People Are Upset At This Automatic Telescope
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- Опубліковано 17 січ 2024
- I saw some comments from "hardcore" astrophotographers talking bad about the ZWO Seestar S50 telescope. Though the scope is getting a lot of good responses from a majority of the community, I couldn't help but make this video after seeing some responses from people.
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Great video Ian! You are totally right about astronomy clubs being the gatekeepers! I once tried to teach deep sky astro at my local astronomy club for a public night but they turned me down and said I could only teach visual astronomy. Why not teach it on the side especially if it’s using something like a Seestar S50? I’m not totally against visual astronomy. I thought my case was an isolated incident but your video convinced me that it wasn’t.
In principle I have nothing against making astrophotography more accessible. For the most part these scopes aren't competing with astrophotograhy setups they're competing with regular telescopes. The issue I have is that going forward more and more people are going to get their start in the hobby with these "smart telescopes". That first experience of looking at various celestial objects with your own eyes is really special. Looking at them through a screen is going to seriously dilute that experience.
Just make your own event, they don't own the night
@@testboga5991I agree!
@@Top_Weeb I have to respectfully disagree, I have done dozens of outreach events and normal people are not impressed by a visual telescope unless it's huge and even then many are disappointed because of Hubble. I'm going to a star party this summer and I bet my Seestar attracts more public attention and gets more wows than my friends 18 inch dob. We astronomers appreciate a visual telescope, I know i always will but normal people who are just starting out not so much and that is where we lose them, that visual telescope starts collecting dust then one day I end up rescuing it on Craigslists for 1/5th it's price lol. The Seestar has a social media aspect to it and the amount of people posting images and the stories of the families enjoying their telescope has this old astronomer smiling from ear to ear.
I gave my SeeStar to one of the senior members of the astronomy club in Halifax. It’s been about three weeks now. He’s been out every night, sharing his images with the community. Bottom line, people who use this telescope, are finding joy in it. Even folks who have been stargazing since the 1960s.
I would have never gotten into the hobby without this tool. After four months of pure enjoyment, I’m hooked and I’m ready to step it up to a new rig. Who cares if it gets more people to ponder their place in the cosmos?
I wouldn’t by no means call myself a senior, but I’m in my late 50s and I have many disabling health issues i.e. bad back and shoulders and even neck. I’ve went out and spent almost over $1000 trying to enjoy Astro photography but this here, for me, was a game changer. Because the days of me leaning over a telescope, unable to steady with myself, due to back pain just so I can enjoy the hobby was getting too much. So this was a Godsend for me.
We had a star party scheduled for tonight, but it got canceled because of the cloudy weather and I was on a three-way call with one of the guys in our astronomy club that has Seestar. and he sent me a few pictures and I have to tell you, they are phenomenal especially for a $500 freaking item
I lost my wife a few months ago and with it my joy of astrophotography, this little gem has helped reignite my passion and I believe has also helped my mental health by helping me focus once again on something, at some point in the future i'm sure, I will get my big rigs out again, My daughters are pleased that this is helping me through the hard times.
That’s wonderful. I hope they enjoy your shots too.
I am sorry for your loss but I'm glad you found joy in astronomy
Sorry for your loss. Get the big rigs out again, I believe in you!
Everyone...do your own thing.
The sky is big enough for all of us.
This is the truth.
Nailed it 👍
It's getting people interested in astronomy and that's a good thing in viewing the wonders of our universe.
I had a accident which put me in a wheelchair so i had to stop astrophotography because of the setup was to difficult for me then i got a Seestar happy days i can fit it on the back of my wheelchair and away i go so ive got my passion back
I've been an amateur astronomer for 30 years. Most of the complainers are guys that spent six times as much and get images that are twice as good. 120 years ago they would be saying, "I'll keep my horse, those cars will never catch on".
It’s buyers remorse. They convince them selves and others to buy a 2k mount that needs to be “tuned” for it to work properly. They are crazy. It’s like they enjoy being fucked over by manufacturers
You both are just wrong. I agree this is an amazing value but you have a fraction of the functionality, and you're limited to short exposure. @RaisinEnjoyer
You're right it does have its limits, but so do all my other scopes, I lost my wife a few months ago and with it my joy of astrophotography, this little gem has helped reignite my passion and I believe has also helped my mental health by helping me focus once again on something, at some point in the future i'm sure @@Masoch1st
This is your opinion after 30 years? On the contrary, people who spend x6 or more actually buy the car not the horse, and they don't spend all night tinkering with the Chinese BS mount or scope either, because in case you didn't find out in 30 years, you get what you pay for.
@@RaisinEnjoyer add another 0 to that 2k, and you won't have to tune anything, it will work properly for years. 2k doesn't buy you a good mount. Wouldn't that be amazing :)
Imagine being that pissed off when no one is forcing you to do anything or to change your ways at all.
Same happens with topics like abortion, gay marriage,politics and religion. Nobody is telling them to change their ways but they are angry that someone else thinks in a different way.
I love my SeeStar. As an astronomer for nearly 40 years, I am recommending this telescope to anyone and everyone. I recognize the point of view from long time astrophotographers. But they should be encouraging not disparaging. This telescope opens doors and does not close it.
I’m new to the hobby and love my Seestar. And, purists, don’t worry, it’s also a gateway drug to fancy equipment.
Galileo used a 26mm telescope.
That comment about "real" telescopes being 60mm and larger was baffling to me
well now days.. you see they have this attitude.. that not only does the telescope have to have equatorial to take 'good' images, but you have to spend time and money on your software to process it. or your not legit. you see. galileo didnt have pixin$ight either. if you dont have all the latest greatest. you just are not in the club. the guys are going to LOVE what ai is bringing to town. they will be the old guys who tell stories how they walked 3 days to process their shots in the snow. processing is only going to get easier as well as taking photos.
