Is Astrophotography Possible for UNDER $500?

Three kits each under $500 will battle it out in a ONE NIGHT Astrophotography SHOWDOWN! If you are a beginner considering jumping in to astrophotography, this video will help with a first purchase. I review the DWARF II Smart Telescope, the ZWO Seestar S50, and the 3D-printed OG Star Tracker with a used DSLR/Lens/Tripod.

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Gear reviewed in this video
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Table of Contents
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0:00 The contenders are...
1:00 Disclosures / Thank yous
1:29 DWARF II Smart Telescope
8:16 ZWO Seestar S50
13:45 OG Star Tracker Kit
22:26 Final Image Comparisons
23:45 Final Thoughts
25:40 Patreon / Credits

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Video and Music Credits
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Flight Through the Orion Nebula in Visible and Infrared Light
NASA, ESA, and F. Summers, G. Bacon, Z. Levay, J. DePasquale, L. Hustak, L. Frattare, M. Robberto, M. Gennaro (STScI), R. Hurt (Caltech/IPAC), M. Kornmesser (ESA)
Acknowledgement: A. Fujii, R. Gendler
Public Domain

Eyes on the Skies - Zooming into the Pleiades Cluster
Credit: ESA/Hubble (M. Kornmesser & L. L. Christensen)
Public Domain

Last Odyssey and Arcade Romance by ELFL
Licensed through Epidemic Sound

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Social:
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Twitter: @nebulaphotos
Instagram: @nebulaphotosdotcom

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Channel Disclosures
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[NebulaPhotos]

Notes/Corrections:
-Due to an editing mistake I implied you should connect power to the OG Star Tracker and then connect to the stepper motor. The opposite is true, always connect the cable from the RA port on the control box to the stepper motor first, and then connect the power cable.
-I did these tests in early December before the new version of the Dwarf app was released. The new version includes better autofocus and unlocks 1x1 binning which several commenters say improves image quality. I haven't been able to test it myself yet due to poor weather.
-ZWO and DwarfLab will release future upgrades to the respective apps. When I talked about an upgrade path with the OG Star Tracker, I was talking about hardware upgrades. Some software upgrades can certainly improve a product and solve problems. For example, if ZWO adds a mosaic mode for the Seestar that would help with the composition / small field of view issue.
-Will add more notes/corrections as they occur to me or people point them out.
Thanks for watching, Nico

[tomedward]

I think the Seestar represents excellent value for money - especially as it has a apochromatic lense/triplet which normally costs thousands. I would love to get into the hobby more, but I cannot afford to spend the thousands required for a dedicated rig or the time - I have a young baby to look after. However, I think the Seestar provides a gateway for people like me who have maybe and hour to spare, to simply go out and capture some really nice pictures without spending hours setting up a rig.

[MartyGerman]

You should research the SeeStar more because it is in it's early evolution and continues to be improved ... soon to include automatic mosaic mode to let you enlarge the field of view to any size that you require. Also, they say they plan to add more granular, manual controls for exposures. All of these and more features will come with simple firmware updates for free. I've already experienced 2 firmware updates and they were simple and amazing!

[KevinRudd-ws]

The complexity is part of the enjoyment for me. Yes it was frustrating when I started with a star tracker DSLR and Lens, but once I mastered how to use it the sense of achievement when I actually managed to image a dso ( the double cluster) for the first time, even though it wasn't as good as those taken with a smart scope was still priceless. As I got more into the hobby I upgraded my set up and added to it. I now own a fully automated set up.but still use my original DSLR set up as well, and still thoroughly enjoy using it though I tend to use the Samyang/Rokinon 135 f2 lens these days or maybe a Cat 51.

[samwarfelphotos]

Glad to see the star tracker rig cleaned up, DIY for the win 💪

[lesumsi]

This channel and the OG Star Tracker got me into this hobby. I was in the lucky situation of having a good camera and lens, as well as a 3D printer. So, for less than 50€ I was able to get started.

[viniguez]

I think a really important Pro you left out on the Seestar is that it comes with a duo-band filter built in at the $500 price range whereas the dwarf does not. That filter allows for imaging in light polluted areas!

[VijayCD]

I love the way you explain stuff in a simple and easy-to-understand manner, especially with the cool smile. That should be any for any learners. I wholeheartedly appreciate and my sincere thanks for that. Loads of love from Chennai!

[FabioPegli]

A big pro for the Dwarf is the possibility to easily polar align it and reduce most of the field rotation

[Crypticdragon]

Personally I already went with the more dedicated path, but I do think I might pick up something like the Seestar for when I just want to be able to show the night sky to friends whilst camping and such due to the being able to get fairly quick results. Thank you for the informative video, Nico!

[netheriteingot]

I am really excited for this one. I have been waiting for Nico to review these smart telescopes specifically the Seestar as I own one now!

[antn]

I'm getting the Seestar now. Nice video!

[DanHidden]

working on printing my og star tracker. cant wait to see if it works!

[fazergazer]

In fact, once you have a little experience, the star tracker and zoom lens+used camera are a great option🎉

[newby]

Great video, up until recently my only astrophotography was clamping my phone to my telescope eyepiece or using my dslr untracked. I've recently purchased a Dwarf 2, and I'm more than happy with the result. I love watching these astrophotography videos, but I haven't got the time or money to invest into a propper rig, the Dwarf 2 suits me perfectly.

[YouStoleMyChocobo]

I just finished building my OG Star Tracker. Really looking forward to a clear night to test it out 😁😁😁

[slavicprincess]

Wow, I was NOT expecting the DSLR one to look that good. Honestly for me, I think a good star tracker paired with a telephoto lens on my mirrorless camera will be more than enough!

[wdhale]

Thanks for covering this. I have struggled getting started with my dslr and thought about the easy smart scopes. You have convinced me to learn the craft as I already own equipment to get started. Keep up the great work. -Patreon supporter, Warren

[davidaucoin]

In the advanced features in the Seestar, you can adjust the exposures from 10 to 20 or 30 seconds.. You can also manually focus by switching on the Focus tab in advanced features and you can attach a 3D printed bahtinov mask for precision focus.

[gummiSKY]

An excellent presentation of different equipment, as always, Nico! 👍🏼😎
What you have to bear in mind with the OG StarTrecker is that it only has a payload of 3 kg.☝🏼
This may sound quite high at first, but it quickly becomes relatively low.
This means that if you have a decent camera mount and a reasonably good camera with a good zoom lens, you can easily break the 3 kg limit!😩