eVscope 2 vs Vespera Pro: 10 Second Summary
- The Unistellar eVscope 2 is one of the only smart telescopes that has an eyepiece for realtime viewing through the telescope, rather than just on a screen. It has a higher aperture telescope, and with it you can take part in Citizen Astronomy initiatives.
- The Vaonis Vespera Pro is cheaper, doesn’t require collimation, has a higher resolution camera, a wider field of view, and a Mosaic Mode to stitch together larger images.
- I believe the main decision between these two models comes down to how much you want the eyepiece and if you have the bigger budget. If so, then the eVscope 2 might be for you (but you should also look at the Unistellar Odyssey Pro).
- If the eyepiece is less important to you and/or you don’t have the budget, then the Vespera Pro is one of the best models on the market and has a lot of advantages in terms of being lighter, having a better camera, and not needing collimation.
Why choose the Unistellar eVscope 2 over the Vaonis Vespera Pro?
The Unistellar eVscope 2 is a premium smart telescope from French manufacturer Unistellar that was released in 2022.
The three main reasons to favor it over the Vaonis Vespera Pro are:
- It is one of only two smart telescope models that have an eyepiece (the other is the Odyssey Pro). This means you can look through the telescope, rather than just view images on your smartphone or other screen. This is particularly good if using with friends or family as you have a more shared experience in taking turns to look through.
- It has a much higher aperture telescope which will be better at gathering the light needed to capture astrophotography images.
- With all Unistellar models you can take part in Citizen Astronomy initiatives and join missions to track asteroids and hunt exoplanets.
Why choose the Vaonis Vespera Pro over the Unistellar eVscope 2?
The Vaonis Vespera Pro is a compact, premium smart telescope from French manufacturer Vaonis that was released in 2024.
The main reasons to consider it over the Unistellar eVscope 2 are:
- It is cheaper – nearly $2000 less at retail price.
- It has a much higher resolution camera with 12.5 megapixels, compared to 7.7 megapixels for the eVscope 2. This is actually the highest resolution of any smart telescope on the market.
- It is smaller and lighter, weighing just 5 kg compared to 9 kg for the eVscope 2.
- It doesn’t require any collimation, whereas the eVscope 2 does. Collimation is a manual adjustment you need to make occasionally to the alignment of the mirrors inside. It is not too difficult and Unistellar have an easy to follow guide, but can be a barrier to quick use.
- It has a wider field of view and all Vaonis models have a Mosaic Mode which enables the stitching of multiple images to capture much larger astronomical objects.
Telescope Specifications
The Unistellar eVscope 2 has 114 mm (4.5 inch) aperture, 450 mm focal length, f/3.9 focal ratio, and 0.57° x 0.76° field of view.
The Vaonis Vespera Pro has 50 mm (2 inch) aperture, 250 mm focal length, f/5 focal ratio, and 1.6° x 1.6° field of view.
Camera Specifications
The Unistellar eVscope 2 has a 7.7 MP resolution camera of 3200 x 2400 size using a Sony IMX347 sensor and a pixel size of 2.9μm.
The Vaonis Vespera Pro has a 12.5 MP resolution camera of 3536 x 3536 size using a Sony IMX676 sensor and a pixel size of 2 µm.
Size and Weight
The Unistellar eVscope 2 weighs 8.9 kg (19.8 lb) and has dimensions of 23 x 19 x 65 ((H x W x L in cm).
The Vaonis Vespera Pro 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 Unistellar eVscope 2 costs $4,899, and the Vaonis Vespera Pro costs $2,999.
Note, these may vary so check the links to compare retailers if thinking about buying.
Specifications
| Unistellar eVscope 2 | Vaonis Vespera Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Year | 2022 | 2023 |
| Aperture | 114mm (4.5 inch) | 50mm (2 inch) |
| Focal Length | 450mm | 250mm |
| Focal Ratio | f/3.9 | f/5 |
| Limiting Magnitude | 12.98 | 11.19 |
| OTA type | Reflector | Refractor |
| Eyepiece | Yes | No |
| Field of View | 0.57° x 0.76° | 1.6° x 1.6° |
| Resolution | 7.7MP | 12.5MP |
| Sensor Size | 3200 x 2400 | 3536 x 3536 |
| Sensor | Sony IMX347 | Sony IMX676 |
| Pixel Size | 2.9 μm | 2 µm |
| Image Formats | FITS, TIFF, PNG, JPEG | TIFF, FITS |
| Mosaic Mode | No | Yes |
| Size (H x W x L) cm | 23 x 19 x 65 | 48 x 20 x 9 |
| Weight | 8.9kg (19.8 lb) | 5kg (11 lb) |
| Mount | Included | Included |
| Tripod | Included | Included |
| Battery Life | 9 hrs | 11 hrs |
| Internal Storage | 64GB | 225GB |
| Dew Control | None | Built-in |
| Retail Price* | $4,899 | $2,999 |
eVscope 2 vs Vespera Pro: Verdict
Overall, the main reason to opt for the eVscope 2 over the Vespera Pro would be the eyepiece.
If this is something that you really want, and have the budget, then the eVscope 2 might be right for you. You may also want to look at the Unistellar Odyssey Pro as this is the only other smart telescope model with an eyepiece. It is slightly lower spec, but is cheaper and doesn’t require collimation.
If the eyepiece is less important to you then the Vespera Pro is one of the best smart telescope options on the market right now. It has the highest resolution camera of any model, whilst being compact and light with an ultra-slick user experience.
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Premium Option with Eyepiece
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Highest Resolution Camera
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$4,899.00
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Related content and more information
- Skies & Scopes: Best Smart Telescopes
- Unistellar website: eVscope 2
- Vaonis website: Vespera Pro
- Skies & Scopes: eVscope 2 review
- Skies & Scopes: Vespera Pro review
Other eVscope 2 comparisons:
- Celestron Origin vs Unistellar eVscope 2
- Dwarf II vs Unistellar eVscope 2
- Unistellar Odyssey Pro vs eVscope 2
Other Vespera Pro comparisons:
