The Dwarf II is now available through First Light Optics! www.firstlightoptics.com/beginner-telescopes/dwarf-ii-smart-telescope-deluxe-bundle/ref/astrolavista/ (affiliate)
Considering the cost of its direct competitors such as Stellina, I think this looks extremely promising. Hopefully they’ll sort the gremlins and attract a new generation of astronomy enthusiasts as well as giving some of the more experienced people a highly affordable and portable platform when travelling. I hope it works out well for the Dwarf team.
@@garycwikla6385 Thanks for the heads up, I caught Cuiv's latest video and he did a great job on M31 from Bortle 9 skies! I'm also jealous of his histogram curve stretch working but I do now have the latest firmware installed so raring to give it another go next clear night :)
The addition of dithering by the Vaonis folks actually make those scopes worth the price… however there is no arguing that a 500 dollar price tag is a break through on its own …. Software improves over time so as long as dwarf lab keeps at it there is no reason why this can’t evolve in to something special. It was cheap enough for me to have both… vespera will continue as my primary imager but I anticipate using Dwarf 2 for some fun eaa since they allow some adjustments as the image comes in…. I’ll reserve final judgement til I can spend some time with it
Great review. Thanks. Just ordered my Dwarf 2. I own a William Optics 61 and was just looking for a travel companion making nice shots wo having the fuzz of carrying the lot with me. Hope it matches what I'm looking for.
Hats off to you, I hope you enjoy it :) it certainly looks promising! I've got the latest firmware installed now so more Dwarf II captures in the pipeline.
I think also their live streams show them sticking to low exposures ( about 5 seconds ) and 150+ images. The curve from what I remember is what they used on the final stacked image and not on the live image
I'll try the UHC filter and a lot more 5 second subs next time. I just saw Cuiv's latest video and he had the same problem as me, as soon as the stack is finished the final image disappears. I'm sure saw him stretching the curve mid stack though so his curve appears to work. A few features were stone cold dead on my screen unfortunately so hopefully it's just a firmware thing.
I now have a firmware update installed and the app is more responsive; the curve adjustments now work during the stacking process. The image still disappears off screen once the stack is finished but I've emailed Dwarflab about that. So far It's looking promising for basic imaging of bright deep sky Objects :) Oh and for Star Parties you can turn the green lights off in the app
yup, I quite like the ideea of an all in one app based portable toy to take with me on holiday... can't really be expecting that much considering the optics and camera used... all the astro needful options seem to be there! I still have to decide to build the openastro mount for my 135 f2 with the 585 or just get an alt az GTi like or Virtuoso GTi for that specific purpose :)
As an avid licensed drone pilot I know from experience using primarily DJI and Autel drones; it can take many months, even a year, of software/firmware updates to get these high tech devices dialed in.
@@AstroLaVista It really is amazing what they are doing these days and I see the direct similarities in tech between this smart telescope and modern consumer level drones. They are both small smart robots. With drones they have a tracking ability as well. The DJI and Skydio brands are best at it in this class. Plus they have to be able to sense and fly around objects like trees, poles, and rocks automagically when following a subject like someone walking, running, or biking. The algorithms get better all the time. I'm not surprised at the crossover but unless someone was into both hobbies they may not even be aware of it. It's getting exponentially better every year. Skynet AI will probably come on line soon then we're in big trouble with the Terminator. 😉 I joke but some folks are genuinely concerned about it for good reason.
@@SW-Video Skynet! I was just thinking the same thing haha We do need to be careful at some point, I reckon there will be a tipping point where the machines decide to overthrow us. I think I may be one of those concerned people!
I saw Cuiv's video, well both his videos on the Dwarf II now (he's just uploaded another this evening) I also heard one or two other channels were in talks with Dwarflab, but didn't realise Jason has one! I'll have to take a look and see what he thinks :)
Not watched it yet ... but I am confident it does not work so well. I mean for the price you pay. As all 'this-kind' of novelty, it may take time to tune it up. I am sure it will be hands-on as usual. Will probably watch it tonight!
Very cool scope. Also The Price is Actually Really Decent Than what I thought. I probably might Look into it. Though 50mm aperture is Kind of Small, it wouldn't be Great for Planets! It's Definitely Cheaper than Stellina and The Evsvope!
Wider field so better for other objects. No one scope can give you nebulae, clusters, galaxies/planets. Maybe dwarf3 will step up in size a bit?? Very interesting.
