Dwarf II vs Vespera II: 10 Second Summary
- The Vaonis Vespera II is a higher spec smart telescope than the Dwarf II.
- It is simple, quick and easy to use. It is well-loved for its imaging capabilities and it features a mosaic mode that allows the capture of widefield images.
- However, it is heavier than the Dwarf II and significantly more expensive.
- The Dwarf II is smaller and lighter than the Vaonis Vespera II, and much cheaper.
- On the downside, the key specifications are lower, and requires more work to operate.
Why choose the Dwarf II over the Vespera II?
The Dwarf II is a compact, budget smart telescope from Chinese manufacturer Dwarflab.
The main reasons to consider it over the Vaonis Vespera are:
- It is much cheaper – roughly a third of the price.
- It is smaller and lighter and comes with a perfect-fit carry case, and so is ideal for travel and convenient storage.
On the downside, the telescope specifications are lower than the Vaonis Vespera, and the user experience is not as slick and seamless, requiring a bit more work to get the most out of it.
Why choose the Vaonis Vespera II over the Dwarf II
The Vaonis Vespera II is a compact, premium smart telescope from French manufacturer Vaonis that was released in 2024.
The main reasons to consider it over the Dwarf II are:
- It has a higher aperture and longer focal length telescope, meaning it is better at gathering light and so has better astrophotography capabilities.
- All Vaonis models have a Mosaic Mode which enables the stitching of multiple images to capture much wider fields of view and larger astronomical objects.
- It has seamless ease of use – the Vaonis app and user experience is excellent.
In an upgrade from the original Vespera, the Vespera II’s camera has an 8.3 megapixel resolution, which is the same as the Dwarf II (the original Vespera was just 2 MP).
Telescope Specifications
The Dwarf II has 24mm (1 inch) aperture, 100mm focal length, f/4.2 focal ratio, and 3.2° × 1.6° field of view.
The Vaonis Vespera II has 50mm (2 inch) aperture, 250mm focal length, f/5 focal ratio, and 2.5° x 1.4° field of view.
Camera Specifications
The Dwarf II has a 8.3 MP resolution camera of 3840 x 2160 size using a Sony IMX415 sensor and a pixel size of 1.45μm.
The Vaonis Vespera II has a 8.3 MP resolution camera of 3840 x 2160 size using a Sony IMX585 sensor and a pixel size of 2.9 µm.
Size and Weight
The Dwarf II weighs 1.2 kg (2.6 lb) and has dimensions of 20 x 6 x 13 ((H x W x L in cm).
The Vaonis Vespera II weighs 5 kg (11 lb) and has dimensions of 48 x 20 x 9 ((H x W x L in cm).
Price and Value for Money
The Dwarf II costs $459 to $595, and the Vaonis Vespera II costs $1,590.
Note though, the Vespera II does not include a tripod, but can be used with any regular camera tripod if you already have one.
Of course, prices may vary so check the links to compare retailers if thinking about buying.
Specifications
| Dwarflab DWARF II | Vaonis Vespera II | |
|---|---|---|
| Year | 2023 | 2024 |
| Aperture | 24mm (1 inch) | 50mm (2 inch) |
| Focal Length | 100mm | 250mm |
| Focal Ratio | f/4.2 | f/5 |
| Limiting Magnitude | 9.6 | 11.19 |
| OTA type | Refractor | Refractor |
| Eyepiece | No | No |
| Field of View | 3.2° × 1.6° | 2.5° x 1.4° |
| Resolution | 8MP | 8.3MP |
| Sensor Size | 3840 x 2160 | 3840 x 2160 |
| Sensor | Sony IMX415 | Sony IMX585 |
| Pixel Size | 1.45μm | 2.9 µm |
| Image Formats | TIFF, FITS | TIFF, FITS |
| Mosaic Mode | No | Yes |
| Size (H x W x L) cm | 20 x 6 x 13 | 48 x 20 x 9 |
| Weight | 1.2kg (2.6 lb) | 5kg (11 lb) |
| Mount | Included | Included |
| Tripod | Included | Not included |
| Battery Life | 3 hrs | 4 hrs |
| Internal Storage | 64GB | 25GB |
| Dew Control | Built-in | None |
| Retail Price* | $459 | $1,590 |
Vespera II vs Dwarf II Verdict
The appeal of the Dwarf II is that it is the cheapest and most portable smart telescope. It is well-loved by its owners (including me) and is right for you if you want an inexpensive option as a first smart telescope and you don’t mind getting stuck in to learn how to make the best of it.
The appeal of the Vespera II is in offering the premium smart telescope experience in a small and portable package. It is a better astrophotography telescope than the Dwarf II, but it also costs about three times as much.
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Premium Portability
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Budget Pick
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$459.00
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Related content and more information
- Best Smart Telescopes Comparison
- Dwarflab website
- Dwarf 2 Review
- Vaonis Vespera website
- Vaonis Vespera II review
- Vaonis Vespera Pro review
Other Dwarf 2 comparisons:
- Dwarf II vs Unistellar eQuinox
- Dwarf II vs Unistellar eQuinox 2
- Dwarf II vs Unistellar eVscope 2
- Dwarf II vs Unistellar Odyssey
- Dwarf II vs Unistellar Odyssey Pro
- Dwarf II vs ZWO Seestar S50
- Dwarf II vs Vaonis Hestia
- Dwarf II vs Vaonis Vespera
- Dwarf II vs Vaonis Vespera II
- Dwarf II vs Vaonis Vespera Pro
- Dwarf II vs Celestron Origin
Other Vespera 2 comparisons:
- Vaonis Vespera II vs Vaonis Vespera
- Vaonis Vespera II vs Vaonis Vespera Pro
- Vaonis Vespera II vs ZWO Seestar S50
- Vaonis Vespera II vs Dwarf II
- Vaonis Vespera II vs Vaonis Hestia
- Vaonis Vespera II vs Unistellar Odyssey
- Vaonis Vespera II vs Unistellar Odyssey Pro
- Vaonis Vespera II vs Celestron Origin
- Vaonis Vespera II vs Unistellar eVscope II
