Review of The Dwarf II Smart Telescope Part 2 of 2

Review of The Dwarf II Smart Telescope - Part 2 of 2 

A very short un-boxing video

Right from the start, let me just "blurt out" some thoughts, from the top of my head: 

I've had this Dwarf 2 for about 2 months now, and even though there have been more clouds & rain than clear nights - Every time I leave it out there, to do it's imaging: I head inside the house, thinking to myself "I love that thing!"

It is amazing! That's why I (thought of) and shared this video on one of The Dwarf 2's Facebook groups:

Again, it really comes down to - Me having been into astrophotography for years; and now having a smart telescope:

• It takes under 5 minutes to set-up!
• It has GoTo ability - Which means it can find, and track any DSO you want!
• It automatically produces results, which in many cases, are even better than my DSLR set-up used to!

What's there not to like??

• The images, look great as-is, straight out of the Dwarf 2 (right off of the memory card).
• If you do just a little bit of post processing, right on your smartphone's default photo app: The images look fabulous!
• You can then share them wherever you'd like - Super easy!

For me, personally: I seriously dislike spending all of that time in front of a laptop screen - when doing normal (conventional) astrophotography. Having to do all of the arranging in file folders, and (necessary) stacking, etc., etc. 

As a former Computer Engineer, I used to spend all day at work, looking at computer screens...do you think I wanted to spend any more time looking at a computer? (in order to enjoy my astrophotography hobby)?

No way! I want to avoid it as much as possible.

Okay. What about the expense?

Yes, astrophotography is (and always has been) an expensive hobby. The Dwarf II is currently priced at $459 for the standard version; and $595 for the Deluxe version - You can just get a modified DSLR camera for about that much...and you still would need to buy:

• A lens of 135mm FL (or longer) -or- a telescope.
• A (good) tracking mount.
• A sturdy tripod.

This quickly brings you into the realm of about $1500+!

An image produced with my Dwarf II - The Eastern Veil Nebula

341 images of 15" each, taken & stacked by The Dwarf II; cropped and post processed in PixInsight software.

 

M20 - The Trifid Nebula. 153 individual shots of 15" each, taken & stacked by The Dwarf II. Cropped and post processed with Siril and Gimp (both free applications!).

When I first started astrophotography, I also experimented with film cameras! I even used (the increasingly rare) gas-hypered film - Which was only offered by a company called Lumicon. I believe I purchased the last rolls of that 35mm film in existence. 

And mounts as primitive as homemade (wooden) barn door trackers! These used simple gears, a not-so-simple curved bolt, and 12v powered stepper motors.

For those of you who have never done astrophotography - What you need to keep in mind, are all of the procedures and steps, which are required for traditional astrophotography - And that they simply don't exist when using The Dwarf II! 

The more thought I give to this subject in particular, the more I feel I could write about it. And, I wouldn't want to make this review too "drawn-out". Or, longer than it needs to be! It bears repeating at this point: Those who will appreciate The Dwarf II the most, are those who have done some conventional astrophotography in the past.

I couldn't resist showing a photo I managed; several years ago - Using a Ha (Hydrogen-Alpha) modified Canon DSLR:

An image taken with (conventional equipment) - Hydrogen Alpha modified Canon T3i DSLR, Clip-in light pollution filter, on a wooden barn door tracking mount. Shown here is The Heart & Soul Nebulae, as well as The Double Cluster in Perseus. Bortle 4 skies.

In operation, The Dwarf II is very easy to set-up and use; and more importantly, it is an accurate device. It's calibration sequence is automatic, and completes quickly. When you ask it to goto an object (from the Auto Goto List) it always centers the DSO in the center of frame.

In the past, while using conventional astrophotography gear: If there was a clear night, and I wasn't feeling well - that was it. I had to deal with the disappointment of not getting any astro-imaging done. With a smart telescope like The Dwarf 2, you only need to pop outside for a few minutes for set-up. Then you can go back indoors, and be comfortable while the tiny Dwarf II capture and stacks the images for you. You also get to watch it's progress, from your smartphone or tablet's screen - Excellent!

This is M8 - The Lagoon Nebula. A stack of only 37 frames! of 15" each, stacked by The Dwarf 2. Cropped and post processed using PixInsight.

Pros:

• Super small, lightweight, easy to transport anywhere.
• Additional (optional) batteries are available for purchase - which can be a great convenience.
• Ability to purchase & use third-party nebula filters, providing excellent results (especially in light-polluted areas).
• Offers a wide-field of view, required for larger DSO's.
• Offers good control over manual focus, which stays in place once set.
• Single exposures taken by the Dwarf 2 are made accessible by default, if user would like to stack them manually.
• Acquired images are written to an accessible MicroSD card, convenient for post-processing (on PC).

Cons:

• The list of goto/DSO objects (to automatically goto) is currently rather short.
• Imaging the same object for long periods of time, will begin to show the effects of field rotation (if The Dwarf 2 isn't polar aligned).
• Not ideal for smaller nebulae (such as planetary nebulae).
• Battery life could use improvement.

The Dwarf II may be ordered directly from DwarfLabs. Several Dealers of astronomy products also have them in stock/currently available for order.

NGC 281 The Pacman Nebula - A stack of 63 frames, 15" each, taken by The Dwarf II. Cropped, and processed in PixInsight.

Until next time,

Wishing you clear & steady skies!