Buy the DwarfLab Dwarf 3 at $549 (549 € in Europe) unless you need the 50 mm aperture and the CovalENS mosaic of the Vaonis Vespera II at $1,590 (1,590 € in Europe) badly enough to pay $1,041 more for them. The Dwarf 3 matches the Vespera II on sensor resolution, beats it on battery life, storage and weight, and carries three switchable filters the Vespera does not have. What it does not carry is a tripod: DwarfLab supplies none, and that is the first thing to budget for.
The 20-second verdict
Buy the Dwarf 3 if value is the deciding factor. 8.3 MP from a Sony IMX678 Starvis 2, a 2.93° × 1.65° field wider than the Vespera II gives natively, 128 GB of storage, 5.5 h of battery, 1.3 kg, an equatorial mode allowing 60 s exposures, and built-in VIS, Astro and Hα/OIII dual-band filters with a solar filter in the box. Accept that no tripod is supplied and that the EQ mode needs a second, equatorial tripod you also have to buy.
Buy the Vespera II if the 50 mm aperture and the CovalENS mosaic matter. It collects roughly twice the light, reaches 4.33° × 2.43° and 24 MP through mosaic assembly, and comes complete with a tripod. It earned 4.5 out of 5 at BBC Sky at Night, so it is a known quantity. Accept 4 h of battery, only 25 GB of storage and 5.0 kg.
Side by side
| Spec | DwarfLab Dwarf 3 | Vaonis Vespera II |
|---|---|---|
| Indicative price | $549 (549 € in Europe) | $1,590 (1,590 € in Europe) |
| Aperture | 35 mm | 50 mm |
| Focal length | 150 mm (737 mm equivalent) | 250 mm |
| Focal ratio | f/4.3 | f/5 |
| Sensor | Sony IMX678 (Starvis 2) | Sony IMX585 |
| Resolution | 8.3 MP | 8.3 MP, 24 MP in mosaic |
| Field of view | 2.93° × 1.65° | 2.5° × 1.4°, 4.33° × 2.43° in mosaic |
| Mount | Motorised alt-azimuth | Motorised alt-azimuth |
| Equatorial mode | Yes, up to 60 s exposures, EQ tripod not included | No |
| Built-in filters | 3 switchable: VIS, Astro, Hα/OIII dual-band, solar included | None, solar, dual-band and CLS optional |
| Mosaic | Yes, 2×2 panorama | Yes, CovalENS, 24 MP |
| Battery life | 5.5 h | 4 h |
| Storage | 128 GB (eMMC) | 25 GB (eMMC) |
| Weight | 1.3 kg | 5.0 kg |
| Tripod included | No | Yes |
What actually separates them
Optics and light gathering
50 mm against 35 mm is roughly twice the collecting area, but the Dwarf 3 works at f/4.3 against f/5, which claws back part of the difference per unit of sensor area. The Vespera II also has more focal length, 250 mm against 150 mm, although the Dwarf 3’s telephoto design gives a 737 mm equivalent framing that puts more pixels on a small target than its raw focal length suggests. Both remain very small instruments and neither makes faint galaxies easy. Winner on optics and light gathering: the Vespera II, on aperture.
Sensor, resolution and field
Both deliver 8.3 MP per frame, the Dwarf 3 from a Sony IMX678 Starvis 2 and the Vespera II from a Sony IMX585. Natively the Dwarf 3 has the wider frame at 2.93° × 1.65° against 2.5° × 1.4°. The order flips in mosaic mode: the Vespera II’s CovalENS assembles 4.33° × 2.43° at 24 MP, while the Dwarf 3 offers a 2×2 panorama. For the largest targets that is a real gap. Winner on single-frame field: the Dwarf 3, and on mosaic coverage: the Vespera II.
Battery, storage and portability
5.5 h against 4 h, 128 GB against 25 GB, 1.3 kg against 5.0 kg. The Dwarf 3 wins all three, and the storage difference is larger than it looks: 25 GB fills quickly on long sessions. The counterweight is the tripod. DwarfLab includes none, so add one to the price, and add an equatorial tripod on top if you want the 60 s exposures. Vespera II owners do get a tripod, though reviews note it is too low. Winner on battery, storage and portability: the Dwarf 3.
Filters, software and real cost
The Dwarf 3 carries three switchable filters, VIS, Astro and an Hα/OIII dual-band, with a solar filter supplied. The Vespera II carries none built in and sells solar, dual-band and CLS as options, so matching the Dwarf 3’s capability costs extra on top of an already higher price. Against that, the Vespera II is the better-documented product: reviews consistently report galaxies and nebulae that come out bright and colourful even from light-polluted areas, alongside images sometimes judged a little soft and a refocus routine that is not always perfect. The Dwarf 3’s polar alignment is not very intuitive. Winner on real cost: the Dwarf 3, and by a wide margin once the filters are counted.
Which one for your use case
For beginners
The Vespera II sets itself up in three to five minutes, ships complete, and asks nothing of you beyond the app. The Dwarf 3 costs a third as much but sends you shopping for a tripod before your first clear night. Winner for beginners: the Vespera II.
For large nebulae
4.33° × 2.43° at 24 MP through CovalENS beats a 2×2 panorama from a 2.93° × 1.65° base. The Vespera II frames the biggest targets more cleanly. Winner for large nebulae: the Vespera II.
For small targets and galaxies
Neither is a galaxy machine at 35 to 50 mm. The Dwarf 3 puts more pixels on a small object thanks to its 737 mm equivalent framing and can run 60 s exposures in EQ mode, provided you bought the equatorial tripod. The Vespera II has the aperture. For genuinely faint targets, look higher up the range at the Vaonis Vespera III. Winner for small targets: the Dwarf 3, on framing and exposure length.
For city skies
Built-in filters decide this. The Dwarf 3’s Hα/OIII dual-band pulls emission nebulae out of a bright sky at no extra cost, while the Vespera II needs an optional filter to do the same. Winner for city skies: the Dwarf 3. Our best smart telescope for light pollution guide has the wider field.
For travel
1.3 kg against 5.0 kg, and 128 GB against 25 GB. Even after adding a travel tripod, the Dwarf 3 is the lighter package by a wide margin. Winner for travel: the Dwarf 3.
Frequently asked questions
Which should I buy, the Dwarf 3 or the Vespera II?
The Dwarf 3 for most buyers: same 8.3 MP, wider single frame, more storage, longer battery, built-in filters, and $1,041 less. Choose the Vespera II if the 50 mm aperture and the 24 MP CovalENS mosaic are what you are after, or if you want everything in one box.
Does the Dwarf 3 come with a tripod?
No. DwarfLab supplies none, so budget for one. Its equatorial mode, which allows 60 s exposures, additionally requires an equatorial tripod that is also not included.
Which one has built-in filters?
The Dwarf 3, with three switchable filters, VIS, Astro and an Hα/OIII dual-band, plus a solar filter in the box. The Vespera II has none built in and offers solar, dual-band and CLS as paid options.
Can either one do equatorial mode?
Only the Dwarf 3, up to 60 s exposures and only with an equatorial tripod you supply. The Vespera II is alt-azimuth with no equatorial mode.
Which has been independently reviewed?
The Vespera II, which earned 4.5 out of 5 at BBC Sky at Night, with reviewers praising its three to five minute automatic alignment. If you want a complete package at a low price instead, the ZWO Seestar S50 is worth a look at $499, though availability is limited. See all comparisons.