Our 1st images: ZWO Seestar S30 Plus smart telescope

The ZWO Seestar S30 Plus is a budget-friendly smart telescope designed for astrophotography enthusiasts. It effectively combines a tracking mount, camera, and adapters into one compact box, making it easy to use for beginners. The telescope automatically finds, tracks, and photographs galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters, eliminating the need for complex setups and knowledge of the night sky.

The S30 Plus features dual 3.7MP cameras, which is a significant improvement over its predecessor, the S30. This increased pixel count allows for more flexibility in cropping and examining details, even though the resolution remains modest compared to a conventional digital camera. The main camera's field of view expands from 2.46 degrees to approximately 3 degrees, enabling easier framing of larger deep-sky objects.

The standout feature, however, is the second camera with a 43.5-degree field of view, making it suitable for photographing constellations, star trails, and the Milky Way – providing versatility similar to a camera with multiple lenses, albeit with lower resolution and manual control.

A notable feature of the S30 Plus is its mosaic mode, which allows photographers to combine overlapping sections of the sky into a larger photograph using the app. This feature overcomes the fixed framing limitation of the main camera, making it possible to capture wider views of galaxies and star fields. The telescope also offers EQ mode, allowing for longer exposures without the field rotation that occurs during usual alt-azimuth operation. To achieve this, an EQ wedge and a larger tripod are required.

The Seestar app manages most of the operations, including locating targets, focusing, tracking, live stacking, and image processing. Photographers seeking more control can export FITS files for further processing in dedicated astrophotography software. The S30 Plus's compact size and portable carrying case make it easy to travel with, fitting comfortably into a camera bag alongside other lenses or camera bodies.

This portability gives it an edge over similar products in the same price range, such as the DwarfLab Dwarf Mini.

The S30 Plus's specifications include a 1/1.25in OmniVision OS08B10 sensor, four-element apochromatic refractor optics with ED glass, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, and USB-C connections, a 6,000mAh battery, and dimensions of 210x140x80mm, weighing 3.64 lb/1.65kg. Accessories include a tripod, padded case, and a magnetic solar filter. Despite its modest specifications, the Seestar S30 Plus offers photographers a powerful and versatile astrophotography tool, enabling them to explore the night sky with ease and convenience.