Vaonis Vespera II Review (Smart Telescope)
Summary: The Vaonis Vespera II does indeed allow you to capture the heavens and although the price may be prohibitive for some, it's ability to capture the unthinkable, especially from your backyard makes this an amazing piece of technology.
5
Capture the heavens
The Vaonis Vespera II is the perfect smart telescope to either start your stargazing adventure or take your existing passion to new heights. While there are some great introductory telescopes like the Vaonis Hestia, Seestar S50 or the Dwarf III, the Vespera II offers a superior experience for capturing stunning deep-sky photography with its powerful features.
Whether you’re observing from your backyard (even with light pollution) or seeking perfectly clear skies away from city lights, this smart telescope or “portable observatory” as Vaonis refers to it, makes the experience not only easy but also a real-time exploration of the heavens, thanks to its well-designed Singularity app.
At its core, the Vespera II boasts an aperture of 50mm and a focal length of 250mm that with its Sony IMX 585 sensor, it captures stunning images at 3840 x 2160 (8.3 MP). You’ll see deep-sky objects almost immediately and within 30 minutes (at a minimum), you’ll have a truly stunning image. The Vespera II comes with a 7,000 mAh battery, providing around 4 hours of continuous use, which should be adequate for most sessions.
For extended observations, you can easily increase your sessions with a portable battery via a USB-C connection (cable not included). Additionally, its 25GB of internal storage allows you to save multiple images, though for large datasets, an external storage options would have been a welcome addition but that’s also where the smartphone app comes into play. In Australia, the Vaonis Vespera II retails from $2999 AUD (June 2025).
Hardware & Design
- Internal Storage: 25 GB
- Battery Life: 4 hours (internal battery)
- External Power Connector: USB Type-C (cable not included)
- Mount Type: Robotized alt-azimuth mount with metal gears for precision.
- Portability: Compact and lightweight (5 kg / 11 lbs), designed for easy transport.
- Durability: Resistant to rain, dust, and wear. Supports extreme temperatures (down to 0°C).
- Wireless Connectivity: Generates its own Wi-Fi network for app control.
Optics & Imaging
- Aperture: 50 mm
- Focal Length: 250 mm
- F/D Ratio: 5
- Lens Design: Apochromatic quadruplet with refined field corrector, featuring extra-low dispersion Lanthanum glass (S-FPL52 equivalent/ULD) for true-color and sharp images.
- Sensor Type: Sony IMX 585 (color)
- Native Image Definition: 3840 x 2160 (8.3 MP)
- Max. Definition with CovalENS (Live Mosaic Capture): 24 MP
- Native Field of View (FOV): 2.5° x 1.4°
- Max. FOV with CovalENS: 4.33° x 2.43° (or 3.25° x 3.25°)
- Pixel Size: 2.9 µm
- Detail Resolution (Sampling): 2.39 arcsec/pixel
- Live Image Enhancement: Automatic stacking of good images to enhance clarity in real-time.
- Live Autofocus: Ensures sharp stars even with temperature changes.
Software & Control (via Singularity App)
- Automatic Initialization: Self-orientation based on location and sky configuration.
- Automatic Pointing and Tracking: Instantly finds and tracks chosen celestial objects from a catalog of over 4300 objects or custom coordinates.
- CovalENS (Live Mosaic Capture): Patented technology for creating larger field-of-view images (up to 24MP) by automatically stitching multiple captures.
- “Plan My Night” Mode: Allows users to plan observation sessions based on location, date, and object visibility.
- Personalized Recommendations: Suggestions on what to observe based on geolocation and astronomical calendar.
- Multi-Device Connection: Connect up to 10 devices simultaneously for shared viewing.
- Solar Mode (with optional solar filter): Enables safe observation of the Sun, tracking sunspots and capturing solar activity in near real-time.
- Moon Observation: Automated capture of lunar images.
- Raw Image Saving: Saves observations as 16-bit FITS and TIFF files for advanced post-processing, in addition to 8-bit JPEG.
Optional Accessories (Sold Separately)
- Vespera Backpack
- Dual Band Filter (for nebulae photography)
- Light Pollution Filter
- Solar Filter
- Hygrometer Sensor
- Mini Tripod / Carbon Tripod
Unboxing & Setup
As you can see from the below images, the Vaonis Vespera II screams quality… however in space no one can hear you scream (Alien, 1979). But when I saw the first images captures by the Vespera II, I screamed internally.
The Vespera II boasts a sleek, futuristic design with its curved minimalist aesthetic that truly looks like something out of a video game like Portal or The Talos Principle. I actually love the design, and it really sets itself apart from its competitors. In terms of physical specifications, it has a height of 48cm with a weight of 5kg, making it lightweight and portable. This allows users to easily take it on trips without the burden of bulky gear, though the Vespera Backpack and a sturdy tripod are strongly recommended.
Setting it up is almost effortless, simply place it on a tripod, charge it, connect it to the Singularity app (which requires your smartphone to pair with its 2.4Ghz Wi-Fi) and you’re almost ready to go. Before using the telescope, you need to initialise that takes a few minutes and it is a must to have clear skies because that is how it calibrates your coordinates. Once your portable observatory is connected, the app allows you to select a wide range such as the moon and some planets in solar system thanks to its catalog, however it is the capturing of stars, nebula and galaxies that sets this telescope apart. Given that, there is quite a bit that the Vespera II can search for, including a manual option as well.
Best of all, it will inform you if your intended deep sky object is visible and how long it will take to capture successfully, such as 30 minutes or 120 minutes. I also love how the app gives you some fun facts while you wait and once you have captured it, you can share, download and save the images in a variety of formats that include raw images (FITS), stacking images (JPEG), TIFF images and live images. Needless to say, astrophotographers will be very pleased!
All this interstellar love is capable because of the 8.3-megapixel Sony IMX585 camera sensor. This allows for higher-resolution astrophotography, capturing deep-sky objects with remarkable clarity and detail. The telescope’s apochromatic quadruplet refractor optics ensure true-color imaging, effectively reducing chromatic aberrations and enhancing contrast. Additionally, the mosaic mode lets users stitch multiple images together, creating panoramic views of nebulae, galaxies and star clusters.
The only drawback is that while the Vespera II excels at deep-sky imaging, it’s not ideal for planetary photography, as its short focal length limits the achievable detail on planets like Jupiter and Saturn. Nonetheless, the images captured by the Vespera II are nothing short of stunning and the following images were captured from my backyard in suburbia and as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words and with this smart telescope, it definitely is…
The only downside to the app is that while connecting directly to the Vespera II’s Wi-Fi, it does disable your phone’s Wi-Fi connection to your router, however you can still access the internet via your mobile network, so it’s not a major issue.
Final Thoughts
The Vaonis Vespera II is a remarkable smart telescope that truly makes astrophotography effortless, offering high-quality imaging, intuitive controls and exceptional portability. While it may not be the best choice for planetary imaging, its ability to capture deep-sky objects with stunning clarity makes it a fantastic investment for anyone looking to explore the cosmos without the complexities of traditional telescopes. So… If you’re seeking a user-friendly, automated astrophotography experience, the Vespera II is undoubtedly one of the best options available, especially for those looking to upgrade from the Hestia, Seestar S50 or Dwarf III.
Highly Recommended!
About the Author
Andrew Bistak When he's not trying to save the world, Andrew enjoys travel (although loathes turbulence), going to the movies, reading and being a dad to his two dogs (and now twins) with his wife.
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