This comment is several months after your video and the reason is I have just received my Dwarf II. I really enjoy the videos you make. I have been following CZcams on the Dwarf II and it looks very impressive. I am a seasoned astrophotographer and have a reasonable sophisticated setup, but this will allow me to take astro photos in areas where I cannot take my rig. I received the Dwarf II on the 18 Apr 23. I pre-ordered the Dwarf II and it took 1.5 weeks to arrive from placing my order with full parcel tracking; very impressed with Dwarf Labs. It is now 20 Apr, just 2 days since its delivery and it is amazing what it can do for the price; I paid £401. This device is unbelievable and so easy to use. I had a firmware update on the 19 Apr 23 which included bug fixes and introduced solar tracking. I have just tried it out this morning 20 Apr on the sun and it really works. The reasons that I bought it as I do have a very good astrophotography rig is that it is COOL, portable and can also be used for wildlife photography. I am a member of the RSPB and do a lot of bird watching, this will make my hobby so much more enjoyable than it already is. It has several photo modes which include Burst mode, Time-Lapse, Photo, Video, Panorama Mode, Astro Mode, and Astro Dark for noise elimination. What I am really excited is that my Wife and I are going to New Zealand to visit my Wife's brother. The Dwarf II is so small it will easily fit into my backpack and I will be able to talke it on the plane as hand luggage; try doing that with my astro rig. This will enable me to do some astro photography in the Southern Hemisphere and capture objects I would never see in the Northern Hemisphere. This is a great bit of kit and I know I will have some great fun using it. Please keep making your videos, I find them very enjoyable even as I am an experienced amateur astronomer.
Here in the Arizona desert, weather is seldom an issue. But I think I'm going to hold off for now. I'm only a few years into my telescope and I enjoy the "thrill of the chase" when it comes to seeking out targets (there's no go-to on my rig). I'm afraid something like this would eliminate the challenge.
I've been thinking there is an educational application here. This would be great outreach for an astronomy club, or a science museum. A school, or library could buy a handful of these and loan them out. It seems like it would be easy enough for almost anyone to figure out how to use in little to no time. I had never considered its use for someone with limited mobility. After you said this, I thought about my Dad in his early 80's. He gets around well enough, but couldn't drag a bunch of gear outside. Something like this would be perfect for him. Great thinking!
You did a great job! But to make the images even better, try first Polar aligning the telescope, there is a bunch of vids on youtube. Then, set your exposure time to 13 - 15 sec, I would suggest 13 sec if you DWARF 2 is not polar aligned so that you won't get star trails. Additionally, set your gain to 100 - 120 (Depends on light pollution, how bright the object is, etc). Plus makesureto make Darks using the Astro Dark mode so that you wont get any red, green or blue pixels. Also, make sure your IR stands on PASS, but if you are shooting the moon, you should put it on CUT. And for the last, try making as many frames as possible. It will make the image clearer. Clear Sky!
Your enthusiasm for the Dwarf 2 is clear. I’ve done a bit of Astro with my camera gear, but haven’t gone as far as a telescope and everything else needed for deep space photos, so I’m about to pull the trigger and get a dwarf 2. Seems perfect for what I want.
Since I have a DWARF II on order, I was anxious to hear your thoughts on this telescope, but also a little hesitant. “What if he doesn’t like it.” “What if he thinks it’s a piece of rubbish.” Well, I watched your review and was so relieved that you actually liked it. I’ve had a couple of cheap refracting telescopes in the past, but got bored with them quickly because I couldn’t save what I was seeing. I know very little about astronomy and astro photography now, but hope to change that in the near future. Thanks for the review, and I will be watching more of your videos.
Hey Jason, happy new year fella! Love the enthusiasm for the little Dwarf II. Yes it wont replace a full on imaging rig but you're spot on about it being fun to play with, and like you say you can do it all nice and warm from indoors! lol I thought it was a good shout mentioning the Dwarf II for house bound folks perhaps with disabilities, I can't think of a better bit of astronomy kit in this scenario! Enjoyed the video mate and thanks for the shout out!
Hello Chris, happy new year pal. They are a great bit of kit for the money so much fun aren't they? I'm looking forward to seeing what you can achieve with it.. I'm just having fun using it as a telescope at the moment and being nice and toastie inside.. What a bonus. Take care buddy all the best for 2023.
I think I'm going to get one of these - I have watched the videos from other channels about this telescope and all the reviews are positive. Your review is just the icing on the cake as to how easy it is to use.
I really like the photos you’ve taken so far! You’ve done a fine job of taking photos that more closely approximate what is seen through a telescope. I like the idea of showing how deep sky objects actually appear to the human eye!
looks like a brilliant tool for some nice deep sky images. On a side note, loving the channel, excellent help as I'm very new to astronomy - saw Jupiter and it's moons for the first time this evening (100x mag, 4mm), amazing sight and a personal experience, seeing with my own eye something so far away hanging in the inky blackness of space. I've already bought a 9mm svbony and have a 6mm on order as my celestron 80 came with a 4 and 25mm.
I just got one of these and haven't used it yet. I'm watching videos like yours to get impressions and information. I have some photography experience so that helps. I'm glad to hear the great review!
