The Dwarf 3 is the smart telescope you take places. That's its identity, and once you accept it, almost every design decision DwarfLab made starts making sense — including the ones that look like weaknesses on a spec sheet.
Quick verdict — 4.5 / 5
Around $499, the Dwarf 3 is the best travel astrophotography device on the market and a genuine rival to the Seestar S50 even at home. Its 8.3MP sensor out-resolves the S50's 2MP chip, and its filter wheel is the most complete in the category. Best for: anyone who flies, hikes, or drives to dark skies. Skip it if you shoot exclusively from a fixed backyard and want maximum aperture per dollar — see the Seestar S50/S30 Pro instead.
DwarfLab Dwarf 335 mm f/4.3, 8.3 MP IMX678 sensor, built-in filter wheel
For how it stacks up against the Seestar S30 Pro and other options in the same price band, see our buying guide by price tier.
What's actually in the box
The scope, magnetic solar filters, a USB charging cable, cleaning cloth, and a travel bag. No tripod — you'll need any standard photo tripod or DwarfLab's own. Budget for that when comparing prices against the Seestar S50, which ships with a tripod, carry case, and solar filter at a similar price.
The dual-lens trick
The Dwarf 3 pairs a 50mm f/5 telephoto (the imaging lens, 35mm aperture) with a 13.5mm f/1.75 wide-angle lens, and both can shoot at once. In practice the wide lens earns its place three ways: it makes GoTo target acquisition fast, it captures all-sky context shots and meteors while the tele stacks a nebula, and it's an underrated nightscape camera on its own.
Image quality
The IMX678 gives you real resolution headroom — crops hold up in a way the S50's 2MP files don't. Deep-sky results on bright emission nebulae with the built-in duo-band filter are excellent for the class: the Orion Nebula, Lagoon, and North America Nebula all produce share-worthy stacks in 60–90 minutes. On small targets (planetary nebulae like the Ring Nebula, galaxies beyond the showpieces, like Andromeda) it behaves like every sub-$1,000 smart scope: capable, not miraculous.
Where it clearly beats the Seestar S50: resolution, filter flexibility (VIS, Astro, duo-band all built in on a wheel — no unscrewing anything), portability, and mosaics. Where the S50 stays ahead: raw light grab (50mm beats 35mm per minute of integration), included accessories, and a slightly more mature app. Our head-to-head against the upcoming S50 Pro covers what changes once ZWO's next scope actually ships.
Pros
- 8.3MP IMX678 sensor gives real cropping headroom
- Dual-lens (wide + tele) shoots context and deep-sky at once
- Most complete built-in filter wheel in the category
- 1.3 kg — genuinely fits in a carry-on
Cons
- No included tripod (budget $30-50 extra)
- 35mm aperture gathers less light per minute than the S50's 50mm
- App's default processing is aggressive; expect to reprocess FITS yourself
- Less polished app than ZWO's Seestar software
Battery, weight, quirks
1.3 kg. It fits in a carry-on without negotiation — this is the whole point. The built-in battery runs a solid evening session; USB-C top-up from a power bank covers all-nighters. Quirks worth knowing: the app's processing pipeline is aggressive by default (turn it down and process the FITS yourself, e.g. with Siril), and windy nights bother the light tripod-mounted rig more than a Seestar on its beefier legs.
Who should buy it
Buy the Dwarf 3 if you fly, hike, or drive to dark skies — or if mosaic imaging and filter flexibility matter to you. Buy a Seestar S50 (while remaining stock lasts) or S30 Pro if you shoot from a fixed backyard and want maximum photons per dollar. Either way you're getting an absurd amount of astrophotography for around five hundred dollars — this category simply didn't exist at this price five years ago. New to smart scopes entirely? Start with our first-night setup guide.
Rating: 4.5 / 5 — the half point off is for the missing tripod and the app's occasional moods.
DwarfLab Dwarf 335 mm f/4.3, 8.3 MP IMX678, built-in filter wheel