The Seestar S50 Pro smart telescope is the latest release from astronomy optics company ZWO. It's a slightly bigger version of their original S50 but boasts dual 8MP sensors, a new optical design and boosted battery life. Early comments from our reviewer are positive and he used it to get some great shots of the recent lunar eclipse.
You can order the ZWO Seestar S50 Pro at B&H Photo and Video for $999.
We loved the original model and gave it four and a half stars in our ZWO Seestar S50 review for its affordability and easy setup but we were disappointed with the low-resolution images and short battery life. ZWO seem to have listened and improved those issues that we and others had with the original model, so we are very excited for this release.
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ZWO's first round of smart telescope releases were great. They were compact, portable and delivered great shots of deep sky objects. Not only this but they managed to deliver these features for such cheap prices. The original S30 and S50 were both available for under $500 in a world where smart telescopes usually sell for thousands.
We gave the original Seestar S50 four and a half stars in our review and got some great images of a solar eclipse, the moon and a range of deep sky objects. The original model was truly a versatile smart telescope and even came pre-equipped with dual band filters for imaging nebulas and revealing their wonderful colors.
With the S50 Pro ZWO have upgraded to quadruplet optics and 8MP sensors, rivalling the new Vaonis Vespera III and whilst more expensive than the Dwarf 3, it represents great value for these optics and imaging technology. We are currently reviewing this model and our tester has already had great performance with it during the recent lunar eclipse on Aug. 27-28.
Key features: 1.9-inch (50mm) aperture, 260mm focal length, f/5.2 focal ratio, 4-element quadruplet apochromatic refractor design, Sony IMX585 CMOS sensor, 8.3MP dual-camera system (telephoto & wide-angle), motorized alt-azimuth mount with go-to and equatorial (EQ) mode capability, 80,000+ object database on Seestar app, 128GB internal storage, up to 9-hour battery life (10,000 mAh), 6.17 lbs (2.8 kg) without tripod.
Product launched: August 2026
Price comparison: BHPhotoVideo: $999 | Adorama: $999
Reviews consensus: This is a highly anticipated telescope and we are currently in the testing process for it. Early comments from our expert reviewer Jamie Carter are positive, having used it to image the recent lunar eclipse on Aug. 27-28.
✅ Buy it if: You want pro level optical design and dual imaging cameras for wide starscapes and individual deep sky objects without paying more than $1000.
❌ Don't buy it if: You prefer to image using a separate telescope, mount and astrocam, or would rather just observe with a manual telescope.
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