Galileo’s day, all sky’s were bortle 1
Yeah, but he didn't see sh*t. He could barely discern Saturn's rings at all.
good times...@@woody5109
So I sit in the comfort of my living room, it’s 24 degrees outside, and watch nebula’s develop before my eyes over a couple of hours. I then tweak it in software, which is an art form, and share them and compare them with friends.
I like it.
My 14” dob is sitting idle in the garage while I play with this thing.
So I lay in the comfort of my bed, it's cold and cloudy outside and just search for images of whatever sky objects I want on the web 👌👍😎🔥💪
I was going to go on vacation to Hawaii but then I figured why bother I could sit in the comfort of my home and stare at pictures of other people's vacations in Hawaii online. Yeah... @@ulisessolis3182
Probably the dumbest response I've ever heard. Yeah how about instead of going on vacation You just search for other people who went on vacation and enjoy their photos. Saves you the trip.
@@sixt3denied Haha. Good response. :-)
@@sixt3denied when in vacation you experience something, you're not there to take photos. when pushing buttons if front of a screen you experience what?
It's not fair that people are watching this video on ready-made computers they bought at Best Buy for $500. I built my own computer from the ground up based on an Apple IIe and cassette tape drives. It's just not the same on an Asus.
There are the "gate keepers" with practically everything. I've experienced it with beekeeping, scuba diving, music, and pretty much everything else.
I've obviously been looking into this little telescope and knowing that my having it may just piss someone off pretty much makes me really want to get it. I do a lot of things when I'm not working and I dont always have time to drag out my actual telescope, this little sucker will fill the bill for me on a spur of the moment desire to look at the sky.
So the bullies at the clubs and such. Yeah, those people have actually helped me, just not how they think. They've helped me learn to do scuba stuff on my own without dropping thousands on gear. They've taught me to learn about my bees through my own research and also be able to catch my family stuff on Thursday nights since I dont go their chest thump meetings. My bees are fine and i'm comfy underwater. I'll also be quite comfy toss this little scope out back and my wife will actually use it with me rather than freeze her ass off out in the middle of BFE trying to get to the perfect spot with the bigger telescope.
You are so spot on!! I had the same experience when i first started out with condescending “pros”… those haters should go back to film cameras and manual tracking and then upload their results over a dial up connection! The SeeStar will attract a whole new generation of people who would have otherwise walked away from this hobby as the learning curve was so steep. I’ve waited years for someone to get this right and ZWO nailed it! It is sitting right next to my 14” SCT and I love them both… my S50 gets a lot of use… as they say, they best camera is the one you actually use…..
This is IMO the only properly priced smart telescope that I feel is worth the money. Some of the other ones I feel are priced too high. I also started off with a goto telescope vs. a manual telescope in 2016. I never regretted it one bit. But yeah, there were some challenges when I was new to it all. This is a very niche hobby and alot of the hard-core crowd is afraid of people with lesser skill set can capture something "comparable" to what they are doing without the struggle. I don't have plans to get one, but I wouldn't say no to owning one or frown on someone who got one.
Love this take! These people who I roasted should take note - you can be passionate about your hobby and enjoy the struggle while still being happy that technology is allowing the niche to grow.
"Get a horse", was heard a lot when the first cars came out.
First of all, great video and thank you for defending those of us who use, and love, the SeeStar S50. I have been an amateur astronomer since the days of the Mercury Program. As a child I would gaze at the night sky and marvel at what I could see but wanted to see more. I finally joined our local astronomy club in my 40’s and used a cheap “kids’ toy” cardboard telescope with plastic lens, which was only good for observing the moon but not much else. I graduated to a Meade ETX when I could afford it, but really wanted a Meade LX 200, to learn to take pictures with. I saved and could finally buy the scope of my dreams, the Meade LX 200 GPS, which I absolutely love. I could not afford all the equipment required to photograph the night sky but was able to attach my DSLR to it and photograph the moon and sun, with a focal reducer of course. I am almost 70 years old, and it is getting harder for me to move and set up my LX 200, but am not ready to give it up or astronomy.
I recently purchased the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer 2i which I love, but there is a learning curve, and it takes time to get it up and running. I will keep using it, but I wanted something a bit easier to use. I discovered “smart telescopes” and after reviewing them, I decided on the SeeStar S50. The price of the SeeStar S50 was also huge in my decision making.
I received it this past week and am so impressed with it. It is easy to set up and use and it takes fabulous photos. I have only been able to get solar photos, and I have to say they are incredible. I can’t wait to get outside at night with it. To all the naysayers, please allow those of us who use the S50 to do so in peace. Live and let live.
I’m into astronomy since I was about 5 years old. I never got into deep sky astrophotography because it’s just so much of a hassle. The seestar is one of the few devices that may actually change this. It’s small, not crazy expensive and doesn’t require much fuss to be set up. Two things are currently holding me back. That’s the sensor aspect ratio and the fact that you can’t currently set it up equatorially. The latter could be changed via a software update and would increase the use of this already very powerful device by allowing a user that’s perhaps diving a bit deeper into things to eliminate fov rotation for much longer exposures. And a square or close to square sensor would simply make it more versatile for objects of different orientations in the night sky. But those factors are probably just holding me back because I’m generally into astronomy for decades already, and know pretty specifically what I want. For someone just starting out, this is amazing. It’s accessible, powerful, easy to use and you won’t outgrow what it has to offer in a long time. In my experience, what’s holding the most people back from getting into our general hobby is lack of accessibility. In that regard, this device absolutely is a game changer
I joined a normal camera club ... it was exactly the same ...
I remember when GOTO telescopes first came out same hate, computers used in astronomy hate also, cheating, not real astronomy, etc.
