Telescope Comparison
Dwarf Labs DWARF II vs ZWO Seestar S30
The specs are close. The experience isn't.
First light
Dwarf Labs · 24mm · £279
The app-native deep-sky imager
- 24mm sensor-based smart telescope — no traditional eyepiece
- Connects to a smartphone app; the app selects, slews to, and stacks targets automatically
- Best for: faint deep-sky objects — galaxies, nebulae, star clusters built up over minutes
- Not for direct eyepiece viewing — every view is delivered on a phone or tablet screen
- 1.35kg compact all-in-one unit
ZWO · 30mm · £329
The app-native deep-sky imager
- 30mm sensor-based smart telescope — no traditional eyepiece
- Connects to a smartphone app; the app selects, slews to, and stacks targets automatically
- Best for: faint deep-sky objects — galaxies, nebulae, star clusters built up over minutes
- Not for direct eyepiece viewing — every view is delivered on a phone or tablet screen
- 1.3kg compact all-in-one unit
The full picture
The numbers that separate these two scopes — and what they mean at the eyepiece.
Aperture
ZWO Seestar S30 gathers 1.6× more light. On bright targets — Moon, Saturn, Jupiter — you won't notice. On fainter targets — dim galaxies, faint globular clusters — the gap is real.
Focal length
ZWO Seestar S30's longer focal length reaches higher magnification with the same eyepiece — better reach for planetary detail. Dwarf Labs DWARF II's shorter focal length gives a wider true field — better for large open clusters and extended nebulae.
Focal ratio
Focal ratio is not meaningful for smart telescope sensor systems — the optics are optimised for the built-in sensor rather than interchangeable eyepieces.
Mount type
Same mount type — setup experience and ergonomics will be similar. Differences lie in build quality and included accessories.
Weight (OTA)
Similar optical tube weight. Any portability difference between these setups comes from the mount, not the tube itself.
Optical design
Both sensor-based smart telescopes — no eyepiece, app-controlled, live stacking. The differences are in sensor size, aperture, and companion software quality.
At the eyepiece
| Target | Dwarf Labs DWARF II | ZWO Seestar S30 |
|---|---|---|
| Planets | ||
| Moon | Challenging 24mm aperture captures a small but sharp stacked image showing maria and major craters; far less detail than any conventional telescope | Good 30mm aperture is below the 100mm threshold for Excellent, but the integrated camera and stacking deliver detailed crater and maria images on screen |
| Saturn | Not recommended 100mm focal length and 24mm aperture show a bright dot only — rings are not resolvable | Not recommended 30mm aperture and 150mm focal length cannot meaningfully resolve the ring system — Saturn appears as a tiny, elongated blob |
| Jupiter | Not recommended Disc is a tiny bright point at 100mm focal length; no cloud bands or moon transits visible | Challenging Disc visible but far too small at 150mm focal length for cloud band detail; 30mm aperture limits resolution |
| Mars | Not recommended Appears as a bright orange point; no disc or surface features at any opposition | Not recommended Sub-70mm aperture and very short focal length render Mars as a featureless dot |
Deep sky | ||
| Orion Nebula (M42) | Moderate f/4.17 speed and wide field frame the full nebula; stacking reveals colour and structure, but 24mm aperture limits faint outer wings | Moderate Core and inner nebulosity visible with live stacking; 30mm aperture limits fainter outer structure, but 150mm focal length frames it well |
| Andromeda Galaxy (M31) | Excellent 100mm focal length frames the full galaxy extent; stacking reveals core and hints of dust lanes from dark sites | Moderate 150mm focal length captures the full extent easily, but 30mm aperture means only the bright core and inner disc emerge with stacking |
| Open clusters | Excellent 100mm focal length gives a wide field ideal for framing large clusters like the Pleiades and Double Cluster | Good 150mm focal length provides a wide field that frames large clusters like the Pleiades and Double Cluster beautifully |
| Globular clusters | Not recommended 24mm aperture cannot resolve individual stars; globulars appear as dim fuzzy spots even with stacking | Not recommended 30mm aperture cannot resolve individual stars — globulars appear as small, soft smudges even with stacking |
| Faint galaxies | Not recommended Aperture is far too small to collect enough light; most galaxies beyond the Messier brightest remain invisible | Not recommended 30mm aperture gathers too little light; most galaxies beyond the brightest Messier objects will not emerge meaningfully |
| Milky Way / wide field | Excellent 100mm focal length at f/4.17 is well-suited to rich starfield sweeps and Milky Way patches | Excellent 150mm focal length and f/5 focal ratio are ideal for sweeping star fields and Milky Way patches |
Other | ||
| Double stars | Not recommended Dawes limit of ~4.8 arcseconds and 100mm focal length make meaningful splitting impossible; camera sensor pixels further limit resolution | Challenging 30mm aperture limits resolving power to very wide pairs; close doubles are unresolvable, and there is no eyepiece for visual splitting |
| Astrophotography (deep sky) | Moderate Integrated GoTo and tracking with f/4.17 speed produce usable stacked images of bright nebulae and clusters, but 24mm aperture severely limits signal on faint targets | Moderate Integrated GoTo and tracking with f/5 focal ratio suit bright wide-field targets, but 30mm aperture severely limits faint-object reach |
| Astrophotography (planetary) | Not recommended 24mm aperture and 100mm focal length cannot resolve any planetary surface detail even with lucky imaging | Not recommended 30mm aperture and 150mm focal length are far below the thresholds for useful planetary imaging |
| Large emission nebulae | Not applicable | Good Wide 150mm field of view and f/5 speed suit targets like the Rosette and North America Nebula; stacking compensates partially for small aperture on bright emission regions |
The real tradeoff
Both scopes are capable. The question is which one fits the way you actually observe.
Dwarf Labs DWARF II
- You'll save £50 upfront and get a faster f/4.17 focal ratio, which means your stacks build brightness quicker on emission nebulae like M42 — but you're working with a 24mm aperture that gathers roughly 36% less light than the S30's 30mm lens, so you hit a ceiling sooner on faint targets.
- You'll spend the first few minutes waiting for plate-solving to lock on, and if conditions are partly cloudy, you may find yourself restarting the alignment process — the DWARF II's GoTo is capable but less forgiving than the S30's when skies aren't cooperating.
- You'll appreciate the dual-use daytime telephoto mode for wildlife and landscapes on hikes, turning your astronomy kit into a genuinely useful travel camera — something the S30 doesn't emphasise as strongly.
ZWO Seestar S30
- You'll pull this out of a jacket pocket, set it down, and be live-stacking within minutes — the S30 is meaningfully smaller and lighter than the DWARF II, and that difference matters when you're deciding whether to pack it at all.
- You'll get a wider 150mm focal length that frames the full extent of M31 or the Rosette Nebula generously, where the DWARF II's 100mm is already wide but doesn't quite match the S30 for capturing sprawling targets in a single stack.
- You'll notice the 30mm aperture gives you a modest but real edge over the DWARF II's 24mm on faint objects — roughly 56% more light-gathering area — which translates to slightly cleaner stacks of galaxies like M31's dust lanes after the same stacking time.
The dark side
Every scope has a personality. Here’s where each one gets difficult.
Dwarf Labs
Dwarf Labs DWARF II
At 24mm, the DWARF II's aperture is smaller than most binoculars — faint galaxies and globular clusters remain fundamentally out of reach no matter how long you stack.
Wi-Fi connectivity between the DWARF II and your phone can drop mid-session on certain phone models, potentially losing a stacking run you've been building for ten minutes.
Autofocus can struggle in cold conditions, forcing you to manually focus through the app — an awkward process with gloved hands on a winter night.
ZWO
ZWO Seestar S30
The 30mm aperture is the smallest of any current smart telescope — you're collecting roughly one-third the light of the popular Seestar S50, and faint-object performance is significantly limited as a result.
The integrated compact tripod may transmit vibrations in even moderate wind, degrading your stacking results on longer sequences where stability matters most.
You're entirely at the mercy of the Seestar app's processing pipeline — there's limited scope for manual camera control or exporting raw data, so what the app decides your image looks like is largely what you get.
Which is right for you?
Two different buyers. Two different right answers.
