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
Thanks for your hard work reviewing these things. The OG sounded like i twas tailor made for me, so I ended up ordering the hardware kit to assemble. As a 3D printing enthusiast this sounds like an amazing project that is actually useful because it also allows much longer exposures once completed!
When a green laser fades out in the cold it's not because the laser isn't working, it's the frequency doubler that stops working. If your laser doesn't have a good quality IR cut filter on the front it can leak out a very dangerous amount of invisible near IR radiation. Basically you should NEVER use cheap green lasers in the cold, and you should consider any green laser that has visibly faded due to cold to be an extreme eye hazard
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.
agree. I am living in Shanghai which has 30million people (you can imagine how the light pollution in the night can be) and own only 1-2 hours in night. S50 allow me to bring it to the top of my apartment building in midnight to take a photo for a nebula which I never seen before. As you said, it is a perfect gateway for me.
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!
Sorry if this is a dumb question but I wanted to check, will those come as updates to the current S50 or will those come with the next version of the telescope (so a new telescope all together)? I’m considering getting an s50 but would rather wait if an updated version is coming out soon. Thanks!!
@@mellevandendungen6412 We just received our S50 and there was an update ready which added planetary mode and, I believe, more focusing and exposure time control. Our present firm ware level is 2.06. However, as soon as ours arrived, we discovered that we had inadvertently doomed SW OH to rainy, overcast skies for the foreseeable future! ☹️
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.
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.
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!
The UHC filter is kinda useless tbh. It's meant for sodium lamps but all the lights near me are LED. Nothing beats just going to a dark sight or getting a real dual narrowband filter.
@@iphoneawesome123 it’s not actually a UHC filter it’s a dual band pass filter for Ha and SII. I own a Seestar and use it from home to image nebulae. The broadband targets are near impossible from home and require a dark site. But it’s really nice being able to see nebulae from home at this price point. My other rigs are a RASA 11 with a Triad Quad band filter and a Radian 61 with Ha, SII, and O3 filters. While no where near as good as those setups it’s a great little package at a fraction of the cost.
@@iphoneawesome123 You can ask your municipality to remove those lights. I asked ours and within 24 hours the street light was gone and now our little spot is super dark.
@@iphoneawesome123but it is a duo band, specifically to capture nebulae. It does make a world of difference! After a couple minutes you can capture, for example, the Horse nebulae under bortle 6-7 skies!
I feel like the time investment required to set up and tune a DIY kit is usually under appreciated. As a father I’m lucky if I have an hr or two for observing before bed, and I like to try to involve the kids, so the all-in-one kits (in my case an EVscope) have been a total game changer for me. Rather than stress over rushing to get it set up on a very compressed schedule I can now take my time and focus on the actual observation instead of the technicalities. I love it.
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!
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!
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.
Great comparison. Ive been using a Sky Watcher Star Adventurer (an older one before they added Go To) a Canon 80d and various lenses. My goal is to do as much astrophotography as I can with equipment that can be used for everyday photography. In fact the only dedicated astrophotography equipment I've bought is the Star Adventurer drive. Im never going to get the results that people who spend thousands on equipment get but I have fun and have been happy with the shots I get.
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!😩
Thank you so much for this video. As much as I love the idea of the Seestar,, it takes the fun away from doing it yourself. So I asked my brother if he could do the 3d print OG one since it has so many pros and a better price then a regular tracker. Super excited to see you review it!!
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.
Thank you for pronouncing Pleiades properly. Music to my ears! Thanks for the review! Going to wait until the bugs get worked out and the dust settles over who will be the leader.
I love OGST DSLR. Difficult setups improve my skills at the same time. For example, if I learn to obtain the positions of various objects such as stars and nebulae to know their positions, and various other knowledge. This is King HOBBY.
Great reviews! Thank you. I didn't really know about the third option presented. In commenting to you in the past, we were talking about my Dslr. You were correct that I couldn't get the focuser to go in far enough on my xt8 using my older Dslr. Is there an option of changing my focuser to one that would go in a little further? Recently, I took the time to figure out the focuser travel issue when I was playing around during the daytime and not being able to focus on a far object But the third option presented here might allow me to use the camera I already have. Last night, I used my recently purchased svbony 305c with my xt8. Seeing the moon move so quickly, it reenforces that I need something to help me track my targets. Hence, it has me thinking about one of the options presented in this video, but also what I dislike about using my xt8 and an astro camera, is when I switch out the eye piece for the camera and i move the xt8 and lose my target. Do I get a better view in my xt8 than I would with one of these smart scopes? I think i would really like the quality of the ZWO, but i don’t want a cut-off picture. Also, you were spot on about the green lasers losing their ability to point in the cold, and it happened again last night. Should I get a red laser instead?
The dwarf2 telescope massively improved with the new app enabling 1x1 bin (4k). In addition, it can be polar aligned if you buy a better tripod and a wedge. This will remove field rotation an improve stacking. It is a pity your review was done using the old app (bin2).
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!
@@northernman22 True, Nico is amazing and I definitely don't expect to get as good results as him, especially since I live in ✨bortle 7✨ but as someone who already has the camera and lens I might as well just spend the 500 on a good EQ mount and try and learn the skills right?
I'm by no means an accomplished image editor when it comes to astrophotography but I've gotten some very good results (imo) simply by following tutorial videos on RUclips.
23:40 damn i really think its worth the learning curve! I started at photography in dec, starting lessons next week... And astro photography is one of my interests. So YES ,i am going to invest in this learning curve❤
An excellent comparison for a beginner like me. I would like to try out astrophotography without having to spend a few thousand euros. For me the Seestar is probably the most interesting offer. Thanks for the video, subscription and like are fixed
Great comparaison. Seestar being the king as always. I’d argue the OG kit is not great though for most people. I believe that the DIY is very niche (in a already very niche hobby), and will bring difficulties that are not present on a « normal setup » (also, green laser in the sky, be careful of the law). I think that’s gonna be very frustrating for a new photographer, or just people that knows how to work an automated setup with ASIAir/etc but do not know electronics and unfinished softwares It’s more of a seasoned geek project for me. Which is cool too!
At star parties and at our community dark sky observing sites (most located in parks), green lasers are strictly prohibited. And they are prohibited in many parks and public locations in general. Let's just say, if you whip out a green laser at star party you are going to make as many friends as you would if you turned on your truck's high beam lights.
