I remember my first “real” telescope. It was a hefty Newtonian reflector, a gift that promised a gateway to the cosmos. The reality, however, was a steep, often frustrating learning curve. There were nights spent shivering in the dark, fumbling with collimation knobs, trying to polar align a heavy mount I could barely lift, and squinting through an eyepiece only to see a faint, blurry smudge. The dream of capturing the vibrant colours of the Orion Nebula felt a million miles away, locked behind a fortress of complex equipment, software, and tedious processing. This experience isn’t unique; it’s the barrier that keeps so many aspiring astronomers from truly enjoying the hobby. The sheer complexity and cost of traditional astrophotography can be overwhelming, turning a passion into a chore. That’s precisely the problem the ZWO Seestar S50 Smart Telescope aims to solve, promising to put the universe within reach, right from your smartphone.
- ✨【Lightweight Design】Highly integrated all-in-one smart telescope. Seestar is a compact body that integrates a telescope, electrical focuser, astronomical camera, ASIAIR, altazimuth mount and...
- ✨【Clean & Low Noise Images】The professional-grade triplet apochromatic optics provide crisp images of the night sky while maintaining excellent control of chromatic aberration. The included...
What to Consider Before Buying a Smart Telescope
A smart telescope is more than just an item; it’s a key solution for unlocking the world of astrophotography without the traditional barriers. It integrates a telescope, camera, computer, and motorized mount into a single, user-friendly device. The main benefit is accessibility. It automates the most challenging aspects of astronomy: finding celestial objects, accurately tracking them as the Earth rotates, and capturing long-exposure images. This technology transforms a complex, gear-intensive hobby into a streamlined, enjoyable experience, allowing you to focus on the wonder of the cosmos rather than the mechanics of the equipment. For anyone who has felt intimidated by the technical demands of astronomy, a smart telescope is a revolutionary step forward.
The ideal customer for this type of product is someone who is fascinated by the beauty of deep-sky objects—nebulae, galaxies, and star clusters—and wants to capture stunning images without investing thousands of pounds and hundreds of hours into a traditional setup. It’s perfect for beginners seeking instant success, families looking for an educational and engaging activity, and even seasoned astronomers who want a portable, hassle-free rig for quick sessions or travel. Conversely, it might not be suitable for those whose primary interest is high-magnification planetary or lunar viewing. Traditional telescopes with larger apertures and interchangeable eyepieces still hold an edge for detailed, real-time visual observation of Jupiter’s bands or Saturn’s rings. For them, a classic Dobsonian or Schmidt-Cassegrain might be a better fit.
Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:
- Portability & Weight: One of the main draws of a unit like the ZWO Seestar S50 Smart Telescope is its portability. Weighing only 2.5 kg, it’s designed to be taken camping or to a dark-sky site with ease. Consider how and where you plan to use your telescope. A heavy, cumbersome setup is less likely to be used, no matter how powerful it is.
- Optical Performance & Aperture: The heart of any telescope is its optics. The S50 features professional-grade triplet apochromatic optics, which are excellent for controlling chromatic aberration and producing crisp, colour-correct images. While its 50mm aperture is small, the power of computational photography (live stacking) allows it to gather light over time, revealing details that would be invisible to the naked eye through a much larger scope.
- Materials & Durability: The enclosure is made from a combination of carbon fibre and aluminium, offering a great balance of strength and low weight. This ensures the delicate internal components are well-protected during transport and use. The included tripod is compact, but for maximum stability, you might consider a more robust photography tripod, which is easily compatible via the standard 3/8″ thread.
- Ease of Use & App Integration: For a smart telescope, the app is everything. The Seestar App is the command centre, handling everything from object selection with its live star database to automatic GoTo and tracking. We found the interface to be incredibly intuitive, a sentiment echoed by many users who praise its simplicity. It removes the need to know the night sky, making it accessible to absolute newcomers. The seamless Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity means you can comfortably operate the telescope from indoors while it does the work outside. You can see its full feature set and user reviews to get a better sense of this powerful integration.
While the ZWO Seestar S50 Smart Telescope is an excellent choice that redefines the market, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at various entry-level models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:
- High quality optics: Our F30070 astronomical refracting telescope with Phone Adapter an aperture of 70mmand a focal length of 300mm,and a large objective lens plus multi-layer broadband coating, can...
- 🌕🌕 EXPAND YOUR FIELD of VIEW 🌕🌕 The astronomical telescope has a 70mm aperture and a 400mm focal length, which provides a wider and clearer field of view than 60mm/50mm focal lengths....
- Beginner telescope: Explore the Moon's craters and star clusters in vivid detail with a 70 mm glass lens, sparking curiosity and enhancing every stargazing moment.
First Impressions: A Glimpse of the Future
Unboxing the ZWO Seestar S50 Smart Telescope feels like unwrapping a piece of high-end consumer electronics rather than a traditional astronomical instrument. It arrives in a sleek, protective case that immediately speaks to its portability. Inside, the unit itself is surprisingly compact and lightweight, with a futuristic design that blends form and function. At just 2.5 kg, it’s a stark contrast to the bulky, heavy equipment many of us are used to. The build quality, a mix of carbon fibre and aluminium, feels premium and durable. Setup is almost comically simple. We attached it to the included mini-tripod, placed it on a level surface, and powered it on. The entire process, from opening the box to being ready to image, took less than five minutes. This aligns perfectly with user reports, one of whom noted, “5 minutes out of the box and my son had it working.” The package also includes a solar filter, a pleasant surprise that adds significant value and opens up the world of daytime solar imaging right away. It’s a truly all-in-one system, and that promise is evident from the very first moment.
Key Benefits
- Revolutionary ease of use makes astrophotography accessible to anyone.
- Stunning deep-sky object (DSO) imaging capabilities for its size and price.
- Highly portable and lightweight all-in-one design.
- Intuitive smartphone app control with automated GoTo and live stacking.
- Includes valuable accessories like a solar filter and a built-in dew heater.
Potential Drawbacks
- Not suitable for detailed, high-magnification views of planets.
- The field of view is relatively narrow.
Performance Deep Dive: Capturing the Cosmos from the Backyard
A smart telescope’s worth is measured not just by its specs, but by the images it produces and the experience it provides. After spending several nights with the ZWO Seestar S50 Smart Telescope under both light-polluted suburban skies and darker rural locations, we can confidently say it delivers on its promises in a truly remarkable way. It systematically dismantles the barriers to astrophotography, making the hobby more about discovery and less about troubleshooting.
From Box to First Light: The 5-Minute Setup Promise
The single greatest achievement of the ZWO Seestar S50 Smart Telescope is its radical simplicity. The setup process is so refined it feels almost magical. After placing the unit on its tripod, a simple levelling process using the on-screen guide in the app is all that’s required. Once powered on, it connects to your phone via Bluetooth and then Wi-Fi. The scope then performs an automatic self-calibration routine: it scans the sky, plate-solves the star patterns to determine its exact orientation, and autofocuses. The entire sequence is autonomous and takes just a minute or two. There’s no need for star charts, polar alignment, or even knowing the names of constellations.
The app then presents a “Stargazing” menu with recommendations of the best objects currently visible from your location, complete with preview images. We simply tapped on the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), hit “GoTo,” and watched as the scope silently slewed to its target. Within seconds, a faint grey patch appeared on our phone screen. This seamless experience is a recurring theme in user feedback. One new astronomer mentioned how they went on a camping trip with no cell service and were “surprised to find out it works just as well in the mountains.” Another user summed it up perfectly: “Simply set it on the tripod, level it, open the app on your phone and begin exploring.” This five-minute promise from box to imaging isn’t a marketing gimmick; it’s the reality of using this incredible device, which you can explore in more detail online.
Deep-Sky Astrophotography Made Effortless: The Power of Live Stacking
This is where the ZWO Seestar S50 Smart Telescope truly shines and redefines expectations for a sub-£500 instrument. Its core function is Electronically Assisted Astronomy (EAA) through a process called live stacking. The scope continuously takes short 10-second exposures, aligns them, and stacks them in real-time, building up the image on your phone’s screen. We watched in awe as the faint smudge of the Orion Nebula (M42) slowly resolved into a stunning celestial cloud, with the Trapezium cluster sparkling at its heart and delicate wisps of gas and dust becoming more defined with each passing minute. The process is mesmerising and provides an instant gratification that traditional astrophotography can’t match.
The quality of the images is, frankly, astonishing for the price and aperture. The triplet apochromatic optics do an excellent job of controlling false colour, resulting in sharp stars and rich nebular detail. We were able to capture impressive images of the Dumbbell Nebula, the Ring Nebula, and even the faint Cigar Galaxy from a moderately light-polluted backyard. This capability impressed even seasoned astronomers, with one owner of multiple scopes noting they were “very pleased with the results” and that it produces “brilliant images.” Another user put it best: “It almost feels like I’m cheating somehow.” The S50 automatically handles guiding, stacking, and initial processing, lowering the barrier to entry so dramatically that anyone can now capture breathtaking images of the universe. This core capability is a feature that really sets it apart from anything else in its price class.
The Brains of the Operation: App Control and Smart Features
The Seestar app is the intuitive command centre for the entire operation. It’s clean, stable, and thoughtfully designed. The built-in sky atlas and object database are comprehensive, allowing you to explore what’s available or search for specific targets. For more advanced users, it offers surprising depth. The “Mosaic Mode” allows you to capture large celestial objects that don’t fit into the single frame by automatically creating a multi-panel panorama. The “Plan Mode” lets you schedule an imaging session for later in the night, a fantastic feature for capturing objects as they rise above the horizon.
Beyond the software, the hardware integration is seamless. The autofocus is sharp and reliable, removing another tedious step from the process. A particularly noteworthy feature, highlighted by one user in a humid climate, is the built-in dew heater. This small but critical component gently warms the lens to prevent condensation from forming on cool, damp nights—a problem that can prematurely end an imaging session with traditional gear. The dual Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity ensures a stable connection, allowing you to monitor progress from the warmth of your home. Everything about the design is focused on removing friction and making the experience as pleasant as possible. The incredible value packed into this all-in-one astrophotography system is truly impressive.
Solar, Lunar, and Planetary Performance: Setting Realistic Expectations
It’s important to understand what the ZWO Seestar S50 Smart Telescope is, and what it isn’t. Its optical design—a 50mm aperture with a 250mm focal length—is optimized for capturing wide fields of view containing faint deep-sky objects. As a result, it is not a planetary telescope. While we could easily see Jupiter and its Galilean moons, they appeared as small, bright discs with little to no surface detail. This is not a flaw, but a design trade-off, a fact consistently confirmed by users: “As you would expect from a small aperture telescope it is not good for planets,” one reviewer states plainly. If your goal is to see the Cassini Division in Saturn’s rings, a different type of telescope is required.
However, where it does excel outside of DSOs is with solar and lunar imaging. The inclusion of a high-quality solar filter as a standard accessory is a massive bonus. In “Solar Mode,” we were able to capture stunningly detailed images of the sun’s surface, clearly resolving sunspots. The “Lunar Mode” works similarly well, producing crisp, high-contrast images of craters and maria. For capturing our closest celestial neighbours, the S50 is both capable and incredibly easy to use, adding significant versatility to an already powerful package.
What Other Users Are Saying
The consensus among users is overwhelmingly positive, with many calling the device revolutionary and a “game-changer.” A veteran astronomer with over 30 years of experience admitted being “very skeptical over its capabilities given the size” but was left “impressed” by the photos from their first few nights. Beginners are equally enthusiastic, with one user calling it “a great way to get into astrophotography on a reasonable budget.” Many, like the person who said “it almost feels like I’m cheating,” highlight how the ZWO Seestar S50 Smart Telescope automates all the challenging parts of the hobby.
The most common piece of constructive feedback aligns perfectly with our findings: its weakness in planetary imaging. One reviewer was very clear: “Moon and sun, yes, planets, no way. But as you can see, clusters, nebulas and galaxies are right up this li’l guys’ alley.” This isn’t so much a complaint as a correct observation of the telescope’s design focus. Overall, the sentiment is that the value delivered far exceeds the cost. One person who had to return it for personal reasons still felt compelled to leave a glowing review, stating, “The inherent value of the S50 EXCEEDS the cost and that is the best thing about it!”
How Does the ZWO Seestar S50 Smart Telescope Compare to the Alternatives?
