The last few weeks there has been a lot of buzz in different forums about the impending release of the new SeeStar, the ZWO SeeStar S30. Last night the official details on the SeeStar S50’s little brother were finally released and the SeeStar S30 is available for pre-order. Pre-ordered units are expected to be delivered sometime in late December 2024 (may or may not be in time for Christmas).
I really enjoy my SeeStar S50. ZWO released the Seestar S50 in mid-2023, which is the larger sibling to the S30. The SeeStar S50 is an incredible smart telescope which revolutionized the world of smart telescopes by making astronomy more affordable and accessible to anyone. Similar to the SeeStar S50 the ease of use, the great features, the portability, and the $349 price tag makes the SeeStar S30 another great option for anyone interested in exploring the night sky.
If you pre-order the Seestar S30 from AgenaAstro using this link you will get free 2-day shipping within the contiguous US once the SeeStar S30 ships!
The SeeStar S30 may be smaller than the SeeStar S50 but the smaller package is full of fantastic features:
- 30 mm Aperture, Dual lens design – a telephoto lens and an wide angle lens.
- 150 mm Focal Length, F/5
- 1920 x 1080 resolution
- Four filters – Integrated dual band (Oiii 30nm, Ha 20nm) light pollution filter, integrated UV/IR Cut filter, integrated Dark frame filter, and attachable solar filter.
- Mosaic Mode for larger fields of view.
- 6000mAh replacable battery provides up to 6 hours of battery life!
- Weighs less than 3 lbs. Includes a case for easy transport.
- SeeStar App available for both IOS and Andriod.
- More details on the SeeStar S30 can be found here…
I am very happy with my SeeStar S50 so not in the market for another smart telescope right now but… the ease of use, great price, portability, battery life, filter options… very similar to the S50 but smaller and priced very nicely would definitely put the SeeStar S30 on my Christmas list. If you are interested in astronomy and looking for a great all-in-one smart telescope at a great price the the SeeStar S30 is a fantastic option.
I put together this quick side-by-side comparison to compare the features of the SeeStar S30 and SeeStar S50:
| Spec | SeeStar S30 | SeeStar S50 |
| Lens: | Dual Lens – Telephoto & Wide Angle | Single Telephoto Lens |
| Optics: | Triplet Apochromatic Refractor | Triplet Apochromatic Refractor |
| Camera Sensor: | IMX662 (Telephoto) Custom (Wide Angle) |
IMX462 |
| Resolution: | 1920×1080 | 1920×1080 |
| Aperture: | 30 mm | 50 mm |
| Focal Length: | 150 mm | 250 mm |
| Focal Ratio: | f/5 | f/5 |
| Internal Storage: | 64GB eMMC | 64GB eMMC |
| Dew Heater: | Built-in | Built-in |
| Internal Filters: | UV/IR, Dual Band, Dark | UV/IR, Dual Band, Dark |
| External Filter: | Solar | Solar |
| Battery Life: | 6 hours | 6 hours |
| Weight: | 3.6 lbs | 6.6 lbs |
| Cost (MSRP): | $349.00 | $499.00 |
Both the S30 and the S50 are great scopes, with great features, at a great value.
Been a bit since I have been able to get out and look up, hoping for some clear skies this weekend.
