DwarfLab DWARF II

The DwarfLab DWARF II is a dual-optic smart telescope, released in early 2023 after a Kickstarter campaign run in 2021-2022, at a launch price of $300. It is now discontinued and sold out at the manufacturer. An important warning before you read the table below: DwarfLab has withdrawn the technical datasheet for this model. Only the features (equatorial mode, internal VIS and Astro filters, panorama mode, battery life, connectivity, price in dollars) are sourced from the manufacturer; every optical and physical figure — aperture, focal lengths, sensor, resolution, field of view, weight — comes from third-party sources.

Verdict in three lines

The DWARF II remains an endearing device: two optics in a tiny body, tripod included, two internal filters switchable from the app, an equatorial mode and a panorama mode running from 9 to 1800 frames. As a first contact with assisted astrophotography, it still does the job.

But it is outclassed on every measurable front by the DWARF 3, and both its 3-hour battery life and its 100 mm focal length limit long sessions and tight targets. You buy it second-hand for what it is: a compact, versatile starter instrument, not an image production tool.

Where the figures on this page come from

DwarfLab no longer hosts any technical datasheet for the DWARF II. We therefore separate two categories of information. The features — equatorial mode, internal VIS and Astro filters, panorama mode, the stated 3-hour battery life, Wi-Fi 2.4 and 5 GHz, Bluetooth and USB-C connectivity, the $300 launch price — remain documented by the manufacturer. By contrast, every optical and physical figure in the table above — aperture, focal lengths, sensor reference, resolution, field of view, weight — comes from third-party sources: specialist press, retailers and period documentation. They are mutually consistent, but no active manufacturer page confirms them today. Two values call for particular caution and are detailed below: the aperture of the wide-angle lens and the weight.

The DWARF II is right for you if…

• You want a very compact starter device, tripod included, that fits in a backpack.
• You want to do more than deep sky: the wide-angle lens and panorama mode also work in daylight.
• You already own a DWARF II and want to know what it is still worth against the DWARF 3.
• A tight second-hand budget matters more than final image quality.
• You want to try equatorial mode and switchable filters without investing in a DWARF 3.

Avoid it if…

• You are after small targets: 100 mm of focal length and a 3° field frame very wide.
• You run sessions of several hours: 3 hours of stated battery life, less in cold weather.
• You want a dual-band Hα/OIII filter: the DWARF II only carries VIS and Astro.
• You plan to leave it outside in the dew: no ingress protection rating was ever published for this model.
• You need active manufacturer support and warranty on a sold-out product.

What it is still worth in the field

Deep sky

The telephoto lens, 24 mm of aperture and 100 mm of focal length, opens at f/4.2 onto a 1/2.8-inch Sony IMX415 Starvis sensor of 8 megapixels, for a field of roughly 3°. That is wide framing: large nebulae, open clusters, nebular complexes and Milky Way fields work well; galaxies and small planetary nebulae stay tiny in the frame. The Astro filter, switchable from the app without dismantling anything, helps under suburban skies, with the VIS filter for everything else. Equatorial mode, rare among devices of its generation, extends usable exposures and limits field rotation.

Moon and Sun

The Moon sits comfortably inside the telephoto’s 3° field and comes out clean. For the Sun you need an external solar filter: the DWARF II has none built in and shipped without one, unlike the DWARF 3. That is precisely what the retailer bundles discussed below are about.

Planets

Like every short-focal smart telescope, it is not made for planets. 100 mm of focal length yields only a tiny disc: Jupiter and Saturn stay identifiable, never detailed.

Wide-angle lens and panorama mode

The second optic covers about 50° of field on a 2-megapixel sensor at f/2.4. It serves for pointing, nightscapes, wide conjunctions and time-lapses. Panorama mode assembles from 9 to 1800 frames, which allows very large mosaics: it is one of the device’s most original features, with no direct equivalent among its 2023 competitors. Note that the corresponding mosaic field has never been published in degrees.

