This $500 Smart Telescope Shaped Like a Periscope Can Check Out the Galaxies or the Birds in the Background

Of all the smart binoculars we’ve seen that don’t have optics, most still look like binoculars (or maybe, at Vespera telescope caseas the turrets appear The portal). The $460 Dwarf II Smart Telescope, with its rectangular design, proved that we don’t really need a stationary device to see distant stars and galaxies. Nowthe company comes with the Dwarf 3, a design that is a little more developed than before, but Dwarflabs promises to take better long-distance photos thanks to a better lens and more support for photos. both day and night.

Most high-end smart TVs can cost thousands of dollars for a large body, even without an eyepiece. Take the $2,300 Unistellar Odyssey with its automatic celestial object tracking, even less eQuinox 2 from 2023 for $2,500. The Dwarf series is a compact, compact version of smart binoculars with its slim, walkman-shaped body and rotating lenses with a 35mm aperture. The devices are designed to be closed, with automatic focus and ways to automatically detect nearby nebulae, constellations, or planets through the app.

The $500 Dwarf III takes what already worked with the Dwarf II, but now it can take wide-angle video and photos that should be better in daylight. A smart little telescope can take amazing pictures of stars, nebulae, or distant planets. The company promises that the new version can use AI tracking to capture moving birds or other animals.

In terms of specs, the Dwarf III appears to be a better interpretation of the design than the Dwarf II. It uses the new Sony IMX678 8.86 mm sensor from 2024. This time, it uses a 150mm telelens compared to 100 mm from the Dwarf 2, although its wide lens has shrunk to 6.7 mm from 6.8. Dwarflabs claims it can capture the equivalent of a 737 mm telephoto lens, and now supports Astro and dual-band filters as well as VIS for a clear image of the night sky. A wide lens also supports Astro, but that lens is better for Earth targets.

The Dwarf III can take higher-speed video with both lenses than its older brother. It can now do 4K video at 30 FPS and 1080p at 60 FPS by using the telephoto lens. Previously, it was limited to 25 FPS and 30 FPS at the right resolutions. The wide-angle lens is optimized to make 1080p video at 30 FPS. It still takes telephoto photos at 3840 x 2160 resolution, but the wide angle now shoots at 1920 x 1080. It doesn’t sound too good compared to what you can get with dedicated devices. I would think it useful to walk and look for a place without light pollution; It can be a great way to capture wildlife photos in sunlight when preparing for night photography.

When you’re out and about, you’ll also benefit from a new 10,000 mAh battery, which is almost double the 5600 mAh of the Dwarf II it replaces. This one is built in, though, so instead of changing the pack, you’ll need to have a power bank nearby when you start going downhill. Previously, you had to spend around $600 for the “deluxe” model with an extra battery. At least, this version now comes with 128 GB of internal storage compared to the last one which included a 64 GB Micro SD card.

The Dwarf III’s size is an advantage for photography. However, if you just want to look at the night sky, there are smart little telescopes like $800 Unistellar Vision who do not have the ability to take pictures. We also found that the Dwarf 2 was much better with the ECH filter that came with the deluxe edition to help avoid ambient light, and the solar filter for taking photos of the Sun. We contacted Dwarflabs to see if those are coming later or if they are compatible with the new version.