The ZWO Seestar S30 smart telescope is by far the best solution for capturing spectacular astrophotos as easily as possible. This intelligent telescope lets you amaze everyone right away and effortlessly see details of the universe that you may previously have only seen online in images taken by other astrophotographers.
The Seestar S30 offers capabilities similar to those of the Seestar S50, but there are some notable differences, summarised below:
| Feature | Seestar S30 | Seestar S50 |
| Objective diameter(s) | 30 mm Wide-angle: N/A |
50 mm |
| Objective focal length | 150 mm | 250 mm |
| Sensor (colour) | Telephoto/deep-sky: Sony IMX662 Wide-angle: N/A |
Deep-sky: Sony IMX462 |
| Pixel size | Telephoto/deep-sky: 2.9 Wide-angle: 2.7 |
Telephoto/deep-sky: 2.9 |
| Field of view | Telephoto/deep-sky: 2.46° Wide-angle: 23.2° |
Telephoto: 1° |
| Resolution | Telephoto/deep-sky: 1920 x 1080 Wide-angle: 1920 x 1080 |
Telephoto: 1920 x 1080 |
| Video format (MP4, AVI) | Telephoto/deep-sky: 1080p@30fps Wide-angle: 1080p@25fps |
Telephoto: 1080p@11fps |
| Minimum focus distance | 6 m | 30 m |
| Built-in filters | Duo Band (OIII 30 nm/H alpha 20 nm) Dark filter (for noise reduction) |
Duo Band (OIII 30 nm/H alpha 20 nm) |
| Built-in sensors | Compass G-sensor |
Compass |
| Slew speed | 1 x - 1440 x | 20 x - 1440 x |
| Tripod material (with 3/8" connection) | Aluminium alloy | Carbon-fibre tube |
| Dimensions (mm) | 210 x 140 x 80 | 257 x 142.5 x 130 |
| Weight (kg) | 1.8 | 2.5 |
As the table above shows, the ZWO Seestar S30 is not the successor to the S50, but rather its wider-field smaller sibling, featuring several forward-looking developments, such as dual-optics imaging capability.
ZWO Seestar S30 smart telescope - designed for beginners
If you have ever used a telescope, you have almost certainly wanted to capture what you saw so that you could show it to your family, friends or colleagues at work the next day. Unfortunately, the path from visual observing to astrophotography can be quite challenging. The ZWO Seestar S30 smart telescope automatically finds your desired object and takes care of focusing for you, then starts capturing the image straight away! You do not even need to align your telescope; you can rely on the GoTo function immediately.
The device's premium three-element (triplet) apochromatic lens ensures excellent image quality, while the built-in Sony IMX662 Full HD sensor (1080 x 1920 pixels) records and stacks the images into a single image for you. Yes, it stacks images in real time, progressively building an image that reveals more and more detail, which you can immediately show to your observing companions. As images are managed through your smartphone app, no complicated cabling is required; you can control your telescope via a WiFi (5G & 2.4G) connection. The effects of light pollution can be reduced using the built-in dual-band narrowband filter. To maximise noise reduction, the telescope also automatically captures dark frames using its built-in dark filter.
Weighing just 1.7 kg, this telescope can easily be taken anywhere in the world. On a full charge, it can operate for 6 hours, which is more than enough for a night of observing. Its apochromatic optics can also be used during the day for urban or nature observation. The app offers numerous features to support both night-time and daytime use, including the ability to create mosaic images and time-lapse videos.
In addition to the telescope, the SeeStar S30 basic package includes an ultra-light yet sturdy aluminium tabletop tripod, a magnetic solar filter mounted in a holder, a USB-C cable and, of course, a practical padded protective case that makes transporting the entire kit much easier.