Hi, you have good points. But don't forget about the price which is many times lower than competition. Today, I plan to add the possibility of buying it with polar scope. And for some people the assembly itself can be part of the fun as the astrophotography itself. You have more personal connection to it. Also, today, I plan to add an option to buy a fully assembled kit that would work out of the box with laser or polar scope. I agree that the laser is not the best option, but for many beginners, it's much easier to use than polar scope + cheaper . I was a few times at a star party, and I asked them if it would be OK to use it before astronomical night for 1 or 2 min, and they agreed. But this depends star party from star party. Cheers
@@ogstartracker For sure, this kit is marvelous for the people that wants to build something themselves. I'm not sure the price itself would "pay" for the trouble that it could cause, but I suppose it's down to anybody at this point. Still, I think this is a dope project and I hope you are having fun with it!
I have an Omegon Minitrack essential, a old dslr, a few 2nd hand, manual focus prime lenses and a intervalometer. Certainly under 500$. Not Apod images but a lot of fun
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
I so thoroughly enjoy these videos. get to see a bit of what tech and its varying factors can do both in general and for me personally. and, of course, being a universe fan, I can't help but always love the photos and their magnificent subjects. What bottle are you at? (must have answered this a thousand times sry....)
Excellent reviews! - OK, I just watched the whole video - I've got to tell you: I finally have a dedicated Astro Cam (it's only an ASI178MC); but you make me want to go out and buy a DSLR again! LoL! Seriously though, you always make DSLR's look so good! 😀
It's not a big pro, but it's an option for those who want to pursue it. People are discovering the SeeStar can be eq mounted, and it will plate solve to a polar alignment. Hopefully ZWO will make some advanced options available for those who want to pursue them.
Already have trackers and eq mounts so the filters that come with the the seestar are what sold me on getting one. I can plop the thing down and be up and running with it and then go fiddle with my other camera settings /filter / mounting solutions while the seestar is up and running! The seestar is also quick enough to set up that it allows for 'sucker hole' astrophotography! 😉👍
I already have a star adventure 2i but the Seestar is kinda interesting in that its quick to get running and is likely cheaper than a decent telephoto lens for the focal length you get, plus since its setup and leave I could set it up for a smaller deep sky target and let it go while playing with the more complicated setup...I might have to keep my eye on the smart telescope space.
Excellent video as always! The Dwarf and Seestar will bring many new people into taking images of the night sky ("what telescope should I get for my 8 year old child to get them started"?) and many of them will want to improve their images and therefore buy more kit. I bought a Seestar for portability and for a rapid set up, it is brilliant. Clear nights are rare and the Seestar can have you up and imaging inside 5 minutes. I don't think I've ever managed to polar align an EQ mount in that time. Field rotation on the smaller field of view isn't wonderful especially on larger objects. I suspect a mosaic mode may get added as purchasers are already trying that on Andromeda and Orion. Not brilliant for the Moon, Sun and planets though. I started out with a Camera and an Omegon minitrack which is a great budget entry point.
YEHA NICO, I waited long for this kind of video of you. You are my personal ASTRO BOB ROSS❤❤❤ I recommend you every time if someone wants to learn astro. Must be a few 100 people already. You are really THE BEST👍👍👍
Hey Nico! Absolutely love your channel. I'm just getting into astrophotography. I bought a kit w/ canon rebel t100/eos 4000d. Would I be better to use that for other photography and get like a t3i, or can I use it to learn astrophotography? Thanks for all you do!
wow ! done it again! real good overview of those systems! I bet a 135 F2 paired to the OG would be enough to keep one busy for a few years! I'll send you my unit to review when it's done 👍 auto PA plus goto and auto focus using 135 F2 and camera of your choice... DSLR or dedicated astro and filter wheel... still debating on Microsoft pc Vs app based Linux thingie... read SBC ...
I bought the dwarf to use while backpacking it’s done it’s job as a portable anywhere scope and is decent for what it is. Otherwise I use a 6” sct or Sony A73 on a star tracker for any other stuff at home. Great videos and very informative as usual!
The Seestar can be used when you live in an appartement and have very limited sky view. No polar alignement needed and small enough to put it on you window bench indoors. The biggest issue I have with the Seestar is that for some reason it points the lens about 30 degrees ahead of the moon. It never finds the moon but could be a software bug when it thinks I live in the UK but actually I am in Brussels timezone that is pretty close to the UK but with +1 or +2 hours ahead of the UTC.
I like the idea of the OG but living far north I think that motor shaft sticking up would be a problem in many situations. I love that it uses cameras you may already own so you can reuse investments. My largest lens is 100mm and heavy! Would the OG handle that?
RE: Far North - There are different options for latitude: 0-25, 25-50, 45-65 degrees. If you live higher than 65 degrees looks like you are out of luck with this design. RE: Lens - It should, yes. The total payload limit is 3kg / 6.6 lbs. So unless your camera is super heavy, I think it should work well.
The two things that would revolutionize these scopes would be: (1) an internal derotator to control composition and compensate for field rotation (2) choice of image scale via switching lenses in for short and long focal length. (1) would be doable at relatively low cost…❤
Awesome!!! I've been doing astro with my cannon camera for some time, and I've been debating a more expensive setup or just getting one of these smart telescopes. Thanks so much for the video. It was super helpful.
Nice review. The fact that there are no upgrades and nothing else to buy with the SeeStar and the Dwarf should definitely be in the "Pros" column. It is super easy to BOAT (blow another thousand) in the astrophotography hobby. It's a slippery slope. And you know no one is going to remain satisfied with the Canon/OG Star Tracker setup. Even you mentioned several upgrades to that rig in this video.
The seestar out of the three would be best for ultimate portability despite the better image quality of the tracker. The dwarf image quality was rubbish in these comparisons. So for outreach, school camps etc the seestar would be a good compromise. Even if it double the price here in Australia
I found the OG star tracker channel a while ago and then found this video and ultimately lead me to building the OG star tracker. If anyone else is going to build one and you need to order anything from the website, make sure you dont want it next week. Or next month for that matter. I put an order in nearly 3 months ago and it still hasn't arrived. No way meant as talking poorly on what he is doing or anything like that. But just know that shipping will take a long, long time.
I have a Canon R6, so using a star tracker I'd be able to get amazing results. The thing is that kinda want a home observatory, having good pictures comes second. Besides, the Dwarf 3 has great quality and most of the quality issues can be solved with just stacking more pictures.