Happy New Year Jason. I'm on the waiting list and pre ordered, the Delux kit is selling at £447.00 it has a extra battery and a couple of ND filters and a UHC filter. the Clasic kit is selling at £378.00 no extras. Both of those prices are with postage and the pre order discount. The filter holder is 1.25 standard filter thread size, very handy for my light pollution set of filters. It's one's birthday present too my self in February 2023. ha ho it's a long wait. LoL
I think people like you and I are a good use case for this little scope/camera. Long term visual astronomers who like the idea of doing some astro imaging but don't want to buy a camera that costs as much as a car before we even know if its an avenue we enjoy. Watching Cuiv the Lazy Geek's stuff on this, you can use it in polar/eq mode and can go deep with editing the images, so I'll be buying one
This certainly interests me, like you I'm no astro photographer but this is something for me who will never go high ended with expensive astro set ups. i can understand why very good astro photographers may not like it, but this certainly appeals to many. thanks for your honest review
Looks like it's definitely worth that money IMHO. I'll be preordering it. Your review and others I've seen all like it. I would be the most amateur level into astronomy and ticks boxes for me. Thank you for the review.
thank you for this my friend...just put an order tonight after watching this. I'd been eyeing the stellina for over year, but this looks like a good price point to start - thanks for the honest review
Happy new year Jason and all the best in 2023! Superb shot of M42 and even M31. I'd take it camping and using it in dark locations. Looks like a toy at first but it's the shots you get with no effort at all. At first I did think it's too cheap to be good but those shots you got prove one thing right it's a bargain and I see it costing more if it gets more popular. Will you try for the planets? Imagine your little own photograph of Saturn and rings! Would be interesting how faint a deep sky object it can photograph? Have fun and tame care friend plus clear skies!
Hey Bushcraft, Happy new year buddy.. It would be great for camping yes I agree I'm actually thinking of doing some wild camping (when it warms up a bit that is) and taking the dwarf with me it might even make a good video for the channel... I haven't tried it on the planets as yet because of bad weather but I will probably do an update video when I get a chance to. All the best for 2023 pal.
This looks so cool! You seem genuinely excited about this little robot telescope. You convinced me to get one soon as I can come up with the $$. Thanks!
After not paying much attention since Comet Halley, I bought myself a new 102mm refractor about a year ago ( as an aside after seeing the review of your reflector, I started looking at "for sales" and one thing I noticed is the scarcity of decent aperture refractors on the used market, by comparison). Your videos have been of much help to this newbie since; And this is not meant as criticism by any means but I was mildly surprised to see you so exited by the Dwarf II, you being a long term visual astronomer. You said it yourself "I didn't do any of this - the Dwarf II did it all". I do like looking at the many available images on the web. But my thing is definitely actually looking with my own old eyes, which have unfortunately started to develop floaters lately. But luckily I can get get to B 2 skies within about 30 minutes from my B 5 home. Steep learning curve. Thanks so much and keep them coming.
I live in Las Cruces NM and 10 minutes from Bortle 4 to 3 north an 30 from Bortle 2 next to one on a military base. 86 miles to Bortle one, but I can't really tell the difference from my 2 spot. I have two scopes I use, a 127 Maksutov and a C6-N Newtonian I re-aluminized and refigured my primary mirror to near perfect optics. I also have an infinite lens (cataract surgery) in my left eye I can sometimes see things others can't. I can see astro pictures on my tv and that strikes me about the same as having an automatic telescope. After my surgery floaters didn't seem to bad in that eye. Doctor said half of what I thought were floaters was the cataract. Go see an eye dr.
@@MountainFisher Thanks. I have seen an optometrist and he says the floaters will become less noticeable with time. I Have some in my non-observing eye from a cycling crash a year back and they have become almost unnoticeable. Tried observing with that left eye but just cant get used to it. They really only annoy me when observing solar system. Deep sky is not much of a problem. They came on all at once which seemed strange but apparently isn't. I looked up your Bortle 2 spot. Nice one! you can do astronomy and UAP detecting all in one place. 👽
I enjoy my 8" Dob six months out of the year. I'm simply not motivated to take it out when it's 25 degrees F outside. I think the Dwarf II will be a great solution to doing astronomy during the cold season in Colorado.
Love your enthusiasm and yes the Dwarf 2 is amazing. I got mine 2 months ago and am very happy with it. And you didn''t even mention it can be used in daylight too with it's 4K resolution camera.
its a year later now, march 2024 and i have had the Dwarf 11 for nearly a year now, fantastic little telescope that compliments my enjoyment with the 150mm sct that i also own. The Dwarf 11 is worth every penny, i purchased it in this country from the same astronomy shop where i purchased my sct from.
Hello jason I just love your videos and your videos are so simple to understand and you cover must of the topic with which amateur astronomers struggle with. Could you please make a video on shooting deepsky objects with a mobile phone camera and a manual(non motorized) eq mount? This will help beginner astronomers a lot Lots of love from me and from the the whole INDIA🙏🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳
Hello Arti, Thank you for your kind words my friend very much appreciated.. I do have plans for future videos on deep sky phone photography so stay tuned. Much love and all the very best my friend 🙏
I was waiting for this video Jason to see what your experience is. It looks like a great piece of kit for beginners and saves the painful learning curve. Additionally, as you say, with some experience of processing etc, I reckon you could get amazing images and have loads of fun without any of the usual pain.
Hello John, yes they are so easy to use and with the added bonus of being able to do it all in the comfort of your house on those bitterly cold nights. All the best for 2023 my friend.
Excellent Vid Jason! I'm hoping it's in my budget! I love visual astronomy, but I like the idea of sharing what I see with my friends. This may be the answer. THank you.
About who it's aimed for. I think it's people like myself. I have an Astromaster 114 (hated by many, and even though we have a love/hate relationship, I really like it, lol) and I really want to take my photography to the next level. And for me and my budget, the next level isn't thoundsand of DKK or dollars worth of telescope, camera, mount and so on. And it never will be. But I am SO gonna get one of these, it really seems perfect for me! Thanks for the review and I love your channel :)
I have a SWSA+DSLR, and a 72ED+EQ6R, dedicated QHY183 cooled camera. But, my rigs are not very portable. I ordered one and I hope to travel some with it.
What enthusiasm!! The truth is that you are capable of transmitting it in your opinions... I have no doubt that it is a very sophisticated device and very well built. I don't want to sound like a killjoy or a bitter person, but I still think that its limitations in terms of optics and resolution do not allow it to go beyond of being an entertainment for a night of observation with friends, or a teaching aid for the teacher who wants to encourage his students to introduce themselves to astronomy... which is not negligible! The price is very attractive, costing little more than a 2" widefield premium eyepiece, but considering the amazing photos that amateur astrophotographers take of hazy objects in the sky (although with a lot of effort and dedication), comparable to ones of the professional telescopes in the pre-Hubble era, honestly I am not very convinced of pros of this device, beyond what I have said... It's just my opinion, obviously without having had a chance to test the device... Good year to everyone and clear skies!
I was a bit skeptical when I first heard about it but I pre ordered one anyway. I’m glad you and others are saying good things about it. Now I can’t wait for mine to arrive.
Hi Jason, Happy New Year matey. I think I'm absolutely going to order one, I have watched all the videos and been impressed. I also watched a live stream by the guys at Dwarf Lab, which I thought was really brave of them. However, they came through with flying colours the biggest issue they had was the midges 😂. As you mentioned the list of items is quite limited at the moment and they had to do quite a few requests manually using the co-ordinates using Stelerium. Again I was really impressed, they even found the ring nebula. Where it does fall short (seems really unfair saying this) but its not good at all on planets, I emailed them and got a reply within a day. One question I do have Jason please, I noticed on the live stream that a couple of times they had to adjust the Dwarf 2 to reach certain targets, will it not rotate a full 360 degrees ? Thank you again was waiting for your review before I made my mind up.
Hello Paul, I've not seen the live they did I'll have to have a look to see if it's still up it sounds interesting.. Yes I've heard it's not too good on the planets I couldn't tell you because it's been cloudy since I shot those photos so I've not had a go at them yet.. No it can't rotate a full 360 it's more like 340-350 rotation in each direction. All the best for the new year pal.
Happy New Year to you too Jason. What a great review from a non astrophotographer, I think your review is ideal for the new to astromony hobby, full of enthusiasm and passion. One question though, how does it deal with dew?
Hey Tom, Thank you I appreciate that pal.. Good question and one I forgot to cover in the video. It actually has a small heating element between the two lenses to prevent any kind of condensation or fogging it really is a clever bit of kit for the money. All the best for the new year my friend.
I had never heard of a smart telescope before last month. I bought one of these a couple of weeks ago and for astrophotography it is an absolute game changer! I am actually using mine right at this very moment whilst sat here typing this.
Happy New Year, Jason! Nice review of what looks like a great -- and affordable -- product. I'm wondering if this can be used as a 'pointer' of sorts as well for difficult targets, e.g., for folks who don't have a Goto mount and are using a dob or a telescope on a manual mount. Seems like a terrific idea for outreach, too. I think kids would take to it easily and it would be fun for them to find different targets and learn the night sky. Neat little device! Thanks for the review.
Hello Greg, I thought the same and I think if you attached some kind of finder to the dwarf you could sight the position and then point your telescope in the same part of the sky I think it would work.
Hi Jason, I really enjoy your videos, you make everything sound a lot less complicated compared to a lot of other videos, I'm new to astronomy and have been looking for the green commet c/2022 e3, I know this is off the subject of this video but all I can find is a white blur through my nexstar 102 slt, is this what I should expect or am I doing something wrong? Sorry if this message is in the wrong place but my youtube skills are as novice as my telescope skills. Thanks for all the great information you have shared so far, it's made my stargazing a lot more pleasurable.
Great job! I do have one question: I just got mine but it came with NO CHARGER. I'm charging it now, but it's just blinking green light. Does that mean it's charging?
I've had a Skywatcher 200p for years but can't remember the last time I used it. I ordered a Dwarf 2 a couple of weeks ago and looking forward to receiving it. Also looking forward to trying solar and maybe getting my wife & son interested in looking at the sky.
The system seems awesome but it doesn't give the best of high quality footage ...they definitely need to update the stacking feature, otherwise we still have to transfer the files to a computer to stack them properly....I do love the concept 👌
I think that it's amazing what they've packed into this little kit. It does it all as you say with no set-up, from an app... Child's play. I see some negative comments regarding the 1" aperture and they are quite right, it is lacking in that dept... But it's sub £500 all-in. It is considerably cheaper than most goto mounts and gets you up and running straight away. For that it must be commended. However, most would want higher quality images so I would hope to see a Dwarf III or Dwarf XL variant in the future with some proper optics inside. If they can come up with that for under £1000, I think they'd have a real winner on their hands.
Very helpful! Well done! Thank you very much! For the incredibly good price and strong commitment to this smart telescope demonstrated by DwarfLab, I plan to get one very soon. Yes, I have a good DSLR camera and plan to continue my astrophotography hobby journey with all of the steep investment that the traditional approach entails. However, of course, there is so very little in that traditional approach that is so very portable, quick, and affordable with such rewarding "instant gratification" as the Dwarf II. I mean, there is no way that my children, very young grandchildren, and I could enjoy spending together a few impromptu and treasured moments of true adventure with an elaborate traditional astrophotography session. That could never happen in my case. I will not kid myself. The Dwarf II, however, presents a real gamechanger that opens the floodgates of affordable, quick, impromptu adventures and interesting, educational fun and wonder for the entire family or gathering of friends that traditional astrophotography simply cannot touch. The Dwarf II is great for exactly what it does; and traditional astrophotography on a much more serious, complex, formal, and expensive level is also great for exactly what it does. While both are great, they present a huge difference in ultimate purposes. You and your Dwarf II certainly help validate that extremely important point here! Again, thank you very much, and all the best to you! As is customary, "Clear skies."
Can you do a video on how to use a collimation eye pice one with the cross hairs can’t find any really that are like yours also baby you tried taking pictures of planets with cheap web cams
Love your videos Jason. Can you tell me does the app link to the scope using WiFi or Bluetooth? When I downloaded the app to have a look at it (no Dwarf 2 yet of course), it told me that my device needed to support 5G band WiFi. Thanks for any info.
Does it shoot in raws too, or only the stacked jpg? My pc is crap and I still need a new tripod and get a tracker for my camera. So this might actually be the best cheapest solution. Does the app get updates on what happens in the sky too? Like the current comet above us. Meteor showers and such?
Happy New Year Jason! Great review and looks like a fantastic product - the ease of use will make it a good option for a lot of people! Congratulations on 14K!!!
Hey Jason, I have a 60mm refractor, upgraded to omni eye pieces an barlow x2 ,I have 300 pounds and looking to get the best value for money scope an mount for astrophotography, if you get a chance to answer, what would be your choice for that price please
while im sure there will be those astrophoto elitists that will hate on this little guy, (they will hate on most anything they dont use, and despise things that are automatic or easy to use), i like seeing that you enjoyed it. they think its going to to somehow take away from the 'art' if you dont do things the 'hard way', which is what keeps most people away from this hobby in the first place. you know.. i had to to walk thru 10 miles of snow to go to school.. and i dug ditches for a living for 20 years.. it will put hair on your chest, so its good for you to 'learn' the 'hard way'. kiss my ass. go back to driving your horse instead of your car. i hope more products like this come out. lol.
Extremely awesome for deepsky PHOTOGRAPS everybody knows how expensive can be a good astrophotography setup rlly a super expensive materials a big telescope, goto, astro camera, filsters, just out of the possibilities of the normal human hehe.
Dear Small Optics, Can you please send me info on downloading the app? I have this instrument, but I don't have software for controlling it. Please help me!
Cautionary tale: your mileage with the DwarfLab company may vary. Ordered mine about 3 weeks ago, got told it was lost in the post then to wait 4 days because they were on holiday and finally that I would definitely receive a new tracking number by end of the week which has not materialised yet. If it wasn't for the fact that a colleague who ordered it a couple of hours before me, had received it in about 10 days I would think this was a dodgy outfit.
Hi just bought a nexstar 102slt could you recommend a few upgrades for it for me should I change the diagonal and maybe new eypeice I've been told I shouldn't have bought the scope but am stuck with it now many thanks
Nah, I'm gonna have to say "no thanks". For me the hobby is 20% looking at things in the sky and 80% looking FOR them. Setting up my gear, tinkering with it, it's really the biggest part. It's like a treasure hunt! If I were to get something like this where I press a button and it shows it to me... I've just removed a huge chunk of why I go out at night to look at the stars.
How do you go about upgrading it every time it needs it and how much do they charge for each upgrade? If it's say monthly and over a couple hundred bucks each time it Def would not be worth it
just shooting a random question....would probably sound stupid to most of you, but WHAT proves tha ANY of these "digital" miniaturised automised telescopes, are not just "loaded" with images of what you'd like to watch? it would have a gps, pointing in the right direction, to "fool" us even better, and then show pictures from it's internal memory? I jst have serious doubt about the authenticity of this, considering how good technology is nowadays !!
To be fair, if they decided to have pre loaded images, them obviously being very clever people I would have started with the planets for us beginners, but the Dwarf 2 is rubbish a planetary photography. I would watch the live feed they did that's still on CZcams matey and you will see the image they got of Saturn 👍
This comment is several months after your video and the reason is I have just received my Dwarf II. I really enjoy the videos you make. I have been following CZcams on the Dwarf II and it looks very impressive. I am a seasoned astrophotographer and have a reasonable sophisticated setup, but this will allow me to take astro photos in areas where I cannot take my rig. I received the Dwarf II on the 18 Apr 23. I pre-ordered the Dwarf II and it took 1.5 weeks to arrive from placing my order with full parcel tracking; very impressed with Dwarf Labs. It is now 20 Apr, just 2 days since its delivery and it is amazing what it can do for the price; I paid £401. This device is unbelievable and so easy to use. I had a firmware update on the 19 Apr 23 which included bug fixes and introduced solar tracking. I have just tried it out this morning 20 Apr on the sun and it really works. The reasons that I bought it as I do have a very good astrophotography rig is that it is COOL, portable and can also be used for wildlife photography. I am a member of the RSPB and do a lot of bird watching, this will make my hobby so much more enjoyable than it already is. It has several photo modes which include Burst mode, Time-Lapse, Photo, Video, Panorama Mode, Astro Mode, and Astro Dark for noise elimination. What I am really excited is that my Wife and I are going to New Zealand to visit my Wife's brother. The Dwarf II is so small it will easily fit into my backpack and I will be able to talke it on the plane as hand luggage; try doing that with my astro rig. This will enable me to do some astro photography in the Southern Hemisphere and capture objects I would never see in the Northern Hemisphere. This is a great bit of kit and I know I will have some great fun using it. Please keep making your videos, I find them very enjoyable even as I am an experienced amateur astronomer.
hey, that does look good, what are your toughts now after 9 months?
thanks!
Here in the Arizona desert, weather is seldom an issue. But I think I'm going to hold off for now. I'm only a few years into my telescope and I enjoy the "thrill of the chase" when it comes to seeking out targets (there's no go-to on my rig). I'm afraid something like this would eliminate the challenge.
I've been thinking there is an educational application here. This would be great outreach for an astronomy club, or a science museum. A school, or library could buy a handful of these and loan them out. It seems like it would be easy enough for almost anyone to figure out how to use in little to no time.
I had never considered its use for someone with limited mobility. After you said this, I thought about my Dad in his early 80's. He gets around well enough, but couldn't drag a bunch of gear outside. Something like this would be perfect for him. Great thinking!
You did a great job! But to make the images even better, try first Polar aligning the telescope, there is a bunch of vids on youtube. Then, set your exposure time to 13 - 15 sec, I would suggest 13 sec if you DWARF 2 is not polar aligned so that you won't get star trails. Additionally, set your gain to 100 - 120 (Depends on light pollution, how bright the object is, etc). Plus makesureto make Darks using the Astro Dark mode so that you wont get any red, green or blue pixels. Also, make sure your IR stands on PASS, but if you are shooting the moon, you should put it on CUT. And for the last, try making as many frames as possible. It will make the image clearer. Clear Sky!
Your enthusiasm for the Dwarf 2 is clear. I’ve done a bit of Astro with my camera gear, but haven’t gone as far as a telescope and everything else needed for deep space photos, so I’m about to pull the trigger and get a dwarf 2. Seems perfect for what I want.
Since I have a DWARF II on order, I was anxious to hear your thoughts on this telescope, but also a little hesitant. “What if he doesn’t like it.” “What if he thinks it’s a piece of rubbish.” Well, I watched your review and was so relieved that you actually liked it. I’ve had a couple of cheap refracting telescopes in the past, but got bored with them quickly because I couldn’t save what I was seeing. I know very little about astronomy and astro photography now, but hope to change that in the near future. Thanks for the review, and I will be watching more of your videos.
Thank you so much my friend, very much appreciated. I'm sure your going to love it they're great fun. All the best for 2023.
Hey Jason, happy new year fella! Love the enthusiasm for the little Dwarf II. Yes it wont replace a full on imaging rig but you're spot on about it being fun to play with, and like you say you can do it all nice and warm from indoors! lol I thought it was a good shout mentioning the Dwarf II for house bound folks perhaps with disabilities, I can't think of a better bit of astronomy kit in this scenario! Enjoyed the video mate and thanks for the shout out!
Hello Chris, happy new year pal. They are a great bit of kit for the money so much fun aren't they? I'm looking forward to seeing what you can achieve with it.. I'm just having fun using it as a telescope at the moment and being nice and toastie inside.. What a bonus. Take care buddy all the best for 2023.
Love the new logo BTW
I think I'm going to get one of these - I have watched the videos from other channels about this telescope and all the reviews are positive. Your review is just the icing on the cake as to how easy it is to use.
I really like the photos you’ve taken so far! You’ve done a fine job of taking photos that more closely approximate what is seen through a telescope. I like the idea of showing how deep sky objects actually appear to the human eye!
looks like a brilliant tool for some nice deep sky images. On a side note, loving the channel, excellent help as I'm very new to astronomy - saw Jupiter and it's moons for the first time this evening (100x mag, 4mm), amazing sight and a personal experience, seeing with my own eye something so far away hanging in the inky blackness of space. I've already bought a 9mm svbony and have a 6mm on order as my celestron 80 came with a 4 and 25mm.
If enthusiasm and delight could be bottled, it would look pretty much like this video! Nice one, Jason, and a Happy New Year
Happy New Year my friend.
Happy 2023, and wishing you lots of clear skies.
I just got one of these and haven't used it yet. I'm watching videos like yours to get impressions and information.
I have some photography experience so that helps.
I'm glad to hear the great review!
Happy New Year Jason. I'm on the waiting list and pre ordered,
the Delux kit is selling at £447.00 it has a extra battery and a couple of ND filters and a UHC filter.
the Clasic kit is selling at £378.00 no extras. Both of those prices are with postage and the pre order discount.
The filter holder is 1.25 standard filter thread size, very handy for my light pollution set of filters.
It's one's birthday present too my self in February 2023. ha ho it's a long wait. LoL
Hello Davey, having an extra battery will be very handy I'm thinking of getting one myself. All the best for 2023 my friend.
I think people like you and I are a good use case for this little scope/camera. Long term visual astronomers who like the idea of doing some astro imaging but don't want to buy a camera that costs as much as a car before we even know if its an avenue we enjoy. Watching Cuiv the Lazy Geek's stuff on this, you can use it in polar/eq mode and can go deep with editing the images, so I'll be buying one
This certainly interests me, like you I'm no astro photographer but this is something for me who will never go high ended with expensive astro set ups. i can understand why very good astro photographers may not like it, but this certainly appeals to many. thanks for your honest review
Looks like it's definitely worth that money IMHO. I'll be preordering it. Your review and others I've seen all like it. I would be the most amateur level into astronomy and ticks boxes for me. Thank you for the review.
Thanks for the review my mind is now at ease I have one ordered, brilliant thanks again 😀!!
Glad you got to do a video on this scope/cam. I'll be pre ordering mine now
thank you for this my friend...just put an order tonight after watching this. I'd been eyeing the stellina for over year, but this looks like a good price point to start - thanks for the honest review
Happy new year Jason and all the best in 2023! Superb shot of M42 and even M31. I'd take it camping and using it in dark locations. Looks like a toy at first but it's the shots you get with no effort at all. At first I did think it's too cheap to be good but those shots you got prove one thing right it's a bargain and I see it costing more if it gets more popular. Will you try for the planets? Imagine your little own photograph of Saturn and rings! Would be interesting how faint a deep sky object it can photograph?
Have fun and tame care friend plus clear skies!
Hey Bushcraft, Happy new year buddy.. It would be great for camping yes I agree I'm actually thinking of doing some wild camping (when it warms up a bit that is) and taking the dwarf with me it might even make a good video for the channel... I haven't tried it on the planets as yet because of bad weather but I will probably do an update video when I get a chance to. All the best for 2023 pal.
This looks so cool! You seem genuinely excited about this little robot telescope. You convinced me to get one soon as I can come up with the $$. Thanks!
Happy new year to you and yours Jason ! May 2023 be your best year yet!! Clear skies
After not paying much attention since Comet Halley, I bought myself a new 102mm refractor about a year ago ( as an aside after seeing the review of your reflector, I started looking at "for sales" and one thing I noticed is the scarcity of decent aperture refractors on the used market, by comparison).
Your videos have been of much help to this newbie since; And this is not meant as criticism by any means but I was mildly surprised to see you so exited by the Dwarf II, you being a long term visual astronomer. You said it yourself "I didn't do any of this - the Dwarf II did it all". I do like looking at the many available images on the web. But my thing is definitely actually looking with my own old eyes, which have unfortunately started to develop floaters lately. But luckily I can get get to B 2 skies within about 30 minutes from my B 5 home. Steep learning curve. Thanks so much and keep them coming.
I live in Las Cruces NM and 10 minutes from Bortle 4 to 3 north an 30 from Bortle 2 next to one on a military base. 86 miles to Bortle one, but I can't really tell the difference from my 2 spot. I have two scopes I use, a 127 Maksutov and a C6-N Newtonian I re-aluminized and refigured my primary mirror to near perfect optics. I also have an infinite lens (cataract surgery) in my left eye I can sometimes see things others can't. I can see astro pictures on my tv and that strikes me about the same as having an automatic telescope.
After my surgery floaters didn't seem to bad in that eye. Doctor said half of what I thought were floaters was the cataract. Go see an eye dr.
@@MountainFisher Thanks. I have seen an optometrist and he says the floaters will become less noticeable with time. I Have some in my non-observing eye from a cycling crash a year back and they have become almost unnoticeable. Tried observing with that left eye but just cant get used to it. They really only annoy me when observing solar system. Deep sky is not much of a problem. They came on all at once which seemed strange but apparently isn't.
I looked up your Bortle 2 spot. Nice one! you can do astronomy and UAP detecting all in one place. 👽
@@chrisgates4791 I worked in aerospace for 30 year, I helped build some of those UAPs.
@@MountainFisher 🙂
I enjoy my 8" Dob six months out of the year. I'm simply not motivated to take it out when it's 25 degrees F outside. I think the Dwarf II will be a great solution to doing astronomy during the cold season in Colorado.
Love your enthusiasm and yes the Dwarf 2 is amazing. I got mine 2 months ago and am very happy with it. And you didn''t even mention it can be used in daylight too with it's 4K resolution camera.
its a year later now, march 2024 and i have had the Dwarf 11 for nearly a year now, fantastic little telescope that compliments my enjoyment with the 150mm sct that i also own. The Dwarf 11 is worth every penny, i purchased it in this country from the same astronomy shop where i purchased my sct from.
ordered one, thanks for a great down to earth blog, thank you so much.
Hello jason
I just love your videos and your videos are so simple to understand and you cover must of the topic with which amateur astronomers struggle with.
Could you please make a video on shooting deepsky objects with a mobile phone camera and a manual(non motorized) eq mount?
This will help beginner astronomers a lot
Lots of love from me and from the the whole INDIA🙏🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳
Hello Arti, Thank you for your kind words my friend very much appreciated.. I do have plans for future videos on deep sky phone photography so stay tuned. Much love and all the very best my friend 🙏
Thanks a lot sir😊
I was waiting for this video Jason to see what your experience is. It looks like a great piece of kit for beginners and saves the painful learning curve. Additionally, as you say, with some experience of processing etc, I reckon you could get amazing images and have loads of fun without any of the usual pain.
Hello John, yes they are so easy to use and with the added bonus of being able to do it all in the comfort of your house on those bitterly cold nights. All the best for 2023 my friend.
Excellent Vid Jason! I'm hoping it's in my budget! I love visual astronomy, but I like the idea of sharing what I see with my friends. This may be the answer. THank you.
Thank you for this review! I've already ordered it based on reviews by Cuiv and Astro LaVista, but hearing this from you is a big deal too.
Hello John, you're welcome my friend. You'll love it, they are great fun.
Hi Jason, what a brilliant video, this looks like a real game changer! I won't break it to the Mrs just yet...shhh.... where's my credit card!
Enjoyed your review and insights.. Placed my pre-order on December 30th..
Time and money have kept me away from astrophotography. This unit seems perfect for me. Great review!
And happy new year jason😇
Happy New Year Arti
@@smalloptics753 thanks jason
I'm new to astronomy, love all your vids , congrats on 17k ✌🇨🇦
About who it's aimed for. I think it's people like myself. I have an Astromaster 114 (hated by many, and even though we have a love/hate relationship, I really like it, lol) and I really want to take my photography to the next level. And for me and my budget, the next level isn't thoundsand of DKK or dollars worth of telescope, camera, mount and so on. And it never will be. But I am SO gonna get one of these, it really seems perfect for me! Thanks for the review and I love your channel :)
Great review Jason. Mine should ship in February.
Hi I received my Dwarf2 yesterday, I have not done much but what I have done it is brilliant!
Love your video, I am a new subscriber. well done bro!
Happy New Years and thanks for the update
A highly anticipated video! Thank you!
Can't wait for mine to arrive. Looking forward to using it with my 7 year old son who is fascinated by space.
I wish I wasn't at work. I can't wait to watch this video!
Awesome to see a new video from you buddy! Happy new year my friend keeps hyping the dwarf 2 up idk I been skeptical on it
Happy New Year my friend
I have a SWSA+DSLR, and a 72ED+EQ6R, dedicated QHY183 cooled camera. But, my rigs are not very portable. I ordered one and I hope to travel some with it.
What enthusiasm!! The truth is that you are capable of transmitting it in your opinions... I have no doubt that it is a very sophisticated device and very well built. I don't want to sound like a killjoy or a bitter person, but I still think that its limitations in terms of optics and resolution do not allow it to go beyond of being an entertainment for a night of observation with friends, or a teaching aid for the teacher who wants to encourage his students to introduce themselves to astronomy... which is not negligible! The price is very attractive, costing little more than a 2" widefield premium eyepiece, but considering the amazing photos that amateur astrophotographers take of hazy objects in the sky (although with a lot of effort and dedication), comparable to ones of the professional telescopes in the pre-Hubble era, honestly I am not very convinced of pros of this device, beyond what I have said... It's just my opinion, obviously without having had a chance to test the device... Good year to everyone and clear skies!
