Unistellar eVscope 2 Review: The Greatest Smart Telescope?

Learn all you need to know about the Unistellar eVscope 2 smart telescope before you buy.

Unistellar eVscope 2 Review

The Unistellar eVscope 2 is a premium smart telescope, which means:

• it is a fully automated astrophotography telescope with a camera built-in
• You control it via app on your smartphone and it takes images of astronomy objects for you at the press of a button and sends them to your phone.

In this Unistellar eVscope 2 review, I share my experience and explore that of other experts in the field. I rate it in terms of five criteria:

1. Ease of Use
2. Portability
3. Imaging Quality
4. Value for Money
5. Versatility

Ease of Use

Using the eVscope 2 is a slick experience.

Everything connects perfectly and it is easy to control via the smartphone app.

“It cannot be understated how incredibly useful it is to have a telescope that allows you to easily select any region or object in the night sky and start taking long exposure images in a matter of minutes.”

Damon Scotting

The only challenge with regards to grab-and-go usability is that it may occasionally need to be collimated. This is a form of adjusting/fine-tuning that needs to happen with certain telescope types.

It’s not difficult, might not have to be done very often, and Unistellar provide an easy to follow guide and video but it is an obstacle for someone who just wants a premium product ready to pull out in their yard/balcony/rooftop and have it work instantly.

Ease of Use Score: 8.5 /10

Portability

Whilst it packs up nicely and is not too big, it is still relatively heavy compared to other smar telescopes.

It weighs:

• 13.9 kg / 30.6 lbs for the telescope
• 1.9 kg / 4.4 lbs for the tripod
• 3.5 kg / 7.8 lbs for the optional backpack

This gives a total weight of 15.8 kg / 35 lbs for the telescope and tripod and 19.3 kg / 42.8 lbs if carried in the backpack.

This isn’t heavy and is less half that of the Celestron Origin but it is heavy compared to many of the smaller smart telescope options available today and so we have to take this into account.

Portability Score: 6 / 10

Imaging Quality

Telescope

The OTA has:

• 114 mm (4.5 inch) aperture
• 450 mm focal length
• f/3.9 focal ratio

This puts it at the top of the range in terms of telescope specifications for smart telescopes and is behind only the Celestron Origin, which weighs more than double.

Camera

The camera inside has 7.7 megapixel resolution which is the highest of any smart telescope.

Add to this that it automatically tracks and stacks whatever you are looking at to build the image.

Having said that, many users are slightly underwhelmed by the images they get out and you should understand that you will not be getting Hubble-like photos despite the high price.

Imaging Quality Score: 7 / 10

Value for Money

This is a tricky one as it is a very expensive product at $4,899 (check live prices as there are often deals) and is quite subjective.

There is some criticism on astronomy forums of the cost of a 4.5-inch telescope and 7.7 MP camera combined but this misses the point that the target user is no an experienced astrophotographer but someone who has no interest in learning all that.

Essentially, it’s a luxury item and it does a great job for those happy to pay this amount.

If you are willing to have a less premium experience to save money then you should definitely look at some of the cheaper options.

Value for Money Score: 7 / 10

Versatility

The big selling point of the eVscope 2 – and why it is the most expensive smart telescope on the market – is that it is one of the only models with a eyepiece on the side so that you can look through it like a regular telescope.

Unistellar recently released the Odyssey Pro that also has this feature, but these are the only two options. With all others you can only view the images on screens.

It’s worth noting that what you are viewing through the eyepiece is a digital image but this is a great feature to have if you can afford to pay for it.

I think this will particularly appeal to people who perhaps want to use this socially with family and friends and take turns looking through and discussing, like you might do with an old school telescope.

Showing your friend the image on your smartphone screen is certainly less impressive.

So for this it gets top marks.

Versatility Score: 10 / 10

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Unistellar eVscope 2 Pros and Cons

eVscope 2 Advantages

The pros of the eVscope 2 are:

• High aperture telescope
• High resolution camera
• Slick ease of use
• Eyepiece for realtime viewing
• You can take part in Citizen Astronomy initiatives with any Unistellar models

eVscope 2 Disadvantages

In terms of the downsides:

• It is the most expensive smart telescope
• Lower spec that the Celestron Origin, but also much smaller and lighter
• Bigger and heavier than any of the more portable options.
• May need occasional adjustement (collimation)

eVscope 2 Alternatives

The alternatives to eVscope 2 are the:

• Unistellar eQuinox 2 – Similar in spec and cheaper but lacking the eyepiece
• Unistellar Odyssey – Lower spec and also lacking the eyepiece, but no need to collimate and cheaper
• Unistellar Odyssey Pro – Lower spec, but cheaper and no need to collimate plus it does have the eyepiece

See our overview of the Best Smart Telescopes to see how they all compare.

Unistellar eVscope 2 Specifications

• Aperture: 114mm (4.5 inches)
• Focal Length: 450mm (17.7 inches)
• Focal Ratio: F/3.9
• Weight: 15.8 kg (35 lbs) (including tripod)
• Sensor: Sony IMX347
• Resolution: 7.7 MP (1920 x 1080 px)
• Year of release: 2022

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Our Verdict

As we see it there are three main selling points for the eVscope 2 in comparison to ohter smart telescopes:

1. The eyepiece changes how you will use it adds a social element
2. Although bigger than some of the compact options it is still very manageable
3. The high aperture telescope and high resolution camera make it top range

Essentially if you want the best smart telescope and don’t care about the cost then this might be the one for you.

It will appeal to a different audience to the Celestron Origin for instance which will be much more focused on solo astrophotography and can deal with the size and weight.

Sources and further information

• Best Smart Telescopes – All Model Comparison 2024
• Unistellar eVscope 2 product page
• Unistellar eQuinox 2 review
• Unistellar Odyssey review
• Unistellar Odyssey Pro review

How we reviewed the Unistellar eVscope 2

This Unistellar eVscope 2 review is based on an assessment of its core specifications, the feedback of users, and the reviews of a number trusted experts:

Damon Scotting

1. Ease of Use – 8/10
2. Portability – 7/10
3. Imaging Quality – 5/10
4. Value for Money – 3/10
5. Versatility – 6/10
6. Overall – 5.8/10

How to Kill an Hour

1. Ease of Use – 9/10
2. Portability – 6/10
3. Imaging Quality – 8/10
4. Value for Money – (not assessed)
5. Versatility – 7/10
6. Overall – 7.5/10

Jared Bendis

1. Ease of Use – 8/10
2. Portability – 8/10
3. Imaging Quality – 9/10
4. Value for Money – 8/10
5. Versatility – 7/10
6. Overall – 8/10

Submit Your Review of the eVscope 2

If you own (or have used) an eVscope 2, you can submit your review and ratings to us via this form to be incorporated in this review: