Telescope Comparison
Vaonis Vespera Pro vs ZWO Seestar S70
The specs are close. The experience isn't.
First light
Vaonis · 50mm · £949
The app-native deep-sky imager
- 50mm 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
- 3.5kg compact all-in-one unit
ZWO · 70mm · £699
The app-native deep-sky imager
- 70mm 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
- 3.2kg 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 S70 gathers 2× 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 S70's longer focal length reaches higher magnification with the same eyepiece — better reach for planetary detail. Vaonis Vespera Pro'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 | Vaonis Vespera Pro | ZWO Seestar S70 |
|---|---|---|
| Planets | ||
| Moon | Moderate 50mm aperture produces a pleasing overview image via stacking, but cannot resolve fine crater detail | Good 70mm aperture captures good surface detail, but short 350mm focal length means the disc is small on the sensor and fine detail is limited |
| Saturn | Challenging 250mm focal length and 50mm aperture produce a tiny disc; rings barely distinguishable in stacked images | Challenging Rings identifiable but very small at 350mm focal length — minimal detail beyond basic ring structure |
| Jupiter | Challenging Coloured disc visible but cloud bands are at the limit of 50mm resolution even with stacking | Challenging Disc and Galilean moons visible, but 70mm aperture and 350mm focal length yield a tiny disc with little cloud band detail |
| Mars | Not recommended Tiny disc even at opposition; 50mm aperture and 250mm focal length cannot resolve surface features | Not recommended Sub-70mm effective resolution and very short focal length make Mars a featureless dot even at opposition |
Deep sky | ||
| Orion Nebula (M42) | Good f/5 and wide field frame the nebula well; live stacking reveals colour and structure despite the small aperture | Excellent Fast f/5 ratio and 350mm focal length frame the full nebula beautifully — stacking reveals extensive nebulosity and colour |
| Andromeda Galaxy (M31) | Excellent 250mm focal length captures the full extent of M31 including outer halo; stacking reveals dust lanes in the core | Excellent 350mm focal length captures the full extent of the galaxy including outer halo — a signature target for this scope |
| Open clusters | Excellent 250mm focal length gives a wide field that frames large clusters like the Double Cluster and Pleiades beautifully | Excellent Wide field at 350mm frames large clusters like the Double Cluster and Pleiades perfectly |
| Globular clusters | Challenging 50mm aperture cannot resolve individual stars — globulars appear as fuzzy bright patches | Challenging 70mm aperture cannot resolve individual stars — globulars appear as soft glowing patches even with stacking |
| Faint galaxies | Not recommended 50mm aperture gathers too little light for faint extended objects even with extended stacking times | Moderate Stacking compensates for the modest 70mm aperture, revealing shapes and structure in brighter galaxies, but faintest targets require long integration times |
| Milky Way / wide field | Excellent 250mm focal length at f/5 is ideal for rich star field sweeps and large nebula complexes | Excellent 350mm at f/5 is ideal for sweeping star fields and Milky Way structures |
Other | ||
| Double stars | Challenging 50mm aperture limits resolving power to ~2.3 arcseconds; only wide doubles separable, and no eyepiece for visual splitting | Moderate 70mm resolves wider doubles but close pairs are beyond its Dawes limit — and the imaging-only output is not ideal for double star work |
| Astrophotography (deep sky) | Moderate Integrated GoTo tracking and f/5 focal ratio are well suited, but 50mm aperture limits depth and detail compared to larger smart scopes | Good Integrated GoTo and tracking with f/5 optics and automated stacking deliver strong deep-sky results; limited by 70mm aperture on faintest targets and lack of manual processing control |
| Astrophotography (planetary) | Challenging 50mm aperture and 250mm focal length produce very small planetary discs with minimal detail | Challenging 70mm aperture and 350mm focal length produce very small planetary discs with minimal detail |
| Large emission nebulae | Good Wide f/5 field frames targets like the Rosette and North America Nebula well; optional light pollution filter helps contrast | Not applicable |
| Emission nebulae (with dual-band filter) | Not applicable | Excellent Built-in dual-band filter isolates Ha and OIII, making targets like the Veil, Rosette, and Heart nebulae accessible even from light-polluted skies |
The real tradeoff
Both scopes are capable. The question is which one fits the way you actually observe.
Vaonis Vespera Pro
- You'll spend less time waiting — the 250mm focal length and wide field mean the Orion Nebula or Pleiades fill your screen immediately, and stacking begins within seconds of alignment.
- Your observing sessions are limited to 3–4 hours on battery alone, so you're committing to short, focused nights rather than epic all-nighters.
- You're locked into Vaonis's Singularity app for processing — no raw files to export means you accept what the telescope delivers or walk away from the image.
ZWO Seestar S70
- You'll wait longer for fainter targets — the 350mm focal length means smaller objects need 15–30 minutes of stacking to emerge, so deep sessions reward patience over instant gratification.
- You gain 40% more aperture, which translates to noticeably brighter nebulae and the ability to reach fainter galaxies that would be invisible to the Vespera Pro.
- You can export stacked files and process them in desktop software, giving you creative control that the Vespera Pro's closed app environment simply does not allow.
The dark side
Every scope has a personality. Here’s where each one gets difficult.
Vaonis
Vaonis Vespera Pro
50mm aperture is the smallest in the smart telescope class — planetary imaging is a disappointment, with Jupiter and Saturn appearing as featureless discs and Mars barely visible.
At £949, the Vespera Pro costs £250 more than the Seestar S70 despite having less aperture and a narrower feature set, including no solar imaging capability.
Battery life maxes out at 3–4 hours without external power, which cuts short winter observing sessions or forces you to carry a power bank to stay mobile.
ZWO
ZWO Seestar S70
No visual observing path — the 70mm aperture cannot be used for traditional eyepiece astronomy, so you cannot quickly glance at the Moon or Cassini Division on Saturn.
The short 350mm focal length makes planets small on the sensor, rendering detailed lunar and planetary imaging impractical despite the extra aperture.
Integrated design means you cannot upgrade the sensor, optics, or mount independently — if any component ages, the entire scope must be replaced or serviced as a unit.
Which is right for you?
Two different buyers. Two different right answers.
The app-native deep-sky imager
Vaonis · Vaonis Vespera Pro
You'll love the Vespera Pro if you're a complete beginner who wants one-tap astrophotos without learning astrophotography terminology, travel frequently and need ultraportable gear that fits a backpack, or live in an apartment where carrying a tripod and mount feels impractical. This scope rewards you for showing up — results emerge quickly, the app is polished, and you'll impress friends with Orion Nebula colours on your first night. You're not interested in visual observing or planetary detail; you just want to see galaxies and nebulae the way a camera sees them.
The app-native deep-sky imager
ZWO · ZWO Seestar S70
You'll love the Seestar S70 if you're equally inexperienced but willing to wait 15–30 minutes for deeper, more detailed astrophotos, prefer having access to your raw stacked files for post-processing in Photoshop or PixInsight, or want noticeably brighter deep-sky results without paying for a full traditional astrophotography rig. You'll appreciate the extra 40% aperture reaching fainter galaxies and the Veil Nebula detail that the Vespera Pro cannot gather. You're not seeking planetary imaging or visual observing, and you don't mind the larger footprint if it means better pictures and more creative control over your final images.
Our verdict
At similar price points, these scopes offer different amounts of aperture per pound. The ZWO Seestar S70 gives you more light-gathering for your money — and for visual observing, aperture per pound is the most useful single metric.
For pure optical value, the ZWO Seestar S70 is the stronger pick. The Vaonis Vespera Pro compensates with other features — decide whether those trade-offs justify the premium. If I had to choose: the ZWO Seestar S70 — more aperture per pound means more sky.
Vaonis Vespera Pro
View Vaonis Vespera Pro →ZWO Seestar S70
View ZWO Seestar S70 →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 | Vaonis Vespera Pro | ZWO Seestar S70 |
|---|---|---|
Apertureⓘ The most important spec — bigger = more light = better views | 50mm | 70mm |
Focal Length Longer = more magnification potential | 250mm | 350mm |
Focal Ratio Lower f-number = wider field of view; higher = more magnification per eyepiece | f/5 | 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 ED doublet objective | Multi-coated ED doublet objective |
How do you point it?
| Spec | Vaonis Vespera Pro | ZWO Seestar S70 |
|---|---|---|
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 | Vaonis Vespera Pro | ZWO Seestar S70 |
|---|---|---|
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 | Motorised electric focuser with auto-focus | Motorised electric focuser (auto-focus via software) |
Size & weight
| Spec | Vaonis Vespera Pro | ZWO Seestar S70 |
|---|---|---|
OTA Weightⓘ Optical tube only — useful for comparing mount load capacity | 3.5kg | 3.2kg |
Total Weightⓘ Full setup including mount — this is what you lug to the car | 3.5kg | 3.2kg |
Tube Material | Aluminium alloy | Aluminium alloy with polycarbonate housing |
What's in the box?
| Spec | Vaonis Vespera Pro | ZWO Seestar S70 |
|---|---|---|
Diagonal Tilts the eyepiece 90° for comfortable viewing — useful on refractors |
Smart features
| Spec | Vaonis Vespera Pro | ZWO Seestar S70 |
|---|---|---|
Built-in Camera Records and stacks images automatically — no separate camera needed | ||
App Controlled | ||
WiFi | ||
Battery Included | ||
Sensor | 1/1.8" Sony CMOS | 1/1.8" Sony IMX585 CMOS |
Sensor Resolutionⓘ Higher megapixels captures finer detail | 4MP | 3.8MP |
Blue highlight: Vaonis Vespera Pro advantage · Amber highlight: ZWO Seestar S70 advantage · Greyed cells: equal or subjective.