I was a bit skeptical when I first heard about it but I pre ordered one anyway. I’m glad you and others are saying good things about it. Now I can’t wait for mine to arrive.
Hey Jim, You'll not regret it my friend, they are great fun.. All the best buddy.
I enjoyed this video, it kind of captured the way I felt when I got my vespera…I know I’ll enjoy the dwarf also, robotic astronomy is great
Hi Jason, Happy New Year matey. I think I'm absolutely going to order one, I have watched all the videos and been impressed. I also watched a live stream by the guys at Dwarf Lab, which I thought was really brave of them. However, they came through with flying colours the biggest issue they had was the midges 😂. As you mentioned the list of items is quite limited at the moment and they had to do quite a few requests manually using the co-ordinates using Stelerium. Again I was really impressed, they even found the ring nebula. Where it does fall short (seems really unfair saying this) but its not good at all on planets, I emailed them and got a reply within a day. One question I do have Jason please, I noticed on the live stream that a couple of times they had to adjust the Dwarf 2 to reach certain targets, will it not rotate a full 360 degrees ? Thank you again was waiting for your review before I made my mind up.
Hello Paul, I've not seen the live they did I'll have to have a look to see if it's still up it sounds interesting.. Yes I've heard it's not too good on the planets I couldn't tell you because it's been cloudy since I shot those photos so I've not had a go at them yet.. No it can't rotate a full 360 it's more like 340-350 rotation in each direction. All the best for the new year pal.
@@smalloptics753 I think my lovely wife has pre-ordered me a Dwarf 2 for my birthday next week whoop whoop 😂😂
I’d love to see planet pics with this
Not good at Planetary mate.
@@paullewis7818 thanks very much, appreciated.
happy new year to you too my man love the wholesome vibe of your videos
Thanks John much appreciated. Happy new year buddy.
Being that small it would be interesting and probably easy to mount the Dwarf on the roof or the edge of the roof of the house for a full 360° view
Hello Dean, Yes that would work it's definitely portable enough.
Hey Jason. Love your channel. Do you know what range, that is the max distance, you can be from the device?
Finally I’ve been waiting for this specific vid ❤
Happy New Year to you too Jason.
What a great review from a non astrophotographer, I think your review is ideal for the new to astromony hobby, full of enthusiasm and passion.
One question though, how does it deal with dew?
Hey Tom, Thank you I appreciate that pal.. Good question and one I forgot to cover in the video. It actually has a small heating element between the two lenses to prevent any kind of condensation or fogging it really is a clever bit of kit for the money. All the best for the new year my friend.
I had never heard of a smart telescope before last month. I bought one of these a couple of weeks ago and for astrophotography it is an absolute game changer! I am actually using mine right at this very moment whilst sat here typing this.
Happy New Year, Jason! Nice review of what looks like a great -- and affordable -- product. I'm wondering if this can be used as a 'pointer' of sorts as well for difficult targets, e.g., for folks who don't have a Goto mount and are using a dob or a telescope on a manual mount. Seems like a terrific idea for outreach, too. I think kids would take to it easily and it would be fun for them to find different targets and learn the night sky. Neat little device! Thanks for the review.
Hello Greg, I thought the same and I think if you attached some kind of finder to the dwarf you could sight the position and then point your telescope in the same part of the sky I think it would work.
Hi Jason, I really enjoy your videos, you make everything sound a lot less complicated compared to a lot of other videos, I'm new to astronomy and have been looking for the green commet c/2022 e3, I know this is off the subject of this video but all I can find is a white blur through my nexstar 102 slt, is this what I should expect or am I doing something wrong? Sorry if this message is in the wrong place but my youtube skills are as novice as my telescope skills. Thanks for all the great information you have shared so far, it's made my stargazing a lot more pleasurable.
Great job! I do have one question: I just got mine but it came with NO CHARGER. I'm charging it now, but it's just blinking green light. Does that mean it's charging?
I've had a Skywatcher 200p for years but can't remember the last time I used it. I ordered a Dwarf 2 a couple of weeks ago and looking forward to receiving it. Also looking forward to trying solar and maybe getting my wife & son interested in looking at the sky.
The system seems awesome but it doesn't give the best of high quality footage ...they definitely need to update the stacking feature, otherwise we still have to transfer the files to a computer to stack them properly....I do love the concept 👌
I think that it's amazing what they've packed into this little kit. It does it all as you say with no set-up, from an app... Child's play.
I see some negative comments regarding the 1" aperture and they are quite right, it is lacking in that dept... But it's sub £500 all-in.
It is considerably cheaper than most goto mounts and gets you up and running straight away. For that it must be commended.
However, most would want higher quality images so I would hope to see a Dwarf III or Dwarf XL variant in the future with some proper optics inside.
If they can come up with that for under £1000, I think they'd have a real winner on their hands.
I e mailed Dwarf 2 with regards the planetary issues, which they kindly confirmed. However, they did hint at a Dwarf 3 in the future 👍
Very helpful! Well done! Thank you very much! For the incredibly good price and strong commitment to this smart telescope demonstrated by DwarfLab, I plan to get one very soon. Yes, I have a good DSLR camera and plan to continue my astrophotography hobby journey with all of the steep investment that the traditional approach entails. However, of course, there is so very little in that traditional approach that is so very portable, quick, and affordable with such rewarding "instant gratification" as the Dwarf II. I mean, there is no way that my children, very young grandchildren, and I could enjoy spending together a few impromptu and treasured moments of true adventure with an elaborate traditional astrophotography session. That could never happen in my case. I will not kid myself. The Dwarf II, however, presents a real gamechanger that opens the floodgates of affordable, quick, impromptu adventures and interesting, educational fun and wonder for the entire family or gathering of friends that traditional astrophotography simply cannot touch. The Dwarf II is great for exactly what it does; and traditional astrophotography on a much more serious, complex, formal, and expensive level is also great for exactly what it does. While both are great, they present a huge difference in ultimate purposes. You and your Dwarf II certainly help validate that extremely important point here! Again, thank you very much, and all the best to you! As is customary, "Clear skies."
