Is Astrophotography Possible for UNDER $500?

Notes/Corrections: -Due to an editing mistake I implied you should connect power to the OG Star Tracker and then connect to the stepper motor. The opposite is true, always connect the cable from the RA port on the control box to the stepper motor first, and then connect the power cable. -I did these tests in early December before the new version of the Dwarf app was released. The new version includes better autofocus and unlocks 1x1 binning which several commenters say improves image quality. I haven't been able to test it myself yet due to poor weather. -ZWO and DwarfLab will release future upgrades to the respective apps. When I talked about an upgrade path with the OG Star Tracker, I was talking about hardware upgrades. Some software upgrades can certainly improve a product and solve problems. For example, if ZWO adds a mosaic mode for the Seestar that would help with the composition / small field of view issue. -Will add more notes/corrections as they occur to me or people point them out. Thanks for watching, Nico

I think the Seestar represents excellent value for money - especially as it has a apochromatic lense/triplet which normally costs thousands. I would love to get into the hobby more, but I cannot afford to spend the thousands required for a dedicated rig or the time - I have a young baby to look after. However, I think the Seestar provides a gateway for people like me who have maybe and hour to spare, to simply go out and capture some really nice pictures without spending hours setting up a rig.

Glad to see the star tracker rig cleaned up, DIY for the win 💪

You should research the SeeStar more because it is in it's early evolution and continues to be improved ... soon to include automatic mosaic mode to let you enlarge the field of view to any size that you require. Also, they say they plan to add more granular, manual controls for exposures. All of these and more features will come with simple firmware updates for free. I've already experienced 2 firmware updates and they were simple and amazing!

I think a really important Pro you left out on the Seestar is that it comes with a duo-band filter built in at the $500 price range whereas the dwarf does not. That filter allows for imaging in light polluted areas!

This channel and the OG Star Tracker got me into this hobby. I was in the lucky situation of having a good camera and lens, as well as a 3D printer. So, for less than 50€ I was able to get started.

I'm getting the Seestar now. Nice video!

YEHA NICO, I waited long for this kind of video of you. You are my personal ASTRO BOB ROSS❤❤❤ I recommend you every time if someone wants to learn astro. Must be a few 100 people already. You are really THE BEST👍👍👍

I am really excited for this one. I have been waiting for Nico to review these smart telescopes specifically the Seestar as I own one now!

The complexity is part of the enjoyment for me. Yes it was frustrating when I started with a star tracker DSLR and Lens, but once I mastered how to use it the sense of achievement when I actually managed to image a dso ( the double cluster) for the first time, even though it wasn't as good as those taken with a smart scope was still priceless. As I got more into the hobby I upgraded my set up and added to it. I now own a fully automated set up.but still use my original DSLR set up as well, and still thoroughly enjoy using it though I tend to use the Samyang/Rokinon 135 f2 lens these days or maybe a Cat 51.

Thank you so much for this video! Its just what I needed

Personally I already went with the more dedicated path, but I do think I might pick up something like the Seestar for when I just want to be able to show the night sky to friends whilst camping and such due to the being able to get fairly quick results. Thank you for the informative video, Nico!

Excellent reviews! - OK, I just watched the whole video - I've got to tell you: I finally have a dedicated Astro Cam (it's only an ASI178MC); but you make me want to go out and buy a DSLR again! LoL! Seriously though, you always make DSLR's look so good! 😀

Thank you so much for this video. As much as I love the idea of the Seestar,, it takes the fun away from doing it yourself. So I asked my brother if he could do the 3d print OG one since it has so many pros and a better price then a regular tracker. Super excited to see you review it!!

Thank you for pronouncing Pleiades properly. Music to my ears! Thanks for the review! Going to wait until the bugs get worked out and the dust settles over who will be the leader.

Awesome!!! I've been doing astro with my cannon camera for some time, and I've been debating a more expensive setup or just getting one of these smart telescopes. Thanks so much for the video. It was super helpful.

An excellent presentation of different equipment, as always, Nico! 👍🏼😎 What you have to bear in mind with the OG StarTrecker is that it only has a payload of 3 kg.☝🏼 This may sound quite high at first, but it quickly becomes relatively low. This means that if you have a decent camera mount and a reasonably good camera with a good zoom lens, you can easily break the 3 kg limit!😩

I just finished building my OG Star Tracker. Really looking forward to a clear night to test it out 😁😁😁

You make a very good case for the inexpensive DSLR and tracker, but only for folks w/ skills. Nicely done.

Wow, I was NOT expecting the DSLR one to look that good. Honestly for me, I think a good star tracker paired with a telephoto lens on my mirrorless camera will be more than enough!