Excellent review! It would be interesting to know your exposure parameters for the DLSR compared to the other two “auto devices,” as well as other parameters like how many dark frames (and light frames) you used when stacking. One other question I have is “why is the Seestar image orange compared to the other two, which have a lot of blue?” And one final comment, “I don’t see the Seestar Narrower FOV being an issue, especially if it yields better results when the DWARF II is cropped to the same size. With the controls on the Seestar you could create a higher resolution panorama from many images (but with a lot more time).” Finally, your videos are what got me into night photography. I have taken Milky Way shots in Big Basin NP, Death Valley, Joshua Tree NP, and Borrego Springs, CA, but I have yet to try deep space photos as I am just not familiar with the objects, object scale, or able to find or identify objects. Is there a good app and/or reference for that? Obviously, I’m lucky enough to live in the Southwest US.
Another cheap camera option would be a used Pentax with an O-GPS1 unit attached. For shorter exposures (varies by where you're point in the sky) it will use the camera sensor itself to track the subject. Not really viable for extreme astrophotography, but if you're content editing a single photo at the end, definitely doable. The trick is finding the camera and the astrotracker at an affordable price. The tracking unit was $150ish, possibly less (been a while since I shopped) and a used camera would hopefully be under that as well. Would need to check which Pentax models are comparable first. If you're feeling flush, some newer models have the tracker built in, but good luck finding one under $500.
I appreciate and clearly see the flexibility of a tracker. Either the Dwarf or Seestar are better fit for my needs and wants. I'm leaning towards the Seestar but am (somewhat) patiently watching the software develop for both. Great video! Hopefully you can do a follow up in the future after more software and hardware revisions on all 3.
Great video. I think I have one of the original 3D printed trackers he sold that uses a bent threaded rod gear driven to the camera platform. It was fragile at the camera attachment area.
Wow. If the SeeStar could include an upgraded version that can rotate with the target, i'd probably buy it! Outstanding value and quality - but the FOV is a bummer. Cant wait to see v2
Crazy how expensive the hobby is and how much people just accept spending 1k on a mount that needs to be “tuned” for it to work as intended… like it should be good when you get it 💀💀💀
Of course people accept it, it gets the best results! My mount cost 1.5k, and I have since completed a belt modification to it. And now I have a solid, dependable platform I can put -get this- more than one different kind of telescope and camera on! I wouldn’t want to spend $500 and be stuck with a black box I can’t upgrade the camera, scope, filters, guiding, or mount on! If you want to upgrade, you have to toss the whole thing out and start over.
@jasonpierce4518no way the seestar produces pictures as good as 2-3k rigs. This video was very clear how with a similar cheap dslr setup you can take way better pictures. Theres no competition in the nebulosity amount of M45 DSLR vs the “smart telescopes”, not to mention a 2-3k rig on a dim target against them, no chance at all
SeeStar is a clear winner. I tried to beat SeeStar using my DSLR, added AZ-GTI mount, polar alignment platform, ASIAIR and ... it is not even close to SeeStar despite I already stepped out of $500 budget. CANON Lens have much worse quality then Seestar triplet in . So my next step is to buy APO refractor which will sky-rocketing my system budget. And may be in this case I can see some better results. But really now I understand how difficult and near to impossible to beat Seestar in its budget even if you have "free" DSLR camera and lens..
In February 2023 I made a composite photo of the Orion and Running Man Nebulae using a Nikon Z6, Nikon 100-400 lens at 400mm, and the Move Shoot Move tracker. I stacked and processed 300 5-second images with a result that I was very satisfied with. I can send it to you if you'd like. I believe that you have tried the MSM. The specs for both state that the load capacity is 3 kg and my setup including a ballhead was slightly under that. I see that this type of a setup becomes a challenge to stretch my skills and the capability of my gear, rather than spending money for gear that I would only occasionally use. My question is how would compare the results from the OG Star Tracker and the MSM setups? Thanks.
Im a photographer, I'd love to dabble in astrophotography occasionally. I live in Australia though, i wonder if theres a mount that will auto-align that i can mount my existing kit onto
21:37 THE GREEN LASER POINTERS DO NOT STOP WORKING WHEN THEY GET COLD, THEY START EMITTING INFRARED LIGHT WHICH CAN BLIND YOU WITHOUT YOU BEING ABLE TO SEE THE LIGHT. PLEASE DO NOT BLIND YOURSELF OR OTHERS, stay safe. Almost all green laser pointers are made by using an infrared laser, and passing the light through a frequency doubler, which allows the light to exit the pointer as green and visible. When the laser gets cold, the fequency doubler stops working, and infrared light is emitted from the laser pointer. It is more complicated,but there are videos on youtube explaining it. The laser may seem dead or broken, but it may not be!
I guess I need to learn how to process better. I've taken 1hr long on that same DSLR and it looks similar to the Dwarf 30min... I use DeepSkyStacker for stacking. I use Gimp for editing. I never get them that vibrant.
Those green laserpointers can be really quite dangerous especially in cold weather. Firstly , it's actually an infrared laser and the green color is achieved with a crystal that doubles the light frequency. The crystal stops working in cold temperatures, so you basically have an invisible laser that can burn your eyes. Secondly the cheap ones are ofthen much more powerful than advertised. Like 10 or 100 times more powerful, and most of the light coming from it is invisible infrared, so even a short exposure to a reflection can burn your retina permanently. If you decide to get one, buy one from a reputable brand. They should have better components, more sensible power and proper IR cut filters to make them safe even in cold weather.
I’d love to start this hobby but my main issue that I live in Brussels, Belgium, and the light pollution is probably the highest in the whole world due to all motorways being lit 24/7. So unless I drive to mountains is impossible to see a starred sky. And that would make it a 1-2 times a year thing
Well I plunged for the OG star tracker. I'm concerned about the green laser as I live in the city. I will try the NINA but it's Windows and I'm Mac. I do use crossover so hopefully NINA will work. But I'm up for the challenge for a DIY project and working on non-Mac sw. And to see if the intervalometer will work on my Canon M 50. Probably will not but their is some iOS app that says it will work. Fingers crossed. Thanks for the video. Amazing times.
You can also just use a hand-held invalvometer. They aren't expensive. But you still need to make sure you get the proper cable for your specific camera. They are all different. A PITA.
