Vaonis Vespera II

The Vaonis Vespera II is a 50 mm f/5 smart telescope selling for $1,590 (1,590 € in Europe). It photographs galaxies and nebulae completely unattended after a three to five minute automatic alignment, and its CovalENS mosaic mode is the feature that actually separates it from cheaper rivals.

Verdict in three lines

Technically the Vespera II is a quadruplet apochromatic refractor with a field corrector: 50 mm of aperture, 250 mm of focal length, working at f/5, paired with a Sony IMX585 colour sensor in 1/1.2″ format with 2.9 µm photosites. It delivers 8.3 MP at 3840 × 2160, and up to 24 MP through the CovalENS mosaic, which widens the field from 2.5° × 1.4° to 4.33° × 2.43°.

The automatic alignment in three to five minutes earned it 4.5/5 at BBC Sky at Night, and reviews agree on galaxies and nebulae that come out surprisingly bright and colourful, including from light-polluted areas. The counterweight is real: battery life tops out at around 4 h on its 7,000 mAh cell, images are sometimes judged a little soft with a refocus routine that is not always perfect, planetary work is out of reach, and the supplied tripod is too low.

Above all, no filter is built in. The solar filter, the CLS light-pollution filter and the dual-band are all optional extras, listed by Vaonis in euros at 179 €, 229 € and 399 € respectively. If your budget can absorb those supplements, look hard at the Dwarf 3, which ships its filters as standard. If endurance is what you are after, the Vespera III claims 11 h.

The Vespera II is right for you if…

You want wide-field deep sky above all else. 2.5° × 1.4° natively, and above all 4.33° × 2.43° in CovalENS mosaic with 24 MP at the end of it, which is enough to frame the big nebulae whole.

You want a genuinely unattended instrument. Alignment is fully automatic and takes three to five minutes, the best-rated aspect of the device at BBC Sky at Night with 4.5/5.

You want to work without cables. 5 kg, built-in Wi-Fi, USB-C and an onboard 7,000 mAh battery mean there is no power lead to run in the field.

You do not want recurring costs. The Singularity app is free and the 25 GB of storage is internal, with no paid service imposed on top.

Skip it if…

Your budget stops at $1,590. Add 229 € for the CLS or 399 € for the dual-band and you are past the 1,800 € to 2,000 € mark for a realistic light-polluted-sky setup. The filters are the budget trap on this model.

You observe all night. Measured battery life sits around 4 h; beyond that you need external power over USB-C, or you will be cutting an acquisition short.

You want planets. Reviews confirm planetary work is not in its repertoire.

You want the best value per euro. The Seestar S50 offers the same 50 mm aperture for roughly a third of the price.

What it actually delivers in the field

Deep sky

This is what the Vespera II is built for. The quadruplet apochromat with its field corrector holds the stars right into the corners, and the IMX585 with its 2.9 µm photosites copes well with urban sky backgrounds. Review feedback describes nebulae and galaxies coming out bright and colourful far faster than you would expect from a 50 mm aperture, with the automatic stacking doing most of the work. On emission nebulae a dual-band filter changes everything, but it costs 399 € on top.

Moon and Sun

The Moon fits easily inside 2.5° × 1.4°, but at 250 mm of focal length it occupies a modest portion of the frame: you will get a clean disc, not a close-up of craters. For the Sun the optional solar filter at 179 € is mandatory, since no protection is built in.

Planets

No. The 250 mm focal length and the f/5 ratio are dimensioned for wide field, which is the opposite of what planetary imaging needs. If planets matter to you, this is the wrong category of instrument entirely.

CovalENS mosaic and wide fields

CovalENS is the real differentiator. By assembling multiple pointings it takes the field to 4.33° × 2.43° and the output to 24 MP, roughly three times the area of the native field. On large nebular complexes the difference in rendering is spectacular and on its own justifies part of the price gap with a Seestar S50. The native field is also 1.56× wider than that of the original Vespera.

How the Vespera II compares to its direct rivals

Vespera II vs Vespera III

The Vespera III sells for $2,490, which is $900 more. Optically you stay on 50 mm, with a 245 mm focal length at f/4.9 and the same IMX585 sensor, so the gap is not about the image. It is about endurance, with a claimed 11 h of battery life against 4 h, and about storage, 115 GB against 25 GB. No independent test of the Vespera III has been published to date, so these remain specification differences rather than measured field results. Paying $900 more for the same optics and the same sensor only makes sense if your nights genuinely run past four hours.

Vespera II vs Seestar S50

The Seestar S50 offers the same 50 mm aperture for $499, close to a third of the price. The difference lies elsewhere: the CovalENS mosaic and its 24 MP, the quality of the quadruplet apochromat with field corrector, and an automation level reviewers rate as superior. That said, a $1,091 gap for the same aperture demands a solid justification. The S50 is the rational choice; the Vespera II is the wide-field and build-quality choice.

Vespera II vs Dwarf 3

The Dwarf 3 sits at $549 and offers the same 8.3 MP definition, with one formidable argument: its filters are included. Against a Vespera II that charges 229 € for the CLS and 399 € for the dual-band, the real budget gap is no longer counted in hundreds but in multiples. On capability per euro with filters counted in, the Dwarf 3 puts the Vespera II under direct pressure.

Alternatives by budget

Under $500: the Seestar S50 at $499, the same 50 mm aperture for a third of the price. Below it, the Seestar S30 at $399 and the Dwarf Mini at $419 are the true entry points, while the Hestia is a smartphone optic rather than a telescope.

Around $549: the Dwarf 3, 8.3 MP with filters shipped as standard.

At $2,490: the Vespera III, for its claimed 11 h of battery life and 115 GB of storage.

Beyond $2,990: the Vespera Pro 2, if definition and storage outweigh budget. In the same bracket the Unistellar Odyssey at $2,599 takes a different approach, and the Stellina is discontinued and only relevant on the used market.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Vespera II need filters to work properly?

No filter is built in. The device works without one, but for emission nebulae under a light-polluted sky the dual-band at 399 € or the CLS at 229 € change the result. This is the main budget trap on this model: count the filters in from the start.

What is the real battery life of the Vespera II?

Around 4 h on its 7,000 mAh battery, which reviews confirm. In winter or on long sessions, plan for an external battery over USB-C, otherwise you will have to interrupt an acquisition in progress.

Vespera II or Seestar S50?

The Seestar S50 at $499 offers the same aperture for far less. The Vespera II is justified if you want the 24 MP CovalENS mosaic, the 4.33° × 2.43° field and a more polished automation. Outside those criteria, the price gap is hard to defend.

Can you do planetary imaging with the Vespera II?

No, it is not its domain. With 250 mm of focal length at f/5 the instrument is designed for wide field, and reviews confirm that planets are not within its reach.

Is there a subscription to pay?

No. The Singularity app is free, storage is internal at 25 GB, and no paid service is required to use the telescope.