Manufacturer: Vaonis
Price: $1599
The Vaonis Vespera II Smart Telescope is another offering in a fast-developing market for all-in-one astrophotography equipment designed to simplify observing and capturing remarkable real-time images of celestial objects. The Vespera II is a more advanced version of the Original Vespera. The 50mm aperture remains the same, but the sensor is a better and bigger Sony IMX 585 with a 3840 x 2160 (8.3 megapixels) pixel array.
The Vespera II is intended for anyone interested in astronomy in general as well as those who are intrigued by the beautiful images of the universe that they see others achieve, but who have little or no experience in astrophotography.
While it is true that the 50 mm aperture is small and ordinarily would not gather much light, the Vespera II makes up for this by using a technique that is well-known by astrophotographers: stacking. Basically, this involves taking multiple exposures, weeding out the bad ones, and adding them together to produce a better image with better detail and a higher signal-to-noise ratio. This is done in real-time, so the image continues to improve the more images that are taken.
The Vespera II can be controlled with the app on a phone or tablet. Up to 10 devices can be connected at a time, which makes sharing at a home star party a fun activity for all. If you want to get your feet wet in astrophotography, the live stacking is a great feature to give you an idea what your final images will look like. The images are saved in RAW 16-bit format and exported in TIFF or FITS format, making for easy image manipulation and enhancement by commonly available software.
Key Features:
· 5-minute setup- automatic initialization
· Automatic pointing and tracking
· Automatic focus
· Live stacking
· Image enhancement up to 24 megapixels
· Live mosaic (for larger objects)
· 50 mm aperture, 250 mm focal length, f/5
· Solar observation is possible with an optional solar filter (solar eclipse anyone?)
· Included app controlled by smartphone or tablet
· A nightly observation plan can be programmed
· 4300 object library
· 4-hour battery life
· Very affordable for everything you get
· Beginner friendly
Pros:
· Easy setup
· Suitable for beginners
· Portable – weighs only 11 lbs (5 kg)
· Rechargeable battery
· Mosaic process capable of large objects
· Apochromatic quadruplet lens
· Relatively fast focal ratio f/5
Cons:
· Tripod is optional
· Dew control is optional
· Small aperture
· Putting together individual components yields far better results
· A little expensive for a beginner
Verdict 4/5 stars
Putting together a solid astrophotography setup can be intimidating. Check out my review for choosing gear. For anyone that wants to dive into the hobby, but doesn’t know enough to choose individual gear, this is a great option. This is also great for someone who doesn’t want to dive deep into the hobby right out of the gate.