@@PatternMusicyes, I have one for my Nikon D700 but I have not found any for the Canon M50. If we ever get a clear sky I'm going to try the iOS app. Thanks.
I had the seestar. I loved browsing around the huge star atlas and picking an object and then taking manual control and slewing around and exploring on my own until i found something interesting. Then i'd tap the goto option, select the object (which often only had a name, but no description because i guess it wasn't a mainstream object), autofocus, and start rendering. It taught me how to find things on my own. The concept that "automated smart telescopes can't teach you the sky" is somewhat false. The seestar's manual control ability has me exploring around and learning. However: i didn't loke the 1080p photos. If i never used a mirrorless camera, I might have been blown away. However, after taking 2 pics of the moon: 1 woth my aps-c, 150-600mm sports sigma, and one woth the seestar.... well... my camera dusted the seestar easily, there was absolutely no contest with mirrorless vs seestar. 6000x4000 vs 1080p. The good news was: the seestar is still SO SIMPLE. I mean: in under 5 minutes I can be browsing around, live imaging etc. Can you use a star tracker with a mirrorless and somehow do live stacking on a laptop to get the same kind of view with a mirrorless as with the seestar?
for anyone not aware, green laser pointers aren't legal out of the box everywhere, they are controlled in canada for example. make sure to check your local laws before you shoot them into the air because they can interfere with pilots and planes.
The field of view of Seestar its a problem specially for beginners since some of the most popular DSO, pleiades, Orion nebula and Andromeda gonna be cropped and they're the first target for the most of us. Even so the smart telescopes are interesting to a beginner or someone thar just don't want spend hour assembling mount, telescope, finder scope, computer, lots of cables and fine tuning the whole thing.
A weird request :) I am going toward the DSLR path with DSLR lenses… I was wondering if you could create playlist with your historical video that fits this path…
First five in this playlist are my major ones for learning deep sky with DSLR+Lens: ruclips.net/p/PLrzbdmripj1cQ4nNQrocsyzlOR8KSG5AX I have another one coming this summer.
I received a Celestron Astromaster 130EQ Christmas 2022. I cannot see Polaris where I live due to a major airport being 15 minutes northeast of me, making the northern sky too light polluted to see any stars except on the coldest darkest nights of winter. So, maybe half a dozen nights a year. I tried doing the alignment with a compass with no success. So frustrated. I'm considering a GoTo mount, but feel like that's copping out. I really desire to be able to take basic telescope, align it, and then start exploring the sky. I can to a degree, I just have to keep chasing object. Obviously no chance of taking any photos as i don't have a motorized mount.
I'm actually surprised at how good the S50 images are. I expected them to be far worse. Certainly not up to par with multi-thousand dollar scopes and cameras, but for $500 I was shocked!
Yes, they are. All three devices can create their own network that your smartphone connects to over Bluetooth/wifi and then you control them from your phone.
I would definitely go for the DSLR, it offers the most for the money - and most importantly, far superior image quality. I personally do not like supposedly easy to operate "smart" gadgets that are a dead end because they offer poor optics that cannot be upgraded. In my humble opinion, they are a bad investment, because if you become more interested in this hobby you have to buy a whole new kit. On the other hand, you can slowly upgrade the DSLR kit with less money.
The 1x1 binning being unlocked really increases the capability of the dwarf. I've managed some nice orion photos that get pretty close to my 'beginner' astro rig. i normal run an eqm-35 with a 183mm pro and SW72mm ed autoguided. Such a pain to setup and transport whereas the dwarf just works. I wish they'd let us have longer exposures (>15sec) when polar aligned that'd really make it pop. Pretty sure the seestar goes up to 30sec and isn't polar aligned.
Yes ofc my phone is just 230$ (18999INR) but still it captures dazzling photos of the orion constellation, pleades cluster, beehive and andromwda (very faint) what u just need is a phone, pro mode in it, normal sky (no moonlight or much pollution) and editinv softwares😊
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
Thanks for your hard work reviewing these things. The OG sounded like i twas tailor made for me, so I ended up ordering the hardware kit to assemble. As a 3D printing enthusiast this sounds like an amazing project that is actually useful because it also allows much longer exposures once completed!
@@GeorgeTodericiI can tell you it's a lot of fun to assemble, and even more fun when you capture ur first image!
When a green laser fades out in the cold it's not because the laser isn't working, it's the frequency doubler that stops working. If your laser doesn't have a good quality IR cut filter on the front it can leak out a very dangerous amount of invisible near IR radiation.
Basically you should NEVER use cheap green lasers in the cold, and you should consider any green laser that has visibly faded due to cold to be an extreme eye hazard
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.
The Seestar is excellent value for 500 dollars, for some reason its priced the equivalent of 760 dollars in the EU, which sucks.
agree. I am living in Shanghai which has 30million people (you can imagine how the light pollution in the night can be) and own only 1-2 hours in night. S50 allow me to bring it to the top of my apartment building in midnight to take a photo for a nebula which I never seen before. As you said, it is a perfect gateway for me.
Same boat!!!
I just ordered s50 and nebula filter. I didn’t even take a pic of the moon in my life. 0 astrophotography experience. I am really excited!!
@@VisualObserver Hows it going? :D any update?
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!
I hope you are right on the mosaic. It’s the only thing I really need from it at this point.
Sorry if this is a dumb question but I wanted to check, will those come as updates to the current S50 or will those come with the next version of the telescope (so a new telescope all together)? I’m considering getting an s50 but would rather wait if an updated version is coming out soon. Thanks!!
@@mellevandendungen6412 We just received our S50 and there was an update ready which added planetary mode and, I believe, more focusing and exposure time control. Our present firm ware level is 2.06. However, as soon as ours arrived, we discovered that we had inadvertently doomed SW OH to rainy, overcast skies for the foreseeable future! ☹️
我今天刚与这家公司的客服进行了联系，他们有更高版本的计划，至于什么时候推向市场，他们暂时没有明确的时间表。我像您一样，表示愿意等待更高阶的产品。希望以上信息能给你提供一些帮助。这家公司位于中国江苏省苏州市，我离这家公司的距离只有200公里@@mellevandendungen6412
Glad to see the star tracker rig cleaned up, DIY for the win 💪
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.
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.
are you happy with your og star tracker? does it do the job?
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!
The video already made me want it, but now I want it even more!!! :D
The UHC filter is kinda useless tbh. It's meant for sodium lamps but all the lights near me are LED. Nothing beats just going to a dark sight or getting a real dual narrowband filter.
@@iphoneawesome123 it’s not actually a UHC filter it’s a dual band pass filter for Ha and SII. I own a Seestar and use it from home to image nebulae. The broadband targets are near impossible from home and require a dark site. But it’s really nice being able to see nebulae from home at this price point. My other rigs are a RASA 11 with a Triad Quad band filter and a Radian 61 with Ha, SII, and O3 filters. While no where near as good as those setups it’s a great little package at a fraction of the cost.
@@iphoneawesome123 You can ask your municipality to remove those lights. I asked ours and within 24 hours the street light was gone and now our little spot is super dark.
@@iphoneawesome123but it is a duo band, specifically to capture nebulae. It does make a world of difference! After a couple minutes you can capture, for example, the Horse nebulae under bortle 6-7 skies!
I feel like the time investment required to set up and tune a DIY kit is usually under appreciated. As a father I’m lucky if I have an hr or two for observing before bed, and I like to try to involve the kids, so the all-in-one kits (in my case an EVscope) have been a total game changer for me. Rather than stress over rushing to get it set up on a very compressed schedule I can now take my time and focus on the actual observation instead of the technicalities. I love it.
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!
I just finished building my OG Star Tracker. Really looking forward to a clear night to test it out 😁😁😁
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!
In fact, once you have a little experience, the star tracker and zoom lens+used camera are a great option🎉
that's exactly the kind of channel I was looking for, suscribed and watching all your videos to learn! thank you for the job
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!
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.
working on printing my og star tracker. cant wait to see if it works!
Great comparison. Ive been using a Sky Watcher Star Adventurer (an older one before they added Go To) a Canon 80d and various lenses.
My goal is to do as much astrophotography as I can with equipment that can be used for everyday photography. In fact the only dedicated astrophotography equipment I've bought is the Star Adventurer drive.
Im never going to get the results that people who spend thousands on equipment get but I have fun and have been happy with the shots I get.
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!😩
Thank you so much for this video. As much as I love the idea of the Seestar,, it takes the fun away from doing it yourself. So I asked my brother if he could do the 3d print OG one since it has so many pros and a better price then a regular tracker. Super excited to see you review it!!
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.
Thank you for pronouncing Pleiades properly. Music to my ears! Thanks for the review! Going to wait until the bugs get worked out and the dust settles over who will be the leader.
I love OGST DSLR.
Difficult setups improve my skills at the same time. For example, if I learn to obtain the positions of various objects such as stars and nebulae to know their positions, and various other knowledge.
This is King HOBBY.
Great reviews! Thank you. I didn't really know about the third option presented.
In commenting to you in the past, we were talking about my Dslr. You were correct that I couldn't get the focuser to go in far enough on my xt8 using my older Dslr. Is there an option of changing my focuser to one that would go in a little further? Recently, I took the time to figure out the focuser travel issue when I was playing around during the daytime and not being able to focus on a far object But the third option presented here might allow me to use the camera I already have.
Last night, I used my recently purchased svbony 305c with my xt8. Seeing the moon move so quickly, it reenforces that I need something to help me track my targets. Hence, it has me thinking about one of the options presented in this video, but also what I dislike about using my xt8 and an astro camera, is when I switch out the eye piece for the camera and i move the xt8 and lose my target. Do I get a better view in my xt8 than I would with one of these smart scopes? I think i would really like the quality of the ZWO, but i don’t want a cut-off picture.
Also, you were spot on about the green lasers losing their ability to point in the cold, and it happened again last night. Should I get a red laser instead?
The dwarf2 telescope massively improved with the new app enabling 1x1 bin (4k). In addition, it can be polar aligned if you buy a better tripod and a wedge. This will remove field rotation an improve stacking. It is a pity your review was done using the old app (bin2).
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!
true, but keep in mind that Nico is an incredibly accomplished DSO image maker. Average user results will likely not be as good!
@@northernman22 True, Nico is amazing and I definitely don't expect to get as good results as him, especially since I live in ✨bortle 7✨ but as someone who already has the camera and lens I might as well just spend the 500 on a good EQ mount and try and learn the skills right?
@@slavicprincess absolutely
I'm by no means an accomplished image editor when it comes to astrophotography but I've gotten some very good results (imo) simply by following tutorial videos on RUclips.
23:40 damn i really think its worth the learning curve! I started at photography in dec, starting lessons next week...
And astro photography is one of my interests. So YES ,i am going to invest in this learning curve❤
An excellent comparison for a beginner like me. I would like to try out astrophotography without having to spend a few thousand euros. For me the Seestar is probably the most interesting offer. Thanks for the video, subscription and like are fixed
Great comparaison. Seestar being the king as always.
I’d argue the OG kit is not great though for most people.
I believe that the DIY is very niche (in a already very niche hobby), and will bring difficulties that are not present on a « normal setup » (also, green laser in the sky, be careful of the law).
I think that’s gonna be very frustrating for a new photographer, or just people that knows how to work an automated setup with ASIAir/etc but do not know electronics and unfinished softwares
It’s more of a seasoned geek project for me. Which is cool too!
At star parties and at our community dark sky observing sites (most located in parks), green lasers are strictly prohibited. And they are prohibited in many parks and public locations in general.
Let's just say, if you whip out a green laser at star party you are going to make as many friends as you would if you turned on your truck's high beam lights.
Hi, you have good points. But don't forget about the price which is many times lower than competition.
Today, I plan to add the possibility of buying it with polar scope. And for some people the assembly itself can be part of the fun as the astrophotography itself. You have more personal connection to it.
Also, today, I plan to add an option to buy a fully assembled kit that would work out of the box with laser or polar scope.
I agree that the laser is not the best option, but for many beginners, it's much easier to use than polar scope + cheaper .
I was a few times at a star party, and I asked them if it would be OK to use it before astronomical night for 1 or 2 min, and they agreed. But this depends star party from star party.
Cheers
@@ogstartracker For sure, this kit is marvelous for the people that wants to build something themselves.
I'm not sure the price itself would "pay" for the trouble that it could cause, but I suppose it's down to anybody at this point.
Still, I think this is a dope project and I hope you are having fun with it!