They have a Dwalf 1 too which is smaller and from pictures I've seen gives nice views of the Moon but I don't know how it would do with planets and deep sky.I think that the Dwarf 1 would be like using a spotting scope for astronomy, better than nothing, whereas the Dwalf 2 is a true astronomical telescope?
Hi Kevin, I think anything that focuses light and magnifies an image can be classed as a telescope, whether it be at the eye through an eyepiece or onto a camera sensor. However with how the Dwarf smart telescopes look it might take a while before everyone accepts them as telescopes.
Yes! I imaged the Rosette nebula in my latest video :) Also the Horse Head, Pleaides, Andromeda, Orion etc. Oh and I've just captured comet c/2022 E3 with it too which was cool.
Hi Graham, the firmware update did wonders for the app, it's now nice and responsive and the histogram stretch works whilst stacking : ) I had better results on the follow up vid. Merry Christmas :)
Good review, seems very honest. Looks like the app is extremely buggy. So do you have to be on WiFi to use it? The idea is to be mobile so is WiFi necessary? The fact that you couldn't update the firmware is a red flag for me. Plus as a complete noob there is way too much faffing especially as it's supposed to be a Smart Telescope. Still not convinced this is a good product. £400 is still a lot of money for me.
Things did get a lot better with subsequent firmware updates, this was the first video of 5? ish videos. The Dwarf II creates it's own Wifi so you can use it anywhere. The App works much better now and it has more features :)
@@AstroLaVista so essentially it does need WiFi and one would need to hotspot to a mobile. What about being in the middle of nowhere were there are no masts or signal. Is it connecting to a server somewhere ( I presume you could link it to a NAS at home ) or does it require WiFi for some other reason? Again I presume this is to do with controlling it using the app in which case you can't connect via Bluetooth and connect with a hotspot on your mobile. Bottom line would you buy it?
The firmware for the Dwarf II was corrupted when I attempted to do just that unfortunately. However I've only just installed the app so that should be the latest firmware at least. I will see how the Dwarf II firmware improves when I get the time to sort it out
@@mercury7 3rd attempt at down loading the firmware file and transferring it across to the Dwarf II on the micro SD card and it worked! It looks like they have updated the firmware again because I was expecting FIrmware V1.3.18 and it's V1.3.19, they really are updating all the time! :D Looking forward to clear skies for round two :)
You say "The price.... the price...." but, like the cheap kids telescopes you can buy for £30, we keep warning people not to buy. Remove yourself from having got this for free and you're testing it and probably had low expectations from it, would you pay £3-400 of your own money for it? If you didn't have a scope at all, would you lay down £3-400 for this rather than use that money to buy an achromatic 120mm refractor OTA?
Well If they can iron out some missing features from the app and make it less glitchy with one or two firmware updates it will be well worth the 300-400 so yes I would buy it with my own money if I was in the market for an Electronic Aided Astronomy rig. You would need to spend a lot on extras to make an Evostar 120 OTA comparable in function I feel e.g. goto mount, ASI Air for plate solving and wifi control from a single App, then the camera. Oh and because the Evostar is f/8 you would need something like a 0.6 reducer to speed up the optics for EAA. To answer the question would I get this if I didn't have a scope at all I would say personally no, I would probably pick a scope that can utilise both eyepieces and cameras as a first scope. Luckily this video isn't advise for what someone should get as their first scope, its a product review.
@@strangedays453 £3-400 means £300 to £400. So even then I got it wrong but I wasn't listening too closely. I think these things are crap anyhow even the thousands ones. I'd never buy one.
Shame on them for not including the filter holder as standard, should have come standard with the basic version as the holder is needed in light polluted areas so need filter. So had to order the filter holder so can use standard 1.25" filters
@@AstroLaVista teething troubles I like the idea so easy I'm just visual observer but want to learn astrophotography I've just got myself an heq5 pro so busy learning how to use that,look forward to your next video 👍
Let's not encourage even more safety warnings. Everything has so much fine print and warnings nobody can even read them. People should do their own research and take responsibility for their own actions, especially after spending $400.
lol I know it looks like that but would you believe I spent a lot of time researching the Dwarf II, watching the content on the Dwarflab channel and going through the instructions sent before receiving the Dwarf II. I do struggle with some aspects of IT though so it took myself and another UA-camr a while to figure out how to do the firmware updates. I should have waited until I had figured out the update as it made such a difference to the usability, no sticking and un responsive buttons once updated :) You can see this on the second and the third video.
Chinese low tech tracker or are they using Taiwan chips?🤣 I've noticed a difference, but the asinine political circumstances and their cruel Zero Covid policy has made me look for non-CCP options for my astronomy field needs. Any other field for that matter.
The Dwarf II is now available through First Light Optics! www.firstlightoptics.com/beginner-telescopes/dwarf-ii-smart-telescope-deluxe-bundle/ref/astrolavista/ (affiliate)
Considering the cost of its direct competitors such as Stellina, I think this looks extremely promising. Hopefully they’ll sort the gremlins and attract a new generation of astronomy enthusiasts as well as giving some of the more experienced people a highly affordable and portable platform when travelling. I hope it works out well for the Dwarf team.
FYI Cuiv has released a video on this today. Well worth checking out.
@@garycwikla6385 Thanks for the heads up, I caught Cuiv's latest video and he did a great job on M31 from Bortle 9 skies! I'm also jealous of his histogram curve stretch working but I do now have the latest firmware installed so raring to give it another go next clear night :)
The addition of dithering by the Vaonis folks actually make those scopes worth the price… however there is no arguing that a 500 dollar price tag is a break through on its own …. Software improves over time so as long as dwarf lab keeps at it there is no reason why this can’t evolve in to something special. It was cheap enough for me to have both… vespera will continue as my primary imager but I anticipate using Dwarf 2 for some fun eaa since they allow some adjustments as the image comes in…. I’ll reserve final judgement til I can spend some time with it
I could see this being used in education programs.
Great review Chris. I'm looking forward to the updated review.
Cheers Kevin :)
Really interesting. Looking forward to seeing how it goes with the updated firmware. I may be in the market for one of these if they are decent.
Great review. Thanks. Just ordered my Dwarf 2. I own a William Optics 61 and was just looking for a travel companion making nice shots wo having the fuzz of carrying the lot with me. Hope it matches what I'm looking for.
Good to see some more unboxing and reviews on this so thanks ..awaiting mine as a backer 👍🏼
Hats off to you, I hope you enjoy it :) it certainly looks promising! I've got the latest firmware installed now so more Dwarf II captures in the pipeline.
@@AstroLaVista Excellent news there as definitely looking forward to more footage from you indeed 👌🏼
I think also their live streams show them sticking to low exposures ( about 5 seconds ) and 150+ images.
The curve from what I remember is what they used on the final stacked image and not on the live image
I'll try the UHC filter and a lot more 5 second subs next time. I just saw Cuiv's latest video and he had the same problem as me, as soon as the stack is finished the final image disappears. I'm sure saw him stretching the curve mid stack though so his curve appears to work. A few features were stone cold dead on my screen unfortunately so hopefully it's just a firmware thing.
My pre-order has gone in, years since I had a telescope for photography
I now have a firmware update installed and the app is more responsive; the curve adjustments now work during the stacking process. The image still disappears off screen once the stack is finished but I've emailed Dwarflab about that. So far It's looking promising for basic imaging of bright deep sky Objects :) Oh and for Star Parties you can turn the green lights off in the app
Really interesting video. Not quite something I would buy yet but I am very interested in seeing you image with the new firmware. Cheers
Just ordered one. Hopefully get it in February. This will be so much easier than my last setup
yup, I quite like the ideea of an all in one app based portable toy to take with me on holiday... can't really be expecting that much considering the optics and camera used... all the astro needful options seem to be there!
I still have to decide to build the openastro mount for my 135 f2 with the 585 or just get an alt az GTi like or Virtuoso GTi for that specific purpose :)
Looks interesting hopefully they will sort out the software side soon
did notice you were trying to view the image while the stacking counter was still at 15 out of 20 but otherwise great review
Sounds like something I would try and do by that point in the night lol
Great reviews. Just thinking about getting one and new to Astrophotography. Do you have any discount codes?
As an avid licensed drone pilot I know from experience using primarily DJI and Autel drones; it can take many months, even a year, of software/firmware updates to get these high tech devices dialed in.
I take my hat off to them, I wouldn't have a clue how to code anything.
@@AstroLaVista It really is amazing what they are doing these days and I see the direct similarities in tech between this smart telescope and modern consumer level drones. They are both small smart robots. With drones they have a tracking ability as well. The DJI and Skydio brands are best at it in this class. Plus they have to be able to sense and fly around objects like trees, poles, and rocks automagically when following a subject like someone walking, running, or biking. The algorithms get better all the time. I'm not surprised at the crossover but unless someone was into both hobbies they may not even be aware of it. It's getting exponentially better every year. Skynet AI will probably come on line soon then we're in big trouble with the Terminator. 😉 I joke but some folks are genuinely concerned about it for good reason.
@@SW-Video Skynet! I was just thinking the same thing haha We do need to be careful at some point, I reckon there will be a tipping point where the machines decide to overthrow us. I think I may be one of those concerned people!
Watched it now, well it will need improvements, but they are getting there - very good for schools and kids entering this Hobby.
Did you see Jason at Small Optics channel unboxing of this, a few days ago?
I saw Cuiv's video, well both his videos on the Dwarf II now (he's just uploaded another this evening) I also heard one or two other channels were in talks with Dwarflab, but didn't realise Jason has one! I'll have to take a look and see what he thinks :)
Was meant to ship in Early February and now delayed again. Now may not be till early March, late February
This product is showing promise. It seems to offer quite a bit for the price point, I like it.
I can mount that on any tripod, right? That is, a camera or video tripod, like my Orion Paragon, or Manfrotto, or Sirui?
Yup it has a standard 1/4 UNC threaded hole on the bottom for photographic tripods
Only a 24mm objective lens, so a bit small. Will be limited, but it does seem to work well
Not watched it yet ... but I am confident it does not work so well. I mean for the price you pay. As all 'this-kind' of novelty, it may take time to tune it up. I am sure it will be hands-on as usual. Will probably watch it tonight!
This one didn't go well, I should have waited to upgrade the firmware, the next two videos went a bit more smoothly.
Very cool scope. Also The Price is Actually Really Decent Than what I thought. I probably might Look into it. Though 50mm aperture is Kind of Small, it wouldn't be Great for Planets! It's Definitely Cheaper than Stellina and The Evsvope!
Wider field so better for other objects. No one scope can give you nebulae, clusters, galaxies/planets. Maybe dwarf3 will step up in size a bit?? Very interesting.
It's no planetary scope for sure, however for deep sky the William Optics RedCat51 only has 51mm of aperture and that produces amazing images.
37:23 Perhaps the bugginess is due to a Wi-Fi issue or the needed firmware update?
My gut feeling is it's firmware related. Lets see how round two goes :)
They have a Dwalf 1 too which is smaller and from pictures I've seen gives nice views of the Moon but I don't know how it would do with planets and deep sky.I think that the Dwarf 1 would be like using a spotting scope for astronomy, better than nothing, whereas the Dwalf 2 is a true astronomical telescope?
Hi Kevin, I think anything that focuses light and magnifies an image can be classed as a telescope, whether it be at the eye through an eyepiece or onto a camera sensor. However with how the Dwarf smart telescopes look it might take a while before everyone accepts them as telescopes.
What would happen if you plonked the Dwarf 2 onto an equatorial wedge?
It should still work according to Dwarflab.
You should keep it, nobody’s going to question your integrity - think of it as a perk of the job and would be great for your kids ! 😎
In hindsight I think you're right, but I've gone and set ground rules now so I'd best stick to them :)
Excuse me,Can this drwarf ii photograph NGC? Example, Ngc2244(Rosette Nebula)
Yes! I imaged the Rosette nebula in my latest video :) Also the Horse Head, Pleaides, Andromeda, Orion etc. Oh and I've just captured comet c/2022 E3 with it too which was cool.
If they iron out the bugs, this can be a hit, even with us serious guys as a fun toy.
It looks like a work in progress, but quite promising nonetheless!
Hi Graham, the firmware update did wonders for the app, it's now nice and responsive and the histogram stretch works whilst stacking : ) I had better results on the follow up vid. Merry Christmas :)
Good review, seems very honest. Looks like the app is extremely buggy. So do you have to be on WiFi to use it? The idea is to be mobile so is WiFi necessary? The fact that you couldn't update the firmware is a red flag for me. Plus as a complete noob there is way too much faffing especially as it's supposed to be a Smart Telescope. Still not convinced this is a good product. £400 is still a lot of money for me.
