Seestar S30 launched: A lightweight and budget-friendly smart telescope

For the last few years, smart telescopes have been the new trend in the world of stargazing and astrophotography. Brands have been producing portable smart telescopes of different shapes and sizes. The latest addition to that list is the Seestar S30 by ZWO. This lightweight and budget-friendly telescope aims to engage more people in the hobby of astrophotography.

ZWO Seestar S30: The Highlights

The Seestar S30 is the younger brother to Seestar S50, ZWO’s first smart telescope launched in April 2023. Earlier this month, the S30 model was released. ZWO, a brand well known for producing quality Astro cameras since 2011 and, more recently, harmonic drive mounts and telescopes, ventures into the world of smart telescopes with its sub-brand Seastar.

Weighing only 1.65 KG, the Seestar S30 can be used from home as well as can become your travel partner. Below are some of the key features of this highly portable smart telescope:

• Three versatile shooting modes: stargazing, scenery and solar system
• It can run up to 6 hours on full charge, with up to 4 hours in video mode
• Built in light pollution filter for stargazing in city lights
• Total of 4 filters: Dark field filter, UV/IR cut filter, Light pollution filter and magnetic solar filter (external)
• Smart app controls for star finding, tracking and shooting
• Contains two lenses: telephoto and wide-field
• ½.8” camera sensor
• Apochromatic lens for great image quality

Tech Specs of Seestar S50

Here are some of the technical specifications of this “Pocket Observatory”:

First Impressions

The Seestar S30 looks promising. Its small weight, paired with its dual-lens capabilities, is convenient for amateurs and beginners. The USD 349 price tag also makes it affordable for many, especially those who do not wish to burn their pockets and still get the taste of stargazing. Since most features, including star finding and shooting, can be controlled via a smartphone app, the learning curve should not be steep. Complete beginners should be able to handle it without a fuss. The dual lens setup with a wide-angle lens is a welcome change from the S50 version, especially for those interested in daytime landscape photography and wide-field nightscapes.

However, the quality of the lens and overall image quality are things that we have to wait and see. Looking at what the Seestar S50 did, we have high hopes for its younger brother. The 150mm focal length may sound too little for astrophotography, but it will cover most of the popular nebulae with ease. The inbuilt mosaic option will come in handy for larger targets. The solar and lunar imaging capabilities might suffer due to its lower focal length. However, it is a giveaway that many people would welcome in return for added portability.

Where to buy

Seestar S30 is currently available for pre-order from the official website. Also, check your local vendors, including High Point Scientific and FLO, for pre-order. Shipping of the products is supposed to begin in late December.