I have an Omegon Minitrack essential, a old dslr, a few 2nd hand, manual focus prime lenses and a intervalometer. Certainly under 500$. Not Apod images but a lot of fun
As long as it’s fun, that’s the high bar to meet.
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
I so thoroughly enjoy these videos. get to see a bit of what tech and its varying factors can do both in general and for me personally.
and, of course, being a universe fan, I can't help but always love the photos and their magnificent subjects.
What bottle are you at? (must have answered this a thousand times sry....)
Excellent reviews! - OK, I just watched the whole video - I've got to tell you: I finally have a dedicated Astro Cam (it's only an ASI178MC); but you make me want to go out and buy a DSLR again! LoL! Seriously though, you always make DSLR's look so good! 😀
A big pro for the Dwarf is the possibility to easily polar align it and reduce most of the field rotation
It's not a big pro, but it's an option for those who want to pursue it. People are discovering the SeeStar can be eq mounted, and it will plate solve to a polar alignment. Hopefully ZWO will make some advanced options available for those who want to pursue them.
@@PatternMusic the problem is that you need an adotional mount to do so. I'm not sure if the S50 has native support for using just a wedge.
Already have trackers and eq mounts so the filters that come with the the seestar are what sold me on getting one. I can plop the thing down and be up and running with it and then go fiddle with my other camera settings /filter / mounting solutions while the seestar is up and running! The seestar is also quick enough to set up that it allows for 'sucker hole' astrophotography! 😉👍
I already have a star adventure 2i but the Seestar is kinda interesting in that its quick to get running and is likely cheaper than a decent telephoto lens for the focal length you get, plus since its setup and leave I could set it up for a smaller deep sky target and let it go while playing with the more complicated setup...I might have to keep my eye on the smart telescope space.
Excellent video as always! The Dwarf and Seestar will bring many new people into taking images of the night sky ("what telescope should I get for my 8 year old child to get them started"?) and many of them will want to improve their images and therefore buy more kit. I bought a Seestar for portability and for a rapid set up, it is brilliant. Clear nights are rare and the Seestar can have you up and imaging inside 5 minutes. I don't think I've ever managed to polar align an EQ mount in that time. Field rotation on the smaller field of view isn't wonderful especially on larger objects. I suspect a mosaic mode may get added as purchasers are already trying that on Andromeda and Orion. Not brilliant for the Moon, Sun and planets though. I started out with a Camera and an Omegon minitrack which is a great budget entry point.
You make a very good case for the inexpensive DSLR and tracker, but only for folks w/ skills. Nicely done.
YEHA NICO, I waited long for this kind of video of you. You are my personal
ASTRO BOB ROSS❤❤❤
I recommend you every time if someone wants to learn astro. Must be a few 100 people already. You are really THE BEST👍👍👍
Hey Nico! Absolutely love your channel. I'm just getting into astrophotography. I bought a kit w/ canon rebel t100/eos 4000d. Would I be better to use that for other photography and get like a t3i, or can I use it to learn astrophotography? Thanks for all you do!
wow ! done it again!
real good overview of those systems!
I bet a 135 F2 paired to the OG would be enough to keep one busy for a few years!
I'll send you my unit to review when it's done 👍
auto PA plus goto and auto focus using 135 F2 and camera of your choice... DSLR or dedicated astro and filter wheel...
still debating on Microsoft pc Vs app based Linux thingie... read SBC ...
Thanks for the great comparison video! I’ve been wondering how the two single purpose models would fair compared to a camera and tracker.
I bought the dwarf to use while backpacking it’s done it’s job as a portable anywhere scope and is decent for what it is. Otherwise I use a 6” sct or Sony A73 on a star tracker for any other stuff at home. Great videos and very informative as usual!
I would love to have the sea star for camping. Thanks Nico, very good comparison.
The Seestar can be used when you live in an appartement and have very limited sky view. No polar alignement needed and small enough to put it on you window bench indoors.
The biggest issue I have with the Seestar is that for some reason it points the lens about 30 degrees ahead of the moon. It never finds the moon but could be a software bug when it thinks I live in the UK but actually I am in Brussels timezone that is pretty close to the UK but with +1 or +2 hours ahead of the UTC.
I'm getting the Seestar now. Nice video!
Me too, looking at buy one this week
I like the idea of the OG but living far north I think that motor shaft sticking up would be a problem in many situations.
I love that it uses cameras you may already own so you can reuse investments.
My largest lens is 100mm and heavy! Would the OG handle that?
RE: Far North - There are different options for latitude: 0-25, 25-50, 45-65 degrees. If you live higher than 65 degrees looks like you are out of luck with this design.
RE: Lens - It should, yes. The total payload limit is 3kg / 6.6 lbs. So unless your camera is super heavy, I think it should work well.
It's awesome that you were featured in an Fstoppers article.
Clear skies
The two things that would revolutionize these scopes would be: (1) an internal derotator to control composition and compensate for field rotation (2) choice of image scale via switching lenses in for short and long focal length.
(1) would be doable at relatively low cost…❤
Mosaic mode on the Seestar is coming
Awesome!!! I've been doing astro with my cannon camera for some time, and I've been debating a more expensive setup or just getting one of these smart telescopes. Thanks so much for the video. It was super helpful.
Thank you for this. I do love the ease of the auto ones but I have the DSLR and just need to get out more to try to get this done.
You can put the 499 smart telescope on a alt az mout and polar align it. Then put your location to the north pole and voila. No more field rotation.
Nice review. The fact that there are no upgrades and nothing else to buy with the SeeStar and the Dwarf should definitely be in the "Pros" column. It is super easy to BOAT (blow another thousand) in the astrophotography hobby. It's a slippery slope. And you know no one is going to remain satisfied with the Canon/OG Star Tracker setup. Even you mentioned several upgrades to that rig in this video.
As a beginner looking to get into the hobby, I really appreciated this video!
A big, big benefit of camera and mount IS the learning. You can do that on moonlit nights, if nothing else.
Why learn how to drive a manual car when electric car with L3 autodrive ia quite affordable
The seestar out of the three would be best for ultimate portability despite the better image quality of the tracker. The dwarf image quality was rubbish in these comparisons. So for outreach, school camps etc the seestar would be a good compromise. Even if it double the price here in Australia
If you add an android tablet to DSLR you'll be able to do live stacking and plate solving as with SeeStar/Dwarf.
