Vaonis Hestia vs Stellina: 30 Second Summary
- The Vaonis Stellina was released in 2019 and is the original smart telescope.
- It is an all-in-once device with camera, telescope, mount and tripod in one package, all operated from one app.
- It has a much higher spec telescope than the Hestia, however it is much more expensive, as well as being significantly bigger and heavier.
- The Vaonis Hestia was released in 2024 and is a compact and easy to use device that enhances your smartphone’s capacity for astrophotography.
- It is small and light, relatively affordable.
- It is not a smart telescope. It doesn’t have a camera in-built but instead uses your smartphone’s camera.
- It will not track objects in the night sky like the Stellina. This is a barrier to deep sky astrophotography and will mostly limit you to photographing the Sun and Moon, but the app can guide manual tracking and an accompanying tracking mount will eventually be released.
- The Hestia also occupies your smartphone, which means you cannot set it up in your backyard and operate it from inside while it takes images, as you can with the Stellina.
Why choose the Vaonis Hestia over the Stellina?
The Hestia, from French company Vaonis, is not a smart telescope.
It is a device to use with your smartphone for astrophotography to effectively turn it into a smart telescope.
Its advantages over the Stellina are:
- It is significantly cheaper – less than 10% of the price.
- It is much smaller and lighter – weighing less than 1 kg.
- Because it has no camera or electronics inside, it is safer to carry and travel with without risk of breaking anything.
- It can improve as your smartphone camera improves. I.e. if you get a better phone that upgrades you from a 10 megapixel to a 200 megapixel, then so does your Hestia.
Why choose the Vaonis Stellina over the Hestia?
The Stellina is a premium smart telescope from French manufacturer Vaonis that was released first in 2019.
The main reasons to consider it over the Hestia are:
- The key specifications are better – it has a much higher telescope aperture, in particular.
- It is an all-in-one smart telescope package, that includes a tracking mount so that you can photograph deep sky objects.
- You can set it up in your backyard at night and from inside with your phone. With the Hestia, you have to have the phone on it so you cannot operate it remotely and you have to stay close to it as you are unlikely to want to leave your smartphone in your garden or anywhere unoccupied.
- The user experience via the app is very slick and doesn’t require manual operation of the mount and tripod.
Telescope Specifications
The Vaonis Hestia has 30 mm (1.2 inch) aperture and 1.8° x 1.8° field of view.
The Vaonis Stellina has 80 mm (3.1 inch) aperture, 400 mm focal length, f/5 focal ratio, and 1° x 0.7° field of view.
Camera Specifications
The Vaonis Stellina has a 6.4 MP resolution camera of 3096 x 2080 size using a Sony IMX178 sensor and a pixel size of 2.4 µm.
The Vaonis Hestia doesn’t have an in-built camera, but instead uses your smartphone’s camera.
Size and Weight
The Vaonis Hestia weighs 0.85 kg (1.9 lb) and has dimensions of 17 x 24 x 5.5 ((H x W x L in cm).
The Vaonis Stellina weighs 11.2 kg (24.7 lb) and has dimensions of 60 x 40 x 13 ((H x W x L in cm).
Price and Value for Money
The Vaonis Hestia costs $299, and the Vaonis Stellina costs $3,999.
Note, these may vary so check the links to compare retailers if thinking about buying.
Specifications
| Vaonis Hestia | Vaonis Stellina | |
|---|---|---|
| Year | 2024 | 2019 |
| Aperture | 30mm (1.2 inch) | 80mm (3.1 inch) |
| Focal Length | Unknown | 400mm |
| Focal Ratio | Unknown | f/5 |
| Limiting Magnitude | 10.09 | 12.22 |
| OTA type | Refractor | Refractor |
| Eyepiece | No | No |
| Field of View | 1.8° x 1.8° | 1° x 0.7° |
| Resolution | N/A | 6.4MP |
| Sensor Size | N/A | 3096 x 2080 |
| Sensor | N/A | Sony IMX178 |
| Pixel Size | N/A | 2.4 µm |
| Image Formats | JPEG, TIFF | JPEG, TIFF, FITS |
| Mosaic Mode | No | Yes |
| Size (H x W x L) cm | 17 x 24 x 5.5 | 60 x 40 x 13 |
| Weight | 0.85kg (1.9 lb) | 11.2kg (24.7 lb) |
| Mount | Not included | Included |
| Tripod | Not included | Included |
| Battery Life | N/A | 5 hrs |
| Internal Storage | N/A | 10GB |
| Dew Control | None | Built-in |
| Retail Price* | $299 | $3,999 |
Hestia vs Stellina Verdict
Overall, these are two very different devices at different ends of the pricing scale.
The Hestia is a great device to use with your smartphone, but is not a smart telescope and is much more limited in what it can capture.
The Stellina is a great smart telescope, but is ageing and is a little bulky now compared to the more recent premium models which are smaller and lighter.
In 2024, the Stellina is no longer directly sold by Vaonis having been succeeded by the Vaonis Vespera II and Vaonis Vespera Pro.
It can still be found on sale from some outlets though and can be a good option if you find it for the right price.
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Related content and more information
- Best Smart Telescopes Comparison
- Vaonis Hestia review
- Vaonis Stellina review
- Vaonis website: Hestia
- Vaonis website: Stellina
Other Hestia comparisons:
- Vaonis Hestia vs Vaonis Vespera II
- Vaonis Hestia vs Vaonis Vespera Pro
- Vaonis Hestia vs ZWO Seestar S50
- Vaonis Hestia vs Dwarf II
- Vaonis Hestia vs Celestron Origin
Other Stellina comparisons:
