Two almost identical names, a €200 gap, and only one honest answer: if you are buying new, buy the Vaonis Vespera Pro 2 at €2,990. The first-generation Vaonis Vespera Pro, listed at €2,790, is end-of-life and out of stock at the manufacturer: it only makes sense used or heavily discounted.
The verdict in 20 seconds
On paper these two are twins. Same 50 mm apochromatic quadruplet, same 12.5 MP Sony IMX676 sensor, same 1.6° × 1.6° field, same claimed 11-hour battery life, same 225 GB of storage, same Singularity app with no subscription. The optical gap comes down to 5 mm of focal length: 250 mm f/5 against 245 mm f/4.9.
What really separates them is not optical. The Pro 2 ships with a carbon tripod where the first version makes do with aluminium, it includes a dew-control system the first version lacks, and it is covered for 5 years instead of 3.
Buy the Pro 2 if you are buying new. It really is that simple. The first version only becomes interesting second-hand, or with a discount of several hundred euros: at a €200 gap, no technical argument works in its favour. And it is out of stock at Vaonis anyway.
The numbers side by side
| Criterion | Vespera Pro (first version) | Vespera Pro 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Indicative price | €2,790 | €2,990 |
| Indicative price (USD) | Not published by Vaonis | $2,990 |
| Status | End of life, out of stock at the manufacturer | Current model |
| Release | 2024 | April 2026 |
| Optical design | Apochromatic quadruplet | Apochromatic quadruplet |
| Aperture | 50 mm | 50 mm |
| Focal length | 250 mm | 245 mm |
| Focal ratio | f/5 | f/4.9 |
| Sensor | Sony IMX676 colour 1/1.6″ | Sony IMX676 |
| Resolution | 12.5 MP | 12.5 MP |
| Field of view | 1.6° × 1.6° | 1.6° × 1.6° |
| Mosaic field | 4.18° × 2.45° (Vaonis figure, disputed) | 4.18° × 2.45° (CovalENS, 50 MP) |
| Mount | Alt-azimuth | Motorised alt-azimuth |
| Equatorial mode | No | No |
| Claimed battery life | 11 h | 11 h |
| Storage | 225 GB | 225 GB (eMMC) |
| Weight | 5 kg (scope of the figure unclear) | 5 kg |
| Tripod | Included, aluminium | Included, carbon |
| Dew-control system | Not fitted as standard | Standard |
| Warranty | 3 years | 5 years |
| Built-in filters | None (Dual Band €399, Light Pollution €229, Solar €179) | None (solar, dual-band and CLS optional) |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 2.4 and 5 GHz, USB-C | Wi-Fi, USB-C, GPS |
| Subscription | No, Singularity app is free | No, all features included |
Two caveats we would rather show than smooth over. Weight first: Vaonis quotes 5 kg for the first version without saying whether the tripod is included, so comparing the two masses proves nothing either way. Then the mosaic field: 4.18° × 2.45° is the figure published by Vaonis, but other sources, B&H among them, quote different values. We keep the manufacturer’s figure and flag it.
What really separates them
The tripod: aluminium against carbon
This is the most tangible difference day to day. A carbon tripod damps vibration better and travels more willingly, which matters as soon as you leave your garden. It is also the fastest visual clue between the two.
Dew control, the first version’s one real gap
The Pro 2 has a dew-control system as standard; the first version does not. On a sealed instrument meant to spend the night outdoors, that is no detail: condensation ends a session without warning and you cannot get at the optics. This alone justifies the €200 gap.
Warranty and availability: 3 years against 5
Vaonis covers the Pro 2 for 5 years against 3 for the first version. On a motorised electronic device that is far from symbolic. Add availability: the first version is officially end-of-life and out of stock at the manufacturer, while the Pro 2 is the current catalogue model.
250 mm f/5 against 245 mm f/4.9: a spec-sheet difference
5 mm less focal length and a ratio moving from f/5 to f/4.9: the gap is real but tiny. It changes neither the stated field, nor the resolution, nor anything you can see in an image. Be wary of comparisons that make it the heart of the matter.
How to tell which one you are looking at
The name will not help: both are sold as “Vespera Pro” in most listings. Look at the tripod, it is the one-second test: carbon weave means a Pro 2; anodised aluminium tubes mean the first version. If in doubt, the seller’s spec sheet settles it too: 245 mm f/4.9 and a 5-year warranty mean the Pro 2, 250 mm f/5 and a 3-year warranty the first version.
Which one to choose for your use
Buying new
The Pro 2, without hesitation. €200 separates the two at list price, and that money buys a carbon tripod, dew control and two extra years of warranty. No new-purchase scenario justifies the first version.
Buying used or clearance stock
This is the only ground where the first version holds up. Below roughly €2,000, from a serious seller and with warranty still running, it gives you exactly the same optics, sensor and app as the Pro 2. Above that, the gap with a new Pro 2 gets too small to give up dew control and five years of cover.
For humid nights and long sessions
The Pro 2. Standard dew control exists precisely for this, and the first version has no factory-fitted equivalent.
For travelling
The Pro 2, for its carbon tripod. One caution though: Vaonis quotes 5 kg on both sides without saying what the figure covers for the first version. So do not expect a proven weight saving, only better rigidity.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Vespera Pro 2 just a restyling?
No, but the changes are peripheral rather than optical: carbon tripod, standard dew control, warranty raised to 5 years. The core of the instrument, a 50 mm quadruplet and a 12.5 MP IMX676 sensor, is unchanged.
Does the focal length difference change the images?
Not perceptibly. 250 mm f/5 against 245 mm f/4.9, with the same sensor and the same stated 1.6° × 1.6° field, stays a spec-sheet difference.
Can you still buy the first-version Vespera Pro?
Not new from Vaonis: it is declared end-of-life and out of stock. It remains available used and, occasionally, as clearance stock at some dealers.
Can dew control be added to the first version?
Vaonis publishes no official dew-control accessory for this model, so we have no manufacturer solution to recommend, and we would rather say so than suggest a home fix on sealed optics.
Does the quoted 5 kg include the tripod?
Vaonis does not say for the first version. We therefore reproduce the figure as published, without drawing any conclusion about real field weight.
Is the mosaic field really 4.18° × 2.45°?
That is the figure published by Vaonis, and the one we use. Other sources, including B&H, quote different values: the information is disputed, and we flag it as such rather than arbitrating without proof.
What if neither suits you?
Within the Vaonis range, the Vespera is a far cheaper entry point and the Hyperia aims much higher. Between the two Pro models, though, budget is barely a question: €200 apart, and everything points to the Pro 2.