I found the OG star tracker channel a while ago and then found this video and ultimately lead me to building the OG star tracker. If anyone else is going to build one and you need to order anything from the website, make sure you dont want it next week. Or next month for that matter. I put an order in nearly 3 months ago and it still hasn't arrived. No way meant as talking poorly on what he is doing or anything like that. But just know that shipping will take a long, long time.
I have a Canon R6, so using a star tracker I'd be able to get amazing results. The thing is that kinda want a home observatory, having good pictures comes second. Besides, the Dwarf 3 has great quality and most of the quality issues can be solved with just stacking more pictures.
I don't want to set 100 things up to just make some pictures. I want to throw the thing down in the backyard and just see the progress remotely.
Hi nebula phones, any plans on the part 3 of solar eclipse video? Loved the first 2! Can’t wait for the part 3
Of course the slr camera have the best system , better sensor ,optics options and Bulb mode for logn exposure😊
Excellent review! It would be interesting to know your exposure parameters for the DLSR compared to the other two “auto devices,” as well as other parameters like how many dark frames (and light frames) you used when stacking. One other question I have is “why is the Seestar image orange compared to the other two, which have a lot of blue?” And one final comment, “I don’t see the Seestar Narrower FOV being an issue, especially if it yields better results when the DWARF II is cropped to the same size. With the controls on the Seestar you could create a higher resolution panorama from many images (but with a lot more time).” Finally, your videos are what got me into night photography. I have taken Milky Way shots in Big Basin NP, Death Valley, Joshua Tree NP, and Borrego Springs, CA, but I have yet to try deep space photos as I am just not familiar with the objects, object scale, or able to find or identify objects. Is there a good app and/or reference for that? Obviously, I’m lucky enough to live in the Southwest US.
Another cheap camera option would be a used Pentax with an O-GPS1 unit attached. For shorter exposures (varies by where you're point in the sky) it will use the camera sensor itself to track the subject. Not really viable for extreme astrophotography, but if you're content editing a single photo at the end, definitely doable.
The trick is finding the camera and the astrotracker at an affordable price. The tracking unit was $150ish, possibly less (been a while since I shopped) and a used camera would hopefully be under that as well. Would need to check which Pentax models are comparable first. If you're feeling flush, some newer models have the tracker built in, but good luck finding one under $500.
I appreciate and clearly see the flexibility of a tracker. Either the Dwarf or Seestar are better fit for my needs and wants. I'm leaning towards the Seestar but am (somewhat) patiently watching the software develop for both. Great video! Hopefully you can do a follow up in the future after more software and hardware revisions on all 3.
I’d love to see how the new Dwarf 3 performs. I know it has a much better sensor and a bigger lens.
Loved the details, would love to see your steps for processing from the Seestar
this day dwarf 3 is selling, think best offer with starvis 2 sony chip. think seestar s50 2 is coming also soon....
Nico there has been a new firmware update for the dwarf 2 which has recyified issues with auto focus.
Right. I have .....
Sony A390 DSLR
Minolta Af 4.5-5.6/80-200mm lens
Velbon VGB-3C Tripod
I need a cheap tracker
Great video. I think I have one of the original 3D printed trackers he sold that uses a bent threaded rod gear driven to the camera platform. It was fragile at the camera attachment area.
hi, That wasn't me. It was someone else.
@@ogstartracker Yah some California store. Yours looks more stable snd accurate.
Wow. If the SeeStar could include an upgraded version that can rotate with the target, i'd probably buy it! Outstanding value and quality - but the FOV is a bummer. Cant wait to see v2
Crazy how expensive the hobby is and how much people just accept spending 1k on a mount that needs to be “tuned” for it to work as intended… like it should be good when you get it 💀💀💀
Good point.
Of course people accept it, it gets the best results! My mount cost 1.5k, and I have since completed a belt modification to it. And now I have a solid, dependable platform I can put -get this- more than one different kind of telescope and camera on! I wouldn’t want to spend $500 and be stuck with a black box I can’t upgrade the camera, scope, filters, guiding, or mount on! If you want to upgrade, you have to toss the whole thing out and start over.
@jasonpierce4518no way the seestar produces pictures as good as 2-3k rigs. This video was very clear how with a similar cheap dslr setup you can take way better pictures. Theres no competition in the nebulosity amount of M45 DSLR vs the “smart telescopes”, not to mention a 2-3k rig on a dim target against them, no chance at all
Get used to it. Astrophotography is kind of like the wooden boat hobby. There's no problem that more money can't solve.
Main point of the hobby is owning and operating equipment :)
That 3d Printed tracker looks awesome. I wonder if I can pull that together before April 8?
Excellent review!
SeeStar is a clear winner. I tried to beat SeeStar using my DSLR, added AZ-GTI mount, polar alignment platform, ASIAIR and ... it is not even close to SeeStar despite I already stepped out of $500 budget. CANON Lens have much worse quality then Seestar triplet in . So my next step is to buy APO refractor which will sky-rocketing my system budget. And may be in this case I can see some better results. But really now I understand how difficult and near to impossible to beat Seestar in its budget even if you have "free" DSLR camera and lens..
Thank you so much for this video! Its just what I needed
18:11 if you think about it. You are focussing 440 lightyears into the past!
Focussing back to medieval times😂
Crazy if you think about it
In February 2023 I made a composite photo of the Orion and Running Man Nebulae using a Nikon Z6, Nikon 100-400 lens at 400mm, and the Move Shoot Move tracker. I stacked and processed 300 5-second images with a result that I was very satisfied with. I can send it to you if you'd like. I believe that you have tried the MSM. The specs for both state that the load capacity is 3 kg and my setup including a ballhead was slightly under that. I see that this type of a setup becomes a challenge to stretch my skills and the capability of my gear, rather than spending money for gear that I would only occasionally use. My question is how would compare the results from the OG Star Tracker and the MSM setups? Thanks.
Im a photographer, I'd love to dabble in astrophotography occasionally. I live in Australia though, i wonder if theres a mount that will auto-align that i can mount my existing kit onto
21:37 THE GREEN LASER POINTERS DO NOT STOP WORKING WHEN THEY GET COLD, THEY START EMITTING INFRARED LIGHT WHICH CAN BLIND YOU WITHOUT YOU BEING ABLE TO SEE THE LIGHT.
PLEASE DO NOT BLIND YOURSELF OR OTHERS, stay safe.