It's funny. I've got the "proper kit" but it takes an age to set up, then dismantle before going to bed and then getting up to do a full day's work, that's when the sky is clear. Last year I hardly had my kit out as the weather was garbage. I got the Seestar before Christmas and it's great. As an ex-pro sports photographer, the "it's a toy" comment reminds me of the arrival of digital cameras and the furore that they too were toys, and real photographers used film. Real photographers screamed at all and sundry digital was a gimmick that would never take off. Within three months every pro sports photographer was digital as the upload process was so quick and easy and that's what media outlets wanted. It's change, and sadly some folks have real difficulty adapting to change. I like going out setting up in five minutes and seeing results come in... then processing the image begins, after all, that's the fun part.
If you're into processing you can get some awesome images with the Seestar. A friend of my get jaw dropping darn good images from his Seestar. I have one and get fast decent image to see quickly. I hate processing, and won't do it. But I love this "toy". 😁 I've owned all kinds of scopes and mounts, and with the Seestar, I've never had so much fun!
When I was starting out in astrophotography, I went to the nearest astrometry club (Bolton) on one of their club meeting nights, asking for help and advice, I was told I,m young and would not have the patience or dedication to even try.
That was about 5yrs ago at the age of 58, the only thing now that stops me taking images is cloudy nights.
53 is too young? lol
Bastards.
I’m old enough to remember when guided telescopes started hitting the market. The gatekeepers said it’ll ruin astronomy, make it too easy. People will get more out of astronomy if they have to star hop because that’ll help them better learn the night sky.
Instead of comments, it was letters to the editor of Sky & Telescope.
This was an excellent video! I’m going to try to keep this comment short: As someone who has been in/out of AP for many years: When I first got the Dwarf II and the Seestar 50, I was blown away! by getting awesome results, without having to kill myself, and being a contortionist under a tripod in order to get them. Every time I left one outside, to do it’s imaging: I’d be walking back inside saying “I love this thing” to myself.
Now this may seem weird: but, owning these two smart telescopes, spurred me to start putting together a traditional rig (again) with a dedicated CMOS camera this time (ZWO-based, etc.). Despite the fact, that I’m on a low budget, and it’s been a struggle to piece together the components; but as many of you know: the obsession is strong. I’m sure I can’t be the only one who’s gotten back into AP because of these smart telescopes. Clear skies!
An astronomy club and there’s guys in there with $20,000 worth of equipment and enough wires to wire a house. But one of the guys that’s really a phenomenal astrophotographer brought the Seestar to one of our community events where just a few few of us will come out and set up our telescopes. Whether it’s at the dog park parking lot at night or at the farmers market in the day with our solar filters, but Anyway he brought out the Seestar and I was pretty jealous because I have about $6000 worth of equipment and had that $500 scope and it was absolutely phenomenal. And to be able to snap pictures on his iPad from 20 feet away is really cool, and his pictures were absolutely amazing solar prominences
As for the Seestar50, it is a terrific bargain! The scope is similar to my RedCat51- 50mm aperture, 250mm focal length, triplet APO ($800). It uses the IMX462 sensor ($300), has electronic autofocus ($200), ASIAir like control ($200), includes solar and narrow band filters (~$60), with carbon fiber tripod (~$100), has the motorized alt/az mount (?$300) integrated, and internal battery for five hours use (~$100). So this "boombox" is selling for $499 now but you could put together a multi-component system for about $2,000! Did I mention it comes in a nice protective case?
I’m new you your channel. But you had be laughing. Enjoyed your take on the Seestar. All very good points. I’ve had much larger telescopes but as I got older I got neck and back issues and eye issues that kept me from hauling out my heavy C8 , mount tripod and counter weights out every night and aligning and balancing my tripod in my very uneven tree filled backyard so it has basically been collecting dust the past few years. When I learned about the Seestar S50 it was a real game changer. Lightweight, no polar alignment, easy to balance tripod and move anywhere up or down the hill in my backyard and find views between my trees. Can easily see my iPhone images get set up in a minute to capture images before clouds roll in, easily take down and back inside when I’m tired without injuring myself. That’s why this is a game changer not only because it brings newbies into the hobby but it allows older folks a chance to stay in the hobby longer.
I think the more people getting out and having fun with this thing is awesome. I have the equipment to shoot DSO, but I lack the time due to kids and my job. I'm not able to run around to darker skies on a whim. This thing is great. I'm loving it and couldn't care less about the gatekeepers in the hobby. I've been able to shoot more targets and gain more time teaching my 5 year old with this than I could have with my other rig.
Man such a strong defense! I cannot help falling for your charm even though you are not talking about us.💔🌹
I have 8000+ $ astro gear.
I have taken more amazing astro photo with seestar than whatever I had before.
It's a Game Changer.
Can't wait to see the next gen seestar.
In retrospect I will buy it for 1000$
Imagine what 8000$ seestar can do 😺.
Wow!
I have recently bought Seestar and using it for the past 10 days. I live in Mumbai Suburbs,a highly light polluted area scoring 10 on the Bortle scale. To me this scope is like Magick happening night after night. Previously I have used a 4 inch goto refractor and 5 inch meade reflector. I wasn't able to see anything but Moon,Saturn and Jupiter from both these scopes. . I almost Lost interest in telescoping. But the Seestar came to me as blessing for my hobby.For me Astrophotography with the contemporary tools was almost Impossible, as the tools are so cumbersome , so technical and not affordable. Seestar is so so easy, so affordable and so so handy. I cant tell How happy I am to own this scope.
I use it EVERY night when it is clear, the images I save on my phone and show to amazed coworkers, even without processing and stacking via computer and software, I love it, once I learn how to use a stacking app, I will see how much I like doing that, and I have a nice new computer to try that in the near future.
Being an old fart who started with a small newtonian, I thought it was a toy too until I saw what other astrophotographers could do with it... I see the merit in getting binoculars and learning the sky. But don't return the goto or seestar that you bought! Use the binos right alongside the smart telescope or smart mount and enjoy both at the same time! Along those lines, I bought a seestar to basically supplement my imaging setup and make sure that I go home with something at the end of my night. It's so easy to learn and setup that your sessions with a seestar can even be a quick 15-30 minute fix for those of us going through withdrawals due to bad seeing, clouds, etc. What else is an apo and has built in light pollution filters for this price?
