Hey Folks! If you’re considering getting a Smart Telescope (which I love), this is a very good video comparing two of the best to get started with. I’ll add my comments below the link.
He doesn’t mention a 3rd option I would consider a good scope to jump into Smart Telescopes with: the Vaonis Vespera 2 ($1690). There’s also the DWARF 3, for around $500. Lots of folks like it, but I had a DWARF 2 and found it very hard to get good images with. I found I needed to know a lot about photographic settings, which I didn’t know, nor cared to learn. I have not investigated the DWARF 3, but think it’s very similar to the DWARF 2.
Also, he reviews the Odyssey Pro. I recommend the Odyssey. The only difference is the eyepiece, and the price. The Odyssey is $2,499, The Odyssey Pro is $4,499. While I love the eyepiece on my eVscope 2, it’s not worth $2000, unless you have a lot of money to devote to the hobby. In my opinion. I rarely look through it on my eV2, and don’t miss it on my Odyssey.
He also reviews the Seestar S50, not the S30. Here the difference is more dramatic. The specs are completely different, and the price difference is not that much, $549 for the S50, $399 for the S30. Unless size is your determining factor, get the S50. If you can’t afford the Odyssey, or the Vespera 2, get the S50. That’s your best value in Smart Telescopes right now. (ZWO has announced an S30 Pro, but details are scarce, and no release date so far. I expect it to be about 6-9 months away).
Bottom line is, if you have the money, the Odyssey is the better telescope. Also, if you want to participate in the Citizen Science program with SETI (the absolute easiest way to participate in Astronomical Citizen Science), then you must get a Unistellar scope.
But the best buy right now, by far, is the Seestar S50. It’s 1/5 the price of the Odyssey, 1/3 the price of the Vespera 2, and the images you can get with it are very good.
If you want to see some Smart Telescopes in action, let me know. I have an S30, an S50, an Odyssey, an eVscope 2, and a Celestron Origin. I sold my Vaonis Stellina (a good scope, but no longer available) and my DWARF 2.
Addendum:
I found this summary of all the Smart Scopes I mention above. I think it’s very accurate. And you can compare all of them in one place.