Almost all green laser pointers are made by using an infrared laser, and passing the light through a frequency doubler, which allows the light to exit the pointer as green and visible. When the laser gets cold, the fequency doubler stops working, and infrared light is emitted from the laser pointer. It is more complicated,but there are videos on youtube explaining it. The laser may seem dead or broken, but it may not be!
I guess I need to learn how to process better. I've taken 1hr long on that same DSLR and it looks similar to the Dwarf 30min...
I use DeepSkyStacker for stacking.
I use Gimp for editing.
I never get them that vibrant.
The type of videos I needed are finally back!
Those green laserpointers can be really quite dangerous especially in cold weather.
Firstly , it's actually an infrared laser and the green color is achieved with a crystal that doubles the light frequency. The crystal stops working in cold temperatures, so you basically have an invisible laser that can burn your eyes.
Secondly the cheap ones are ofthen much more powerful than advertised. Like 10 or 100 times more powerful, and most of the light coming from it is invisible infrared, so even a short exposure to a reflection can burn your retina permanently.
If you decide to get one, buy one from a reputable brand. They should have better components, more sensible power and proper IR cut filters to make them safe even in cold weather.
I’d love to start this hobby but my main issue that I live in Brussels, Belgium, and the light pollution is probably the highest in the whole world due to all motorways being lit 24/7. So unless I drive to mountains is impossible to see a starred sky. And that would make it a 1-2 times a year thing
Well I plunged for the OG star tracker. I'm concerned about the green laser as I live in the city. I will try the NINA but it's Windows and I'm Mac. I do use crossover so hopefully NINA will work. But I'm up for the challenge for a DIY project and working on non-Mac sw. And to see if the intervalometer will work on my Canon M 50. Probably will not but their is some iOS app that says it will work. Fingers crossed. Thanks for the video. Amazing times.
you could use a polar scope. Laser is just cheaper.
You can also just use a hand-held invalvometer. They aren't expensive. But you still need to make sure you get the proper cable for your specific camera. They are all different. A PITA.
@@ogstartrackerwould you mount the polar scope where the laser pen is located? Are the screws there? Thanks.
@@PatternMusicyes, I have one for my Nikon D700 but I have not found any for the Canon M50. If we ever get a clear sky I'm going to try the iOS app. Thanks.
I had the seestar. I loved browsing around the huge star atlas and picking an object and then taking manual control and slewing around and exploring on my own until i found something interesting. Then i'd tap the goto option, select the object (which often only had a name, but no description because i guess it wasn't a mainstream object), autofocus, and start rendering. It taught me how to find things on my own. The concept that "automated smart telescopes can't teach you the sky" is somewhat false. The seestar's manual control ability has me exploring around and learning. However: i didn't loke the 1080p photos. If i never used a mirrorless camera, I might have been blown away. However, after taking 2 pics of the moon: 1 woth my aps-c, 150-600mm sports sigma, and one woth the seestar.... well... my camera dusted the seestar easily, there was absolutely no contest with mirrorless vs seestar. 6000x4000 vs 1080p. The good news was: the seestar is still SO SIMPLE. I mean: in under 5 minutes I can be browsing around, live imaging etc. Can you use a star tracker with a mirrorless and somehow do live stacking on a laptop to get the same kind of view with a mirrorless as with the seestar?
How does the OG Star Tracker go in the Southern Hemisphere? I don't think the laser pointers are allowed in Australia
for anyone not aware, green laser pointers aren't legal out of the box everywhere, they are controlled in canada for example. make sure to check your local laws before you shoot them into the air because they can interfere with pilots and planes.
The field of view of Seestar its a problem specially for beginners since some of the most popular DSO, pleiades, Orion nebula and Andromeda gonna be cropped and they're the first target for the most of us. Even so the smart telescopes are interesting to a beginner or someone thar just don't want spend hour assembling mount, telescope, finder scope, computer, lots of cables and fine tuning the whole thing.
A weird request :) I am going toward the DSLR path with DSLR lenses…
I was wondering if you could create playlist with your historical video that fits this path…
First five in this playlist are my major ones for learning deep sky with DSLR+Lens: ruclips.net/p/PLrzbdmripj1cQ4nNQrocsyzlOR8KSG5AX I have another one coming this summer.
I received a Celestron Astromaster 130EQ Christmas 2022. I cannot see Polaris where I live due to a major airport being 15 minutes northeast of me, making the northern sky too light polluted to see any stars except on the coldest darkest nights of winter. So, maybe half a dozen nights a year. I tried doing the alignment with a compass with no success. So frustrated. I'm considering a GoTo mount, but feel like that's copping out. I really desire to be able to take basic telescope, align it, and then start exploring the sky. I can to a degree, I just have to keep chasing object. Obviously no chance of taking any photos as i don't have a motorized mount.
I'm actually surprised at how good the S50 images are. I expected them to be far worse. Certainly not up to par with multi-thousand dollar scopes and cameras, but for $500 I was shocked!
Very interesting video! Are these devices usable in remote locations without internet? Most of my locations have no service. Thanks.
Yes, they are. All three devices can create their own network that your smartphone connects to over Bluetooth/wifi and then you control them from your phone.
The difference between the seestar and the dwarf is insane lol
I would definitely go for the DSLR, it offers the most for the money - and most importantly, far superior image quality. I personally do not like supposedly easy to operate "smart" gadgets that are a dead end because they offer poor optics that cannot be upgraded. In my humble opinion, they are a bad investment, because if you become more interested in this hobby you have to buy a whole new kit. On the other hand, you can slowly upgrade the DSLR kit with less money.
I’m really enjoying my Seestar S50
Awesome video Nico!
Photography keeps getting easier and affordable! While taking a mind blowing picture is becoming harder.
The 1x1 binning being unlocked really increases the capability of the dwarf. I've managed some nice orion photos that get pretty close to my 'beginner' astro rig. i normal run an eqm-35 with a 183mm pro and SW72mm ed autoguided. Such a pain to setup and transport whereas the dwarf just works.
I wish they'd let us have longer exposures (>15sec) when polar aligned that'd really make it pop. Pretty sure the seestar goes up to 30sec and isn't polar aligned.
Yes ofc my phone is just 230$ (18999INR) but still it captures dazzling photos of the orion constellation, pleades cluster, beehive and andromwda (very faint) what u just need is a phone, pro mode in it, normal sky (no moonlight or much pollution) and editinv softwares😊
~4:12 dark frame calibration.