Can you do a video on how to use a collimation eye pice one with the cross hairs can’t find any really that are like yours also baby you tried taking pictures of planets with cheap web cams
Love your videos Jason. Can you tell me does the app link to the scope using WiFi or Bluetooth? When I downloaded the app to have a look at it (no Dwarf 2 yet of course), it told me that my device needed to support 5G band WiFi. Thanks for any info.
What about the planets, how did they come out
I have a celestron 4se, is the dwarf2 better than what I have?
You didn't get paid to do a review, but do you get to keep the kit?
What comes to my mind.
Isn't a telescope like this like racing a track on an autopilot?
Hello good job.... how much is this? Where is buy this?
great stuff just the thing i need have a few scopes and astro cams but dew to a bad hip i cant set up a heavy mount
I am interested in this , also though its a similar price to the nexstar 4se so was wondering how they compare ?
Wow does this telescope produces much better image than most telescopes? The M31 looks amazing tho
Absolutely amazing but so expensive
So excited for this!
Does it shoot in raws too, or only the stacked jpg? My pc is crap and I still need a new tripod and get a tracker for my camera. So this might actually be the best cheapest solution. Does the app get updates on what happens in the sky too? Like the current comet above us. Meteor showers and such?
Does it move up to pan the sky or does it move only 360. I haven’t seen anyone demonstrate the functionality of the telescope.
Happy New Year Jason! Great review and looks like a fantastic product - the ease of use will make it a good option for a lot of people! Congratulations on 14K!!!
Thank you my friend, yes they are great bit of kit and a lot of fun. Happy new year buddy.
Hey Jason, I have a 60mm refractor, upgraded to omni eye pieces an barlow x2 ,I have 300 pounds and looking to get the best value for money scope an mount for astrophotography, if you get a chance to answer, what would be your choice for that price please
while im sure there will be those astrophoto elitists that will hate on this little guy, (they will hate on most anything they dont use, and despise things that are automatic or easy to use), i like seeing that you enjoyed it. they think its going to to somehow take away from the 'art' if you dont do things the 'hard way', which is what keeps most people away from this hobby in the first place. you know.. i had to to walk thru 10 miles of snow to go to school.. and i dug ditches for a living for 20 years.. it will put hair on your chest, so its good for you to 'learn' the 'hard way'. kiss my ass. go back to driving your horse instead of your car. i hope more products like this come out. lol.
I'm not an astrophotographer either, but the little auto scope seems no different than looking at the Hubble catalogue.
@@MountainFisher it IS better to look at a catalogue, or something like a Stellarium app.
@@A0111. Cheaper for certain and a better picture.
Extremely awesome for deepsky PHOTOGRAPS everybody knows how expensive can be a good astrophotography setup rlly a super expensive materials a big telescope, goto, astro camera, filsters, just out of the possibilities of the normal human hehe.
Dear Small Optics, Can you please send me info on downloading the app? I have this instrument, but I don't have software for controlling it. Please help me!
I don't understand how it can see such far away objects, I always thought you would need a lot more powerful telescope
That is pretty impressive.
I wonder. Could it take photos of fast moving satellite like the space station?
Cautionary tale: your mileage with the DwarfLab company may vary. Ordered mine about 3 weeks ago, got told it was lost in the post then to wait 4 days because they were on holiday and finally that I would definitely receive a new tracking number by end of the week which has not materialised yet. If it wasn't for the fact that a colleague who ordered it a couple of hours before me, had received it in about 10 days I would think this was a dodgy outfit.
Hi just bought a nexstar 102slt could you recommend a few upgrades for it for me should I change the diagonal and maybe new eypeice I've been told I shouldn't have bought the scope but am stuck with it now many thanks
Hi there can it take photos of Jupiter and it's moons and Saturn's rings?
It's not really suited to planetary imaging, more for deep sky objects, due to it's fairly low magnification and wield field of view.
Hello friend as others have said it's more suited for deep sky it does take great pics of the Moon though.
@@smalloptics753 Hi mate thanks for the reply if it could take photos of Saturn and rings that would be a good buy👍atb
Nah, I'm gonna have to say "no thanks". For me the hobby is 20% looking at things in the sky and 80% looking FOR them. Setting up my gear, tinkering with it, it's really the biggest part. It's like a treasure hunt! If I were to get something like this where I press a button and it shows it to me... I've just removed a huge chunk of why I go out at night to look at the stars.
Is the seestar s50 its main competitor ?
Love your channel, hope you create new videos soon
I’ll be using the Dwart ll for comet watching.
How do you go about upgrading it every time it needs it and how much do they charge for each upgrade? If it's say monthly and over a couple hundred bucks each time it Def would not be worth it
Thanks buddy 👍👍👍
just shooting a random question....would probably sound stupid to most of you, but WHAT proves tha ANY of these "digital" miniaturised automised telescopes, are not just "loaded" with images of what you'd like to watch? it would have a gps, pointing in the right direction, to "fool" us even better, and then show pictures from it's internal memory? I jst have serious doubt about the authenticity of this, considering how good technology is nowadays !!
To be fair, if they decided to have pre loaded images, them obviously being very clever people I would have started with the planets for us beginners, but the Dwarf 2 is rubbish a planetary photography. I would watch the live feed they did that's still on CZcams matey and you will see the image they got of Saturn 👍
Mine sure isnt easy out of the box. It took over an hour to get it to even connect.
I got mine, but there’s no app in the App Store. It’s a brick without the app.
thanks russell crowe
I have one on order, can’t wait.