For centuries, telescopes have been the gateway to the cosmos, allowing us to peer into the vast expanse of space and unlock its secrets. However, traditional telescopes often come with drawbacks: their bulky size and complex setups can be intimidating to beginners and hamper their portability for outdoor adventures. Plus, aside from their complicated nature, telescopes were simply unaffordable for the general public… but technology is always striving to make innovation accessible to everyone. Meet the DWARF 3, a revolutionary smart telescope that bridges the gap between cutting-edge technology and user-friendly design, making astronomy and nature observation more accessible than ever.
Designer: DwarfLab Team
Click here to buy now: $469 $499 ($20 off, use promo code “YANKO” to get an extra $10 off at checkout). Hurry, offer ends in 48 hours!
The name DWARF 3 is not without reason, as it breaks with the norm of what we expect from a telescope. The name comes from its dwarf design, which condenses massive linear telescopes into something the size of a dictionary or novel—and it does so by borrowing a trick from smartphone camera designs. The DWARF 3 boasts a unique periscope design, a leap forward from its successful predecessor, DWARF II (which raised over $870,000 on Kickstarter). Unlike traditional telescopes with a straight light path, DWARF 3 uses a prism to collapse the light path, resulting in a remarkably compact and portable form factor. This innovative design allows the telescope to fit comfortably into a backpack, making it the perfect companion for stargazing trips, camping adventures, or even spontaneous backyard astronomy sessions. Despite its compact size, DWARF 3 packs a powerful punch in optical capabilities, just like a smartphone camera. By bending light in a different way that doesn’t require a massively long tubular structure, DWARF 3 achieves telescope-quality zoom in a small form factor.
That’s not all the DWARF 3 borrows from smartphones: billed as a smart telescope, it’s designed to be fully automatic and can be controlled remotely by a user. Whether for astronomy or nature photography, the DWARF 3 is ready in minutes via a smartphone app, allowing you to capture the world around you in a variety of ways. The DWARF 3 features a dual-camera system, allowing for both wide-field observation and detailed target magnification. The wide-angle camera lets you preview shots before the telephoto camera lets you zoom in on subjects, but also has the unique feature of being wide enough to capture the entire Milky Way in a single frame. An Astro Mosaic mode also allows the DWARF 3 to capture and stitch together incredibly detailed panoramic views of the sky so you can zoom in on the stars. EQ mode, combined with the star tracking feature, allows the camera to automatically correct for the Earth’s rotation and track specific cosmic objects, eliminating the need to manually reset the camera’s aim. You can even set schedules so that the DWARF 3 triggers at just the right moment to begin capturing the star you’ve set your sights on.
The real highlight of the DWARF 3’s optical system is the telephoto lens. A 150mm lens that actually has a 737mm equivalent focal length, this lens brings distant celestial objects into focus, inviting you to explore the cosmos in unprecedented detail, from the subtle textures of nebulae to captivating lunar phases. But the DWARF 3 isn’t just for astronomy enthusiasts. Nature photographers will find this telephoto lens invaluable. With its wireless control capabilities, the DWARF 3 lets you capture stunning images of wildlife from a safe distance, ensuring minimal disturbance to the animals in their natural habitat. Whether it’s a majestic hawk soaring high in the sky or a shy deer stepping out of a thicket, the DWARF 3 helps you capture those fleeting moments of nature’s beauty in exceptional detail.
The DWARF 3 telescope doesn’t just deliver magnified views. To enhance the user experience, it has a suite of intelligent features powered by cutting-edge technology. The autofocus feature uses a built-in stepper motor, ensuring sharp, clear images at all magnifications. This eliminates the need for manual adjustments, allowing you to focus on enjoying the view. For deep-sky objects (DSOs), the DWARF 3 telescope uses a sophisticated object tracking system that harnesses the power of deep learning to automatically track your target object. Simply select your target on the intuitive DWARF app and the telescope will keep it sharp, even as it moves across the sky. AI-powered post-processing also allows the DWARF 3 telescope to automatically reduce or remove image noise (often a problem with low-light photography) while preserving celestial detail, ensuring clarity and texture even when shooting in less-than-ideal conditions.
The DWARFLAB app serves as the central hub for controlling your DWARF 3 telescope. This user-friendly app, compatible with both Android and iOS devices, seamlessly connects to your telescope via Wi-Fi. Through the app, you can access a range of features, from basic camera control settings, to image/video settings, and even time-lapse photography options. You can browse a virtual map of the sky and tell DWARF 3 what to point at, and just in case you’re a novice like me, the app has its own recommended tab that tells you which cosmic bodies to look out for, from nebulae to galaxies, stars, and even the Moon or Milky Way. The intuitive interface makes DWARF 3 accessible to users of all experience levels, allowing beginners to dive headfirst into the wonders of astronomy and experienced observers to unlock new levels of exploration. The app also lets you download images from the DWARF 3 to your device, whether it’s a phone or tablet. It supports popular formats like JPEG and PNG, but the DWARF 3 can also capture FITS and TIFF formats (essential for preserving the detail in those huge panoramic photos).
In terms of hardware and software, the DWARF 3 is a solid performer for a $469 telescope. While it’s aimed at both amateur and serious astronomers, the DWARF 3’s specs are solid. A 150mm telephoto lens (737mm equivalent) and a 6.7mm wide-angle lens (45mm equivalent) give the DWARF 3 a massive field of view. A Sony IMX678 STARVIS 2 sensor captures sharp images in a variety of shooting modes, including classic photo, astro, burst, and time-lapse, as well as 4K video at 30fps or 1080p at 60fps. For image processing duties, the telescope features an NPU capable of 5 TOPS of processing power (an upgrade from the DWARF II’s 2 TOPS). A 128GB eMMC card is included with the DWARF 3 for storing photos, and a massive 10,000mAh built-in battery keeps the telescope running for long hours, capturing massive panoramas or long-lasting star trails. All this fits into a device that weighs 1.3kg, operates automatically, and outperforms most professional-grade camera setups that cost 10 times as much.
Click here to buy now: $469 $499 ($20 off, use promo code “YANKO” to get an extra $10 off at checkout). Hurry, offer ends in 48 hours!