Instrument class
Smart telescope (50–80 mm, integrated camera)
A small telescope with a camera where the eyepiece would be, driven from a phone. It finds the target, tracks it, stacks exposures, and hands you an image in a few minutes.
| Aperture | 50–80 mm |
|---|---|
| Focal ratio | f/4.5–f/6 |
| Typical weight | 3 kg |
| Setup time | 4 minutes |
| Learning curve | 1 out of 5 |
| Price band | €450–2600 |
| Useful magnification | 11× to 130× at 65 mm |
What it does well
- Shows colour and structure in nebulae that no eyepiece at this aperture ever will
- Works under a city sky far better than visual observing does
- Set up in minutes, operated from indoors if it is cold
What it costs you
- There is nothing to look through. If the appeal is photons hitting your own retina, this is the wrong category
- The image is the instrument's, not yours — limited control over how it is made
- A fast-moving product category; anything written about it dates within a year
Fit against each goal
First astrophotography · 4 out of 5
The shortest path from nothing to a recognisable image of a nebula.
Sharing it with children · 4 out of 5
A picture on a phone holds attention that a grey smudge in an eyepiece does not.
Taking it with me · 4 out of 5
Small, self-contained, battery powered.
Nebulae, clusters and galaxies, by eye · 2 out of 5
It shows you deep sky, but not by eye. Score depends entirely on whether that distinction matters to you.
The Moon and the planets · 2 out of 5
Small aperture and short focal length. The Moon works; the planets are underwhelming.
Models in this class
Indicative European street prices with the date they were observed. Ordered by price. Links marked paid link earn us a commission and cost you nothing extra.
ZWO Seestar S50
€560seen 2026-08-1750 mm · 250 mm focal length · f/5.0 · 3 kg
With a 10 mm eyepiece: 25×, 2.0 mm exit pupil.
Mount Integrated alt-az tracking, phone app
No eyepiece and no way to fit one. Under a city sky it will show you more nebulae in an evening than a 200 mm will show you all year — and you will not have seen any of them with your own eye.
Where to buy
- Amazon.frships FR
- Astroshopships DE, FR, EU
- First Light Opticsships GB
- Optique Unterlindenships FR
- Pierro Astroships FR
- Teleskop-Expressships DE, EU
None of these links earn us anything.