I wanted to get more seriously into astrophotography for years, but my older setup was way too much without a fixed place to set it up. While I had taken some night-sky photos with DSLR cameras and smartphones before, I finally wanted to take proper photos of deep sky objects like nebulae, galaxies and star clusters. My old 6″ Newton with the Vixen GP-E was just too heavy for quick sessions and I would have needed the tracking and a lot more stuff to make it work (which would mean carrying even more stuff to the car and back).
Over the past months, I had seen the Seestar S50 in action several times with fellow astronomy friends. The little smart telescope looked surprisingly capable: compact, easy to set up and able to automatically find, track and stack deep-sky objects. For someone who wanted to finally take regular astrophotos without building a full astrophotography rig from scratch, it was very tempting.
At the same time, I had also been looking at the Dwarf 3. In some ways, that one interested me even more — especially because of its portability and larger sensor. But at the moment the Dwarf 3 is still quite new on the market. There are only a few reviews yet and I was not completely sure how reliable everything would be in real use. The estimated delivery time was also around six weeks.
After thinking about it for quite a while, I finally ordered a Seestar S50 smart telescope. It arrived yesterday and of course I immediately tested it.
First test: observing the Sun
The first target was the Sun. Since the Seestar S50 can be used for solar observing with the included solar filter, it was the perfect daylight test. I could get a first feeling for the setup, the app and the way the telescope handles alignment and capturing.
The first solar images were more about trying the system than creating a perfect result, but it was still exciting to see how quickly I could get started.
First deep-sky attempt:
M42, the Orion Nebula
Later last night I tried my first deep-sky target with the Seestar S50: M42, the Orion Nebula. The Orion Nebula is one of the most beautiful and well-known deep-sky objects in the winter sky. It is bright, relatively easy to find and always a rewarding target. Especially for a first light test. Even with beginner equipment, M42 can show structure, nebulosity and that soft glowing shape that makes it such a classic object for astrophotography.
Unfortunately, the conditions were not exactly perfect. It was very windy and that definitely showed in the final image. The stars and fine details were not as sharp as they could have been. But of course it’s hard for a rig that weighs only approx. 2.5 kg to stay perfectly steady when the wind is pulling on it.
Still, for a first attempt, it was a promising result. The Seestar S50 found and tracked the object without a problem. And honestly? That alone felt like a small victory.
Why I chose the Seestar S50
The main reason I ordered the Seestar S50 was simple: I wanted a practical way to finally take more astrophotos.
Traditional astrophotography can be wonderfully rewarding, but it also comes with a lot of complexity: mount alignment, tracking, focusing, cables, power, software, calibration frames and processing. I do enjoy learning technical things, but I also know myself well enough to admit that too many barriers can stop a project before it properly begins.
The Seestar S50 offered a more accessible entry point. It is small, relatively easy to transport and designed to handle many of the technical steps automatically. For spontaneous sessions, quick experiments and learning the basics of deep-sky imaging, that sounded exactly like what I needed.
I don’t expect it to replace a full astrophotography setup. But I hoped it would help me observe and photograph more often and that is probably the most important thing any telescope can do.
First impression
My first impression of the Seestar S50 was positive, even though the first deep-sky test was affected by wind. The setup felt approachable, the solar test worked nicely, and the first image of the Orion Nebula showed what this little smart telescope can do under less-than-perfect conditions. It also reminded me how much weather, wind and seeing still matter even when the technology makes the process easier.
I am curious to see what the Seestar S50 can do under calmer skies and how it will compare to the Dwarf 3, which I still had my eye on.