Daylight and wildlife use

675 mm of full-frame equivalent and 8 megapixels on a motorised body that fits in a bag: the DWARF II has been widely used for wildlife observation and for tracking distant subjects in broad daylight. That is a use where it remains entirely relevant, and where automatic tracking makes the difference.

The DWARF II against the rest of the range

DWARF II vs DWARF 3

The DWARF 3 takes the dual-lens principle and improves on it everywhere: 35 mm of aperture and 150 mm of focal length against 24 and 100 mm, a Sony IMX678 Starvis 2 sensor of 8.3 MP against an 8 MP IMX415, a 2.93° × 1.65° field, three switchable filters including a dual-band Hα/OIII plus a supplied solar filter, 128 GB of internal storage against a microSD card, 5.5 hours of battery life against 3, and an IP54 rating the DWARF II never claimed. Equatorial mode is retained, with exposures up to 60 s. Two trade-offs: it sells for around €549 and its tripod is not included, whereas the DWARF II’s was.

DWARF II vs DWARF mini

The DWARF mini is the brand’s pocket format: 30 mm of aperture, 150 mm of focal length at f/5, a Sony IMX662 Starvis 2 sensor of 2.1 MP, a 2.13° × 1.20° field, 64 GB of storage, 4 hours of battery life and 840 g on the scale, for €419. It frames tighter and finer than the DWARF II, carries a dual-band filter and a solar filter, and reaches 90 s exposures in equatorial mode, but resolves only 2.1 MP and ships without a tripod. Against it, the DWARF II keeps only its 8 MP definition, its faster wide-angle lens and its second-hand price.

“DWARF II Solar Elite”: a bundle, not a model

This name circulates widely and keeps a common confusion alive: it does not designate a separate product. The DWARF II Solar Elite is a retailer bundle put together by Explore Scientific, pairing a strictly identical DWARF II with two solar filters. No difference in optics, sensor, mount or software. If you come across one second-hand, value it as a DWARF II, plus the worth of the two filters.

At what second-hand price does it still make sense

The manufacturer never published a euro price: the only reference is the $300 launch price. A second-hand DWARF II can therefore only be judged against that figure and against current new prices in the range, €419 for the DWARF mini and around €549 for the DWARF 3. Well below half its launch price, complete with its tripod, its microSD card and a still-healthy battery, it remains a defensible buy to get started or for mixed day-and-night use. Above that, the gap with a new DWARF 3 becomes too small to justify a discontinued device with no support and no datasheet. Check the internal battery carefully: it is the part that ages worst, and the 3 hours announced at launch are no longer there on a tired unit.

Frequently asked questions

Is the tripod included with the DWARF II?

Yes. Unlike the DWARF 3 and the DWARF mini, the DWARF II shipped with its tripod. That is worth checking on a second-hand listing, along with the presence of the original 64 GB microSD card.

How much does the DWARF II actually weigh?

This is the most disputed point on its spec sheet. Depending on the source, the body alone is quoted between 1.0 and 1.5 kg, with 1.2 kg appearing most often. Fully configured, with tripod, filters and battery, measurements land around 2 kg. None of these values is confirmed by a manufacturer datasheet: we publish the range and its explanation rather than a single figure presented as certain.

What is the aperture of the wide-angle lens?

It has never been published in millimetres. Only the focal ratio, f/2.4, is documented. Some retailer listings show “24 mm f/2.4” for the wide-angle lens: that is a faulty copy of the telephoto’s aperture, which does measure 24 mm but opens at f/4.2. We therefore publish nothing but f/2.4 for that optic.

Does the DWARF II require a subscription?

No. The DWARFLAB app is free and gives access to every function, including equatorial mode, VIS and Astro filter switching and panorama mode.

Is the “DWARF II Solar Elite” a different model?

No. It is an Explore Scientific retailer bundle: an identical DWARF II accompanied by two solar filters. No hardware or software difference from a standard DWARF II.

Can you still buy a DWARF II new?

No. The product is discontinued and sold out at the manufacturer, and its datasheet has been removed from the site. The second-hand market is the only route, which also explains why the optical and physical figures on this page rest on third-party sources.