Things did get a lot better with subsequent firmware updates, this was the first video of 5? ish videos. The Dwarf II creates it's own Wifi so you can use it anywhere. The App works much better now and it has more features :)
@@AstroLaVista so essentially it does need WiFi and one would need to hotspot to a mobile. What about being in the middle of nowhere were there are no masts or signal. Is it connecting to a server somewhere ( I presume you could link it to a NAS at home ) or does it require WiFi for some other reason? Again I presume this is to do with controlling it using the app in which case you can't connect via Bluetooth and connect with a hotspot on your mobile. Bottom line would you buy it?
Really should have upgraded firmware before attempting review imho
The firmware for the Dwarf II was corrupted when I attempted to do just that unfortunately. However I've only just installed the app so that should be the latest firmware at least. I will see how the Dwarf II firmware improves when I get the time to sort it out
@@AstroLaVista it’s cool, no doubt it will take a while to polish software, just meant they have been working on it hard so a month old is a long Time
@@mercury7 3rd attempt at down loading the firmware file and transferring it across to the Dwarf II on the micro SD card and it worked! It looks like they have updated the firmware again because I was expecting FIrmware V1.3.18 and it's V1.3.19, they really are updating all the time! :D Looking forward to clear skies for round two :)
@@AstroLaVista that’s awesome, thank you for letting me know, I look forward to seeing round two…. Really looks like a cool camera
That is the dullest knife ever. 😂
:D Crocodile Dundee wouldn't be impressed
44:44 The stars look like sperms.
Space is a sexy place :D
You say "The price.... the price...." but, like the cheap kids telescopes you can buy for £30, we keep warning people not to buy. Remove yourself from having got this for free and you're testing it and probably had low expectations from it, would you pay £3-400 of your own money for it? If you didn't have a scope at all, would you lay down £3-400 for this rather than use that money to buy an achromatic 120mm refractor OTA?
it only cost £450 ..... Where did you get £3-400 from???
Well If they can iron out some missing features from the app and make it less glitchy with one or two firmware updates it will be well worth the 300-400 so yes I would buy it with my own money if I was in the market for an Electronic Aided Astronomy rig. You would need to spend a lot on extras to make an Evostar 120 OTA comparable in function I feel e.g. goto mount, ASI Air for plate solving and wifi control from a single App, then the camera. Oh and because the Evostar is f/8 you would need something like a 0.6 reducer to speed up the optics for EAA. To answer the question would I get this if I didn't have a scope at all I would say personally no, I would probably pick a scope that can utilise both eyepieces and cameras as a first scope. Luckily this video isn't advise for what someone should get as their first scope, its a product review.
@@strangedays453 £3-400 means £300 to £400. So even then I got it wrong but I wasn't listening too closely. I think these things are crap anyhow even the thousands ones. I'd never buy one.
@@AstroLaVista StarTravel 120 is f/5. Personally, I'd still buy the real scope and pay out for the rest. My advice: Chuck it in the bin.
despite the elitist's replies im buying one.
Shame on them for not including the filter holder as standard, should have come standard with the basic version as the holder is needed in light polluted areas so need filter. So had to order the filter holder so can use standard 1.25" filters
Pressing buttons that don't respond would annoy me maybe better once updated
Ditto, I was going on a button jabbing rampage by the end of the night, fingers crossed they can make the app a little bit more responsive and stable.
It's better now I have the latest firmware update! :)
@@AstroLaVista teething troubles I like the idea so easy I'm just visual observer but want to learn astrophotography I've just got myself an heq5 pro so busy learning how to use that,look forward to your next video 👍
Let's not encourage even more safety warnings. Everything has so much fine print and warnings nobody can even read them.
People should do their own research and take responsibility for their own actions, especially after spending $400.
….and now I’ll read the instruction manual.
lol I know it looks like that but would you believe I spent a lot of time researching the Dwarf II, watching the content on the Dwarflab channel and going through the instructions sent before receiving the Dwarf II. I do struggle with some aspects of IT though so it took myself and another UA-camr a while to figure out how to do the firmware updates. I should have waited until I had figured out the update as it made such a difference to the usability, no sticking and un responsive buttons once updated :) You can see this on the second and the third video.
Get a real telescope,learn where the stars are
Thanks for the elitist advice.
Chinese low tech tracker or are they using Taiwan chips?🤣 I've noticed a difference, but the asinine political circumstances and their cruel Zero Covid policy has made me look for non-CCP options for my astronomy field needs. Any other field for that matter.