You hit the nail on the head. People spend thousands on all their equipment. Now with only $499 you can do what their thousands of dollars worth of equipment can do. Well almost. No where as good. That’s why it is upsetting these folks. But seeing I can no longer lean over a telescope, due to back issues and I don’t have thousands to spend. This was an affordable way for me to enjoy the hobby. The first night and for very first time I photographed the Southern Pinwheel Galaxy. It was perfect but it meant the world to me!
One of my favourite features of any smart telescope is how much they make certain peoples peepees hurt.
This device is for someone who has a family and is busy. This device, if you know what you doing works for your world.
Quick story. About 15 years ago I got the Astronomy bug. Mostly viewing little photography. I spent a small fortune.I was fortunate to have unlimited budgets and I was buying scopes and chasing that better look for a few years. Most nights I didn't see much. I live 5 miles from Philadelphia so heavy light pollution. After a couple of years I gave up and sold all my gear at big losses and moved on. Then a month ago I run into a Seestar 50 video on YT and was amazed technology had come that far. I immediately ordered from High Point and had it a few days later. Total investment $500. Throw in the leveling device you recommend and the caps I have maybe $540 tops. I set this scope on my apartment balcony (again, 11 stories up facing Philly) and have seen and photographed more things in a few nights then I saw over a few years spending probably $50K on gear. For me the Seestar is perfect.
Really waiting for v2! Hope it will be EQ and has the possibility to rotate the framing - these are the main things I miss against my complicated highend rig
I do astrophotography in a limited way. I have a Celestron C8 and iOptron CEM40 and a ZWO ASI533MC Pro camera. I can do astrophotgraphy and EAA mostly and I enjoy it. I also use a 60mm and 80mm APO refactors and do imaging with them as well. But I like the simplicity of the Seestar and in the cold winter months, the Seestar is easy to set up and I can sit in my car and image to my hearts content. you shouldn't really trash the Seestar, especially for those getting into astrophotography for the first time. I have been imaging the planets and DSO's for nearly 10 years and I enjoy GoTo telescopes! I have been an amateur astronomer for 55 years and know my way around the sky and know how to star hop.
This product is so easy to produce outstanding images without all the hard work on a freezing night.
Embrace and enjoy technology people.
Work smarter, not harder. Don't be jealous the other does more and their old method is labor intensive. This opens awesome astrophotography pictures to more people, that's a good thing, stop being jealous.
It's not a telescope: it's an astrograph. The fact that you can't understand the difference is the core problem.
This a toy! Yes because you don't realise how time passes when you play with it! Is it an instrument? Hell yes! It's a powerful instrument that can shoot raw images that can be stacked as well! This is is one product that can get more people into the world of astrophtotography, without getting intimidated by words like Polar Alignment, Plate Solving, Dithering etc! No regrets buying this!!! Can definitely create an interest in astronomy unlike the hobby killer scopes
Every scope has its sky. I went through from 4' Meade to a huge 8' refractor in our public observatory. The S50 serves the draw to the sky, so go for it.
I've got young kids and a full time job, so the biggest barrier for me is always time. The seestar has almost zero set up time and so i can set it up in the garden in 2 minutes, then let it do its thing, then collect it and process the images at a later date whenever i have a few minutes. Maybe my photos are inferior to what someone else can achieve with their complex set up (though i still love them) but that misses the point. If i had all the gear and all their expertise, i would get exactly no photos because of the time barrier. For that reason, i love the seestar.
Exactly, from the Dad of a 4 1/2 year old!
I went to an astronomy club and had similar experiences as the newbies you mention. I would have been put off, but i got over it by giving them wedgies and making them punch themselves. I asked why are you punching yourself?
I have been doing Amateur Astronomy since the mid-80s. I have ground and polished mirrors, built my own telescopes, been doing Astrophotography since the mid-2000s, and know my way around the sky. I have a large Astro-imaging rig, own several scopes, etc. I think these smart scopes are wonderful! I have a Dwarf II and my S50 is on the way.
To me, anything to get people excited about the night sky is a good thing. Will these smart scopes make me want to sell my rig? No! However, they are fun to use, are very approachable by the general public, and they are the perfect gateway into diving deeper in the hobby. Both the Dwarf II and the S50 allow you to do post processing just like a "real" astro-imaging rig so the skills learned from using smart telescopes can be used later if one decides to get more into it.
Plus, sometimes I just don't want to spend 30 minutes (on a good night) to get the rig set up and ready to go. Sometimes I just want to take some images of the night sky on a work night! Also, sometimes I want to do visual observing with one of my truss dobsonians. Having one of these with me taking pictures only augments my enjoyment under a canopy of stars.
Anyway, great video Ian.
As a metalhead/ amateur AP'er. Can def confirm the ridiculous gatekeeping, especially in FB groups. I like my rig but am hella curious about the s50. Its like the dirty mistress of the AP world right now.
Probably it is for a certain target group (so not for everyone). Nothing wrong with that. The 'hardcore' group might pass because they also love the process of astrophotography (with alignment, filters, processing etc). Nothing wrong with that too. Choose whatever you like, as long as you are having fun. That is what it all is about, right: having fun in whatever way suits you best.
I love my Seestar. If others don’t, take a hike. I love mine. After decades of enjoying faint fuzzies I now can capture a decent photograph. Memories, folks.
So excited to find this after my local scientific observatory class. What a neat tool.
I have been doing astrophotography using traditional equipment for a while now. I very much enjoy doing that but I also enjoy using a smart telescope like Seestar. I can't find any reason why anyone should ridicule or look down on smart telescopes. Each equipment has its own use and advantages. People who thinks they own the hobby and criticise others for using a smart telescope are simply delusional.