The app-native deep-sky imager
Dwarf Labs · Dwarf Labs DWARF II
You'll love the DWARF II if you want the cheapest possible entry into smart-telescope astrophotography and you value daytime versatility — you'll use it as a telephoto camera on hikes and then point it at M42 from camp that evening. You're a complete beginner who doesn't own any astronomy gear and wants one-tap results without learning polar alignment or camera settings. This isn't for you if you already have a DSLR and a basic star tracker, because the 24mm aperture won't produce data that competes with what you can already capture.
The app-native deep-sky imager
ZWO · ZWO Seestar S30
You'll love the Seestar S30 if the deciding factor is whether the telescope actually comes with you — you want something that fits in a coat pocket and produces shareable images of the Moon and bright nebulae from a balcony or campsite with zero setup expertise. You're drawn to ZWO's ecosystem and want the widest possible field of view to frame large targets like M31 or the North America Nebula in a single shot. This isn't for you if you expect to resolve Saturn's rings, chase faint galaxy groups, or do any serious post-processing — 30mm of aperture and a locked-down processing pipeline won't get you there.
Our verdict
These two are closer than most comparisons on this site. The spec differences are genuine — mount type, focal ratio — but neither is the wrong answer for a typical observer starting out.
If I had to choose between them: the Dwarf Labs DWARF II is the scope most people will be using regularly six months from now. The ZWO Seestar S30 rewards you more once you know what you're doing — it's worth revisiting after your first year.
Dwarf Labs DWARF II
View Dwarf Labs DWARF II →ZWO Seestar S30
View ZWO Seestar S30 →Deep field: Full specifications
Every data point, for those who want to go further.
Full specifications
Fields highlighted in blue or amber indicate the better value for that spec. Data is manufacturer-stated and may vary.
How much can it see?
| Spec | Dwarf Labs DWARF II | ZWO Seestar S30 |
|---|---|---|
Apertureⓘ The most important spec — bigger = more light = better views | 24mm | 30mm |
Focal Length Longer = more magnification potential | 100mm | 150mm |
Focal Ratio Lower f-number = wider field of view; higher = more magnification per eyepiece | f/4.17 | f/5 |
Optical Design The type of optics — each design has different strengths | Smart Telescope | Smart Telescope |
Coatings Better coatings = more light transmission through the optics | Multi-coated telephoto-style objective | Multi-coated ED objective |
How do you point it?
| Spec | Dwarf Labs DWARF II | ZWO Seestar S30 |
|---|---|---|
Mount Type The mechanical system that holds and moves the telescope | Integrated | Integrated |
GoTo Computer-controlled pointing — finds any of thousands of objects automatically | ||
Tracking Motor keeps objects centred as the Earth rotates — essential for astrophotography |
The focuser
| Spec | Dwarf Labs DWARF II | ZWO Seestar S30 |
|---|---|---|
Focuser Size 2" accepts wider eyepieces and gives better low-power views | — | — |
Focuser Type Rack-and-pinion is standard; Crayford and dual-speed are smoother | Fixed focus (app-controlled fine adjustment) | Motorised electric focuser (auto-focus via software) |
Size & weight
| Spec | Dwarf Labs DWARF II | ZWO Seestar S30 |
|---|---|---|
OTA Weightⓘ Optical tube only — useful for comparing mount load capacity | 1.35kg | 1.3kg |
Total Weightⓘ Full setup including mount — this is what you lug to the car | 1.35kg | 1.3kg |
Tube Material | Polycarbonate and aluminium alloy | Aluminium alloy with polycarbonate housing |
What's in the box?
| Spec | Dwarf Labs DWARF II | ZWO Seestar S30 |
|---|---|---|
Diagonal Tilts the eyepiece 90° for comfortable viewing — useful on refractors |
Smart features
| Spec | Dwarf Labs DWARF II | ZWO Seestar S30 |
|---|---|---|
Built-in Camera Records and stacks images automatically — no separate camera needed | ||
App Controlled | ||
WiFi | ||
Battery Included | ||
Sensor | 1/2.8" Sony IMX462 CMOS | 1/2.8" Sony IMX462 CMOS |
Sensor Resolution Higher megapixels captures finer detail | 2.1MP | 2.1MP |
Blue highlight: Dwarf Labs DWARF II advantage · Amber highlight: ZWO Seestar S30 advantage · Greyed cells: equal or subjective.