Smart Telescopes
I recently traveled to Montpellier, France, for Vaonis’s 10th-anniversary event, where I met the Vaonis team and Cyril (CEO) for an exclusive first look at their new flagship—the Vaonis Atlas Smart Telescope. Now back home in Utrecht, I’m breaking down everything you need to know … Continue readingAtlas Smart Telescope First Look: Behind the Scenes at Vaonis
Dwarflab recently released the first RAW images captured with their upcoming Draco Smart Telescope. As someone who spends far too much time obsessing over astrophotography gear, I couldn’t resist doing a deep dive into these files. I wanted to analyze what this scope is actually … Continue readingDwarflab Draco vs $5K Custom Rig: RAW Data Analyzed in PixInsight
With dozens of smart telescopes available in 2026, choosing the right model comes down to your budget, desired portability, and favorite deep-sky objects. All recommendations in this guide are based on hands-on testing directly from my light-polluted rooftop and balcony in Utrecht, the Netherlands (Bortle … Continue readingSmart Telescopes: Best Buy Guide in 2026
In this guide, we’re focusing on the mid-range sweet spot for smart telescopes—roughly $400 to $1,000 (€400–€1,000)—where you find the ultimate balance between portability, 4K resolution, and deep-sky performance. For complete context, I’ve also included the entry-level DWARF Mini and Seestar S30 ($399 / €399), … Continue readingBest Budget to Mid-Range Smart Telescopes in 2026 – Seestar (S30, S30 Pro & S50 Pro) vs Dwarflab (DWARF 3, Mini, Draco)
After the Seestar S50, the S30, and the S30 Pro, this is ZWO’s latest and most expensive smart telescope: the S50 Pro. I spent 24 hours with the Seestar, and in that time I was able to capture four deep-sky objects, the Milky Way, star … Continue readingSeestar S50 Pro FULL Review & Hands-on Tutorial
Normally, I skip previews on Wido’s AstroForum as I prefer focusing on real-world testing from my urban rooftop. However, DWARFLAB’s new Draco smart telescope is different, as I believe it might fundamentally change amateur astrophotography in the years to come. So let me make this … Continue readingDraco Smart Telescope Preview: Goodbye nerdy Astro rigs?
In this comparison, I take a deep dive into two of the leading entry-level smart telescopes on the market in 2026: Dwarflab’s DWARF Mini and ZWO’s Seestar S30. I’ll be breaking down the technical specifications, the overall value proposition, and the real-world ease of use … Continue readingSeestar S30 vs. DWARF Mini Smart Telescope: Which Should You Buy?
In this in-depth review, I share my real-world experience with the new Seestar S30 Pro smart telescope from ZWO, based on two cold winter nights of testing under light-polluted urban skies. I cover everything from unboxing and specifications to solar, lunar, and deep-sky imaging, and … Continue readingSeestar S30 Pro Review & Tutorial
Vaonis recently sent me their brand-new Vespera II-X smart telescope, and over the past weeks I’ve been putting it through a series of real-world imaging sessions. I was curious how this new model performs on a wide range of astronomical objects, from high-contrast daytime imaging … Continue readingVespera II-X Smart Telescope Review + Tutorial
In this review blog, I’m looking at the Dwarf Mini smart telescope from Dwarflab. It weighs less than a kilogram, costs around $399, and promises that you can be set up in under three minutes and ready to take impressive pictures of the night sky. … Continue readingDwarf Mini Smart Telescope – Review & Tutorial