I agree. Also, you may find this funny, but they should not underestimate the value of BBQ skills and parties.
I have been an amateur astronomer for over 50 years and a member of my astronomy club for 45 years. On my suggestion 6 members have bought Seestars and just love them. BTW: Technically the Seestar isn’t a telescope it’s a camera.
Without going into the details of the Seestar, which I still don't really know so far, that's what I assumed from the way it was described. The limited aperture is not necessarily the biggest issue, although every seasoned hobby-astronomer feels the aperture-itch, I guess.
It's not that I would not go down that path, as I already tried my DSLR and telelens as a wide-field telescope, on top of the CGEM mount. There is certainly justification for small aperture systems out there.
But it's also obvious as to why many of us respond with rejection, albeit a knee-jerk kind of response. If you ever invested time and money in complicated systems with off-axis camera guiding, mono-camera with OIII/SII/H-Alpha filters, composited exposures, tweaking of mount drive errors, and lots and lots of post-processing, then seeing how beginners come and stand next to you with a system that does it all by itself somehow, can be felt like an insult.
At least, we must admit that this is a comprehendible sensation. There are reasons for the effort that many of us have put into this hobby. But, indeed, there is that other perspective too, in which beginners and seasoned hobbyists alike, can enjoy a comfortable system that makes this hobby a breeze, for a multitude of reasons. So, yes, why not? Bring it on!
does that mean that technically any telescope with a camera on the back is a camera and not a telescope. Since the Seestar has exactly the same components as my William optics telescope with zwo camera at the back. I think it's still a telescope in my opinion but hey what does it matter anyway. Let's just all enjoy what we do as amateur astronomers. 🙂
@@petermay5273 Wrong answer. Thanks for playing. Come this way for your lovely parting gift. Any telescope CAN have a camera attached OR an eyepiece attached. Please point to where you can put an eyepiece on a Seestar. The Oschin 48” Schmidt at Mt Palomar is a camera because it, like the Seestar has no provision for an eyepiece.
I have a DwarfLab 2 smartscope, and it has a tiny 25mm aperture, but it does a great job of imaging despite its limitations. I still enjoy visual observation of the night sky, as there is nothing quite like seeing the Cassini division in Saturn's rings up close and personal, or observing Jupiter with its banding and 4 main moons. As we say in the UK, those gatekeepers can do one.
Exactly! You can enjoy the benefits of a smart telescope while still enjoying the other forms of astronomy.
Great video! I have a 10" dob and various high-quality EP's.. Over $1000.. I was only able to afford this when my dad passed away. When I heard about and followed the development of the Seestar.. I was EXCITED!!!!! I want one. It is an amazing Telescope. It will be getting a Mozaic mode as well. You can indeed post process batches of images.. The results from such a little 'scope is AMAZING.. just look at images folks are getting/processing. You bring out a great point. There are always nay-sayers.. Some folks enjoy spending tons of money and time getting great results from costly systems.. That's great as well.. It all boils down to: Do you LIKE what you got.. and does it do what you need. I have a friend who is a Ford fanatic.. always bashing Chevy vehicles. I also have a friend who is an avid Apple product basher.. Just chill.. Again.. does what you buy make you happy? Then that's that! It's murder for me to move my huge and heavy DOB and all it's related gear.. I love the views it provides.. like you're floating right there in space, observing something. Of cours, there are always pluses and minuses to things. The Seestar is only 6 Lbs.!! -- and look what it can do!!! I rest my case! Get what you want and enjoy it, and avoid the nay-sayers..
Can't see what the problem is. I actually enjoyed setting up my own rigs etc. But I have no problem with people who don't. It's the same as the difference between someone taking a picture with a smartphone and someone who uses a high end DSLR or mirrorless camera to take the same picture. Before you buy any telescope ask yourself what you want out of the hobby. If you just want to take good pictures of the night sky or show your friends and family the many wonders of the night sky with the minimum of fuss at a very reasonable price this is a great piece of equipment. It looks to be a great grab and go instrument for those last minute sessions too. I've been interested in Astronomy for over sixty years and I don't believe there is a right or wrong way to enjoy the night sky be it with the naked eye, a scope costing thousands of bucks or anything in between. Just enjoy it the way you want to, the universe won't mind.
I think you are right its like the automatic vs manual car group. But it is kinda disappointing when people like Ed Ting are saying they are telling people that the pictures people are excited to share are not that good. I feel like they are missing the whole point. I dont think anybody who buys one of the smart telescopes expects to get their pics in a nat geo. But the point is it gets people outside and looking up. Great video you earned a new subscription.
Awesome commentary, Ian. I RARELY post comments, but I had to commend you on this. I'm reasonably tech savvy and had finally put together all those pieces you mentioned a couple of years ago. And I never once got an image. I now have the Seestar, in addition to the Dwarflabs Dwarf II, and the classic Vaonis Vespera (which to this point has been my go-to goto scope). All I can say is that I started capturing images the first night out with these not-a-telescopes that I'd been trying to get for years now. I took a "bucket list" 2-week trip to the Atacama Desert in Chile last spring, and took the Vespera on the plane in my backpack (!), and got great images of the Southern sky, too. I also got to tour the VLT and the Vera C. Ruben (still under construction). I, too, had seen the haters' and gatekeepers' comments, and I had to laugh how the professional astronomers I met were "cheating " by using all those automated telescopes. Maybe those astronomers need to return their observatories and get a pair of binoculars to first learn the night sky before they can be allowed to use Hubble or JWST? These Luddite gatekeepers will soon be relegated to the dustbin of history by these "toy" telescopes that they seem to loathe so much. If, as so many of them say, they "love to share the night sky" with folks, it seems to me they should be ecstatic about these new smart scopes that finally bring the love and joy of astronomy to the masses.
