to tinker, the Dwarf II is closer to the full astrophoto experience, while if you just want to relax and never have to think about anything, the ZWO is better :D
@@CuivTheLazyGeek Ok, thanks. Yes, it would be interesting to see, if you compared both in a dedicated video. Nevertheless, I acquired the Dwarf 2 recently due to its portability. It's around 2kg ligther than the Seestar and this makes quite a difference when backpacking.
Good video and good analysis. I like your channel.
I started to do astronomy few months ago. My brother gave me a 12 inches dobsonian with tracking but it is so big it doesn't fit into my car so I am stuck in my bortle 7 backyard. I am not well equipped to do photography right now: I can use my iphone to put on top of the eyepiece or use my old Canon 40D. So, I have a dilemma, I am thinking to buy a ZWO ASI678MC with an ASIair to capture good planetary shots and don't expect too much for deep sky. That would cost me around $800 canadian but I don't want to spend that money for nothing if I end up buying a deep sky refractor telescope like a Redcat that can cost me close to $10,000 all equipped with tracking system, a good mount and a good camera but don’t have the money now. I think I would need both but more I think about this small Seestar, I could have a lot of fun with deep sky captures (without big expectations) and also buy the planetary camera for my dobsonian.
Eventually I may buy a conventional refractor for deep sky. Although, I think smart telescopes is going to become the futur for main stream astronomy an will improve a lot in the coming years similar to photography did with smartphones for the last 5 to 10 years. 👍
Ordered in September or August. Still on backorder.
My issue with devices like this, although being extremely cool and relatively cheap you are seeing the light from the stars/moon with your own eyes. Instead seeing it through a screen which for me takes away from the experience. I think I'd rather go for a traditional telescope but with a tracking feature and app. I've now idea what they cost but this for me just doesn't hit the mark.
I fully understand the feeling! I remember the EVscope actually having an electronic eyepiece to mimic that feeling of seeing it with your own eyes :) But yeah there is something amazing about eeking out galaxy arm details with averted vision, seeing more and more stars in globular clusters as the eyes adjust, that feeling of shiny diamonds on black velvet... incomparable. Now I want to get an ETX 125 again!
I agree, it’s nice to see things directly with your own eyes, gives you a connection to the object that is missing on a screen. However, apart from a few very bright objects, the view through an eyepiece is, in my opinion, extremely underwhelming. I was blown away when I moved from my 8 inch Newt with (expensive) eyepiece to an inexpensive 72mm doublet refractor, a cheap colour camera on a cheap equatorial mount. Could see so much more detail, and in colour, in just a few minutes. Wouldn’t go back to visual astronomy now, (although I still love sweeping starfields in dark sites with a pair of binoculars!)
I now have a pretty good setup that I use in my suburban back garden, but far from portable! I’m really tempted by a Seestar for when I’m on holiday in places with better skies than home. The price is incredible, you would be hard pushed to assemble anything competitive from components.
Thanks for the reviews Cuiv
How do you suggest to connect the scope to a large monitor in order to show the images to a group of people? Thanks!
I wonder whether a bigger and more sturdy tripod will improve the behaviour under windy conditions. Of course in some sense this contradicts the idea of having a small and compact device. I assume with the small tripod the center of mass is quite high and a more serious tripod could change this.
It's possible indeed - although to be honest the provided tripod, while small, is well built and sturdy. Maybe hanging a weight off of it could helps as well!
Does it have enough storage to collect pictures for 6 hours?
Hi, Cuiv...thanks for all your excellent videos! I live at almost 3000m under dark skies in Colorado and have an 11" SCT. Haven't tried astrophotography yet (crummy mount) but was just gifted an Ha modified DSLR so I'll try for some lucky images (and I have a Seestar on order). Meanwhile...whence the name Cuiv? You already have a touristy square on Montmartre named for you...
Hahaha yes that certain Place in Montmartre :) Cuiv is an abbreviation of a nickname I've used (which is based on Tolkien Elvish - yes I am a geek)
I'm pushing a bit on the equatorial mode questions, but I'm very curious if the software is able to adjust the speed of the motors if the telescope isn't perfectly flat (aimed towards the north celestial pole for example 😁). I assume it would give error messages, but I'm still curious.
This seems like the perfect telescope to start astronomy though, gives the most room for progression, while still having a decent sized lens. Even having a full astrophotography rig, I wouldn't mind having one for when I have a bit of time to share astronomy with others in a few minutes
The telescope actually detects tilt, and has a feature that helps you adjust the tripod legs within the app!
I agree with you. My shop tools are toys. My telescopes are toys. My '57 Chevys were toys. Computers.....anything I use for enjoyment are toys. They cease to be toys when I feel like I HAVE to go work on them. That is when I gave up my antique automobiles....I was having to work on them instead of WANTING to work on them! Hobbies with their toys are for enjoyment. Of course there really ARE toy telescopes, but most can tell the difference between a $500 imaging system, and a $60 department store 60mm 900 power joke.
Considering that first image you took in your initial assessment this appears to be a pretty good scope.
One thing people need to keep in mind though. I have a feeling this company is going to start bringing out slightly larger objective lenses on each version every year or so. I am considering buying one but would be unhappy if I bought one of these, and a month later they introduced a 75mm or 100mm version for $100 more, or something. How about you checking with the company and see if they will tell you what they are planning for in the near future?
Does it come installed with a solar filter? Have you tried imaging a planet yet? (I realize it is probably not ideal for this)
As for the wind problem....does it HAVE to be used on it's included tripod, or can it be placed on a heavy duty tripod or pier? And if so, do you feel the scope itself is contributing to it's shakiness or is it totally due to the small tripod?
Thanks for your reviews. Your videos are very informative.
Completely agree! I don't know what their plans are (they won't tell me), but since they specifically added S50 in their naming scheme, it seems likely they'll introduce larger apertures. Although for photo/EAA 50mm does work great (Redcat 51 can attest to that).
It does come with a solar filter (tested in the previous video), but I haven't tested planets yet.
The included tripod is actually very solid and robust, but the scope is a standard 3/8 inch screw, so it can be used with other tripods for sure. Still I feel a lot of the wind sensitivity is due to the scope body itself and not the tripod.
When connected to a computer via USB-C cable, A) will it charge from the computer if the computer's USB-C port supports that mode? B) Can you use the telescope normally while connected to a computer? If yes to both, I could see running this off of a computer all/most of the night. And, especially, if the raw 10s exposures are available being able to download and delete from the telescope the previous staking observation while running a stacking observation on either the same or a different object.
BTW, what is the USB speed? USB-3 or only USB-2?
Great q&a. Would they allow higher exposures like 13 or 15 sec?
Have you attempted to connect the device directly to your Android, or maybe an iPhone to access the storage and download the files?
Great! I would like to see more videos with Seestar tests, tricks, and suggestions. In this video, it was missing to talk about whether there will be a PRO mode that allows more adjustments and if that will be included in a software update, and also if it will be free for all buyers. Finally, I would like to suggest a video with image comparisons between the Dwarf and the Seestar. I imagine that the Seestar will be much better, but maybe the Dwarf can take better pictures of large objects that might appear “cut off” in the Seestar (it would be great to know if ZWO will also include a mosaic mode).
ZWO一直在迭代Seestar的软件，软件升级是免费的。Pro模式目前没有。我们订购S50的用户会被邀请加入ZWO创建的群组里，我们已经向ZWO的工作人员提出了软件增加Pro模式的需求，他们后面会考虑的。
I just watched a side by side comparison video of the same 3 targets by ScottCastrophotography. Even after extensive post-processing the weird circular pattern noise is impossible to remove. Would be nice to see a cross of the two with the 8M pixel sensor of the Dwarf with the larger 50mm aperture of the Seestar plus equatorial mode support.
Great video Cuiv! I love planets and a smart telescope that can do that would be the Holy Grail…are there any prospects on the horizon that you know of?
For planets my feeling is that a normal telescope (where you can insert a cheap planetary camera from time to time) works best, since the targets are so bright... And the best telescope and sensor pairing will depend on the local seeing conditions... it's a tough one!
Excitement to get my pre-ordered S50 continues to grow! Appreciate the video Cuiv! Question... I'm super curious how well the S50 will do stacking comets like Nishimura? Comets that get close enough (or nearly close enough) to see with the naked eye? I suppose depending on 'how close?' they are... we'd have "field of view" limitations? Thoughts?
thank you for the clarification ! Browsing the internet, I see that the images taken with the seestar have a maximum integration time of around 1 hour, that's all! Isn't it possible to fit more hours into one night?? THANKS
Unfortunately this product is not available for months. After decades of geekdom and pre-ordering things, I have concluded that a product not available now does not really exist yet. Thanks for the great info though!
They've started shipping for "normal" customers too now, but I completely understand the point of view!
Do you also have example Pics from your location in Tokyo?
Check his previous video on the S50
I will take more pics once the weather clears, will likely share results (and raw frames) once I do!