While the ZWO Seestar S50 Smart Telescope carves out a new category, it’s helpful to compare it to more traditional computerized and manual telescopes to understand who might prefer a different approach.
1. Celestron LCM 114 Newtonian Reflector Telescope
- COMPUTERISED AUTOMATIC TELESCOPE: Automatically locate 4,000 celestial objects with the GoTo mount and hand control, using star locating technology found on more advanced telescopes
- TAKE THE SKY TOUR: If you’re not sure of what to observe, the Sky Tour button will do the work for you; Simply press the button and your computerised telescope will generate a list of the best...
The Celestron LCM 114 is a more traditional “GoTo” telescope. It features a much larger 114mm aperture, which gives it greater light-gathering ability for visual observation. Unlike the Seestar, you look through an eyepiece. Its computerized mount can automatically find and track objects from its database, but it requires a more involved initial alignment process. This telescope is a better choice for someone who wants a hands-on, visual stargazing experience and desires better performance on planets and the Moon. However, it is not designed for astrophotography out of the box and would require significant additional investment in cameras and adapters to approach the imaging capabilities of the Seestar.
2. Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ Refractor Telescope
- POWERFUL REFRACTOR TELESCOPE: Features fully-coated glass optics, a sturdy and lightweight frame, two eyepieces, a StarPointer red dot finderscope and an adjustable tripod
- HIGH-QUALITY 70MM OPTICS: The heart of the system is a fully-coated 70mm primary mirror; The AstroMaster mount features a panning handle that allows you to make precision adjustments to view celestial...
The AstroMaster 70AZ represents the classic beginner’s telescope. It is fully manual, meaning you find objects by physically moving the telescope and “star-hopping” with the help of a finderscope. With a 70mm aperture, it’s a capable instrument for looking at the Moon, bright planets, and some of the brighter star clusters. Its primary advantages are its low cost and simplicity, offering a fundamental introduction to navigating the night sky. This is for the purist on a tight budget who wants to learn the constellations and experience the thrill of finding objects for themselves, without any electronic assistance. It offers no photography or automated features.
3. Celestron StarSense Explore DX 130 Newtonian Reflector Telescope
- HIGH-QUALITY OPTICS: 130mm (5”) Newtonian reflector with highly reflective coatings and enough light gathering ability to view all the best celestial objects
- SIMPLE CONTROL: Manual altazimuth mount with smooth, dual-axis slow motion adjustment and a sliding rod makes it easy to follow the on-screen arrows to your desired target. When the bullseye turns...
The StarSense Explore DX 130 offers a clever hybrid approach. It’s a manual telescope with a large 130mm aperture, but it uses your smartphone and a special app to guide you to celestial objects. You place your phone in a dock, and the app uses plate-solving to show you exactly where the telescope is pointing in the night sky, providing on-screen arrows to guide you to your target. This is an excellent choice for someone who finds GoTo systems too complex but wants technological assistance in finding objects. It provides a much better visual experience than the Seestar, especially on planets, but like the LCM 114, it is not an astrophotography device and cannot capture the deep-sky images the Seestar produces so effortlessly.
Our Final Verdict: Is the ZWO Seestar S50 Smart Telescope Worth It?
After extensive testing, our answer is an unequivocal yes. The ZWO Seestar S50 Smart Telescope is not just another product; it’s a paradigm shift in amateur astronomy. It successfully lowers the barrier to deep-sky astrophotography from a towering wall to a simple stepping stone. For years, capturing images of faint nebulae and distant galaxies was the exclusive domain of dedicated hobbyists with expensive, complex equipment. ZWO has packed that capability into an affordable, portable, and ridiculously easy-to-use package.
It is not the perfect telescope for everyone—if your passion is visually observing planets at high magnification, you should look elsewhere. But for the vast majority of people who have ever looked up at the night sky and wished they could see and capture its hidden treasures, this is the instrument you’ve been waiting for. It is an exceptional educational tool, a perfect travel companion for dark-sky trips, and a fantastic “grab-and-go” scope for experienced astronomers. It makes astrophotography fun, accessible, and instantly rewarding. If you’re ready to start your journey into the cosmos, we cannot recommend it highly enough. You can check the latest price and secure yours today.
Last update on 2025-11-09 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API