Thanks! I agree with you. According to most of these “hardcore” astrophotographers, the pros arent doing it properly - most of them had nothing to do with putting these pro scopes together, and it’s all automated to collect the data they need! They’re also “cheating” like the seestar users 😂
I got my seestar for free, i haven’t used it for much but it is really great for quick images. I have a very limited view of the sky in my apartment & even with a harmonic drive mount it is a pain to bring everything down stairs set it up and then i would have to sit with it & i want to get 4-6 hours of data…so instead what i do if i want to see a nebula I can’t see, i now take down the seestar, & just leave all my gear permanently setup and shoot what i can. So for me it has been really convenient for that. I wouldn’t use it as a replacement though
Great points you made in this video. I am new to AP, and I’m gladly going to get the Seestar for $500. I’m 62, and have Essential tremor and neuropathy. I always wanted to have a nice telescope setup, but my physical limitations would have prevented me from ever entering the hobby, even with the “Go to” telescopes. Smart telescopes give those of us with physical challenges the opportunity to explore the universe from our back yard.
Hi Ian, Great Vid. I have a seestar 50 and I also am an owner of multiple telescopes including an Astro-Physics 130 which i use for AstroPhotography. The SeeStar and other Automatic Imagers seem to be a hook to get people into the lifestyle. There is also a huge place for this in outreach and kids with low attention spans. This can be a great asset as well as Unistellar, Vaonis and now Celestron entering the fray with their Origin Scope an automatic 6" RASA. I think that this is another step in the evolution of imaging. I however will continue to do my own PixInsight workflow because I'm not convinced that my efforts are wasted with that. I believe my results in post will not only be better than the auto stack of these smart scopes but I still consider Astrophotography to be an artform and will continue to be for the next 20 years and by then I'll be too old to lug my rig around lol!
Wasn't sure how to respond to this. I'm a newbie, retired, got interested in astrophotography about 6 months ago, and bought my S50 last week and love it. At first I was angry at those people thinking how stupid is it to ignore advances in technology. Do these people drive cars or do they get around by horse and buggy. I look at the S50 as MY entry to this hobby. As I progress and desire higher resolution results, I will probably head down the SCT path. It will definitely include all the automated goodies available. Part of my journey is education as well. Today was learning the importance of backfocus. I'm not really angry, just sad at their ignorance.
it is everything it is advertised to be, and pretty darn good at it too.
Since it's so dirt cheap, I really don't see the problem.
I began astronomy in 2000 by 2011 I had a remote observatory in Northern Chile, I can see where Vespera or SeeStar is useful, for example a friend of mine has limited mobility so this equipment is great for him or in outreaches in schools. So even where I prefer a complete setup I have no problem with the new trend,
I allways wanted to go into that hobby but never had really time for it. I bought a S50 10 minutes after i learned it exists. I am absolutly happy to make my first steps into astrophotographie with the Seestar. Already made some greate photos of nebula and maybe when i learned enough one day i buy a real setup.
My 4.5 year old son has taken an interest in astronomy (blame kids learning tube) he wants a telescope. I have had smaller scopes (hobby killers) but a decent set of binoculars and good camera has always got me by. That said try to get a 5 year old kid to sit still during set up. I just ordered a Seestar S50 should get it tomorrow. I can set this up in a few minutes and start gazing with my son right away. I purchased Affinity for myself to process photos. But ultimately it’s about doing things my kiddo has interest in. We use Stellarium to navigate the sky. He’s learning, I am learning and we are having fun. I don’t have hours to set up and my kid doesn’t have the patience yet. Screw anyone that disapproves. They don’t have to.
Innovation seems to scare some people, causing Knee Jerk Reactions. Remember that Einstein got a Lot of the same kind of grief, from the "Experts" of his time, for his Miracle Year papers. Automatic Telescopes are great for introducing new people into astronomy... And EAA does effectively multiply your aperture, so a 2" (50mm) scope acts like a 6" or so scope... Their also good for when you have limited time for astro... Plus their small size works well with air travel. Cuiv loves his, that's good enough for me.
I asked a senior astronomer at rose city astronomers up here in Portland if I should buy this (we have some of the darkest skies in the US and I sold my dobsonian recently to upgrade to a CST before I found this).
His words 'A telescope you ensure you use regularly, is the right telescope for you'. Respect
It's just a great little scope that produces great images and will bring many new Astronomers to the hobby. I also have a 9.25in Celestron which I've only used three times in 6 yrs due to its heavy weight. Also these new smart telescopes lead you into post processing and supporting all the guys who develop free software. Post processing is a great hobby in itself.
The fact that Celestron has now introduced a smart telescope shows that there are astronomers who are taking this technology seriously.
Eh, if anything it's a knock against since Celestron likes to join in on fads.
I am definitely holding my wallet out for the next Seestar version hopefully with an EQ mount
My initial reaction when the first ones came out was negative. But the reason was the price. Paying $4000 for one of those wouldn’t do much to bring people into the hobby especially young People. Not everyone has $4000 just lying around in their drawer to spend in something like this!! The seestar on the other hand is a game changer. For $499 a lot of people will get hooked into the hobby.
Great video post! and watched and finding everything i can on this product😊
I saw a guy at our club with one, pictures are decent, of course not like ones on the internet, but it was nice because he had the images on a tablet which he then used to explain to kids what they were viewing. Win win, kids learned, he had a good time. Next to the see star he had a Cassegrain for traditional viewing. So what? It’s all good. Why do people have to make a mountain out of a molehill?
Good video.
Smart telescopes have been around for a number of years, and now Celestron has released one. The issue is, and for the better, the Seestar is cheap and does a great job. People don't have a lot of spare time these days and the Seestar allows them that limited time to enjoy it. I have it so that I can take it when, camping, visiting family/friends or travelling. Different sites have different views and Bortle Scales. I am fortunate to have B4 but my friends farm, 6 hours away, is B2. It is called convenience.
As the science department Chair for my high school, this thing is great. It is fast to set up, hooks the students, and gets us talking about the science. It’s not the Hubble. It is a great little piece of kit - it’s fantastic for outreach, it’s cheap, it lets people see - yes, see, the same way that any photo does - objects in the night sky (or day sky - yay for the included solar filter!) things that even an 8” SCT wouldn’t really present as anything more than a slightly bigger smudge of light unless they were at a really dark sky site. Anything that gets people, and specifically my students, more interested in the night sky cannot be bad. Unfortunately, a lot of my hobbies have their gatekeeping crowd, but it’s best to ignore them and realize that they’ll eventually go away. Or die alone of old age. Either way works.
lan,nice UA-cam you provided. SeestarS50 gave me many NGC targets despite my Mede12inch is veryvery limited for Deep Sky loong time,It was so hard to me at the big city in Japan to catch Deep Sky objects.I tried ASiAir with scope but it was not smart.Many cables , big weight, may adjust,still required Dark Sky place,,,now Seestar came to my home , it was supprized for me to catch Deep Sky very easy. My object catlogue increasing drastically even under bright sky. This is great change for me even photo is not an art. Of course 12inch gives me details of Mars Jupiter Moon those never from Seestar.
Dude, I loved this! Had to sub. The slipknot example 😂. Yo, you're so on point with your description of the waves seestar is making in the astro community. Kinda ridiculous, definitely ignorant. I've been in the hobby for years, the seestar blew me away. It's capabilities for 500$ are absolutely a game changer for anyone let alone new folks in the hobby. I love it. It's an amazing intro into the hobby because it'll keep people wanting to stick with it unlike a 100$ Celestron refractor that'll be in their next yard sale next to some dusty Celine Dion records. It cuts out how complicated and intimidating the hobby can be too. I've opted to use it over my other setups worth $1000's on so many occasions now. I've collected amazing data that has me laughing while post processing considering the cost. Worth the dough a million times over, even if you've got other setups. It's 5 minute setup time alone is worth the cash😅. Thanks for the video bro. It's always nice to see another hardcore metal loving astro nerd 🤓
P.s.......I think a lot of hate is also coming from the fact some of these guys love getting their butts kissed over there pics taken with setups costing more than my retirement savings and now the sites they post on will potentially be flooded with new pics, pushing those fancy ones down the thread before their egos get inflated......or not, Im just saying. They hate on the seestar, I hate on their dream setups.
I bought one recently and it does what it is advertised to do very well. It won't replace my EQ mounts / SCT's / Refractors etc as I enjoy doing things traditionally also. But it is fun and if they open up the firmware a little more to allow more manual control of the camera settings it will be perfect.
I’ve only been doing astrophotography for a little over a year now and I got a SeeStar recently and I think it’s a nice piece of tech. It makes things so much easier especially for beginner astrophotographers and it’s a nice way to get hooked into the hobby. Not only does it make things easier, but it’s also really really affordable which kills the stereotype of you need expensive setups to get nice photos. Another plus side is that once you get the SeeStar you’re able to dip your toes into the astrophotography pool and once you get a feel for it, you can get a more advanced setup and scope.
Thank you Ian! First time into astrophotography and I’m still struggling to make this thing work for me (calibration thing, I think and I will get thru this). Anyway I am very excited to explore the heavens, and the naysayers are just jealous that we only spent $500 to ignite our passion for exploration.
Same things get said about Online Remote Telescopes in Chile, Australia, Arizona and other such really Dark places. Even if you fully control the scope online. They consider it cheating. I guess not saying up all night, traveling 2+ hours to a not so "dark site", not freezing or getting eaten by insects is cheating. I tried star hopping it is darn near impossible looking into an almost starless light polluted urban sky. So I got a GOTO scope and did not look back. Anything that brings more people into astronomy should be looked at as a positive thing.
But to get the most of of them your still need to use the fits files and process the images, so not as easy as cliamed. They are accually doing EAA, not astrophotography, but live stacking EAA, but can pull of the raw images and use the same processors as astrophotography to get the best out of them, but just processing the jpg on your phone will give good results
I have a 90500 refractor and use cellphone for photos. Should I spend my $500 on a SeeStar or buy a DSLR for better photos through my 90mm refractor? Is the small field of view a downside to the SeeStar?
Listening to this, sounds a lot like when PCs were just getting started and Apple was getting to the point of advertising 'it just works'... I wonder will happen as all of the scopes in this 'Niche' (for now) continue to evolve, and in some cases consolidate into say, about 80 - 100mm scopes, that can do both planetary and 'deepsky' (like the Seestar, for example) while maintaining the quality that these newer 'just do it' scopes seem to be displaying at a what seems like a reasonable price point? Options like a cooled camera, adjustable magnification, etc., can come later.
We are already beginning to see some modularity and the beginnings of upgrades as result in the Celestron entry into this group. Hopefully someone will do this in a way that you can start with something like the Seestar and build it up over time into that 80-100mm or bigger scope, etc.
The thought of having an image that 'builds itself' on a a smartphone / tablet seems like a natural tool that might suck in a bunch of people.
Assuming that happens, I could see this potentially much more widespread since it gets all the difficult parts of astrophotos 'out of the way' to let 'Joe Casual Astronomer' see more of the sky and be involved with it.
The rest of us 'astro gear heads' that do have more knowledge and money can continue to tinker and refine and maybe the results of that will continue to propagate into here🙂
Ok enough babbling - Clear skies, All!
I've been taking both the the Seestar S50 and the Dwarf II telescopes to our public star parties. They are a nice complement to the traditional telescopes and people seem to enjoy having both the opportunity to look through an eyepiece or see what's on my pad or phone -- and I can send them an image for them to enjoy. From my perspective, EAA has certainly made for successful star parties and happy visitors!
About 8 years ago i got a "beginner" telescope for my young daughter. I went to the specialized telescope store and asked their opinion and bought what they suggested. What a waste of money. I couldn't find the full moon on a clear night. On two occasions I was somehow able to stumble across Saturn, but keeping it in frame was difficult and my daughter cried when she missed it. Bottom line is, both my kid and I were really disappointed and lost interest in astronomy. Then I bought the S50, and we are excitedly going out every clear night to see what we can see and planning trips to dark sky camping trips.
So manage expectations. This is a beginner telescope for casual hobbyists, like me and my daughter. That other "beginner" telescope looks very nice as a decoration on the bookshelf.
the only problem with that thing is that if you wanna print an actual physical photo, its size would be 15cm x 10 cm in full res print quality. Basically just a small photo. No poster, Not even Letter / A4 size.
I think this product is a game changer at this price point. We have a few members of our club that own it. Our board is considering purchasing one to complement our outreach efforts.
Gatekeeping. Putting up guard rails. Condescension. It's a thing in many hobbies. Some of it is even coming from ZWO, the company that made the S50 when people are taking their S50 apart, hacking the software, or doing things with it (EQ mounting) that they claim it wasn't designed for. But if you take the S50 apart you can see the circuit board connectors are labeled RA and DEC rather than Alt and AZ. You can see the large metal bearing on the RA axis. You can see that this thing can easily handle eq mounting without damage. I keep telling people on the forums that when someone else does something with their scope, yours is going to keep working just fine.
A year ago, I bought a used xt8. I have enjoyed using it, especially when I caught my first view of a nebula. In the last month or so, I saw the Orion nebula and somehow was lucky to get my cell phone to line up enough to get a picture. So cool! I am learning the sky, but I do have a hard time finding targets.
I'd love to get one of these fairly inexpensive smart telescopes. Maybe even as a seeing eye dog to use next to my 8". I fear that I might be disappointed because of the outcome viewing, being pretty small. For example, seeing Jupiter. It is still pretty small in my 8". What's it going to be in this small, smart scope? I kind of wish I'd spent the money i have on my 8" and some of the accessories and got the seestar or Draf II instead.
Their ego should just allow people to dip their toes into astronomy. It's a shame man because some people can't afford to spend thousands on set ups and when you see a relatively affordable telescope like this one and is user friendly, people with big egos just try and put a negative spin on it.
I must say your video is fantastic, thanks.
I am one of those potential customers, I have both the time and the nerdy streak that makes me spend hours and hours watching videos and reading articles about new hobbies. For that reason I believe i'm extremely experienced in learning new things and there are truly gatekeepers everywhere in society, making things boring and hard for those who want to learn.
I will go ahead and say it's not only an acceptable telescope but the PERFECT solution for me when I want to get my kids interested in astronomy, super easy setup and kids can use their own mobile phones to observe objects in space. Easy access, simplicity and incredibly low cost in comparison to ALL other solutions I have been evaluating. I can't Imagine a better way to raise curiosity in astronomy for newcomers, like me and my kids.
Could it be like with cars, computers or any other item you might buy, the need is diversified and these people rank on beginners? I imagine that the people running the Hubble and James Webb could scorn "pro amateur astronomers", but I am guessing most of them are happy that people are interested in their own profession/interest...
Common for old schoolers that can't keep up with progress to try and knock the new tech. Out of fear they will no longer be relevant. It would be stupid to do it harder than smarter.
The samples of a same nebula, taken by this and Celestron's new 4000$ smart telescope, are quite similar. Well, it took ~1100 files stacked for the Seestars compared to 250 on the RASA tube, and more manual job. But I'd get the Seestar
I have an 11-in SCT go to telescope and I'm very technically proficient with it and technology in general. As I got more into astrophotography I realized that the annoying parts of the hobby (alignment, gear whiplash, etc) would require me taking even more time to set up and calibrate, or to spend thousands of dollars more on an improved mount, camera, etc. Basically I was spending too much time on the not fun part of the hobby and too little time on seeing cool deep space objects. The seestar S50 has changed that, allowing me to skip to the fun part of the hobby without all the annoyances.
Using the Seestar though has inspired me to modernize my old scope using a raspberry pi and astroberry so that it is much more automated. I'm also looking at building a cart to roll my very heavy setup in and out of the garage. Applying ideas like live stacking shorter exposures to my big scope will hopefully make it a more rewarding device. This is still a work in progress, but I credit the Seestar to reigniting my interest in the hobby.
I have a full Astrophotography rig that cost me several thousand Australian Dollars to put together. I just purchased a Seestar for the nights that I don't feel like dragging out the main rig to image. My only disappointment so far are the extra clouds clouds that were delivered with the Seestar. It is patiently waiting in it's case for the first clear night that will eventually come.
Ian, first time watching, I clicked on this because I'm interested in the Seestar S50, Now I want this for a few seasons, one easy to use, small form factor for travel, plus I plan to use it to learn post processing. I also own a 6" dob & Canon 6D & William Optics zenithstar 61 with flatener... Oh wait it's 1mm over 60mm so it's a true telescope... what a clown.
Yes I've been to the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada local club meeting once.... Yes just once.. why? I left with the impression that 98% of the people I met that night were snobs & yes one clown there did tell me to buy binos first.. I wonder was it the same guy? but that was like 15+ yrs ago. That's right I said it, but just like other clubs I've been in car club, photo club, racing club, gun club all wanted my money in membership dues & had a ton of members who's sh!t don't stink.. LOL
I'm a boots on the ground kind of guy don't take crap from anyone old school Gen X guy who misses the 70's/80's as for tech I do like this Seestar S50 does it have short falls for me yes it does, like adding external filters options, Sony sensor is too small for me, would be nice if it was a Sony IIMX585 and storage of 64GB wish it was 128gb. Other then that my spare time is very limited right now and I see this as a tool for learning & on the go telescope I can use anywhere without taking a larger rig out. I'm at the point of selling my Canon 6D to fund this Seestar. Snobs will be snobs / gate keepers. tks for the video.